Chapter 20

Where In The World Is Chariot du Nord?

Amanda paced around the locker room, half in nervousness and half in boredom. Being someone who hated complete silence, she began to make odd noises as she paced. Hannah sat on the bed next to Akko with her face in her hands, feeling her eye twitch every time on of the noises made it's way to her ears.

"I am going to slap her if she makes one more noise." Hannah growled, quiet enough so that her girlfriend wouldn't be able to hear her.

"Not if I do it first." Akko's voice came out tired and agitated as she watched her redheaded friend. Her ankle was throbbing in pain and her fuse was becoming shorter with every second that passed.

The team was at a loss of what to do without their coach. Bodies were spread out throughout the locker room on the ground, some taking naps, most had their headphones in and watching videos on their phones.

"I'm so boooored." Amanda groaned, not noticing Hannah trying to stand up in anger before Akko grabbed her shoulder, preventing the auburn haired girl from inevitably slapping her girlfriend upside the head.

Suddenly the door to the room swung open forcefully making every occupant jump. Diana entered quickly and walked straight over to her girlfriend and friend both sitting on the bed in the corner. Akko's mother and father followed behind her, Akemi with a smug smile which seemed out of place to Akko, and Haruto with his hand over his eyes being led blindly by his wife.

"Akko, we came as quickly as we could when I got your message. What's going on?" Diana stopped in front of the brunette, brows furrowed in concern as she looked around. "Why are you all still here?"

"Chariot's gone." Akko said with a sigh as she rubbed her tired eyes.

"What? What do y-" The blonde started before the door to the locker room flung open again, making her spin around on instinct.

All heads turned toward the figure walking in, hoping they'd see their fiery red haired coach come through, only to be somewhat disappointed when Croix speed walked into the room. Akko, who had perked up somewhat, slumped her shoulders once more and joined in on the chorus of sighs echoing throughout the room. The lilac haired woman looked around, and without a word she walked to the coaches office.

"She's not in there either." Amanda spoke up, now seeming more irritated than bored.

Croix looked at the redhead before picking up the phone sitting on the desk and letting out a sigh if her own. For good measure, she bent down slightly and checked underneath the desk. Amanda snorted at the action.

"If she was under the desk this whole time I wouldn't even be angry. I'd be impressed at Chariot's hide and seek skills." The redhead chuckled, trying to lighten the mood. When she looked at Akko, she could tell that it worked just a little, as the brunette was trying to suppress a smile.

"Okay. Uh," Croix walked out of the coaches office and stopped, shifting uncomfortably as she noticed all the eyes in the room trained on her. "I don't know where your coach is so I guess I'm uh...responsible for you girls. Or something like that." She chuckled nervously at the unimpressed stares being thrown her way. "So what now?" She mumbled to herself, trying to come up with a plan.

"I would suggest getting the team back to their hotel. And Akko still needs to go to the hospital for an x-ray." Diana broke the silence, arching her eyebrow at the distraught woman in front of her.

"Right!" Croix exclaimed, putting a finger up in front of herself. "Good thinking, Diana."

The blonde rolled her eyes at the praise for the rather obvious suggestion. The lilac haired woman rubbed the back of her neck, still looking as if she was trying to solve a silent puzzle.

"How did you all get here?"

"A bus." Akko deadpanned as Diana slapped her forehead.

"Okay." Croix nodded, missing the exasperated looks she was getting. "Is it still here then? Well, I'm sure it'd still be here but, uh, yeah. Let's go children!" She began to walk quickly out of the room before being stopped by a shout from an agitated blonde.

"Croix, what about Akko?"

"Oh. Right." The woman walked back and stood close to Diana before whispering. "Do you have a way to get her there? Because I can barely take care myself let alone a bunch of girls and I'm about to scream and run away myself. I am really freaking out right now if you couldn't tell. Which I'm sure you could because I'm obviously not handling this well and Chariot's gone and I don't know where she is or where to find he-"

Diana eyebrows rose slowly as Croix's frantic rambling went on before she put a hand up to silence her before the woman could start to hyperventilate. The blonde looked around the room once more before pinning her gaze on the lilac haired woman once more.

