Chapter 15
Finally
"Sugoi! Kokonotsu wa watashi o tasukeru," Akko slipped.
"That is not a language I speak," Diana snapped. She folded her arms across her chest, wincing at the tiny ache in her abdomen. "Do I look ridiculous? In English, please."
"You look—" Akko rubbed her temple, trying to hide the flare of heat in her cheeks. "You look great."
Diana had absolutely refused to wear a dress, but she wasn't exactly happy with the other option, either. "You can see these horrible bandages underneath," she'd moaned to Anna as she returned yet another dress to her wardrobe
Anna was growing weary of Diana's diva-like behavior.
"Then wear the slacks and vest I chose, my lady," Anna replied, motioning to the outfit she'd laid out on the bed. "They are tailored to fit you perfectly."
"Not for an occasion such as this, I had this tailored for dinner with the president of the Hunt Club," Diana said. "But I suppose I have no other option." She heaved a sigh as she stared at the navy slacks, white shirt, and grey vest with a look that Anna could only interpret as unhappy resignation.
Now, as she stood in front of Akko's wide red eyes, she was tugging self-consciously at the cuffs of her sleeves. "You most certainly just mocked me in Japanese."
"I did not!" Akko exclaimed, admiring the way Diana's thick blonde hair fell in waves over her shoulders. "It was a compliment, I promise."
Diana grumbled. "Well, you look very nice, too."
Aunt Daryl had dropped off one of the sisters' old dresses. It was plain green dress, but comfortable, though Akko was pretty sure it was supposed to be mid-thigh short, not knee-short.
"It's a bit big," she muttered. "But it's fine. How's your—um—you know." She pointed at her own stomach for emphasis, trying not to look down at Diana's midsection, where her perfectly fitted vest was hugging her flat stomach in a way that made Akko's insides turn.
"Better, thank you," Diana replied. With the way Akko had left her room in such a hurry at a question that she had considered to be very vulnerable, she wasn't quite sure how to act. She felt uneasy, unsure. "Come, let's make our way to the ballroom. I'm sure the guests have already arrived."
Without looking back to make sure Akko was coming, Diana began walking. She could hear chatter and laughter echoing through the Cavendish Manor and, based on the high-pitched giggles, knew for certain that Maril and Merrill were swarming Andrew Hanbridge.
She arrived to find the girls on either side of the very un-amused looking Andrew. His black hair was slicked back in the same perfect fashion it always was. His tailored black suit made him look tall, thin, almost imposing, but Diana knew better.
"Diana," he murmured as she approached, bending in a polite bow. "You look very—Ah! Akko."
A thin smile spread across his lips as he looked over Diana's shoulder to see Akko, who was subconsciously rubbing the marks on her cheek. Diana had convinced Aunt Daryl to at least try to heal the girl's face, even going so far as to supervise to make sure nothing went wrong. She didn't get rid of the scars completely, but at least it didn't look like she'd been mauled by a bear any longer.
"Hi, Andrew," Akko chirped. An easy grin slid across her face as she rushed to her friend and threw her arms around him in a hug.
Andrew was visibly uncomfortable with the physical attention. He gently patted Akko's back and chuckled.
Diana frowned. Ignoring a pang of jealousy, she looked around to see that Aunt Daryl had invited a lot of people. She recognized a few prominent figures of the Ministry of Magic, Andrew's father, couples from other wealthy magical families.
Her aunt, as usual, was feigning delight in a shrill falsetto that made Diana's eye twitch.
"Akko, would you like a glass of wine?" She asked the brunette witch as her gaze fell on the table of refreshments.
"Sure," Akko barely managed to say between breaths as she ran off about everything that had happened at Luna Nova since she had seen Andrew last. Maril and Merrill were looking extremely annoyed at their sudden lack of attention.
Diana found her patience growing thin. Already. "What kind?" she asked.
"Uh, I don't know, I've never had wine." Akko turned to Diana and scratched at her temple. "Whatever you're having?"
