As red as a crab
The sound of the cicadas singing their song in the distance can be heard filling the air of a suffocating day in the middle of the summer, while mixing with the sound of a fountain pen flowing through the blank pages, filling them out diligently.
Light grunts accompany such a particular melody as the woman at the desk struggles to keep the report she's been filling out in place and prevent it like that from flying off with the air coming from the fan in the office, before said fan spins, its blades cooling down another spot of the large room to then give air once again to the general and the vast number of reports piled up on her desk, yet safe from flying away.
- Remind me again why you are here.
The stoic general asks as she places her fountain pen down, over the report in front of her to prevent the air of the fan to fly it away and while she takes advantage of it to cool down, light beads of sweat already forming on her temple and on the back of her neck making their way down.
- The AC of the publishing house is broken.
A pink haired woman simply answers from her place on the small couch Sara has on her office for those times in which even she needs to rest or stay the night to sleep after a hard day filling out different documents.
A long sigh escapes the general's lips as she observes the other woman resting comfortably on said couch with a smug smirk on her lips while she reads and corrects the draft in her hands, and sips on her tea from time to time, enjoying the air coming from the fan, almost monopolizing it.
- But why did you have to come here? Couldn't you go to the Tenshukaku?
Sara exhales as she observes the smirk on the editor-in-chief's lips widening, before their eyes meet.
- Because is cooler in here, and I don't want to correct this alone – Yae answers slyly as she waves the draft in her hands, a giggle escaping her lips upon the unamused expression adorning the general's AND girlfriend's features – Ara~ don't tell me that my dear general isn't fond of my presence here? I'm deeply hurt.
Yae asks with feigned hurt playing on her features yet also a playful pout present that earns a grunt from the general, before she sees Sara pinching the bridge of her nose, resting more comfortably against her armchair to answer the sly woman.
- No, it's not that. You know that you're more than welcome here, Yae.
Sara sighs, softening as she hears Yae giggling again while a wide and mischievous grin plays on her lips upon seeing how even though slightly unamused, the general can still be really soft when it comes to her.
- It's such a shame Ei is away on a trip in such a suffocating weather… we could really use some light drizzle in days like this one, don't you think, my hard-working bird?
The pink haired woman points out, missing their best friend and her ability to control the weather and make rain as she pleases, before she notices a soft smile spreading across her girlfriend's lips at the mention of the God.
- We really could.
Sara answers softly, agreeing with Yae who can only grin wider as she observes the sweaty general closing her eyes for a moment to enjoy the feeling of the cool air of the fan hitting her, before an idea comes to her mind.
- You know? Since we'll have to endure such a suffocating weather for a couple of days more, why don't we treat ourselves and enjoy it at the beach together?
- Huh?
Sara says, opening her eyes to look at the now excited editor-in-chief.
- Yes, you know, have some fun at the beach. Think about it as my way to thank you for letting me stay here working.
Yae tries to convince the other woman, batting her eyelashes to emphasize it.
- That's not nece- urgh, fine.
The stoic general ends up giving in as she notices the puppy eyes her girlfriend is giving her, hearing Yae giggling, before she feels her arms surrounding her shoulders to pull her into an awkward hug from behind, feeling then her lips on her cheek leaving a kiss on it, close to the corner of her lips that makes her blush.
- Great! Then we're going to the beach tomorrow! – Yae exclaims happily, leaving another kiss on the cheek of the blushing general, before walking back to the couch to get her things – Now I'll go back to the publishing house to keep correcting this.
- Wait, didn't you say it was too hot as to be in there with the AC broken?
Sara asks with a frown adorning her cute features, making Yae giggle at how innocent her girlfriend can be sometimes.
- Oh, did I? I'm pretty sure the AC is already fixed.
Yae says mischievously in between giggles, winking at the confused general, before running away.
- But it only has been an hour… wait Yae, what do you- woah!
The general squeaks out, quickly placing a hand over the filled out reports to prevent them from flying away as the air coming from the fan blows with more intensity now.
- Yae!
The dark purple haired woman yells the name of the sly fox woman as giggles fill the hallways of the Tenryou Commission Headquarters upon having undertaken her purpose.
So it's no surprise when the pink haired woman finds an unamused and almost grumpy general waiting for her at the entrance of the shrine as soon as the dawn tints the sky of orange and reddish colors the following morning.
- Oh come on, my little bird, don't be so grumpy. It'll be fun.
Yae says in between giggles as she pokes one of Sara's cheeks, and before leaving a kiss on it and then another one on her lips, hearing Sara sighing as she kisses her back and takes her girlfriend's bag in her hand to begin walking towards an almost unknown and empty beach.