"Just, get them to the hotel. I will take care of Akko." Diana said, pinching the bridge of her nose. "But for the love of god, don't lose anyone else."

"Hey!" Croix's brow furrowed before she sighed. "Okay, that's fair." She stood up straight and motioned for everyone to follow her as she walked out of the room.

"So what's the plan?" Amanda asked the blonde after grabbing her bag and hoisting it over her shoulder.

"You are going back to the hotel with your team." Diana stated, pointing to the door where her teammates were disappearing through.

Amanda and Hannah shared a look of disappointment that didn't go unnoticed by the blonde. She knew how excited her auburn haired friend was about seeing Amanda before everything took a turn for the worse. She couldn't stand seeing the sadness in Hannah's eyes at already being separated from the redhead. Diana then got an idea. After reaching out and taking Hannah's hand, she pulled her to the side. The rest of the group watched curiously as Diana whispered something, making Hannah's features instantly light up. After the auburn haired girl nodded in agreement to whatever was said, they returned.

"It's not very nice to tell secrets, Cavendish." Amanda smirked as Hannah stopped at her side and elbowed her in the ribs. "Ow."

"Let's go, Amanda." Hannah took the redhead's hand and began leading her to the door.

"Wait, what?"

"I'm coming with you. Diana and I believe Croix is going to need all the help she can get."

"That...is true." Amanda shrugged before letting go of Hannah's hand and putting her arm around her shoulders instead before they walked out the door and into the hall. "Good luck, Akko!" She shouted over her shoulder as the pair disappeared.

When silence filled the room due to a lack of response from her girlfriend, Diana turned and saw that Akko had fallen asleep at some point in the last couple minutes. She looked peaceful. The blonde watched as the brunette's chest rose and fell in a slow rhythm before she felt a presence next to her. She turned to see that Akemi had joined her before setting her gaze on Akko once more.

"I wish we didn't have to wake her." Diana said softly, not wanting to wake her girlfriend up just yet.

"I know, sweetheart." The older woman put her hand on the blonde's shoulder in reassurance. "She's had a rough day."

"I don't want to see her hurting. Earlier she was..." The blonde trailed off as she thought back to when Akko was crying less than an hour before. Diana's heart broke for her.

"Diana," Akemi said after a few moments of silence. The young blonde turned her head and looked at the older woman with eyes full of sadness. "Akko is strong. She is hurting now but she has overcome much more than this. And in the end, this will only make her that much stronger." She then put her hands on each of Diana's shoulders and continued with conviction. "We never want to see the ones we love hurt, but we are the ones who get the chance to take that hurt away. I know you love her, Diana. And I have no doubt that she will be back to normal in no time. You'll find a way."

The bright smile Akemi flashed was filled with all the confidence in the world, warming the blonde's heart immediately. At that moment, Diana felt like a little girl who needed her mother's comfort. Something she'd been missing for the longest time. This woman had known exactly what the blonde needed even if she, herself, didn't know she needed it. Diana had found someone, not to replace her own mother, but someone to carry on in her stead. She couldn't believe the amount of pure joy she was feeling. Only a few months before, she barely had anyone to call her family. And because of Akko, her family had grown exponentially. And the blonde would be forever grateful.

"You're absolutely right." Diana finally replied with just as bright of a smile in return. "Let's get her to the hospital."

Akemi nodded and began to move forward toward the bed but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. The older woman looked to the blonde once more in surprise.

"Thank you, Akemi." Diana said softly, making Akemi blush slightly before she composed her herself and made a 'psh' sound and waving the blonde off dismissively. But not before flashing another warm smile.

The woman shook Akko gently to try to wake the girl up, but when she didn't stir, she shook her a little more aggressively. The brunette just weakly tried to shove the offending hand away before settling back into the pillow.

"This girl." Akemi narrowed her eyes at her daughter, making Diana's shoulders shake in silent laughter. The woman then smiled mischievously and shook Akko once again with a slight change. "Akko wake up! You're going to be late for practice!" She yelled, making her daughter jump up immediately with her eyes wide, instantly wide awake. The blonde watched the whole scene in shock, thinking she'd have to remember that trick in the future.

