Holy cats, this got long!
It's also quite the monster piece (by my standards, at least), and, I regret to say, a bit rushed. However I'm fighting the clock here as it's already forty minutes til midnight my time. But I did get it out on time, so yay me!
That being said, I'll be going back to fix any mistakes tomorrow, so please let me know of any errors you may see.
Otherwise, enjoy and review!
(Btw, this is also a continuation of day one, and day three tomorrow will finish up this particular storyline.)
Day Two: First/Casual Date
Have Faith in the Date
"So… I need to tell you guys something, but you have to promise not to laugh or make fun of me," Akko said seemingly at random one morning before classes.
Lotte looked up from her book bag and smiled at Akko reassuringly while Sucy just shrugged noncommittally before continue to adjusting her tie.
"What is it, Akko?" Lotte questioned when Akko remained silent, sitting hunched over on her bunk and fiddling with her thumbs.
"Must be something big if it's got someone like Akko this quiet for once," Sucy added dryly.
Lotte shot the mushroom girl a firm look—though the poor girl couldn't make it seem threatening if she tried—before focusing her attention back on Akko.
"I-I…" Akko began her stammer in a quiet mumble, but she gradually grew more confident as she spoke, though her stutter did remain. "I…want to ask D-Diana out. Like on a d-date. O-or something…"
Seeing Sucy's grin forming from the corner of her eye, Lotte jumped in before the other girl had the chance.
"That's great, Akko!" the Finnish girl exclaimed. "What brought this on?"
"Yeah, isn't she your 'rival' or something?" Sucy managed to get in anyway.
Akko just shrugged, still staring quite dejectedly at her hands.
"She told me she never thought of me that way, and I guess that really meant something to me," she said softly. "Then just last night…she caught me out stargazing after curfew, and actually joined me instead of scolding me. And even before that, she's been letting me off easier and easier, and not just when she's doing her patrols, but just in general, you know? She's…changed. And I guess I've been waiting for this moment for a while now, but I never knew why. I mean, I kinda figured I had a crush on her for a while now, but it wasn't until last night that it really hit me, right? Like, it really seemed like she liked me too, or easily could if given the chance."
Lotte, always sensing her friend's distress, sat down on the bed beside Akko.
"Then why do you look so down?" she asked.
Akko glanced up at her two roommates—her friends—before simply muttering, "Because I want to ask Diana out."
"Yeah, you kinda already said that?" Sucy deadpanned.
Akko glared up at Sucy before rehashing her statement.
"I want to ask Diana out."
Sucy just blinked, but Lotte caught on.
"You don't think she'll say yes?"
Akko shrugged again. "Why should she?"
"Well, you're the one who just said you thought she was giving you some signals last night," Sucy noted, her tone devoid of any snark for the first time.
"But she's Diana Cavendish and I'm just…me," Akko murmured bitterly. "Even if she said yes, it'd just be out of pity."
"Akko!" Lotte cried, her tone the sharpest she could make it. "Listen to yourself! Yes, she's Diana and you're you, but why should that matter? It's not like she doesn't know who you are. Even if you don't think you're good enough for her, she doesn't think that! Look at the change the two of you have gone through since meeting. You were the one able to bring her back to Luna Nova; something Hannah and Barbara weren't even able to do. She was the one who found you when you ran off after learning about Chariot, and comforted you and made you regain your faith in yourself and the world again. You two were the ones to save the world from that missile! You and Diana wielded the Shiny Rod together and were able to revive magic all across the world! And you don't think you're worthy enough for her?!"
This time, Akko was the one who just blinked silently at her friend, while Sucy hid a quick chuckle behind her hand.
"Nightfall's logic strikes again," she cackled.
"But… I…"
Lotte's eyes softened. Akko really was nervous about all of this.
"Diana likes you, okay?" she gently reassured her. "She respects you. Maybe that respect doesn't stretch beyond friendship, but you won't know unless you try. And even if Diana thinks she doesn't like you like that now, if anyone can convince her otherwise, it's you, Akko. She's changed so much for and because of you already, I'm sure she'd be willing to change again, even if she herself can't see that yet."
"Besides," Sucy cut in again, "when have you been one to take no for an answer?"
Akko's eyebrows knitted together again as she focused back on her hands which had formed tight fists somewhere during Lotte's lecture. However, the difference this time was that there was a spark of determination causing her ruby eyes to flare like fire. Gradually, a confident smile joined that spark.
"You're right, guys!" she exclaimed. "I have no reason to be this nervous! I'm gonna do it. After our first class, I'll ask her!"
