16. New Beginnings

When it comes to things pertaining her beloved partner, Akagi, it just can't be helped that nothing seems to be able to escape Kaga's notice.

Her ups and her downs, every smile and every frown, every sigh and every little pout, Kaga catches it all without even meaning to.

So it goes without saying that she would have noticed the way Akagi's laughter had evidently been a lot less vibrant than they usually are in the most recent of weeks.

Of how her smiles, while placid as it seemingly appears to be, are far more controlled; stiff and even, and it just doesn't seem to reach her eyes like they frequently would.

And whenever their gazes meet in a brief clash of topaz and amber, there would be a quick flash of something in them— a flicker of emotion that fades as soon as it appears— and liquid topaz would harden over, albeit imperceptibly with the thinnest layer of ice, as Akagi then slips back into her usual mask of dignified serenity.

She's upset, concludes Kaga, albeit grimly at the sudden revelation. Through her years of experience, she knows. The signs are so extremely telling, glaring her right in the face.

Metaphorically, and quite literally.

She's upset with me.

Which ultimately leads Kaga to her next point— to why she's been aimlessly wandering the school grounds during lunch break. Alone, with Akagi nowhere in sight.

Because nothing honestly hurts more than sheer blatant avoidance— or rejection— on Akagi's part.

"Kaga-san?"

At the sound of her name, Kaga starts, wildly grasping for her heart in her chest as she raises at her head, almost expectantly.

But at the sight of Souryuu standing before her, looking very much alone as herself, she finds herself deflating in an instant.

"You look lost," Kaga murmurs sourly, and sighs.

"I could say the same thing to you too." Souryuu answers, a wry smile lifting at the corners of her lips in turn.

And immediately, Kaga is struck by a chilling sense of familiarity as she scoots over just a little to make room for Souryuu on the stone bench she had been sitting on for the past couple of minutes or so, whilst staring blankly into space, being waist-deep in thoughts.

Déjà vu, if she would have it.

Almost as if this had been a re-run of a certain episode from a few months back.

"Strange isn't it?" begins Souryuu softly, leaning idly back on her palms as she takes a brief moment to peer up at the sky, watching the clouds flutter overhead them with a particularly faraway look.

Kaga merely arches a curious brow at the pig-tailed girl beside her. "What is?"

Rolling at her shoulders breezily, Souryuu smiles — a rueful little knowing smile— then drops her gaze back down onto Kaga, staring her quite squarely in the eyes.

"Us both, sitting here together like this."

And instinctively, Kaga averts her gaze away, pursing at her lips. She could just hear the implication hinting in her voice, see it being reflected right back at her in her eyes. It all makes her feel vaguely uneasy.

Guilty.

So instead, in her attempt to purposefully side step around the giant elephant in the room, she brings about a sudden question.

"How are things between Hiryuu and yourself?"

The slight catch in Souryuu's breath is all that Kaga needs to know that she has caught her off guard. Just as she had intended to do so.

Bowing at her head, albeit sheepishly, a shy smile rises up to Souryuu lips.

"Things are going great for us, yes." She says quietly, choosing her words carefully. Her gaze, while absent and distracted as it is, is unexpectedly soft, brimming with much fondness as she traces idle circles on the ground with her toes. "We've been doing our best to make time for each other, outside of club activities and everything else. We just… really want to make things work, y'know?"

"That's good to hear. I'm glad for you." Kaga nods her silent approval.

"And how about you?"

Her heart gives a stutter.

"What about?" Kaga ventures, trying her best to play it off cool, despite knowing that she had totally walked herself into this.

"You and Akagi-san, of course! How are things?" Souryuu chirps on, almost seemingly blithely oblivious so.

And it practically takes every ounce of willpower of Kaga to not just outright cringe.

Instead, she only breathes a soft sigh, then lowers her gaze, pursing at her lips thinly, looking rather grim.

"Trouble in paradise?" Souryuu hazards, tentatively.