"What?!" Akko squeaked out frantically, looking around at the empty locker room in a panic before coming back to her senses.

"Ha! Works every time." Akemi proudly smiled at Haruto, who was now pinching the bridge of his nose. "What?"

"Gah!" Akko shouted in pain when she swung her leg off of the bed and placed her foot on the floor.

"Akko!" Diana gasped, immediately making her way to Akko's side. "Let's get you to the hospital."

"Thank god." The brunette sighed as her girlfriend chuckled and helped her stand up. She then noticed the lack of her team around her. "Where did everyone go?"

"The hotel." Diana replied and she forced Akko to put her arm around her shoulders.

"Then...how are we getting to the hospital?"

"I have a-" The blonde cut herself off when she remembered how she got to the stadium earlier that day. She then sighed. "I have a limo waiting."

Three sets of eyes looked at her in disbelief.

"For real? A limo?" Akko asked, as if Diana was playing a joke on them.

"It was Hannah's idea." The blonde rolled her eyes.

"I'll have to thank your friend later then. Did you hear that Haruto? A fancy limo! Let's go!" Akemi said quickly as she grabbed her husband's hand and began to drag him out of the room.

"Uh...okaasan? Aren't you forgetting something?" Akko called out before she could leave.

Akemi froze and turned around with her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. After a few moments of silence, Diana gave the older woman a hint and pointed at Akko. Akemi's eyes went wide in realization.

"Oh, o-of course I didn't forget about you, Akko. Haruto, why don't you help Diana with Akko and I'll get her things." She said sheepishly as she began to gather her daughter's things.

The man nodded with an amused smile and made his way over to his daughter, urging her to put her arm over his shoulders.

"Don't worry Akko, she forgets about me all the time." Haruto mumbled just loud enough for Akko and Diana to hear. The brunette giggled as they began to move forward carefully, making sure Akko didn't have to put any weight on her injured ankle.

They made their way out of the room and through the various hallways until they found themselves outside, the limo already parked by the curb and waiting for them. The driver immediately stepped out and hurried around the long length of the vehicle to open the door for them, giving Akko an odd look as Diana helped her in.

"We need to go to the Cavendish Medical Center as quickly as possible." The blonde told the driver as Akemi and Haruto slid themselves into the limo after their daughter. The driver nodded curtly and Diana got in last before the door was shut behind her.

Before the vehicle even moved, Akko and Akemi were excitedly searching every inch of the passenger compartment of the vehicle. They pushed any button and opened any compartment they could find with Diana and Haruto looking on in amusement while the blonde took care of some business on her phone. Suddenly the car jolted and Akko, not being buckled into her seat and being already off balance due to her injured ankle, flew across the small space and onto her girlfriend's lap. In surprise, Diana raised her hands and kept them there as the brunette's face found itself resting on the blonde's chest, making the blonde blush fiercely as she could feel Akko's parent's eyes on them.

"Akko! You could at least wait until your parents are not in the car to canoodle with your girlfriend!" Akemi feigned an offended gasp.

"Okaasan!" Akko groaned as she unstuck her face from her girlfriend's chest and shifted awkwardly back to her seat.

The last few minutes of the trip were spent in silence apart from Akemi's snickering at her blushing daughter.

The bus stopped in front of the hotel where the team was staying, the door opening with a loud hiss. A stampede of players lined up and slowly made their way off of the bus while Croix watched them absentmindedly from the front seat. Amanda and Hannah were the last to make their way to the front of the bus and paused when the redhead caught sight of the worry in the lilac haired woman's eyes.

"You okay shut-in?" The redhead asked jokingly. When it elicited none of the usual reactions from the woman, Amanda's shoulders slumped dejectedly as she turned to give a concerned look to her girlfriend. Hannah only shrugged and looked away. "Hey, I'm sure she's okay. A lot happened today." The redhead said as she put a reassuring hand on the woman's shoulder.

