A/N: Got quite a big response on the first chapter, so I made the second a priority. I have a feeling the third will be up in a couple days if the response keeps coming back this positive.

I got a couple mentions on the wordiness of the first chapter, and I admit I was reading a bit of Stephen King's 'It' while writing it. That would account for the wordiness, and I guarantee the rest won't be like that. Though, it was an interesting way to start things off. Also, to those that asked; yes, this would count as a continuation/sequel to my 'other' Diakko smutfic I wrote way back when. If you recall reading that, good for you, and I hope you enjoy this new one. If not, don't worry - its not required to know what's going on here and now, just a bit of background during Diana and Akko's school days.

And here we have Chapter 2.

Enjoy.

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Bewitching Diana Cavendish

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Diana had been backstage at a number of theaters and auditoriums in her life; either as an attendee or a handful of times she had spoken at a magical convention, or even at one or two dinners hosted by the Cavendish family. But those time she had been calm, cool, and collected; she had known what to expect and acted accordingly.

This was not one of those times.

For one thing, she was a guest. And not just any guest, but an attendee without any real reason to go backstage other than because she had been asked to come. The ticket clutched in her hand – which had lit up with a new note to give to the stagehand who had been standing outside a door marked 'private', signed by Atsuko Kagari no less – was living proof of that. Still, Diana had to admit there was always something about the backstage of a theater that always seemed lively to her.

She was led by the same stagehand she had shown Akko's note to and passed a doorway, she knew, to the stage itself. She caught glimpses of ladders and ropes and metal weights, a handful of men and women moving about the stage, cleaning up with brooms and wheeling lights around. As Diana paused to watch the bustle, she felt the sensation that she felt every time she stepped into a theater: that she was inside a giant clock, the workings of which moving all around her.

The stagehand continued to lead her down a passageway and stopped at a metallic staircase, and he paused to let three others go by. They wore hats and carried cables, ropes and bundles of dark fabric. They looked tired, but nodded cheerfully to her as Diana smiled politely at them. Once they had moved on, Diana blinked and moved to catch up to her guide, finally arriving in front of a door, the letter 'C' written in large, stylistic brass on its front.

Underneath the letter was the name 'Atsuko Kagari', printed on a piece of white paper.

Suddenly, the idea that Diana had actually gone ahead and left her friends to return home by themselves and take Akko up on her offer to catch up seemed a poor idea. A very poor idea… and Diana Cavendish didn't do poor ideas. She had no idea what to say to Akko when she saw her. Could she even manage small talk? 'Hi? How's the weather? How have you been these past ten years? Sorry I haven't called or anything, but I've been busy avoiding you because I wasn't sure I'd be able to look you in the eye after…'

No. She couldn't do this. She turned to leave. But, too late, the stagehand had already knocked on the door and opened it, gesturing for Diana to follow him inside.

Damn it. Nothing for it now.

It was all quite anticlimactic, Diana realized, as she entered to find Akko seated at the makeup counter on the far side of the dressing room, looking at herself in the mirror. She half-turned to reply – to the stagehand's knock Diana guessed – but jumped to her feet as Diana entered, her familiar, yet also half-forgotten smile stretching across her face.

"I was wondering if you'd actually come," she greeted Diana when the stagehand had left without a word. There was still a hint of the performance in her voice; her natural showmanship coming out in her tone and rhythm. "I actually debated on sending the firefly to you, because, you know, it's been so long and all. But," her smile widened, the corners of her eyes crinkling. "Wow – Here you are! Diana Cavendish, in the flesh!"

"Akko," Diana replied, taking a moment to look around the dressing room. Akko had leaned back against the makeup table quite comfortably – it was cluttered with jars of assorted creams and sticks of stage makeup, a deck of playing cards and bottles of water – her legs crossed at the ankle and her arms folded. She was still in costume, and now that Diana was near enough to notice, her makeup was still tastefully caked on; her face powdered and lips a bright red, her lashes and eyelids dark with mascara. It was odd, Diana noted, that Akko used real makeup instead of magic, but she realized that part of Akko had always been non-magical, and Diana had always liked that about her. She let her eyes wander down Akko's costume, lingering for a moment on her bare ankles underneath the flare of her pants, and then looked away.