But Kaga doesn't respond, merely playing with her fingers. Her silence is just so telling.

Souryuu releases a long resigned sigh, kicking at her feet heedlessly. "I kinda' expected as much. " She shrugs, veering herself to face front as she points her gaze down onto a speck on the ground. "When Akagi-san had asked Hiryuu, instead of you, to help out with the first-years' practice, I'd immediately knew something was up."

A quiet admission, and she pauses, allowing the silence to drag on for a moment or two, before turning to Kaga and peering up at her searchingly.

"What's wrong?"

Kaga struggles on, faltering, "Akagi-san…" She sighs, then glances down at her hands, albeit helplessly as she stalls for time. "She's upset with me."

"Oh no, did you accidentally eat the last rice ball again?" Souryuu gasps.

"No, I've not done anything like that." Kaga shakes at her head sullenly, frowning. "At least, I don't think…"

It wasn't like the both of them didn't have their fair share of fights over the years. Granted, every once in a blue moon they would encounter some disagreements over certain issues, but they would always make up and resolve their arguments promptly without so much as spilling a single drop of blood. And it definitely wasn't like Akagi to actually get mad over little petty things like… food.

But then again, who knows?

Because for the life of Kaga, she just can't think of anything she had done recently to offend her.

"Hmm, now that I think about it, Akagi-san was behaving rather weirdly that one day…" Souryuu muses softly, a pondering finger on her chin.

Kaga catches her breath then, perking up and raising her head immediately.

"Which day was it?"

"That day when you had stayed back late after practice to work on your quick sets with Zuikaku?" Souryuu makes for a pensive little hum, tapping at her chin thoughtfully. "Maybe she got jealous?"

"No, that's unlikely. We… We're not like that." Kaga murmurs, blushing faintly despite herself.

"You're not like what?" Souryuu presses on, with a particularly knowing glint in her eye that only serves to further ruffle Kaga's feathers under her supposed mask of cool and detached indifference.

She purses at her lips, taking a short calming breath. "We're not lovers," forces Kaga through her gritted teeth, eyes averted slightly in a rare outward show of embarrassment.

"Not lovers…" Souryuu snorts, shaking at her head in amusement after taking a brief glance at Kaga's chagrined state. "She says they're not lovers…" She murmurs, sniggering quietly under breath, more to herself than anything else, as if finding the whole situation to be more and more humorous by the second. "Not lovers, she says."

But it doesn't help that Kaga has heard her— loud and clear— all the same.

And try as she might, the rosy flush on her cheeks only deepens just much more.

"But Kaga-san, you do like her, don't you?"

And for a split of a second, Kaga's heart nearly stops short in her chest.

"Akagi-san, I mean," adds Souryuu, albeit with an air of nonchalance. Though, the intensity of her gaze suggests otherwise.

Taking a quick beat to regain her poise, smoothening out the cracks in her usually impassive countenance, Kaga releases a short steadying breath.

"Of course I do. We've been partners since Middle School." She says, ever so simply.

At that, Souryuu immediately throws her head back in a hearty laugh, eyes twinkling meaningfully back at Kaga, once she has all settled down.

"You know very well what I mean, Kaga-san." Her smile widens as she breaches across the short rift of comfortable distance between them, leaning in slightly. "You're in love with Akagi-san." She says, more of a statement than a question, and it causes Kaga's breath to hitch, catching in her throat.

A heart-stopping beat.

"And what makes you think that?" asks Kaga quietly, an uncharacteristic warble to her voice.

"You're not denying it, for one."

"Hm," Kaga grunts, dropping her gaze as she hangs her head low, staring down at her hands.

They're shaking.

"Are you not going to do anything about it? Your feelings and all?"

She clenches at her trembling hands, then draws in a breath. "So long as I'm able to stay by her side like this… I don't see why I should." Is all but Kaga's quiet reply.

