"Psst. Kiss me."
"What?"
"Kiss me, Tsukky, this is getting ridiculous. We've been dating for two weeks and you've barely even held my hand."
"Sarutobi… we're not actually dating."
"Yeah, but that's the point, isn't it? If we're gonna be believable, we have to sell it!"
The whispered exchange still earned them a couple of shushes from the row behind them in the crowded movie theater. Sacchan and Tsukuyo cringed, leaning in closer to one another and lowering their voices.
Tsukuyo rubbed the back of her neck abashedly. "Sorry, I just… wasn't sure what you were comfortable with."
Sacchan rolled her eyes. "I appreciate that, Tsukky, but ever since we started 'dating,' you've actually been less physical. Look for yourself right now, you left a buffer seat between us. Are you leaving room for Jesus or something?"
"Aw, give it a rest, Sarutobi," Tsukuyo mumbled, turning red. "Next time, just tell me ahead of time what you're comfortable with."
"Okay, well, I'm comfortable with you sitting next to me, for starters."
Tsukuyo sighed gently, getting up out of her chair and closing the distance between them. "Better?" she grumbled, plopping down beside Sacchan.
"Yes, thank you." She paused. "I'm also comfortable with hand-holding."
"All right," Tsukuyo murmured, holding out her palm. Sacchan took it gently, lacing her long, slender fingers with Tsukuyo's. The skin of her palm wasn't soft, Tsukuyo noticed, but rough and calloused like her own. Sacchan's hand felt warm in hers, her grip light but firm.
For a while, they sat like that, watching the movie - a blockbuster action flick, one Sacchan had been waiting for ages to see. She didn't seem to be paying much attention to it, however, as her eyes kept flitting back to Tsukuyo.
"I'm also comfortable with you calling me something other than Sarutobi," she finally muttered.
"Oh… right. Sorry. I'll call you Sacchan, then, I suppose."
"Well, that would be a step up," Sacchan snorted. "But I was thinking more like a… pet name."
Tsukuyo raised an eyebrow. "You mean like 'honey' or 'sweetums' or something?"
Sacchan's nose crinkled. "Well, yeah, but they sound awful coming from you… You'd never call somebody that of your own will in a million years, would you?"
"No," Tsukuyo admitted. "I don't think I would."
"Well, that's no good then, it won't sound convincing." Sacchan chewed her lip, thinking. "What's something more your style… Ah-" She hesitated. "Well… my given name is Ayame."
"Ayame, huh?" A name fell from her lips without thought. "Aya."
"Aya?" Sacchan rolled the name around her own tongue, mulling it over. "Yeah… Aya is fine." It was difficult to tell in the dark, but Tsukuyo thought she saw Sacchan's cheek reddening.
"I'm also comfortable with kissing."
Tsukuyo felt her chest tighten and glanced at Sacchan. She was looking at her steadily in the half light, her expression unreadable. They were already leaning in so close to one another, their voices hushed to keep from disturbing the other moviegoers. Tsukuyo swallowed, her eyes wandering to Sacchan's lips. She squeezed Sacchan's hand lightly.
"Okay," she murmured, "Aya."
She closed her eyes, heart pounding so loudly she half expected the people in the row behind them to shush her again, and kissed her - a quick, soft brushing of lips that sent a shudder down her spine. Tsukuyo pulled away and sat back in her seat, staring ahead at the movie screen and praying that it was too dark for Sacchan to see the color rapidly rising in her cheeks.
Sacchan was quiet for a while, but she didn't try to unlace her fingers from Tsukuyo's. "That was… convincing," she finally murmured.
Tsukuyo nodded. "Thanks… I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of this."