"I know she's okay. This is her home." Croix gestured to the street and the buildings around them. "But...that doesn't mean she...I just don't want her to be alone right now."

Amanda nodded slowly, contemplating on what she should say or do next.

"Well hey, why don't you go get that fiance of yours and we'll man the fort here. There's a nice restaurant here in the hotel. I'll make sure no one leaves until you find Chariot."

"Really?" Croix looked up at the redhead in surprise.

"Of course. Don't worry." Amanda waved her off, but no response came from the woman who didn't move. "Go!" The redhead exclaimed, making Croix jump immediately out of her seat before the woman cleared her throat and narrowed her eyes.

"Hey, I'm still your superior. You don't get to tell me what to do."

"Yeah, sure. Whatever. Just go get my coach back so I don't have to deal with you anymore." Amanda smirked before she and Hannah made their way off of the bus and into the hotel lobby.

Croix scratched her forehead as she tried to hold back her smile before dealing with the driver. Finding out he had already been paid and she was fine to just leave, the lilac haired woman stepped off the bus before it drove away. Croix stood in place, worrying her lip as she looked up and down the side walk trying to figure out where she should start looking.

"Come on, you're her fiance. You should know where she'd go." The woman whispered to her self, frustrated. "Where would she go? Where did she used to go?" She narrowed her eyes and tilted her head as she thought. "Last time..." She immediately moved toward the curb to call a taxi when she thought of a good place to start. She wasn't going to find Chariot just standing here on the sidewalk.

Meanwhile, Amanda and Hannah retreated to the redhead's hotel room after knocking on the other player's doors and telling them to stay put until Chariot was found. The door beeped and unlocked after Amanda used the key card and she opened the door and set her bag down as they entered the room. It had been cleaned by the maid service since she had left so she ended up tiredly falling face first onto her neatly made bed. Hannah sat primly on the edge of the bed next to her girlfriend's head.

"You're not going to just fall asleep on me are you?" Hannah asked in annoyance, gently shaking the redhead. "I can just leave if that's the case." She began to get up but stopped when a hand reached out to grab her wrist. Amanda started to role over with half lidded eyes and a tired smile, making the auburn haired girl blush slightly. In the short time they've been going together, this was one of her favorite sights to see. When Amanda was tired, her teasing nature was almost nonexistent, making her smiles and loving looks completely genuine. They never failed to fill Hannah with an amount of warmth and affection she never thought she could possibly feel. And right now, looking down at her girlfriend's bright emerald green eyes, she felt an overwhelming urge to nuzzle up into the redhead's neck. She wanted to be held, protected by her girlfriend's strong arms. Slowly, she crawled into the bed and into Amanda's waiting arms before she recoiled quickly. "You need a shower."

"That I do." Amanda chuckled in amusement as Hannah playfully slapped her shoulder. The redhead stood up and began undressing before digging through her bag for some clean clothes to wear. The auburn haired girl's jaw clenched as Amanda took off her sports bra before she entered the bathroom and threw it over her shoulder. Hannah watched the object until it hit the floor by her feet and heard the bathroom door close. She stared at the black sports bra for a few minutes as she tried to block the inappropriate thoughts that threatened to take over her mind. But as always, the endeavor was impossible. 'I wonder if she locked the door...'

"Ugh...stupid things. Stupid stupid..." Akko grumbled as she once again stumbled while using her crutches, this time getting on the elevator in the hotel. Diana followed her in, trying to contain her laughter, and pressed the button to the fifth floor.

As the elevator jerked slightly and began to rise, the blonde glanced briefly down at her girlfriend's new cast and frowned. It had been more serious than they had thought although the pain had not seemed to be that bad. Of course Akko had most likely lied about how much it actually hurt to lessen everyone's worries. She always put herself last, and it irked Diana to no end. She could fix that.

"What?" The blonde looked up quickly at Akko, who was looking at her curiously. "Let me guess, you want to be the first to sign it?" The brunette smiled, but Diana could still see the sadness in her eyes.

"How are you feeling?" The blonde asked with a tilt of her head.

"Oh. Uh," Akko looked away and stared at the floor of the elevator. "I'm fine. The painkillers have kicked in."