From the corner of her eye, she sees Souryuu frowning deeply at her.

"And you're alright staying like this? Being nothing more than just a friend, a companion— a platonic partner?"

There's just something about the unusual edge to Souryuu's voice— a subtle rise of emotion— that ultimately compels Kaga to glance up at her, meeting her gaze with a certain quality of steely resignation. "If that is Akagi-san's wish, then yes. That will suffice for me." She answers, softly.

And Souryuu merely stares at her for a while, lips parting and closing. For the longest time, she struggles to find her voice.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" She finally asks.

"Because I love her." Kaga answers, just barely above a whisper.

She glances down at her fists, and unfurls them slowly.

The shaking has stopped.

"That's really… noble of you," murmurs Souryuu thoughtfully, and Kaga knows she's still watching her closely like a hawk, "but also, I'd like to think that it's oddly foolish of you too, Kaga-san." She says, as bluntly as she would ever put it.

But Kaga doesn't take offense.

It is foolish of her, after all.

Beside her, Souryuu makes to click at her tongue noisily, her frustration as clear as day. "By putting everything on the line like this, all for the sake of Akagi-san. Don't you think you deserve better than this?" She urges, pressing on.

And as Kaga glances back up at her, she sees the fire burning in her eyes and the silent plea in them.

"So long as Akagi-san is happy, then I'm happy too."

"And that's it?"

"That's it."

"Nothing more?"

"Nothing more." Kaga nods.

Souryuu frowns, and stares her down. Hard. Then sighs.

A long, weary sigh.

Her shoulders sag in defeat.

"You're really sure are stubborn, Kaga-san. But it's not like I don't know that already." Souryuu says wryly with a smile, shaking at her head. She turns away, looking skyward once more. "Is it so much to ask of you to be happy?"

"Happiness doesn't come easy," Kaga answers quietly.

"But neither does it come on a silver platter." Souryuu counters, albeit testily, and she knows she has struck home somewhere when silence only follows after.

She sighs, lowering her gaze wistfully.

"Happiness… It's a fickle thing. Sometimes you've got to fight hard for it. Really reach out and seize it." She claps her hands together; palm against palm, fingers interlocked. "Grab on to it with your own bare hands, then never let go." And she pauses, pensively, letting her hands draw apart slowly. "Only then, will you truly appreciate happiness for what it is."

"Then are you happy right now, Souryuu?" Kaga asks, softly, delicately. "Being with Hiryuu like this."

Souryuu catches her breath for a beat, then smiles, glancing away. "Yes. Yes, I am." She admits quietly, with just a curl of a shy smile on her lips, notable of a young maiden in love. "Truly." And Kaga sees it in her eyes, the joy shining in them; the soft tender affection she bears for the one she holds most dear to her.

And for a brief second, a lone thought flutters through Kaga's mind.

If only I had that too.

But she quickly catches herself, shaking it off.

Such selfish thoughts are never bound to take form in reality, after all.

And so, with a short breath and a faint smile— and a slightly heavy heart—, she says, "I'm happy for you."

Lunch these days with Akagi feels more like an awkward affair than anything else.

And Kaga honestly can't decide which is worse.

Her knowing that the reason for Akagi's spacing out is probably from her being upset with her, or the fact that she's picking apart the bento she had painstakingly put together during the early hours of dawn.

For Akagi to be so unenthusiastic when it comes to food… Is almost something unheard of.

Almost.

It had happened only once; years back in Middle School where Kaga had rashly jumped into practice without donning on her ankle guards for the day. Her desire of wanting to fit in into her new role as setter had incidentally cost her her ankle – spraining it during said-practice, as a result.

It was also the first time she had ever seen Akagi so livid with anger. She wouldn't speak to her for two full weeks, and when she finally did, she had given Kaga the lashing of her lifetime. All for not taking good care of herself.

And it is one lashing that Kaga would look back upon fondly for the many years to come.

