Tea was always such a great choice after a long day, Akatsuki had learned. She still liked milk, of course, but tea was what the bigger shipgirls preferred to drink. If she was going to be more like them, then she had to eat and drink the same things they did! Or so she told herself, at least.
She sat down with her drink outside Café Mamiya, preferring the warmth of the midday sun. The patio tables outside provided a little shade, creating the perfect balance. Between it and the soft singing of the birds Akatsuki would describe the day as nothing less than perfect.
"Hello."
Akatsuki flinched and nearly fell out of her seat as Hibiki sat down next to her. "Oh geez, Hibiki-chan! Don't sneak up on me like that, please," Akatsuki said. Hibiki closed her eyes and bowed her head slightly.
"I'm sorry."
"It's OK," Akatsuki said. "Where did you come from, anyway? I thought I was alone out here."
"I followed you," Hibiki said, and scooted closer to Akatsuki. "When I saw you leave the Admiral's office. Did you have a successful mission?"
Akatsuki wasn't ready for her to be so close to her. "Wha-? Yes! Our mission was a success, yes. You followed me?! That's creepy, Hibiki-chan."
"Мне жаль."
"Well, whatever. It's OK," Akatsuki said. That Hibiki could be a real handful, she'd learned. In more ways than one, too. She loved Hibiki, no doubt about it. She loved all her sisters. They were truly supportive, earnest, and hardworking girls.
"I want to...kiss..."
Akatsuki nearly spat out her tea, she was so shocked. She turned to look at Hibiki, who was just staring blankly at her, her cheeks a very faint red. "W-W-What did y-you just s-say to me?!"
"Kiss..." Hibiki repeated, and put one of her hands on Akatsuki's thigh. "I want to kiss you."
And then there was this. Akatsuki loved all her sisters, true, but she loved Hibiki in a different way. A special way. It'd started just a couple months ago, when mysterious love letters started appearing in Akatsuki's locker. It'd taken her a few days to figure out who was leaving these letters; she'd been pretty surprised that it had turned out to be Hibiki. She hadn't been totally against the idea, though, and had agreed to go on a few dates with her. One thing led to another and, well, here they were.
"Why would you just say that out of the blue, though?!" Akatsuki said.
"We've been dating for a few months now, and I saw Inazuma and Ikazuchi doing it too. It looks fun. So can I kiss you?" Hibiki said, and leaned in closer to Akatsuki.
"You were watching Inazuma and Ikazuchi k-kiss? When? Where?! WHY?!" Akatsuki said, and looked around. There was no one around yet, but that didn't mean someone wasn't there. Or that someone wouldn't show up right when they started kissing. The last thing she needed was Aoba or Sazanami seeing them and telling the whole freaking base. Akatsuki was sure that she'd die from embarrassment if that happened. "And we're in public right now!"
"Then... We should go back to our room, and do it in bed," Hibiki said.
"That's even worse!"
"Didn't you tell me once that a lady should try new things?" Hibiki asked. Akatsuki groaned and leaned her head back, running a hand down her face. She put her head back down and nearly bumped it against Hibiki's, with how much closer the other girl had gotten.
"O-OK, OK! We'll go back to our room, then." She stood, grabbed her tea, and Hibiki took ahold of her other hand. She blushed but said nothing, and they held hands all the way back to their dorm building.
*Click*
Akatsuki turned around. Hibiki was standing by the door, her hands folded behind her back. "Did you just lock the door?!" Akatsuki said. Hibiki just smiled at her. A smile that Akatsuki didn't understand. She approached Akatsuki and Akatsuki practically fell onto the bed.
Hibiki sat down right next to her, their bodies touching. She put a hand on Akatsuki's thigh again. "You really like t-touching me there, huh?"
"You're very squishy here," Hibiki said, and Akatsuki gave her a look.
"Rude! Geez!" she said. Hibiki just flashed a smile at her, but it seemed to her that Hibiki was getting a little nervous herself. "This... This is very, very new to me," Akatsuki said, staring at the hand on her thigh.
"We'll take it slow then, OK?" Hibiki said, and Akatsuki nodded. She stared into Akatsuki's eyes, the silence quickly growing awkward. "Should we start now, or...? Do you want to go first?"
"W-what? No I don't want to go first!" Akatsuki said. "I... Well." She swallowed the lump in her throat and tried again. "How about you go first and then... Then I will! OK?"
"Works for me," Hibiki said. She leaned in closer to Akatsuki and Akatsuki reflexively leaned back. "I can't kiss you if you pull away, Akatsuki."
"Sorry, sorry!" Akatsuki said. "I'm sorry. Just... Try again, OK?"
Hibiki nodded and leaned in again, her eyes half lidded. Akatsuki stared at her girlfriend's lips as they moved ever closer to hers until, before she knew it, they were touching. Hibiki closed her eyes and leaned in just a little more, and then their lips were locked.
Kissingkissingkissingkissingkissingholycrapwhatthefuc-
The sensation was odd. Alien. There was pressure and warmth in Hibiki's kiss, and Akatsuki could feel her exhales blow down her cheek. Akatsuki inhaled and her senses were flooded with the scent of Hibiki's soap and shampoo, a modest lavender scent. Akatsuki felt herself go lightheaded, drunk on the scent. The kiss, the hand on her thigh, the pleasant smell, it was intense. Hibiki broke the kiss and opened her eyes. "Akatsuki? Your turn" she said, and Akatsuki looked at her as if she had five eyes. She cast a furtive glance at Hibiki's lips and nodded.
"OK!" Akatsuki said. "Here I go!"
She put one of her own hands on Hibiki's thigh and leaned in, a little faster than she intended to. She pressed her lips firmly to Hibiki's, the only response from her girlfriend being a slight widening of the eyes. Akatsuki held her gaze firmly while they kissed and then Hibiki closed her eyes. She put one of her hands on Akatsuki's cheek and Akatsuki felt her face grow hot, the touch less alien than the hand still on her thigh, but still unusual. Not uncomfortable, though.
This... This is nice.
Akatsuki broke the kiss and Hibiki opened her eyes. "Aheh..." Akatsuki said, a little shocked that they actually did it. "Heh... Heheh..." she giggled, and started playing with her hair.
"What's wrong?" Hibiki asked, knocking Akatsuki out of her stupor.
"Wha-? Oh. Nothing," Akatsuki said. She put one of her hands on Hibiki's cheek as well and leaned in. "Nothing's wrong," she said, and kissed Hibiki again. Hibiki kissed her back and gently pushed Akatsuki down until she was on top of her. Now Akatsuki certainly hadn't expected *this,* but part of her decided it was OK too. She loved and trusted Hibiki, knew she would respect Akatsuki's boundaries. Akatsuki didn't know where those boundaries were just yet, but she was willing to let Hibiki do what she wanted until she found out. Hibiki put both hands on Akatsuki's cheeks and Akatsuki wrapped her arms around Hibiki's back, the two of them gazing in to each other's eyes.
"Nothing's wrong at all."