Chapter 21
"Sugoi! Diana! It's snowing!" Akko shrilled when she opened her eyes to see large white flakes falling hastily from thick grey clouds that hovered low in the sky. It had apparently started snowing overnight: the Cavendish Estate was already coated in a thick layer of glistening winter, the branches of the many trees sagging beneath the additional weight. The moat, which had completely frozen over in the days before as the bitter cold settled over the country, was hardly discernible, blending white into white save for the dark reeds along the embankment that still reached through the thickening blanket.
Though she had grown up with light dustings of snow at her home in Japan, Akko had never seen anything quite like the shimmering wonderland that was taking shape outside.
"Er… Diana?"
Akko reached her hand behind her, expecting to feel the warm, sleeping body of Diana, but felt nothing but cold sheets where the girl had been the night before. She turned, brows stitching together in the confusion of finding herself alone.
They had slept together every single night, Diana's own room serving as nothing more than a holding place for the belongings she had brought from Luna Nova, much to the amused giggles and whispers of the other girls and the deep blush of Chariot when she saw them leave the room together one morning. Amanda had sniggered behind her hand one morning at breakfast when Akko had walked in with an absolute rat's nest of hair, whispering something to Hannah that sounded an awful lot like a comment that would make Diana cover her face in embarrassment.
Word of the two witches' intimacy had spread like wildfire between the others, and Akko knew that it was absolutely the result of a certain loud-mouthed American. She had expected Diana to be embarrassed at the comments or questions, to shrug off the accusations with a, "I would hardly even consider Akko in that nature," (or something similarly uptight), but instead she simply looked to Akko with an affectionate smile and a shimmer in her blue eyes that made the Japanese witch turn to liquid on the inside.
"Geez, Diana," Hannah had said on another morning, grinning when she caught the blonde quietly exiting Akko's room to go change into an outfit from her own wardrobe. "You sure do spend a lot of time in there, don't you?"
"Why don't you place your concerns in your own relationship?" Akko had heard Diana retort. The comment had made her breath hitch and a hot blush rise to her cheeks. Relationship? They hadn't even discussed what they were, much less tossed the "R" word out between the two of them. And, yet, there was Diana, taking everything in the same effortless poise as always. Meanwhile, Akko's hand had jerked so hard when Lotte referred to Diana as her "girlfriend" that she'd thrown her tea into her own lap and burned her leg.
Akko enjoyed Diana's warmth, the comforting scent of rosemary and lavender, the steady rise and fall of her chest when she cuddled close into the other girl's body. She enjoyed the wandering hands, the quiet giggles to expel the embarrassment of awkward movements or rogue limbs, the guttural moans that slipped from the back of Diana's throat when she did something right with her fingers or mouth. Though she loved Luna Nova, she dreaded going back to her own empty bed where she wouldn't be able to reach out and pull Diana into a tight embrace as they slept. Even though Diana insisted they wear clothes, which Akko had first thought was the result of innate propriety and unshakable modesty, and had been shocked when the actual answer had been, "I'll never get any sleep, Akko, I wouldn't be able to stop touching you," to which Akko had replied, "I don't see the problem." But, as usual, Akko had lost the battle—over the span of their friendship, she'd grown accustomed to adjusting to Diana's way of doing things. She didn't care, she was still pinching herself at the idea that Diana even felt the same way.
But now Diana was… gone? To where? It was early still, barely half six, and breakfast wouldn't be for at least a couple hours. Akko climbed out from beneath the sheets, shivering when her bare feet touched the cold stone floor and an icy draft enveloped her body. She shrugged into a sweater, slid into Diana's slippers (which were a little big, but whatever), and set out into the solitude of the early morning hours.
The Manor was peacefully quiet, the only noises being the rhythmic ticking of an old, ornate grandfather clock and the familiar sound of Sucy's steady snores coming from somewhere down the hallway. Akko first checked Diana's room, only to find silence and the bed still made in the same neat fashion that it had been for days.
"Is there something I can help you with, Miss Kagari?"
Akko turned in the doorway of Diana's room to find Anna, who was already tidily dressed with her hair pulled back into its usual slick, perfected bun. To Akko, it had seemed as though Anna's annoyance at the mere sight of her had dwindled with the passing of the days. It almost felt like Anna was growing to like her.
