"Kotori, I'm sorry." Umi said as both her and Kotori entered the restaurant, with the ashen girl having a slight scowl plastered on her face, out the corner of her eye she could see her friends looking at the pair concerned.
"I know," Kotori said with an exasperated sigh, thankfully with the scowl dropping "I'll be a minute." The ashen girl added before heading to the bathroom.
Umi dropped her head with an exasperated sigh 'Well that was a failure.' Umi added in her head before looking up and seeing her Honoka, Eli, Nozomi and Maki looking at her with concerned looks as the blunette walked towards them.
"Where are the others?" Umi asked, trying to ignore the stinging in her heart as she approached the table.
"They're on the way." Honoka replied.
"Trouble?" Eli asked the dreaded question as the blunette sat down.
"Yes." Umi sighed again before crossing her arms and resting them on the table and burying her face in them, at any other time she would have admonished herself or anyone else for acting this way but right now she really couldn't care with Kotori mad at her.
"Same as before?" Honoka asked which only got a whine out the blunette.
"Before?" Maki asked.
"Umi's having some problems taking the next step in her relationship with Kotori." Honoka said as the blunette tried to sink further into the table.
'That's putting it mildly.' Umi whined in her head.
"What kind of step are we talking about?" Nozomi asked.
"Well, it is a bit personal guys and Umi's having it rough right now so I don't think…"
Umi guessed from the sudden pause either everyone was glaring at the ginger or Nozomi was threatening her washi-washi.
'Thanks for trying to spare me Honoka but I'm kind of in corner here.' Umi thought before she moved her head to look up at everyone before mumbling "First kiss."
At the shocked looks from everyone except Honoka the blunette hid her face again in shame.
"That's…" Eli started.
"Rather pathetic." Maki said interrupting the blonde.
"Maki!" Honoka and Eli shouted.
"What, it is."
'Oh, that's rich you hypocri…' Umi thought angrily, only for Nozomi to pull the blunette's attention.
"What's the problem?" Nozomi asked ignoring the pinkettes comments.
"My nervous, it's my first time doing this and when I close in to kiss her and I look in her eyes I lose it, because my heart feels like it's about to erupt."
"Is there anything else?"
"No, it's just seeing her face so close." Umi groaned before burying her face again.
"Coward." Umi heard Maki mumble and get shouted at again by Honoka and Eli.
Umi looked up again before fixing Maki with a glare 'You asked for this.' Umi growled in her mind before saying "This from the girl who can't even confess."
The effect was immediate as Maki went as pink as her hair "Hey, I thought we agreed not to talk about it." Maki said glairing back "And I seem to remember you nearly fainting when you confessed."
"At least I did it." Umi said finally sitting up straight "You immediately go red and panic at the idea of confessing to her."
"Confessing to who?" Rin asked as she, Hanayo and Nico arrived at the table.
"No-one." Maki grumbled.
"You keeping secrets princess?"
"None of your business!"
"Umi," Nozomi said interrupting the pairs argument "If I said I had an idea to help your issue would you like to try it?"
Umi bit her bottom lip, a part of the blunettes mind was telling her not to go with Nozomi's plan as it was likely far too shameless for the blunette to take, but then the image of Kotori's hurt face earlier flashed through her mind and made the girls heart twist so much she thought it would snap itself.
"It's not going to be something shameless, is it?" Umi asked as she ignored the stunned looks from everyone else.
"Don't worry, I wouldn't do that."
"Go on then." Umi sighed.
"Ok, I'll go talk to Kotori about it." Nozomi smiled "You don't mind if I tell her the plan, do you?"
"No, that's fine." Umi nodded before looking at everyone staring at her "What?" Umi asked in a resigned sigh.
"That…" Honoka started only to be cut off by Nico.
"Was the worst thing you could have done."
"How?"
"Have you met Nozomi?"
"Nico!" Eli said with a glare "Don't talk about my girlfriend like that!"
"She does have appoint Eli, especially with Umi's purity."
"Maki!" The blonde giving the redhead a glare too.
"Maybe not." Rin cut in "I mean it's because of Nozomi we have these." Rin said holding up her hand showing off a ring on her finger as Hanayo brought up her hand to reveal a matching ring.