Lotte and Sucy shared a glance with each other and simply grinned.
Their Akko was back.
Of course, Akko being Akko, her confidence didn't last too long, and by the time class was nearing it's end, she was a fretting mess in between Lotte and Sucy once again.
"Guys, I can't do this, she's totally gonna say no!" she whispered sharply as their professor prepared to hand out the homework.
"So called it," Sucy just huffed with a roll of her eyes.
"Akko, you can do this, and you know how much you want to," Lotte, as usual, took over. "Look, Hannah and Barbara don't even have this class, so they're not around if part of your worry is about them. It's just Diana."
Akko scoffed a somewhat bitter chuckle as she mumbled, "'It's just Diana…'"
"Do you want us to be there with you when you ask?" Lotte asked. "For moral support?"
"'Moral support,' she says," Sucy copied Akko's cynicism with a snort.
Lotte just huffed. "Do you want me there?"
Looking across the room longingly at Diana as she gracefully packed her things, completely unaware to her classmate's turmoil, Akko sighed.
"No… I…I can do it."
And with that said, she got up from her seat and began her approach.
Sucy let out another laugh.
"She's waddling like a penguin…"
"Sucy!"
Akko gathered her wits about her once more as she came to a halt behind the blonde, who was still oblivious to the now-close-to-sweating Japanese girl behind her. Swallowing a knot in her throat, Akko cleared her throat softly.
"D-Diana?"
Said blonde turned around at the sound of her name and smiled kindly at Akko once she had done so.
"Akko," she greeted. "To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"Heh. Well… I-um…" Akko glanced around the classroom. Why did it feel like everyone was suddenly watching them? The better part of Akko knew most weren't paying attention at all as they got up to leave the classroom, and those that were watching were simply doing so as they passed. No one was focused on them, even though it certainly felt like it. "Can we…talk somewhere p-private?"
Diana blinked a few times as she processed the strange request before nodding, shouldering her bag. "Of course," she replied in her usual demure manner. "The classroom next door is empty, if that's suitable enough."
"G-Great!" Akko stammered, flustered enough already that she didn't even care as she grabbed Diana's hand and led her from the room. Let anyone watching look.
Once they rounded the corner into the neighboring classroom, Akko shut the door, even going as far as locking it for safe measure. She really didn't need anyone bursting in to see her fumble around her proposal.
"Is everything alright, Akko?" Diana asked with an air of concern as the brunette turned back around, yet kept her gaze on the floor.
"I… I want to ask you something," Akko mumbled instead of outright answering Diana.
Unbeknownst to her, Diana's heart began to beat faster at that moment. Akko's flustered state, wanting to talk in private…
She couldn't be…?
Still, Diana forced herself to remain calm and approachable, letting her bag fall to the floor as she gave Akko her undivided attention.
"Can you ask me what you want while looking at me?" she requested with a smile. "I don't believe the floor is the one you're really addressing."
Akko felt her cheeks flare at the jab, yet she shakily managed to lift her head. At the sight of the beautiful witch in front of her, smile calming and pure, sapphire eyes shining brilliantly under the fluorescent light, Akko likely fell in love all over again.
"Um…" She knew she was gaping like a fish out of water, but this was harder than it seemed, damn it! "I was…wondering…"
Diana found herself leaning forward eagerly, hoping her gut feeling was correct as a giddy feeling took flight inside her.
"You were wondering…?"
"Would you…l-like to…goonadatewithmeplease?"
Akko's cheeks flushed even darker as she all but spat the actual request out, immediately bowing her head again after doing so.
So much for that surge of confidence earlier.
Still, the melodic laughter that flitted to her ears upon her epic bumble helped to calm her frantic nerves. Diana laughing was a good thing, right? It didn't sound like a haughty, "I'm totally about to break your heart and blackmail you with this" laugh at the very least.
"What was that again, Akko?" the object of her affections asked of her once more, hiding her smile—and quite brilliant blush—behind a hand.
"I…" Akko took in a big breath, resolving right then and there to put an end to this nervous, love-struck, puppy persona she hadn't been able to shake since last night. "I'd like to take you out on a date, Diana."
Wide blue eyes blinked back at her, surely surprised at the sudden clarity from the girl in front of her.
"I…" This time it was Diana's turn to look flustered and avert her gaze to the floor. "I thought I was going to have to ask you first…"
Akko's eyes quickly matched Diana's in size as she stood balking at the girl before her, as well as soaking up their sudden role reversal.
Then the meaning behind Diana's words hit her.
"You… You wanted to ask me out as well?!"