"I—um—" Akko combed her fingers through messy brown hair and offered a sheepish smile.
"If you're looking for Lady Diana—" A slow, knowing smile tugged at the corner of Anna's lips. "—you will find her on the balcony."
"But it's freezing out," Akko muttered to no one in particular as she made her way through the winding halls of the Manor to the east wing. She padded slowly through the empty ballroom, which had long since been emptied of the garish holiday decorations that Aunt Daryl had put up, to the massive oak doors that led to the same balcony where she had shared that first, relieving kiss with Diana.
Akko pushed through the door, bracing herself for the onslaught of cold and instead finding herself pleasantly surprised by a warmth that soothed her skin. Despite the temperature, a thick layer of snow still covered the balcony, though it felt like nothing more than cotton tickling Akko's ankles as she stepped forward and let the heavy door fall shut behind her.
Diana was curled up on a cushioned bench, bare legs tucked delicately beneath her, hands cupping a still steaming mug of tea. She looked up at the sound of the door opening, soft blue eyes falling on the smaller witch. "Oh, Akko. Good morning."
"Morning," Akko murmured. She reached up and scratched the nape of her neck, suddenly feeling rather silly for seeking out Diana at the first pang of loneliness. "What are you doing out here?"
"I just came out here to think," Diana replied, turning to gaze across the white expanse of the Cavendish Estate. "I couldn't sleep, and solitude can be rather peaceful."
"Oh." Akko shuffled the tip of a slipper into the soft snow. "I'm sorry. I'll go, then."
"No, stay," Diana cut in just as Akko was turning to reach for the door handle. "I would… rather have your company, if you don't mind." She placed a hand on the empty expanse of cushion next to her and motioned to the kettle resting on a small, snow-dusted table within arm's reach. "I didn't bring an extra cup, but I can call for Anna." A pale blush rose into her alabaster cheeks. "Or we can just share mine."
Akko hummed, taking the offered seat next to Diana. She felt the other girl's arm slide around her shoulders to pull her in and, with a content sigh, she settled against the soft body next to her. "How's it so warm out here?" she asked.
"Warming spell," Diana said simply, resting her cheek on the top of Akko's head and lowering the mug in her hands to rest against her thigh.
"Oh. Right." Akko chuckled. Her fingers tickled down the smooth inside of Diana's arm before taking her hand in her own and offering a gentle squeeze. "What were you thinking about?"
Diana inhaled slowly, finding comfort in the familiar, pleasant scent of the girl in her arms. She had been thinking about quite a bit, more than she could ever find the words to explain. The events surrounding the Order of Aurelion, the distant memories of her brother during simpler times when her world wasn't plagued with the transient mortality of those she held dear. She was thinking about her time at Luna Nova, the studying that she would have to catch up with upon her return, the exams she would have to make up. She was thinking about Shiny Chariot, about Yggdrasil, about every single moment in her life that had, at one point, tested her magical ability and her very identity as a Cavendish.
But, more than anything, she had been thinking about Akko.
She would close her eyes and picture Akko's gleeful smile, her contagious laughter, the undeniable aura of positivity that drew people into her world with a magnetic pull. The soft brunette hair that fell in stark contrast to the white linen of the pillows, the crimson eyes that made her insides twist into knots in the best possible way. She loved everything about Akko, from the crooked smile that seemed only for her, to the way everything seemed to slow to a stop when their lips met, to the way she gasped Diana's name while her body shook and her hips rocked into her hand as she came.
Wait… loved?
Yes.
Loved.
"Just reflecting," Diana said at last, giving Akko's hand a tiny squeeze and taking a sip of her breakfast tea. She offered the mug to Akko, who took it without question and brought it to her lips.
"How vague," Akko mumbled when she handed the cup back to Diana, letting her thumb slide gently over the back of her hand in the exchange. "Thank you for sharing."
"Akko—" Diana sighed, lifting her eyes and watching the snow fall against the bubble of warmth she'd built around them. "Fine. I was thinking about you."