"See, Nozomi knows what she's doing so lay off you two."
"Are you sure about this Umi?" Honoka asked in a whisper.
"I don't really have another option, do I Honoka?"
(Kotori)
"Trouble in paradise?" Kotori heard someone ask as she stood at the sink.
The ashen girl turned behind her to see Nozomi stood by the door, with a knowing look in the twin tailed girl's eyes as she smiled at the ashen girl.
"Yeah." Kotori sighed "Though I suspect you know."
"Yeah, Umi was telling me about it."
"I see, did she say anything else?"
"She asked for my help."
"She did?" Kotori asked as she turned fully with a surprised look to see the older girl and a brief sense of relief, worried the issue might persist.
"Yes, would you like my help as well?"
"Yes, please." Kotori said unable to contain her relief.
"Excited I see." Nozomi smiled "Well she's staying at yours tonight, isn't she?"
"Yes, she is."
"Well wait till you get home," Nozomi said reaching into her pocket before handing over a soft black object out her pocket "Then use this."
"Why do you have that?" Kotori asked surprised as she took the item.
"I've been watching you two for a while and I noticed, it was only a matter of time and I thought this might be the best way around Umi's shyness, though I wasn't expecting it to be quite this bad."
(Umi - 5 hours later)
"So what did Nozomi say?" Umi asked as she sat on the ashen girl's bed.
"Well she more gave me something then said something."
"What?"
"This." Kotori said bringing out the black eye mask Nozomi had given her before.
"Doesn't that rather defeat the point?" Umi asked surprised that Nozomi's plan involved a blindfold and trying to ignore the sudden surprising increase of her heart.
"Well no, your eyes are meant to closed during a kiss, plus seeing seems to be the issue."
"I'm not sure so sure about this." Umi said biting her lip, the idea of being blindfolded making her heart uneasy.
"Aw, but Umi you said you would." Kotori whined with a pout.
"I know, it's just I'm not sure it will work, the idea's making me uneasy all of a sudden."
"Umi?"
The blunette looked up and could see the ashen girl composing herself 'Oh that's unfair!' Umi whined in her head.
"Onigai!"
"You're really unfair with that." Umi whined "But if you're going to go that far you win."
Umi saw the ashen girl smile before she gently moved forward and placed the eye mask over the blunettes eyes, once her eyes were covered Umi felt a slight shiver run down her spine 'Were Kotori's hands always so gentle.' The archer wondered; she knew about one's sense increasing in the absence of another.
"It's not too tight, is it?" Kotori asked pulling back, Umi felt a strong urge to follow the touch of Kotori's hands, like a puppy following its owner.
"No, it's fine, so what now?" Umi asked trying to sense where Kotori was 'Is she closer?'
"Nozomi said to tell you to lay your hands down by your side and open your mouth slightly."
Umi did as Kotori said her heart racing so loud and fast in trepidation, she was sure Kotori could hear it.
"Ok, now she said for you to relax as best, ok?"
Umi nodded in response partly to not move her lips from how Kotori seemed to want them but mostly because she wasn't sure her voice was up to the task.
"Ok." Kotori whispered.
Umi could feel the bed shift as Kotori moved closer to her and the hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention as she did so.
Umi was sure she could faintly sense Kotori closing in on her which only heightened her heart rate and she started to wonder if this is what prey felt like just before a predator ate them, suddenly she flet Kotori's breath lightly tickle her ear before whispering "You're really cute Umi."
Umi's ears and cheeks ignited as she turned to face Kotori to speak only for her words to die in her throat as the ashen girl's lips capture her own in a kiss.
Umi's eyes would have shot open in surprise, if it weren't for the blindfold, time seemed to stop for the blunette the only thing that seemed to move was her heart, that speed up so fast she was sure marathon runners would have said it was going too fast as the blunette felt a strange feeling pass between the two.
'Kotori's lips are so soft and gentle.' Umi thought as she melted into the kiss which seemed to awaken a feeling Umi couldn't quite describe from her heart that seemed to flow through her whole body.