Though, as fond as that particular memory is, watching Akagi the way that she is at the very moment, only serves to put a bitter taste in Kaga's mouth; as every listless poke and prod to her bento, feels just like a stab to her heart.

But no, she shan't be discouraged.

Pursing at her lips, Kaga steels herself. "Akagi-san."

But Akagi doesn't respond, nor so much as blink; eyes still notably glossy and glazed— distant.

So Kaga tries again.

"Akagi-san," She says, a little more insistently this time, reaching in to gently touch her by her hand.

To which, Akagi immediately gives a start, jolting away as if scalded by invisible flames. And for the first time that afternoon, clouded topaz clashes against amber.

"Kaga-san…" Akagi murmurs, absently — as if finally taking note of Kaga's presence after all this time.

And while Akagi's lackluster response towards her had hurt, Kaga still tries her very best to not let her pain show, stowing it under the façade of a small rueful smile. Idly, she wonders if heeding Souryuu's advice on facing Akagi head-on like this, is indeed the right thing to do.

"You've been rather spaced out lately." Kaga says, then takes in a short, subtle breath. "Are you…" Are you really that mad at me? "Is everything alright?" Is what she says in the end, having lost heart at the very last second.

Silently, Kaga chides herself for her weak resolve.

It's most certainly unlike her to be this wishy-washy over things like this. But she supposes that it is only with Akagi that her steady structure of normalcy— the very foundation, in which she carries and prides herself on— tends to fall apart so very easily.

However once more, Akagi does not reply, liquid topaz eyes simply darting about with a kind of single-mindedness that is known of her during matches. Watching, listening. Studying. Trying to absorb as much of information as she can get from their current environment, in which case — their classroom.

After a long beat, she rises to her feet, her chair screeching sharply back in protest.

"Get up and follow me," she orders, her voice an oddly measured calm. Though, the look in her eye says otherwise.

"But our bentos—"

The vice grip on Kaga's wrist cuts her off in an instant.

And before she can even begin to gather her wits to comprehend just what in the world is going on, she is hauled up onto her feet and whisked right out of the classroom, stumbling after a certain captain of a volleyball club.

Kaga doesn't even question Akagi's intentions, nor does she even protest to being led off so abruptly, only following after her mutely. The tight— nearly punishing— hold on her wrist is all the forewarning she needs, to know that she's in for the one ugly confrontation she has been dreading on for days.

And as Akagi swings the door to their modest little clubroom open and forcibly nudges her in, she immediately finds herself holding her breath in nervous suspense.

A click, and Akagi locks the door behind them, her back turned on Kaga.

And for long while, the sheer silence in the tiny confinement of their clubroom reigns supreme; with the only sound being their quiet breathing flooding the air, fueling in into the asphyxiating tension coiling thickly, and unyieldingly, around them.

"Akagi-san…" Kaga says, softly, solely for the sake of saying something to clear the air of its muddy and stifling atmosphere. She reaches in and gently touches her by her shoulder.

Though this time, much to Kaga's relief, Akagi doesn't flinch.

Instead, she only breathes a quiet sigh, her shoulders sinking, slumping slightly.

"You know I've been angry at you." She says, and there's that underlying hint of emotion in her voice, threatening to break through her mask of calm. She turns around to look at Kaga levelly. "Do you know the reason why?"

"I…" Kaga begins, albeit faltering slightly at the particularly sharp glint of ire burning in topaz depths. "No, I don't," she whispers, swallowing back at the bile that is quickly rising up her throat. "But whatever it is that I have done, I'm sorry." With her head hung low in shame, Kaga descends down into deep apologetic bow.

Another sigh.

And something tells Kaga that this is not the response that Akagi had wanted to hear, nor see.

"Just what am I to you, Kaga-san?"

Kaga blinks, slightly caught off balance by the abruptness of her question as she straightens up as best as she could, looking to Akagi ever so earnestly, with a fierce fire burning in her eyes. "You're my teammate, my partner, my friend. My most precious person. You're Akagi-san."