"You know that's not what I meant." Diana stepped closer to the brunette. She reached out and forced Akko's chin up with her fingers in order to search her girlfriend's crimson eyes for the truth.

"Yeah, I know." Akko sighed as she melted under the blonde's gaze. "I'm...not okay right now. But I'm really happy that you're here with me, Diana." The brunette took the hand holding her chin in her own and kiss the knuckles softly before looking up into sparkling azure eyes once more and flashing a genuine warm smile.

The blonde smiled back and cupped Akko's cheek before leaning in and pressing her lips against the brunette's for a chaste kiss. The elevator dinged suddenly and Diana straightened up on instinct and cleared her throat before gesturing for Akko to get off first. The brunette rolled her eyes and giggled before she awkwardly made her way off of the elevator and into the hallway. Luckily for her, her and Amanda's room was only three door away.

"Could you get the key card out of my wallet? It's in the front pocket of my bag." Akko asked as she hobbled along.

Diana held up of the bag she was holding and unzipped the front pocket. After retrieving the wallet, she opened it to find the card but stopped in her tracks when something caught her eye. It was a picture of them dancing together in Akko's backyard on their first date. Someone had taken a picture of them without her noticing, but taking one look at the picture, anyone could understand why. The brunette's arms were around Diana's neck and they were both smiling warmly and gazing into each other's eyes as if there wasn't anything or anyone else in the world. That seemed accurate though, as there is nothing else for her, Akko is her world. Her whole world. Speaking of her whole world, she looked up at the brunette and found crimson eyes staring back at her in a mix of amusement and embarrassment.

"Could I um...have the key?"

"Oh. Yes." Diana shook her head and dug the key card out of one of the pockets in the wallet. "Allow me." She said as she stuck the card into the slot until it beeped and the light turned green. The blonde opened the door and held it for Akko as she slowly made her way in, taking care not to knock her crutches off of the door frame.

The room was dark before the brunette found and flipped the light switch on the wall. The room lit up and the pair walked into the main area where the beds lay. But they both froze in place when they saw Amanda laying on her bed beneath a bundle of blankets, looking back at them in horror. Akko had a look of confusion on her face and Diana just arched her brow.

"Uh...what?" The brunette asked hesitantly as she stopped in front of her own bed where her bag was waiting.

"Nothing." The redhead's voice was an octave higher than it should have been and her face was a deep shade of red.

Diana narrowed her eyes when she realized there was something missing here.

"Where is Hannah?"

"Uh...ha." Amanda's eyes grew wide and she shifted nervously. "She went to uh...get a drink?"

"Why are you acting so weird?" Akko inquired, just now catching on. When The redhead only shrugged, the brunette just furrowed her eyebrows before turning and walking toward the bathroom and hobbled inside.

Diana never took her eyes off of Amanda, knowing that something was going on. That was until she saw the pile of blankets move near where the redhead's legs would be. At first she didn't find that odd but she quickly realized that Amanda was frozen in place. She wasn't the one moving. The blonde casually walked over toward the end of Amanda's bed and jabbed her finger into the pile of blankets.

"Ow! Fuck that was my boob!" She heard a voice squeak from underneath the blankets, making Diana back peddle in surprise.

"Hannah!" The blonde chided in a loud whisper.

"...Diana?"

"Of course it's...ugh." Diana rubbed her forehead and looked back to the bathroom when she heard the door open.

They watched Akko hop out of the bathroom and stop at her bag before she notice the eyes on her. Looking over, she saw her annoyed looking girlfriend and a still very nervous looking Amanda.

"You guys okay?"

After one last look at the redhead, Diana walked over to Akko and put her arms around her waist.

"How about you come to my room and stay the night?" The blonde asked as seductively as she could in the current situation.

"Oh hell yes!" Akko exclaimed too quickly before she cleared her throat and continued. "I mean, I would love to. I should probably take a bath first though."

"No!" Diana said a little too loudly, making Akko jump a bit. "My suite has a very nice bathtub….with jets."

"Oooh. Like a hot tub?!" The brunette asked excitedly.