"I'll take a glass of merlot," Andrew said, shoving his hands into his pockets.
Diana sighed, ignoring the pain in her abdomen as she walked off, leaving the two to continue their conversation. At the refreshment table, Aunt Daryl was entertaining guests by seeing how long and loud she could laugh at every horrible joke.
As she poured herself and Akko one of her favorite chardonnays, she felt Aunt Daryl's eyes lingering. She looked up.
"Diana," Aunt Daryl acknowledged with a small nod. "It's good to see you were feeling well enough to join us. Even if you have chosen somewhat… inappropriate… attire."
Diana said nothing as she uncorked a bottle of merlot.
"I see Miss Kagari has taken a liking to Andrew," her aunt continued with a haughty smile. "Strange, I almost thought her affections were elsewhere. I wouldn't urge such a nice young man to have relations with a girl such as her, though I must admit they do complement each other well."
Diana felt the blood rushing to her face. "That's enough, Aunt Daryl," she said quickly, gathering the three glasses in her hand and ignoring the stare of cold blue eyes.
"Enjoy your evening, Diana."
Diana hesitated when her gaze fell on Andrew and Akko. Akko was laughing in an open way that she never did around Diana. Every action seemed to come fluid, easy. Even Andrew, though trying to maintain his usual composure, couldn't hide an amused smile.
Jealousy wrapped its cold fingers around her heart, squeezing hard as Diana sucked in air and returned to the two heavily engaged individuals.
"Thanks, Diana!" Akko pressed the glass to her lips and took a sip. "Egh," she said with a shudder. "Why do people like this?"
"I like it very much," Diana replied with a scowl, sipping her wine and turning her attention to Andrew. "So, Andrew, how are the affairs between yourself and your father?"
The corner of Andrew's lips raised in a false smile. "The usual. Though, both he and I have come to find an appreciation for magic following Akko's use of it to stop that missile."
"Diana helped, too," Akko said, though she did nothing to hide the pleased grin that was plastered to her face.
Diana rolled her eyes, finding herself unable to hide her displeasure. Feeling the familiar stab of pain in her torso, she took a seat at the nearest table. The two continued as though she had never been there at all.
"My, I certainly don't understand why Andrew would talk to such a plain girl."
She looked up to find Maril and Merrill standing next to her, both watching Andrew with their arms crossed over their chests.
"I'm honestly surprised you even associate with her, Diana. I always thought you had a bit more taste," Merrill said.
"Someone so talentless should not even be among us," Maril added.
"Disgraceful," Merrill muttered.
Diana squeezed her eyes shut. She felt her teeth grind together. "She is not a disgrace," Diana countered, struggling to maintain poise through bitter words. "And she is far from talentless. Her magic abilities may not match ours, but she is talented in many other ways. She's brave, and rather smart, and extremely kind. If I may be so bold, I believe those are three qualities that neither of you possess."
Maril and Merrill stared at Diana with matching looks of disbelief.
"At least we still know what it means to be a Cavendish," Maril growled. She grabbed Merrill's arm and began dragging her to where Aunt Daryl stood chatting vibrantly with the Secretary of Holistic Magic.
Diana took a sip of her wine and dropped her forehead into her palms, focusing on the music drifting through the room and thinking that she might even rather take another bullet than deal with the rest of the evening.
Akko found herself studying Diana as they ate.
She looked so different, yet still the same, but Akko still felt her heart beating faster every time she managed to sneak a glance. Diana had the top few buttons of her shirt undone, and beneath it Akko could see the soft white skin of her chest, the smooth curve of her collarbones. She watched her hands as she cut into her meal, letting her mind wander to the feeling of their fingers laced together, the gentle caress of Diana's thumb against the back of her hand.
Her gut twisted. She closed her eyes.
"Akko?"
Akko's eyes flickered up to find Diana's cool blue eyes gazing into her own.
"Are you alright?" Diana asked. "You've hardly touched your meal."