"It's good to see you," she finally said, softly.

"It's great to see you, too." Akko replied simply. There were a few moments of silence, during which Diana could do little but fidget underneath her old friend's gaze, before it was finally broken. "Did you enjoy the show?"

"I did," Diana said truthfully.

"Really?" Akko chuckled, shaking her head. "I'm surprised. I didn't think you'd like this kind of thing. What was it that the old fogeys call it? A 'debasement of true magic'?"

Cringing in shame at the idea that she herself had once called it that, and in turn could be labeled as an 'old fogey', Diana deflected, "You were very impressive tonight."

"Well then, tell me what you liked best."

Diana hesitated. "I liked the fireflies," she said at last. "a simple spell, but used to great effect. They were very modular and even I was surprised at some of the ways you utilized them. And… well, I liked your costume." She stumbled, and her shame convalesced into a warm blush that began in her ears. "It's very… 'you'."

Akko laughed at that, shaking her head. "I'm glad you like it. But, as you said, it's a costume. And it's a costume I need to change out of. Do you mind waiting?"

"I don't." Diana said, and took a seat at the couch in the center of the room as Akko went to work. She smeared her cheeks with a small dab of cream, and then took a wet cloth to them. She worked quickly and carefully, but distractedly; and as she rubbed at her face she held Diana's gaze in the mirror. Diana shifted under her unblinking crimson eyes, unable to focus on anything in the room except her old friend.

"That's a nice outfit," Akko said approvingly, and then giggled, "It's very… 'you'." When Diana didn't answer, just broke eye contact to look around the room, Akko continued, "So what are you doing with yourself these days?"

"I work on contract with Luna Nova as a historian," Diana replied dutifully. At Akko's semi-interested 'hmm', she cleared her throat. "I'm also a freelance spell crafter."

"A spell crafter?" Akko laughed, as though the idea of Diana making spells was amusing. Perhaps it was. She could admit that. After all, out of the many career paths Diana had considered in her youth, she never would have thought she would be working for herself; for her own life, and not her family. As it was, her family still didn't approve of her job. But she did, and that was what was important.

After a moment, Akko's laughter subsided and she turned slightly towards Diana, "What was the weirdest spell you've ever made?"

Diana considered the question for a moment, and finally sighed, "I… actually don't think you want to hear it."

Akko sniggered; opening one of her eyes wide and leaned close to the mirror to remove a stubborn smudge of eyeliner – her mouth stretching wide in a grin and her mouth misting against the mirror. For a second, Diana believed Akko might have forgotten about her, and she went back to studying the woman the girl she knew grew into. The skin of her face and throat that had emerged from its mask of powder and foundation – the same color of fresh cream, Diana noted, but darkened slightly to a rosy color at her nose and cheeks – and even, at the edge of her lip, a small freckle almost as dark as her hair. I hadn't noticed the existence of freckles when we were teenagers. It must have appeared as she grew out of adolescence, as some similar marks disappear when you age. But now, I found the mark wonderfully and inexplicably adorable.

"Okay, now you have my attention." Akko said, leaning back and wiping her breath from the glass. She turned fully and winked at me. "Go on, tell me the spell." Her voice had all but shed the professionalism and polish from her performance, leaving the teasing tilt Diana recalled from their school.

It was that, and that alone, that gave Diana the courage to actually spill the beans. "It was… well, it was a magical aphrodisiac."

If Diana had expected Akko to be shocked, or appalled, then she was disappointed. The woman simply grinned a little wider, her teeth showing, and her eyebrows rose delicately until she murmured, "And? Did it work?"