"Yes, exactly like a hot tub." The blonde replied in relief.

"Awesome! What are we waiting for?"

Akko hopped as quickly as she could back into the bathroom to retrieve her crutches as Diana zipped up her girlfriend's bag. In less than a minute they were ready to leave.

"Are you sure you'll be fine alone, Amanda?" Akko asked before they opened the door to leave.

"I will be perfectly fine. Please just go...and have fun." Amanda flashed them one more nervous smile.

"We will! See you tomorrow!" The brunette yelled over her shoulder Diana opened the door for her.

The blonde looked back one more time to see the redhead mouth a 'thank you' before turning and following Akko out.

"Where are you staying by the way?" The brunette asked as they walked to the elevator.

"Here. Penthouse suite." Diana smirked at the look of shock on Akko's face.

"I have the best girlfriend in the world." The brunette whispered to herself excitedly, making the blonde chuckle.

They entered the elevator and Diana pushed the button for the top floor and held a card up to be scanned, making Akko bounce on her one good heel as they rose higher and higher. When it stopped, the doors opened revealing the large luxurious suite. The brunette was speechless as she hobbled out into the living area. The feel of the suite was modern, and white. Everything seemed to be white except for the very expensive looking art pieces on the walls and tables. Immediately in front of her was a large couch with the biggest television Akko had ever seen on the wall in front of it. To her left was an immaculate kitchen bigger than the one in her house, and to her left was a hallway she figured would lead to the bedroom, or bedrooms.

"Would you like a tour?" Diana asked, breaking her girlfriend out of her trance.

"Oh. Uh...yeah. Lead the way."

"Well you've seen the bulk of it," The blonde started as she gestured around the large area they were standing in. "so I'll show you the bedrooms and bathrooms."

Diana led Akko down the hallway and opened the door to the first bedroom which was the at least the size of a normal hotel room. Then they moved to the bathroom across from the first bedroom, it was nothing special really.

"This is where we'll be sleeping." The blonde said before opening the door at the end of the hallway.

Akko's jaw dropped when she saw the sheer size of the bedroom. Everything from the king sized bed to the TV on the wall rivaling the one in the living area left her speechless once more. She walked up to the wall on the far side of the room that was made of glass looking over the large city. The view was breathtaking to say the least. The sky was beginning to darken and the lights of the city began to stand out. As she stood there, leaning on her crutches, she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist and a chin came to rest on her shoulder. Akko smiled and leaned her head against Diana's as they looked over the city in silence for a long moment.

"Would you like to see the bathtub?" The blonde said quietly, breaking the comfortable silence between them.

"Are you implying that I smell bad?" Akko asked cheekily with a smirk that her girlfriend couldn't see.

Diana pulled away after a moment and picked up her girlfriend's bag before she began walking toward the bathroom before replying.

"No comment."

"Hey!" Akko began to protest before she leaned down and smelled herself as she followed the blonde and grumbled under her breath, "Fair point."

The bathroom turned out to be bigger than her bedroom at the house. She stood just inside the doorway in awe as Diana sat on the edge of the bathtub to start the water for Akko's the bath. Seeing her girlfriend go through the trouble to take care of her filled the brunette's body with warmth and her stomach filled with butterflies. The affection Diana showed her always made her feel this way and she hoped that would never change.

Spotting a seat next to the vanity, Akko sat down and sighed in relief that she could now relax after this nightmare of a day. She stretched her legs out in front of her and groaned when she thought of a tiny problem with her plan of taking a bath.

"What's wrong, Akko?" Diana asked as she hurried over to where Akko sat.

"Oh, nothing. It's just...the cast. I can't get the cast wet."The brunette said sadly and jutted her lip out in a pout.

"You...didn't realize that before now?" The blonde arched her eyebrow. "The doctor literally told you that an hour ago."

"Well you're the one running a bath for me." Akko mumbled as she folded her arms and looked away.

"I'm also the one who has a plan." Diana chuckled at her girlfriend's childish behavior before turning around and walking to the bathtub to turn off the water. "Take your clothes off and I'll help you get in."