"Oh, right," Akko hummed. "Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, looking down at the plate Anna had set in front of her. Roast pheasant, bathed in an apple fig chutney with caramelized broccoli and buttered potatoes, all topped with thick squares of bacon and a flaky croissant that Akko knew would melt on her tongue.
"Slow down," Andrew said with a chuckle as Akko began shoveling the food into her mouth.
"It's so good," Akko replied through a full mouth, taking a massive bite of the croissant and following it with a big slice of pheasant.
Diana shook her head, setting her silverware to the side and forcing a smile at Andrew. She could feel Aunt Daryl staring at Akko with a very if you don't stop her, I will expression on her face.
"Akko, please. At least find some restraint for the time being," she scolded.
"Fine," Akko grumbled. She leaned back in her chair and sipped the wine that she had hardly touched. "But you do have to admit this is way better than the same old potatoes at Luna Nova."
"I didn't think that was even up for discussion." Diana took swallow of her wine and watched Akko closely, willing the other girl to conduct herself respectfully, or, at the very least, maintain some semblance of manners.
"Say, Andrew, would you want to dance?" Akko asked.
Andrew's head snapped up. He stared at Akko in appalled confusion, holding a hand out in front of him and shaking it vehemently. "No, absolutely not," he replied. "But, thank—"
But Akko was already on her feet. "Oh, come on," she begged, grabbing his arm and yanking him away from the table before he could protest further.
Diana rubbed her temple with between her fingers, breathing deeply. She watched the brunette witch dragging the unwilling young man to where a bunch of older couples were dancing in a much more formal manner than she imagined Akko had in mind.
The cold hand inside her gripped tighter. Diana looked down at her half-eaten meal, running a finger around the rim of her wine glass as she let herself, despite her better judgment, watch Akko.
A few very stuffy looking individuals had given her a wide berth as she danced energetically, wide grin plastered across her face. The dress twirled around her knees. Her hair flew in unruly brown tendrils against her shoulders. The phantom sensation of Akko's soft hair spilling like water between her fingers bit with a pang.
Andrew was moving slowly, not really sure of where to put his feet. He looked entirely uncomfortable.
Diana wanted to shove him out of the way and show him how to dance. But she didn't move.
Letting her eyes wander the room, she found her aunt and cousins at another table. Maril and Merrill were watching Akko and Andrew with looks of pure disgust. Aunt Daryl, though, was looking at Diana.
A slow, teasing smirk eased across her aunt's lips and Diana felt something inside her snap. That was the tipping point. She set her napkin next to her plate and stood, forcing the throb of her abdomen out of her mind as she pushed through the wide double doors of the far hall and stepped onto the balcony.
The cold night hair hit her face in a welcome shock of reality. She sighed deeply, leaning against the stone wall to gaze over the darkness shrouding the estate. The unicorn stood tall, the Philosopher's stone glowing bright against the void of the sky. In the distance, she could hear the horses snorting contentedly into the grass as they ate.
Diana's palm fell against her wound, pressing gently at the tender spot on her stomach as she tried to distract her mind from Akko, from Andrew, from Aunt Daryl, from everything.
She heard the door open and shut slowly behind her.
"Diana?"
Diana turned her head to see Akko. Just Akko. She looked out of breath. Her tousled hair fell around her face and she shoved her fringe to the side, inquisitive red eyes falling into blue.
"I couldn't find you. Aunt Daryl told me you were out here." Akko inhaled hard, chest rising and falling with the effort of her lungs. "Are you alright? You're not hurting, are you? Egh." Akko shivered and rubbed her bare arms with her hands. "It's cold out here."
Diana's eyes fell. She turned back to the muted landscape of night. "I'm fine, Akko," she said.
"No, you're not," Akko countered. She stepped up to Diana's side and leaned against the wall, eyes falling on something in the distance. "You've been weird all night."
"I have not been 'weird'," Diana replied.
"Have too."
"Have—Akko, I am really not in the mood for your childish banter." She stepped back and turned to Akko. "I'm sure Andrew is looking for you."