Diana sent a flat stare at her, as if to say look who it is you're talking to, and then scoffed, folding her arms below her chest. "The client paid me well for my services. I don't disappoint."

"Oh, I know you don't." Akko said softly. Diana blinked and stared straight at her, wondering if she heard what she thought she had heard in the woman's tone. Akko's grin was her only answer, and then she rose and ran her fingers through her hair. "I better change," she said suddenly. "Don't want the dress to wrinkle or anything."

"R-right," Diana muttered. She made to stand, but Akko stopped her with a hand.

"You don't have to leave. I'll just be a minute. Stay?"

Sitting back down, Diana nodded and watched as Akko disappeared behind a screen – presumably to change in relative privacy. As it was, being this close to Akko, especially an Akko with less than optimal clothing, Diana could do little but sit there in anxious silence as the sounds of clothing moving over skin reached her ears.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Diana listened; she listened to the rustle of Akko's pants sliding down her legs, and the soft pops of her shirt's buttons slipping through their respective holes. The soft sound of fabric falling to the floor came the same exact time her stomach dropped to her feet, and Diana felt herself swallow heavily, willing herself to stay perfectly still. God only knew that if she moved an inch, Akko would be listening as well.

Damn it. Had Diana always been this nervous around Akko? No, this was a new feeling. New… but definitely not undesired.

A minute later Akko reappeared, dressed in a pink camisole and jean shorts. She was barefoot, and Diana had to fight to keep her eyes higher than Akko's chest as the woman settled against the makeup counter, crossing her legs and leaning back leisurely.

"So… I have a question for you." Diana finally said, averting her eyes altogether by dropping her gaze to the carpeted floor.

"Oh? Well, shoot." She heard Akko reply.

"Did you ever…" She paused, hesitating. Well, when would she ever get the chance to ask her again? Another ten years? She may as well ask. "Did you ever regret… what we did?"

She didn't need to explain. She was sure Akko knew what she was talking about.

And sure enough, Akko did. "Never," was the simply reply; succinct and sincere. There was silence for a long moment, and then Akko smiled, embarrassed. "Actually, to this day it is one of my best memories as a teenager."

That… actually surprised Diana. And it pleased her, knowing Akko's thoughts on it. "Really?"

"Of course," she replied airily, as if such a thing was obvious. Diana shifted on the couch, and she felt the tell-tale warmth of a blush prickle at her ears.

"And now," Akko declared. "I have a question for you."

Diana looked up, "Oh? What is it?"

Akko's gaze slid away from Diana, and for the first time since she walked into her dressing room, she noticed that her friend seemed… shy? "Why did you come here?"

Blinking, Diana tilted her head to the side. "Here… to the show?"

Akko shook her head, "No. I mean, why did you come here? To see me after the show."

"You told me to."

"No, I said that if you wanted to catch up to come see me. You could have ignored my note and left. I was actually expecting you to. I was legitimately surprised when the door opened and you walked in." She shrugged. "I just… was curious why."

Diana crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a little put out by Akko's surprise that she would actually want to see her. "You're my friend," she finally said softly, looking back up to Akko. "Why wouldn't I want to see you?"

"Am I?" Akko asked, her gaze never wavering from Diana's. "Am I your friend, Diana?"

Diana opened her mouth to answer, but paused. Was she still Akko's friend? She had not seen or talked to her in ten years, and not only because they weren't often in the same city. Diana could have found ways to get into contact with Akko. There were telephones, the internet was becoming more and more easy to use with magic… and, hell, there was even magical methods of communication Diana was sure Akko could use.

But still, she never once tried to contact her. Why?

Was the afraid? Nervous to try and reach out to her after they graduated?

Of course she was, but that didn't mean she didn't think back to every day in school and remember Atsuko Kagari as her good friend.

"Of course I am, Akko."