As suddenly as it started the kiss ended, Umi tried to follow Kotori's lips only stopping when she felt herself starting to fall forward.
Umi took off the blindfold to see Kotori looking at her with slight smile, though with a slightly concerned look in her eyes.
Umi herself was still trying to steady her heart that still seemed to be trying to outrun fighter jets "Wow," Umi smiled "I feel so warm and floaty like I'm sitting on a cloud…"
Umi's words were cut off by Kotori kissing her again 'This is what I was so scared of?' Umi thought to herself as she got lost in kiss 'It's like being touched by an angel.'
"I'm not sure my hearts calmed down from the first kiss." Umi smiled as the two parted.
"Mine either." Kotori smiled back resting her forehead on the blunettes.
"Sorry, I was so scared." Umi sighed.
"It's ok."
"No, it's not." Umi said looking up into the ashen girl's eyes "Is there anything I can so to make it up to you for having to wait for so long?"
"Well there is one thing."
"What is it?"
"Can you kiss me?"
Umi flinched a moment at the request, her nervous already burning up at the idea, Umi closed her eyes and took a quiet breath to steady her nervous for as long as she could.
"It's ok you don't…" Kotori began only for Umi jump forward to kiss the ashen girl before her nervous went.
Umi could hear Kotori moan in surprise before she felt the ashen girl begin to moan in bliss and melt into the kiss, Umi felt the strange feeling pass between the two as she kissed Kotori, like a bit of her soul passed to Kotori.
"How was it?" Umi asked nervously when she broke the kiss.
"Wonderful." Kotori smiled.
"Thanks." Umi smiled "Sorry I made you wait."
"It's ok, that kiss was worth it." Kotori smiled placing a hand on the back of the blunettes neck "I love you Umi."
"I love you too Kotori." Umi whispered before the two kissed each other again.
(Maki)
"Thanks for letting m stay, water pipe burst in my house." Nico said as she entered Maki's bedroom after using the bathroom, the pinkette sat at her piano.
"No problem." Maki sighed, only to be surprised at feeling Nico hug her from behind "Hey, what…?"
"I heard you in the bathroom." Nico said resting her chin on Maki's shoulder.
"Sorry if it bothered you."
"No, it was nice actually, it was kind of relaxing to listen to."
"Oh, I see."
"You don't get a lot of time to play these days, do you?"
"No, studying for my medical degree takes a lot of my time."
"I see that's a shame."
"Yeah, it is." Maki sighed before leaning her head back to relax into the hug a little more.
The two stayed in a comfortable silence a few moments before Nico spoke up "You were always a good player; I'd hate for you to lose those skills."
"Thanks Nico." Maki said turning to face the raven-haired girl.
The pair smiled as red eyes met amethyst, the pair smiled a moment, before the two realised it their lips had connected "Erm, I…"
"It's ok Maki you don't have to say it now." Nico said with a smile though the pinkette could see the sadness in her eyes "You can take your time till you're ready." Nico said before separating from the pinkette
"Nico!" Maki said turning as Nico walked away, desperate for that touch again.
"It's alright Maki, your worth waiting for." Nico smiled "Though try to not keep me waiting too long, you never know who might ask the great Nico nii on a date."
"Rather confident, aren't you?"
"Yeah, everyone loves Nico." The ravenette smiled before turning away.
"Nico wait," Maki said trying to supress how jealous that line made her "Can…can you stay the night, with me?" Maki asked hoping Nico wouldn't comment on her cheeks that flet warmer than a beach on a sunny day.
"I'd like that." Nico smiled.
"Me too." Maki smiled back.
After a couple of minutes the pair slipped under the covers snuggling into each other as the laid on the bed "Hey, Maki?"
"Yeah?"
"You're off your classes tomorrow, aren't you?"
"I am, why?"
"Think you could play me some more songs on your piano tomorrow."
"Sure." Maki smiled "Hey, how did you know?"
"Nozomi."
"Of course" Maki sighed "Good Night Nico."
"Good night Maki.
So i have recently been reading a manga called "Anemone is in Heat" and one of the girls needs a blindfold to have their first kiss as she too nervious and it kind of got me thinking.