"About… me?" Akko raised her eyes to study the side of Diana's face. She reached up and tucked a strand of blonde behind the other girl's ear, letting her touch linger with a hitch of her breath. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, of course not," Diana said quickly, tugging her attention back to the worried eyes that gazed back into her own. "You—you have done everything right, Akko."
"Good," Akko breathed, letting a few fingers trail beneath Diana's chin to pull her forward. She pressed their lips together, relishing in the way the other girl's body sighed into hers. Warm tendrils of magic pulsed between them, making Akko's skin tingle beneath the slow waves of their energy.
The door to the balcony creaked open and Akko broke away in a hasty retreat to the opposite side of the bench, leaving Diana to wipe the back of her hand across her mouth and stare into her cooling cup of tea with a heavy sigh of disappointment.
"Good morning, girls!" Chariot chirped as she stepped onto the balcony, reaching her hands over her head in a long stretch. "You two are up early."
Akko had never seen her dressed as casually as she had been at the Cavendish Manor—baggy flannel sweatpants and an old grey hoodie. It made her look so youthful, serving as a casual reminder that Akko's mentor really wasn't that much older than she was.
"Good morning," Diana replied, feeling the chill of winter start to filter into her bubble of warmth and flicking her wand in a quick circle to bolster the spell. She was vaguely aware of the deep blush that had rushed to Akko's face and hid a frown behind her teacup. The other girl seemed so flighty, almost embarrassed at the thought of being seen at such a close proximity, that Diana would be lying if she said it didn't concern her. It was almost as though Akko went out of her way to create distance when others were around. Diana felt her magic sparking, spiraling out in a desperate attempt to find the stability and comfort that Akko's seemed to bring.
As the others slowly began to join them on the balcony, Barbara leaping at the opportunity to take a seat in the empty spot that had been created beside her, Diana let her attention settle on Akko. The other girl had fallen into the ease of a conversation with Sucy and Lotte, almost as though she'd forgotten about Diana entirely.
Maybe she had misjudged Akko's feelings. She was certain how she felt—there was no doubting the firm squeeze in her chest whenever she saw or thought about her, the white noise that emptied her mind of every other thought.
With a chill seeping through her blood and the mug of tea growing cold in her hands, Diana had to wonder if Akko felt the same way at all.
"Ha! Take that, mushroom queen!" Amanda shrieked as the snowball flew from her hand and smacked Sucy in the side of the face in a spray of white. She angled her broomstick upwards and zoomed through the grey sky, which still poured thick, heavy flakes.
Sucy grumbled, swiping the snow out of her lavender hair and packing her own snowball. She pulled a vial from her pocket and tipped it, letting a drop of green liquid bleed into white before hurling it back at the American witch. It curved in the air, breaking into pieces against the tail of Amanda's broom, which instantly froze midair, locking up beneath the confused witch's body to tumble from the sky and crash into a deep snowdrift.
"Hey!" Amanda shouted, bursting forth with the broom clutched in a gloved hand and snow coating her wild red hair. "Careful, this is Hannah's broom!"
A snowball smacked her in the side of the face. Hannah ducked behind a nearby tree in a flash, giggling loudly in the glee of her opportune strike.
Sucy covered her mouth with her hand and sniggered.
Lotte and Akko had taken cover behind a limestone wall that stood a good ten inches higher as the snow gathered at the top. Akko had swept a hole into the top with her arms to give the two witches a vantage point from their makeshift fortification, using it to rise up and chuck crudely made snowballs at Constanze and Barbara. Constanze had modified the barrel of her laser rifle and had Barbara shoving snow into the magazine well as they sent golf ball sized pellets spraying at the Red Team in a merciless onslaught. Meanwhile, Jasminka had brought some sort of liquid flavoring and was piling snow into a cup, gleefully making her own snow cones instead of participating in the fight. Well, until Lotte pelted her in the mouth just as she was about to take a bite of her creation. With a pained groan, Jasminka had rolled a massive, lopsided ball of heavy snow to launch it two handed over their wall, striking a wildly laughing Akko directly in the face.
While the act of digging through the beauty of pristine snow to smash it into the faces of others didn't appeal to Diana, she still found herself admiring from afar. As she sat quietly on a nearby stone bench beside a very pensive Chariot, she observed the gleeful smiles and laughter emanating from the group. In particular, the flailing limbs of a certain graceless Japanese witch who had tripped and face-planted into a deep drift of snow in an attempt to race after a shrieking Barbara.