The pitch of Akko's cry caused Diana to look quickly at the door to make sure it was indeed closed. Once assuring herself they still hadn't been intruded upon, Diana sighed in relief before fixing Akko with another—yet much shier—smile.
"Indeed," she affirmed. "I came close to doing so last night, but felt it…was still a bit too sudden."
"And me asking you now isn't?" Akko managed to ask with a bite of playfulness.
Diana just chuckled, alleviating much of tension in the air for the both of them.
"Not at all," she answered with the same coy tone.
Akko's grin nearly split her face as she asked, "So you're saying yes?"
Diana simply nodded, fixing the brunette with the most affectionate look she could muster. "Yes, Akko. I would love to go on a date with you."
The subsequent squeal to Diana's acceptance was sure to have been heard throughout Luna Nova's entire campus.
It seemed actually asking Diana had been the only part Akko had truly been fretting over, for as soon as she walked back into her dorm, Lotte and Sucy knew things were only going to go up from here.
"I take it she said yes?" The potions master inquired as Akko quite literally danced over to her bed before flopping down on it.
Another high-pitched—yet much more contained—squeal was the girl's answer.
Lotte giggled. "That's great, Akko. When are you going?"
"And where?" Sucy added. "You do know that it's up to you to come up with this since you were the one who asked, right?"
Akko sat up to address her friends, her grin never wavering in the slightest. She truly had this all figured out now.
"Yep!" she chimed. "We're going later today around dinnertime, and I'm gonna take her to a restaurant. Nothing fancy since neither of us have been on a date before, but it'll still be more meaningful than just taking a stroll on campus or something."
"Well, do you need help dressing to woo your girl, or is our part in this over?" Sucy asked, again truly sounding honest and caring and not intending to tease.
"Nope! I totally got this now that she said yes!" Akko exclaimed, that fierce determined glow present in her eyes yet again.
And 'got this' she did.
Ten minutes to five, Akko was knocking on Diana's door. Placing her hands behind her back, she rocked back and forth on the balls of her feet, the grin she hadn't been able to get rid of since this morning still plastered across her face.
Diana was opening the door not seconds later, and both girls flushed pink as they drank the other in. While they had agreed earlier to dress casual, neither had ever actually seen the other in much other than their school uniforms, minus the dinner at Diana's home of course.
Akko had pulled on a simple graphic tee, which she wore a plaid button up over, a bleached pair of jean shorts and low-cut Converse tying up her outfit. She had kept her hair in its usual ponytail, though she had changed the color of her hair tie to blue to match her outfit better—as well as compliment her date's eyes. Diana, meanwhile, was wearing a baby blue, off-the-shoulder blouse and white capris, and a clean pair of white flats finishing off the look. She, too, had kept to her usual hairstyle, though Akko did notice the ponytail holder around her wrist, indicating she had battled the idea of pulling it back.
Akko realized then that she had never seen Diana with her hair pulled back, and the mental picture she came up with pleased her very much. But she remained silent, hoping she'd have many more chances after this to see Diana like that.
"You look nice, Diana!" Akko exclaimed in her usual boisterous tone, truly showing that all remains of her nerves from earlier had now abated completely.
Diana had now seemed to have absorbed Akko's nerves as she blushed at the praise, toeing the ground beneath her as she bit her lip cutely.
"Thank you, Akko," she mumbled. "You l-look…very cute yourself."
Though Akko's cheeks did indeed take color, her smile simply widened as she outstretched her hand.
"Ready to go?"
Nodding mutely, Diana shyly took Akko's hand. As they prepared to leave the hallway, Diana saw Akko grab her broom, which had been propped up against the wall all this time.
"You're going to fly us there?" the blonde inquired.
There wasn't any doubt in the question, nor was their an ounce of teasing, still Diana instantly hated herself after saying it.
"Just to the leyline," Akko answered, a gentle squeeze to Diana's hand letting the blonde know she had taken no offense to the question. While she indeed had been improving steadily at flying, she understood some slight concern would still be present at the notion of her actually doing the flying. After all, Akko hadn't gained the fame for worst flier in school history for nothing.
"So where exactly are we headed then?" Diana asked next. She knew she should just let things come as they may, but she couldn't help her curiosity getting the better of her. Plus, she being who she was, she always liked to be on top of things.
Akko, meanwhile, was actually relieved Diana had brought that up, seeing as she had meant to check with Diana that where she wanted to take her would be okay.
"Guess I should make sure you're actually fine with the idea before we get there, huh?" she chuckled nervously as they stopped momentarily out in the courtyard.
Still, neither released the other's hand the entire time.