"Because I have always thought of you as more than a friend." Akko said almost immediately, catching Diana off guard. Then, as if anticipating that Diana would speak, she continued, "Well, I mean at first you were a friend. But then… well," she chuckled. "After what we did, I don't think we were ever just friends."

She fixed Diana with a level stare, her crimson eyes burning into Diana's cerulean with a sudden emotion Diana couldn't quite pick up on. "And ever since then, you're all I could think about nearly every day for ten years."

And there it was, Diana realized. There wasn't any stopping it now. The ball was rolling. It was obvious that the woman before her wanted something from her, and she was going to get it. Akko had never been a particularly clever girl, or one that hid things form others, always choosing to rush headlong into things before thinking them out. And for the most part, it just seemed to work out for her. And this time, Diana had walked straight into her trap.

Willingly, mind you. All-too-willingly. And now she didn't have any choice but to follow through.

Not that she didn't want to, of course.

However, just because Diana was willing didn't mean she wasn't going to make it easy for her. Slowly standing, Diana arched an eyebrow at Akko, watching as her expression grew more and more curious and glinting with intent.

An old, almost forgotten feeling of arousal burned deep within Diana as she squared off with Akko in the dressing room. Two words left her mouth like a challenge.

"Prove it."

Akko's bemusement made itself clear on her face, but realization dawned on her as Diana folded her arms beneath her bust, a tiny, secret smile spreading on her face. She casually slid her eyes down Akko's curves with intent to burn.

"My 'friend' would never look at me like you are looking at me right now," she said softly. Diana shook her head, adamant.

"Prove it."

Akko picked up on the game Diana was playing. The grin on her face returned – all teeth. Diana wanted action, not just words. Her lips twitched upwards in excitement as a faint blush blossomed on her cheeks.

"Alright."

Eyes never leaving Diana's, Akko slowly leaned back on the counter. The grin still curled on her lips, her lithe fingers moved down to her shorts, unlashing the thin belt that girded her waist. In slow, exaggerated movements she removed the belt from its loops, holding it in the air after its release. She let go of the belt, allowing the buckle to clatter against the counter behind her. Her fingers moved on, grasping at the short's button.

She eased the brass though its opening before unzipping slowly, watching as Diana's eyes fixated on her navel. The reveal took several seconds before the zipper finally crossed its last tooth. She allowed the petals of her shorts to lilt, giving Diana the first tantalizing view of her striped panties. Blue and white.

Then, getting slightly impatient herself, her thumbs hooked on the inside of her shorts. Slowly and steadily, Akko slid them down her smooth legs. Every tantalizing second passed as an eternity to Diana as more skin revealed itself like the lazy unwrapping of a Christmas present. From her succulent thighs to her kneecaps, Akko slid, allowing Diana a short peak at her cleavage as she bent over.

Her shorts finally fell, pooling around her ankles.

She stepped out of them, shifting her thighs as goosebumps formed on her skin. Embarrassment began to form as she stood there half-naked, but she visibly repressed it. Diana began to make her way over, satisfied with the performance, but Akko stopped her with a shake of her head, nestling her rear end against the edge of the counter.

Diana frowned; she had gotten all the evidence she needed… but it seemed Akko wanted to give her more.

She struggled against her composure as Akko proceeded to give her a show. Never in a million years did Diana dream Akko would do anything like this, but at this moment she couldn't care less. It had been so long – so long – since she'd done something like this, and she wasn't about to let it stop now.

Akko's cheeks a constant shade of pink, she bit her lip, leaning back, one hand supporting herself on the table, the other running through her burnt coppery hair. There her fingers slowly traversed her cheek before sliding down the creamy expanse of her throat, the soft fullness of her chest and the tightness of her navel beneath her camisole. With a determined gaze making sure Diana was still transfixed, her fingers slowly slipped beneath her panties.

"Enjoy the show, Diana…"

Quadruple damn it.

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To be continued...

Anyone else humming the song, 'I put a spell on you...'?

***Will work for glomps***