"You like her quite a bit, don't you?"
Chariot's soft, friendly voice pulled her from her thoughts and she turned her blue eyes into the fiery red of her childhood idol. Diana brought a mitten to her cold lips and cleared her throat, quickly composing herself at the question that had taken her somewhat off guard.
"I… do, yes," she replied, ducking her chin into her thick wool scarf as she felt the heat rising into her cheeks.
Chariot hummed, filling her hands with soft snow and letting it fall in small clumps through her fingers. "I was wondering when the two of you would get around to sharing your feelings."
Diana's white-blonde eyebrows furrowed into the soft fabric of her knit cap. She let her eyes wander back to Akko, who was pelting snowball after snowball at Jasminka like she was trying to set a record for fast-pitch. "You knew?"
"It was rather obvious," Chariot said with a chuckle. "I'm certain anyone within a fifty foot radius could have felt the tension between the two of you."
Diana felt her blush grow deeper. She looked down at her hands, digging her heel of one of her boots into the bench, and said nothing.
"Croix and I were the same," Chariot confessed. "It took a long time for the both of us to come to terms with the way we felt."
With a hard swallow, Diana met Chariot's eyes once more, noting the shadow that passed over her freckled face with the mention of Croix. "I apologize if my curiosity is out of line, but… what happened? Between the two of you?"
Chariot sighed, squeezing her eyes shut for a long time before opening them once more. "We just grew apart, I suppose. Croix valued her work above all else. I'm not sure she ever fully shared how I felt." She cleared her throat, taking a deep breath and returning her attention to the playing girls. "In any case, I don't believe we were ever as close as you and Akko."
"How—how can I tell? If she feels the same way as I do?" Diana heard herself asking, feeling a deep burn of embarrassment at her childish question. But how was she to know? She had never experienced anything quite like this, anything quite like Akko. Love was beyond her realm of knowledge and hardly something she could find in an old tome from the archives.
"I think you know the answer to that," Chariot replied, watching the snowball fight with a ghost of a smile.
Diana's billowing blonde hair tickled at her cheek as she followed Chariot's thoughtful gaze, her mind turning over what she considered a rather cryptic answer. Akko was back to fighting with Constanze, struggling in vain to overpower the other girl's technology as snowballs struck, one after one, against her thick red coat.
A bout of shrieks and giggles brought her attention to Hannah, who was trying to smash snow in Amanda's face. The taller girl was wrestling the other into her arms, a devious grin spread across her face as she shoved Hannah's hand away and instead brought her into an embrace, smashing their lips together in a lingering kiss.
She felt a tug in her gut, warmth spreading beneath her skin even with the chill of the air. She breathed out slowly as she looked back at Akko, watching the visible vapors dance and twirl in a thick cloud before dissipating into the clarity of bright crimson eyes gazing back. Diana could see the soft blush in the girl's face, the red of a cold nose that Diana longed to have pressed against her own cheek. Akko lifted her hand in a hesitant wave before another onslaught of snowballs struck her in the side of the face and she whirled, mouth curling once more into a wide grin as she returned to her losing battle.
At first, her feelings had been troublesome. As a Cavendish, she was expected to focus on her studies, the growth of her magical abilities, fulfilling the duties and expectations that came with the name she bore. She shouldn't have been dwelling on the nonchalant, rambunctious witch that was Akko Kagari. She shouldn't have let herself fall so deeply into the emotions that coursed through her blood and spread like poison to every cell of her being.
But she had. And, yet, despite her characteristic self-control and the very Cavendish notion that she should feel otherwise, Diana found herself not minding in the least.
Author's Notes
There will likely be one(?) more chapter after this, depending on how my mind decides to work.
In response to Gaby G: Thank you for the comment, and the suggestion of making it a series honestly isn't one I had considered. Though, your comment did give me a few ideas, so I won't completely dismiss that idea at all and in fact I'm rather keen on it.
Regardless, I do have a series of one-shots planned after this, as well as an AU I've started working on.
Thanks for everyone's support with this so far!