There is a brief lapse of silence; a tensed moment where the air is charged, taut yet brittle — as if it could snap clean at any second, and if it doesn't, someone might instead. Hence for a long while, they remain locked under the ferocity of each other's gaze, unspeaking and motionless, all in fear of breaking the fragility of said-instance.

Where finally, Akagi makes the first move.

Like a panther on a prowl, she closes in on Kaga with deliberate slowness, backing her up against the edge of the cluttered desk in their clubroom, and trapping her so, by stepping fully into her personal space, hands planted firmly over on each of Kaga's sides.

Leaning in, she gently touches her fingertips to Kaga's cheek, and ever so gingerly, grazes across the high point of her cheekbone with her thumb.

"And what do you think you are to me?" Akagi murmurs, softly, and immediately Kaga is struck by the tender affection wafting off of her person— through the dulcet sound of her voice, from that smoldering look in her eyes, and the soothingly warm touch against her cheek — and it bleeds right into Kaga, seeping deep into her soul.

It makes her heart stumble clumsily over each passing beat, and her mind go a complete blank as she struggles to piece her thoughts together over the roaring of her blood in her ears.

"I am… " Kaga swallows, thickly. "Whatever Akagi-san wishes for me to be." She says hoarsely, fingers clenching and unclenching, in her attempt to steady herself and her quivering heart. "A teammate, a confidante, a friend. A partner. Whichever it is, I will do my best to live up to the role it is you ask of me."

"Whatever I wish for you to be… huh."

Topaz orbs begin to rapidly dull over as petal-pink lips are pulled tight, pursed thinly into a straight line that teeters on a frown. With a sigh, Akagi bodily extracts herself away — albeit lingeringly — earning a small body shiver from Kaga at the sudden loss of contact in turn.

"If I were to ask you to follow me to ends of the earth, would you do it?" She asks, her gaze weighing upon Kaga expectantly.

And without a single trace of hesitation in her being, Kaga replies, "Yes," she nods, impassioned ambers blazing despite her thoroughly ruffled state, "I would."

The rigid look on Akagi's face only stiffens further.

"And If…" Akagi breathes, taking a tentative step closer.

Close enough for Kaga to see the beautiful flecks and smatters of copper and gold swimming in the deep hues of eyes, framed by her furrowed brows as it accentuates the somberness of her present countenance.

"If I were to ask you to jump in front of a train for me," she pauses, taking a short halting breath, and there's just something oddly imploring about her gaze. "Would you?"

Finding a sudden odd surge of strength, Kaga trudges on forward with a resounding step. "If it's for Akagi-san's sake, then yes," she says, with all the conviction in her heart. She lays hand over her pulsing organ, feeling its forceful resonance beneath her fingertips as she glances up at Akagi and pledges ardently with all her might, "I would."

Akagi only stares her down long and hard, holding her gaze for a full entire beat, bearing her topaz eyes down onto Kaga's amber ones. Where at last, she breaks eye contact and glances down at her toes, biting at her lip.

Her shoulders begin to quiver.

"In the end, it'll always be for my sake, won't it?" She murmurs, quietly — brokenly — lips twisted into a pained smile that mirrors back the look in her eye. "It's always been that way, I've noticed."

And it has never been more clear to Kaga than this very juncture, that Akagi's ever so unyielding veneer of control is quickly crumbling to pieces.

A quick flicker down, shows that her fists are balled, trembling in barely contained anger; and when Kaga peers back up at Akagi, she finally notices the disapproving glint in fiery topaz and a whole swirl of other emotions raging through them like a tempest.

"And it's not just with me, but whatever you do, it's always for the team— for everyone else. But what about yourself?" Akagi paces forth, advancing in on Kaga hotly, hands launching for a grip on her shoulders as she pushes her back forcefully against the edge of the table, rattling the contents over it. "You're always— always— putting yourself last and everyone else first."