"Have you ever had sushi before, Diana?" Akko asked excitedly, her eyes shining brightly just how Diana adored.
Diana blinked. Indeed she hadn't.
"Isn't that…raw fish?"
Crap. She hoped she hadn't sounded completely put off from the idea; it was just an entirely new concept to her and had taken her by surprise!
Of course, her anxieties were quelled when Akko simply laughed.
"It is most of the time, but you can get it with cooked seafood as well, so don't worry about that!"
Another blush lit Diana's face at her obvious amateur move. Still, getting Akko to laugh was always nice, even when it was at her own expense.
"Okay," she said resolutely. "I trust you, Akko."
Akko's blush rivaled her own as they entered the leyline atop her broom.
"Here we are!" Akko gestured showily to the storefront they currently stood in front of. "Professor Ursula said they have the best, most authentic sushi in all of Blytonbury!"
"So it'll pass even Akko the Expert's opinion, will it?" Diana joked with a squeeze of the girl's hand within her own.
"Heh," Akko giggled. "We'll see, won't we?"
"Indeed," Diana acquiesced with another nod.
The heiress didn't quite know what to expect of a sushi restaurant, but was still quite surprised when they walked in to find the set up much like that of any other restaurant she had ever been in. While what would normally be a standard bar, there was now what looked like stations behind it where people were hard at work making what Diana assumed had to be the sushi.
Still, from what she had read of Asian customs, many establishments used tables lower to the ground and cushions to be knelt on rather than your typical tables or booths.
Maybe since this was England though and not Japan, it wasn't the same?
"Nice and simple, right?" Akko sought approval after watching Diana look around the establishment.
Nodding with another smile, Diana added, "It is indeed nice and quaint."
"Great!" Akko beamed. "The food's even better, I promise!"
Soon, they were both seated in a booth across from each other, a simple slim menu in front of the both of them. Akko was studying hers furiously, even going the extra mile to have her tongue poking out in an absolutely adorable manner that kept Diana distracted enough from perusing her own menu.
In order to divert her attention away from Akko's impossibly perfect lips, Diana affixed her gaze on the 'cutlery' before her.
"So… These are chopsticks?" she asked, picking up the paper envelope containing the two wooden sticks.
"Yep! You have to break them apart to use them though; and don't feel embarrassed if you can't get the hang of them. I'm Japanese and even I couldn't use chopsticks properly until I was seven!"
Somehow Diana didn't doubt that, and the thought made her smile yet again.
"I leave the reins in your hands then, Expert," she spoke in a smooth, light tone, the grin she was wearing keying Akko in to her play.
"Why thank you, milady," she responded as they shared a laugh. "The good thing about sushi is that it isn't too filling, so I can start you off on something simple, and if you like it, we can order something different! Sound good?"
"Whatever you like," Diana stated confidently.
Akko simply bit her lip and looked away briefly with a blush, and Diana's smile widened impossibly more. She was just so content in this moment she couldn't help it.
Looking completely sure of herself, Akko placed their order the next time their waitress came by. Diana hated to admit nothing that came out of Akko's mouth made any sense, and it wasn't even as if her date had been speaking Japanese, it was all in English!
Sushi was quite confusing, it seemed.
"So I ordered us what's called a California Roll and a Dragon King Roll," Akko began explaining. "The California is like sushi for beginners—at least it's what Amanda said she tried first when she had sushi for the first time."
"Wait, so they have sushi in America, too?" Diana asked, completely bewildered. "Is that why it's called a California Roll? Because it's from California?"
Akko actually looked pensive at that for a bit before she shrugged. "I don't actually know why they call it that, honestly, but it's definitely not from the States, that's for sure."
Diana just nodded and let the oddity pass as Akko continued her lesson.
"A California Roll is crab, cream cheese, and avocado, all rolled up in rice. Sometimes there's an exterior layer of seaweed to hold it together, but it's just the restaurant's preference to do that usually. It's the most…bland, I guess? So it's always good to try first."
"Works for me," Diana said with a small grin. "What's in the other one you ordered?"
"It still has crab, but also salmon. And the salmon has actually been cooked beforehand, so it's not raw, just served cold. This place does have a raw piece of salmon they put on top of the roll, but you can always take that off if you end up not liking it that way. There are several universal rolls that every sushi restaurant has, but most of the time the rest is just the chefs' own creations, so it's fun to go to different sushi restaurants to see what they do with it."
"It all sounds so…complicated," Diana muttered with furrowed eyebrows.
Akko giggled and blushed. "I'm probably not doing a good job at simplifying it, that's why!"