"Andrew?" Akko brought her gaze back to Diana, eyebrow raised. "I doubt it, he went off to talk to some vice president of something or other." She straightened, wrapping her arms tight around her body in an attempt to get warm. "Besides, what do I care?"
"He seems to fancy you," Diana replied, rolling her shoulders in a shrug.
Akko brought her palm to her face and groaned loudly into it. "Are you serious? Is this really what this is about?" She dropped her arms and tilted her head back in exasperation. "Andrew does not like me, Diana. We're just friends. Well, he's more my friend than I am his, but no matter."
Diana said nothing. She looked down.
Akko found herself staring at the blonde witch as a smirk tugged at the corner of her mouth. "Wait, are you jealous?"
"I am hardly jealous," Diana muttered, meeting Akko's crimson gaze with an intent flicker in her eyes. "I have no feelings toward Andrew whatsoever. He is as charismatic as a cow and twice as simple."
"I didn't mean of me," Akko pointed out, her smile spreading as she took a step forward. "You're jealous of Andrew."
"I'm not sure what you're implying," Diana said with a huff. "Besides, you did ask him to dance with you, what am I supposed to think?"
"Do you really think I didn't want to ask you?" Akko asked. She reached up and ran a hand through her messy brunette hair. "I just knew you would try and I didn't want you to hurt yourself."
Diana looked away. A few stray strands of blonde were falling over her eyes. "How am I supposed to know that?" she asked.
Akko could feel tendrils of Diana's magic snaking their way into her body. Her skin tingled, her pulse started to quicken at the realization of what she was about to do. Her eyes fell soft on the other girl's face.
"By the Nine, Diana, you are so stupid," she said, taking a final step forward.
"Pardon-"
Before her bravery withered away, Akko placed her hands on the other girl's rigid shoulders and leaned in, pressing her lips against Diana's.
"A—Akko?" Diana brought her hand over her mouth in surprise as the other girl stepped back. She felt a burn rising, fast and hot, into her cheeks. Her heart slammed in a merciless beat against her chest.
Akko was blushing furiously. Her breath hitched. She'd imagined this a million times, always in some romantic way or other, but this was quickly becoming far from that. Besides, she hadn't even thought of what she was going to say or do after. "I—um—sorry—if that—if that wasn't okay," she stammered.
"It was," Diana said.
Akko felt Diana's cold fingers gently brush her cheek and run through her hair. Her body was quivering, but she knew it wasn't from the cold. She willed it to stop. She hesitantly reached forward, placing a hand on the soft skin of Diana's neck. She could feel Diana's pulse thrumming against her fingers, the gentle rise and fall of her chest as her breath shallowed. "Can I-"
Diana's eyelids flickered over soft blue eyes. "Please," she breathed.
Akko leaned in again, sliding her hand to the back of Diana's neck as she pulled the other girl in and their lips met once more in a mutual fervor.
Diana's lips were cool, soft. They were moving slowly with hers and Akko felt like she was melting, like she was losing herself in the shroud of magic that resonated from Diana's body. Maybe she was.
Diana's fingers were threading into her hair, pulling her closer, pulling her into her body. Akko pressed up against her. She was tense but comfortable, and so perfectly, wonderfully familiar. Her skin was trembling the same way Akko's was.
They could both feel the magic surging between them. It was in their veins, beneath their skin, pulsing around them like a warm embrace.
Akko broke away with a sharp intake of breath. She let her hand slide down to Diana's chest and gripped the collar of her shirt, breathing heavily as she whispered, "About time."
"What?" Diana asked, unable to hide the smile that was spreading across her tingling lips. She ran her thumb along Akko's bottom lip, sighing deeply, letting every blissful moment sink in.
"Been waiting—so long," Akko panted, still blushing as she gazed into Diana's warm blue eyes.
"Then let's not stop now."
Diana pressed her mouth hard against Akko's, letting herself drown in the intoxicating sensation of her kiss, losing herself in the girl, in the magic, in the relief that finally, finally, they had come together for the one thing they wanted the most.