"...What?" Akko squeaked as a blush began to take over her face.

Diana stared at her, unimpressed, before sighing.

"Akko, I've seen you naked before."

"I know it's just..." The brunette trailed off as she fidgeted with her hands in her lap. "We are usually...ya know..."

"Are you intending to get in with your uniform on then?" The blonde asked in amusement.

"..."

"Very well." Diana stood up and began to walk to the door.

"Wait!" Akko called out, making her girlfriend stop in her tracks and look back with an arched brow. "M-maybe if you...um...were naked too...it wouldn't be so awkward?" She stuttered, looking at the floor at Diana's feet. Her blush increased tenfold at her suggestion.

"You want me to take a bath with you?" The blonde asked hesitantly as she slowly turned to face Akko fully.

"Uh...i-if you want to. Y-you don't have to. I was just saying it might help with...uh.." The brunette internally screamed at herself for rambling. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous about this. Diana was right, she had seen Akko naked before, multiple times in fact. But this just seemed different for some reason. While she was berating herself, she didn't notice Diana move closer and suddenly she was staring up into azure eyes looking back at her.

"Stand up, I'll help you with your clothes." The blonde held out a hand for Akko to take which she did before slowly standing without her crutches.

Diana started with the uniform top, pulling it up and over the brunette's head before tossing it into the corner of the bathroom. Next went the sports bra in the same fashion. On reflex, Akko covered her breasts from view, making the blonde chuckle and roll her eyes before bending down to slide off the one sandal the brunette was wearing. Then she began to slowly take off Akko's skirt, spandex shorts, and underwear all at the same time. The brunette's heart began to race and her breathing became shallow at seeing Diana bent down in front of her like this. When the blonde's gaze drifted up to Akko's blushing face, the brunette visibly shivered at the intensity in the beautiful blue eyes looking back at her. Akko's skirt and underwear lay at her feet now as Diana leaned in and kissed the brunette's stomach eliciting an unexpected whine from the brunette who covered her mouth immediately with her hand. She could feel Diana smile into the skin on her lower belly as she felt another kiss and then the blonde pulled away and gently pushed Akko's hips back.

"Sit." The Diana softly commanded, to which the brunette immediately obeyed, closing her legs as tightly as she could.

Diana then carefully guided the clothing over Akko's cast before taking them off the uninjured foot as well before tossing them to the side like the others. The brunette now sat completely naked, her legs clenched tightly together and her hands covering her breasts. She felt pretty pathetic if she was being honest. She was about to be brave and let her hands drop until she was frozen in place when Diana began to take off her clothing casually, facing away from her. As she had taken off her heels when they came in, she started with her jeans, pushing them down painfully slow and shimmied out of them as she bent over revealing black lace panties. Akko swallowed thickly as she watched, her brain overloading at the display. She wondered then if Diana was meaning to put on this little show for her but at the moment, she failed to put together any words to ask. She wondered if there were any words left in her mind. What are words? She didn't care. Diana stood up straight and unbuttoned her white dress shirt before letting it fall off her shoulders and arms to the floor revealing a matching black lace bra, to which she reached behind herself and unclasped, letting it fall to the floor as well. Akko was so entranced that, while she did notice that Diana had turned around to face her, she didn't notice the look of pure amusement on the blonde's face. It wasn't until Diana began moving toward her that Akko snapped back to reality, just in time to see her girlfriend straddle her legs and sit on her lap.

"Did you enjoy the show?" The blonde asked with a smirk.

"Y-yeah." Was all the brunette could put together in reply, making Diana chuckle again quietly before she leaned in and captured Akko's lips in a soft kiss. When the blonde pulled back after a long moment, the brunette's words seemed to come back to her, unfortunately. "But your underwear..."

"You like them?"

"They'd look better on the floor."

Diana's eyes widened a bit as she bit her cheek to hold back the laughter threatening to escape her mouth. Her shoulder's began to shake as she saw her girlfriend's smug grin suddenly turn into a playful pout.