"You're fine, Akko," Diana assured her. "Regardless, I'm honored you would have me try something that's tied to you." She smirked fondly and added, "It's romantic, in its own way."
Akko squeaked at the praise and sunk down in her seat.
"Diana~…" she groaned as her face broke out in red again.
Diana herself colored simply from Akko's noises. She really was too infatuated with this girl.
"I am…elated, however, that we're doing this," she continued tenderly. "Honestly, I've admired you for quite some time now—as I'm sure last night indicated. I just wasn't able to gather myself enough to pose the question to you first, so I'm glad you found the courage to do so instead."
"I was really nervous," Akko admitted while chewing on her lip. "Last night did make me feel a bit more confident, but I was still worried you'd say no because…I'm just me."
Diana tilted her head curiously at the girl's admission. To her, it didn't make any sense.
"I wouldn't have accepted the proposal if it hadn't been you."
"I mean," Akko's face reddened at having to explain what she had to Lotte and Sucy to Diana herself now, "I just feel like you're on this completely different tier than I am that I'll never be able to reach. You're Diana Cavendish; a descendant of one of the Nine Old Witches, and Luna Nova's pride student to boot. Meanwhile, I'm just this nobody who can barely fly, and who's leagues behind all her classmates."
At the feeling of a gentle caress against her calf, Akko glanced under the table to see Diana's foot softly trailing up and down her leg, the look Diana was sending her way nearly enough to make Akko melt where she sat and take back everything she had just said.
"Please don't sell yourself short, Akko," Diana implored. "Your shortcomings are what make you who you are. They define you as a person, and if they weren't there, you wouldn't be the you I've come to admire. Your flying abilities? They've let us spend time alone together when I tutor you. And your passion for magic, and Shiny Chariot as well? They're just another common link between us. I've already told you how you helped reawaken my own passion for magic. Had you been any different, I may still believe magic was simply something expected of me to master, not enjoy."
Leaning over across the table, Diana took Akko's hand back in hers as she whispered affectionately:
"I like you because you're you, Akko, and no one else."
Akko was struggling to hold back tears as she uttered, "T-Thanks, Diana."
Another warm smile was shared between them before two large plates being set between them diverted their attention elsewhere. Akko licked her lips as she observed the beautiful plating before her, while Diana just observed as a curious onlooker.
It looked just like any description she had ever read, though obviously was much more delectable-looking than any book could conjure up.
"I almost don't want to eat it, it looks so nice," she muttered more to herself. When Akko heard, however, she chuckled.
"Right?"
Picking up her chopsticks—of which Akko had taken the liberty to break for her beforehand—Diana sat to attention.
"So, which one is the California Roll?"
Akko laughed again.
"Diana, we're eating sushi on a date, not studying for a test," she said. "Relax a little."
Blushing, because she did indeed look like she was going into a study session, Diana allowed herself to sit more relaxed. She watched Akko take a piece of sushi in her chopsticks before holding it off the plate between them. Diana saw Akko bite her lip before glancing hesitantly to Diana.
"Can I…? Can I feed you your first piece?" she mumbled abashedly.
Twin fires lighting up their cheeks, Diana nodded demurely and leaned forward to meet Akko halfway. She honestly didn't know what to expect taste-wise, but it was far from a letdown as she began to chew and let the flavor settle across her tongue.
"Do you like it?" Akko asked with a hint of fear, hoping Diana wouldn't gag before stomping out and declaring this the worst date ever.
Of course, she had nothing to worry about as Diana swallowed and her eyes lit up.
"It's very good, Akko!" she exclaimed, her voice filled with an excitement not unlike a child on Christmas morning. "I was honestly a bit hesitant at first, but I do like it."
"Yay!" Akko cheered before picking up a piece of the roll for herself. "Dig in then, there's plenty! Then we'll start on the next roll."
And so, they each took turns having pieces of sushi, and Diana even asked if she could feed Akko a piece just like she had done for her. That got them both wearing their thousandth blush of the day, as well as a fitful of giggles as Akko somehow managed to get rice stuck her to cheek over and over again. The atmosphere around them was light and easy, and the air around them was filled with laughter and playful banter that had even the other patrons surrounding them smiling at the scene. Even when Diana had her first piece of the salmon roll it was met with enjoyment and awe.
Akko hummed dreamily as she watched Diana from across the table.
This had turned out to be the best date ever.
And hopefully it was only the first of many.
"What's this green stuff, Akko?"
Akko blinked before springing into action.
"No, Diana, that's wasabi!"
Of course, any outing between the two had to have just an ounce of the unexpected.