"A-Akagi-san—"

"I'm angry, Kaga-san!"

The grip on her shoulders tightens some more in emphasis, fingers curling and digging deep into her flesh, and it hurts — though Kaga doesn't necessarily show it outwardly, merely taking it all in stride. The punishment she deserves.

Instead, she merely braces on with a tentative peek up at Akagi, and is immediately struck by the familiarity of her distraught expression. The faint quiver of her lips, the slight flare of her nostrils and that distinct slant to her brows, paired with that ominously dark glower; it all strikes a deep chord in Kaga's heart, being faced with the exact same look, from years back during a painfully similar situation as this.

"I'm beyond furious." Akagi continues on with her incensed tirade. "Maybe not so much at you, but for you!" She cries out, and being this close, Kaga is able to see the angry tears, unshed and pricking at the corners of her eyes as it brings about a pang of guilt in her chest.

She opens her mouth, an apology poised at the ready on her tongue, but looking at Akagi the way she is now — trembling and so ready to burst with emotions — she thinks better of it and closes her mouth, dropping her gaze as she looks away in regret.

But it only seems to agitate Akagi further.

"Why do you keep doing this?" She demands vehemently, pressing all the bit more closer, forcing Kaga's gaze up on her once more. The tears brimming in her eyes look just about ready to fall as her hold on Kaga's shoulders slackens, just by a bit, albeit shifting down lower to take in a fistful of Kaga's navy cardigan and uniform, crumpling the cloth across her front. "Why do you put yourself through this? What is it that you truly want? What is it that you want to do? What does your heart most desire? Please treasure yourself a little more, Kaga-san."

She sucks in a tremulous breath, then leans in, burrowing her face into Kaga's ample chest. "Because to me…" She sniffles, clawing at the fabric over Kaga's heart, her tears seeping through into her uniform.

"To me, you're my single most precious person."

Pursing her lips, Kaga raises at her hand, then hesitates, fingers wilting back against her better judgment. But with a short breath, she bolsters herself on forward and plunges in, gently threading her fingers through silky dark locks in a comforting notion — one stroke at a time.

"All I wish is for you to be happy, Kaga-san…" whispers Akagi in a cracked voice, shuffling in a tad closer, as she leans her weight heavily onto Kaga.

Allowing her eyes to fall shut for a brief moment, Kaga releases a soft breath, slumping back against the support of the table behind her.

"All I wish is for you to be happy, Kaga-chan."

She remembers the gentle croon of her elder sister's voice drifting through her ears, flooding her being with love. So much love.

The same words.

"Is it so much to ask of you to be happy?"

And the pale undertones of concern and worry in the absent murmur of Souryuu.

The same request.

And now Akagi-san too…

Opening her eyes to the world, Kaga struggles to tamp down the budding emotion that is rising through her, swelling in her chest and welling up in her eyes, clouding her vision.

She swallows dryly, forcing down on the block of ice in her throat. "I…" she begins, not knowing how or where she should even start off. Her hand stills against the small of Akagi's back, and on a whim, she guide her in close — closer — and eases her arms around her waist, melding their bodies together.

And it is through Akagi's gentle warmth — through the steady resonance of her heartbeat pulsing against her — that Kaga finds her strength.

"For all my life, I've been raised to never question the orders I'm given. The set of expectations placed upon me, it is simply my duty to live up to it. Nothing more, nothing less." Kaga admits, softly, with the faintest hint of a quaver in voice, betraying the pretense of composure that she has been trying so hard to uphold, to no avail. "Granted, I might be the next in line to the renowned FK Group and Fuyukawa House. But I am, in truth, nothing more than just a humble servant to my family name. What it is that I truly desire, does not matter."

And while Akagi does not reply to her verbally, she could feel her arms tightening over her in reassurance — in understanding; spurring her onwards.

Forward.