"You know what, they would, wouldn't they." The blonde stood up and took a step back before bending down and taking them off slowly until they laid on the floor at her feet, all the while never breaking eye contact with her girlfriend. "Better?"

"Yes, definitely." Akko said as she nodded fervently.

Again, the blonde rolled her eyes and smiled before she held out her hand to help Akko stand up once more. When they both made it to the tub, Diana stepped in first and carefully sat down before pushing herself up against the side, creating enough space for Akko to sit directly in front of her. The brunette sat on the side of the tub and swung her uninjured leg over the side first and rested her injured ankle on the towel that Diana had set on the corner, out of the water. She looked around, contemplating the best way to actually get her body into the water until she felt wet arms wrap around her ribs and gently pull her back. She stiffened at first but relaxed almost immediately when her bottom half came to rest underneath the water. She leaned back against Diana and sighed in content and grinned happily as she felt her girlfriend kiss the top of her head.

"How do you feel now?" The blonde asked softly.

Akko thought about the question seriously. Yeah, the day was a nightmare. But it was a nightmare she could barely remember right now as she shared this moment with her amazing girlfriend. How was she feeling?

"I feel like I can get through anything as long as I have you." The brunette shifted to the side, enough to make eye contact with Diana. "I love you so much, Diana."

"I love you too, Akko."

Croix jumped out of a cab for what seemed like the hundredth time that day after paying the driver. The vehicle sped away and left her looking up at the towering structure in front of her. Night was in full effect and the tower lit up the sky. The lilac haired woman sighed heavily and began to look around at the crowded area full of tourists from around the world. If Chariot wasn't here, she had no idea what she'd do. She was out of ideas. Croix began to walk, zigzagging between large groups of people taking pictures, trying to spot any trace of fiery red hair in the crowd. She was exhausted and losing hope quickly as she entered a more quiet area away from most of the crowds until she saw her. Her fiance sat on a bench alone, staring up into the lights on the tower. The Italian let out a long sigh of relief, her shoulders slumping before she walk slowly toward Chariot. She sat down on the bench in a huff and looked up at the lights that seemed to captivate the woman next to her.

"Hey." Chariot mumbled sheepishly.

Croix raised her eyebrows and looked over at the red headed woman.

"Hey? Really?"

Chariot finally looked away from the lights to set her gaze on the ground in front of them in shame, making the Italian's heart break. She put her arm around Chariot's shoulders and pulled her close until her fiance's head was laying on her shoulder. Croix suddenly snorted and began to laugh, making Chariot look up at her in confusion.

"It figures. You chose the most obvious land mark in France to run away to, and it's the last place I thought of looking. It seemed to easy."

The red haired woman smiled for just a moment before her expression turned sullen once again.

"I'm sorry." She said quietly. "I...I was overwhelmed. And then Akko..." Tears began to roll down Chariot's face as she remembered her player rolling around in pain on the field. "I had to get away. From everything. God I fucked up so bad. How do I even face the team again?"

"I don't think you're giving them enough credit Char. Akko is doing fine, Amanda's face is okay-"

"What?!" Chariot turned her head quickly, her eyebrows raised. "What happened to Amanda's face?"

"Oh she punched the shit out of that girl who hit Akko and the other team pounced on her. Don't worry, the black eye and bloody swollen lip gave her character." Croix smirked at the shocked look on her fiance's face.

"Is there anything else you need to tell me?"

Croix tapped her chin as she thought about the question.

"I should probably tell you that..." The lilac haired woman trailed off, making Chariot grow more worried by the second. "That no one blames you for all of this. Those kids, they're going to fight for you because you are their coach, their mentor and part of their little family. None of them batted an eye when you revealed who you really were, and nothing has changed. They're going to understand, just like I do."

Chariot took a deep breath and nodded slowly but said nothing.

"And you have a very powerful person on your side now. I think that bitch might actually get what's coming to her this time." Croix smiled mischievously.

"Powerful person? Who?" The red haired woman furrowed her brows at her fiance.

"Oooh what's the saying again?" The Italian pursed her lips and then held up a finger, pretending as if a light bulb just went off in her head. "Hell hath no fury like a Cavendish scorned."