"But ever since meeting you, I suppose I might have all but one tiny desire."

Arching back slightly, careful to not break the fragile contact between them, Kaga settles her gaze down upon Akagi steadily, allowing her eyes to rove over the planes of her face, taking all of her in. From the straight slant of her nose to the swell of her cheeks, and finally — the hopeful glow in glittering topazes peering expectantly up at her.

"That is, to simply remain by your side. And that is more than enough for me. I'm content."

"Kaga-san…"

She rests a slender digit against the pink plush of full lips, cutting Akagi off gently with a faint smile. Then, traces upwards, scaling across the curve of her cheek with ever so much of tenderness.

"But I'm afraid lately… I might have grown a little selfish. Staying by your side like this, may not be enough to satisfy me anymore." Kaga confesses quietly, absently padding across the silver lines of tears, left by Akagi's previous outburst, with a tiny prick of guilt. Though, it is decidedly not enough to waver her current resolve as she trudges on fervently. "So if I may be so bold to ask of you to heed this one, selfish request of mine, to please…"

She tries to will herself from trembling — her fingertips from quivering — and plasters the length of her palm against the side of Akagi's face; the soft, yielding warmth of her skin being her anchor. And she nearly starts when a warm, warm hand reaches up to rest over the back of her own, fingers twining up against her as Akagi uses that as leverage to lean further into her touch, the soft look in her eyes gently urging Kaga to carry on.

And it's all the encouragement that Kaga needs; to summon up the last of her courage to plow through this one final lap.

"Please stay by my side, not as a teammate, not as a partner or a friend. But as my lover, and to not look at anyone else but me alone."

Kaga watches on, holding her breath in silent anticipation with her heart in her throat.

And as a large beatific smile tears through across Akagi's face, stretching its way up into misty topaz, rapidly filling them with pretty lights, Kaga knows she has her answer.

"Only if it applies to you as well," whispers Akagi.

At that, Kaga is unable to contain the smile from bursting right off her cheeks, and she's not sure who leans in first — probably both of them at the same time — but she soon finds herself succumbing to the softness of the lips pressed upon her, moving slowly in tandem to the beat of their hearts.

Granted, as chaste and clumsy as their first kiss had been — with lots of teeth clashing and nose bumping in between — it is also a seal of promise.

A mark of an end, and a start to a new beginning.

And it's honestly all that Kaga can ever ask for.

Silently, she wonders, marvels over just how close she had been to giving this all up so easily — so readily.

Prying away briefly, foreheads connected and noses just barely brushing, Akagi murmurs breathily against her lips, "I never would have thought this day would come."

Kaga makes for a soft hum, gently curling back a lock of dark hair behind her ear, before drawing back in to claim herself another kiss, and when she pulls away shortly, she sees the ever present love burning brightly in sparkling topazes — the one and only emotion she had refused to acknowledge all this time.

That is, until now.

"Because someone once told me that I had to fight for what I truly want. To reach out and seize it with my bare hands, then never let go."

A/N: And there you have it! The moment we've all been waiting for lol. After 16 chapters of build up, Akagi/Kaga is finally official. (As well as Souryuu/Hiryuu too.) Lets pop that champagne! What would be in store for our newly fledged couple, I wonder~ But aside from that, I've got some exciting news for all of you readers out there who loves the Akagi/Kaga pairing (or any other yuri kancolle pairing) as much as I do!

Alongside several other talented doujin artists and fanfic writers, we will be bringing you the release of a Kancolle Yuri Anthology! It's not out yet as of today, but it will be available on 10 Feb at yuriterasu *.* tumblr *.* com. Feel free to go check out the list of contributors on the site, and do support us by downloading the free PDF file on the day of its release!

Oh and credits to sushimiyuu for being my beta for this chapter. Lots of thanks!

And before I go, I should also mention that the next chapter wouldn't be posted up too soon and this story will probably be updated in a couple months time. So until then!