By the time they get there, the sun has already got out of its hiding place to illuminate everything under its scorching golden rays, making Sara grunt as soon as she places their belongings on the sand, feeling her clothes sticking to her sweated body.
She can't really understand why people, including her girlfriend somehow, like such a suffocating weather nor the feeling of the sand burning the sole of their feet or slipping through every spot of their bodies, or the salt of the sea sticking to their skins...
A puff escapes her lips as she enumerates the long list of things to dislike while setting the beach umbrella in the sand and under the attentive gaze of the pink haired woman accompanying her who can't help but giggle amused at how grumpy her girlfriend can be, finding it endearing.
Another giggle escapes the pink haired woman's lips as she walks towards her grumpy girlfriend to help her, spreading out their towels on the sand, before she sits on hers and begins applying herself some sunscreen while Sara goes to get some cold bottles of water for them from a nearby snack bar.
- My little bird, you came just in time.
- Huh?
Yae says as soon as Sara comes back with a couple of bottles of water in her hands, looking at her confused.
- Be a dear and help me to apply some sunscreen on my back, please.
Yae asks her mischievously, seeing a light red blush dusting Sara's cheeks, before she nods nervously and takes the sunscreen from her hand, kneeling beside her girlfriend to help her putting it on.
The pink haired woman has to bite her lips to prevent a moan from escaping as she feels the coldness of Sara's hands on her back beginning to spread the sunscreen across it while applying some pressure on it as she begins to massage her back too.
- Is this okay? – Sara asks insecure as she keeps spreading the sunscreen, massaging the knots on her girlfriend's back out of habit.
- Wonderful, my little bird – Yae answers hoarsely, almost moaning at how good Sara is with her hands – Now can you untie my bikini?
- W-w-what!? Yae! We're in public!
The general squeaks out completely mortified, lowering her voice as she says the last part looking everywhere around them to find the beach almost empty of anybody. Yae for her part, can only snort as she looks at the bright red woman beside her.
- It's so you can apply the sunscreen better and I don't get any tan lines, you dummy.
She tells the other woman, seeing her visibly relaxing as a sigh of relief escapes her lips.
- O-oh. Okay.
It's everything Sara manages to say still too embarrassed by Yae's previous words, taking the bottle of sunscreen in her hands once again to then apply it over her girlfriend's back while giving her another light massage until she finishes. The pink haired woman for her part, can't help but smile amused at her awkward girlfriend, before she closes her eyes to enjoy the feeling of Sara's calloused but soft hands on her back.
- I, huh, I'm going for a stroll now.
Sara announces once she finishes, wiping the remainder of the sunscreen of her hands on her forearms, and before she stands up and begins to walk away, barely giving Yae time to open her eyes to see how her girlfriend gets away fast with a visible blush dusting her cheeks that elicits a loud and amused laugh from her.
She can only keep watching Sara walking away with a tender smile on her lips, before she closes her eyes once again to let the sun warm her.
Sara for her part, can't help but find herself enjoying such a calming stroll along the shore despite of her initial reluctance to go to the beach, still being slightly embarrassed upon the lingering feeling of the smoothness of her girlfriend's skin on her fingertips, feeling her heart fluttering at the memory of it, before the light marine breeze blowing takes it away.
Sara can only close her eyes and inhale deeply its pleasant scent, enjoying such calmness as she keeps walking and wetting her feet with the waves, before she reaches the end of the beach and decides to go back, losing track of time.
By the time she returns to where she placed their beach umbrella, and Yae opens her eyes alerted by the presence of somebody else beside her, the pink haired woman can't help but burst out of laugh upon the sight of an almost as red as a crab Sara next to her.
- Oh my, what happened to you!?
Yae asks as another fit of her loud laugh roars through the beach, seeing Sara hugging her arms while shifting uncomfortably.
- I, huh, I forgot to apply some sunscreen myself – Sara whispers embarrassedly, causing Yae to laugh harder while wiping the tears from the corner of her eyes – Yae!
The stoic general whines her girlfriend's name, hearing Yae laughing a bit more, before she takes Sara by the hand and obliges her to sit by her side on the towels and under the shelter of the beach umbrella.
- Let me put some aloe vera on you before you turn into a fried chicken.
- Yae! That's not fun- eek!
The stoic general lets out a high-pitched squeak as soon as the aloe vera makes contact with her sunburned skin, wriggling away from the touch of her girlfriend's hands and the itchy feeling the ointment causes her, while Yae giggles amused at how the fearsome warrior whines for a bit of aloe vera on her sunburn, finding it and also her, endearing cute.
As soon as Yae finishes putting the aloe vera on her girlfriend's body, Sara lets out a sigh of relief, before she feels her girlfriend's lips on hers in a short but tender kiss.
- You're so endearing cute, my fried chicken.
- Yaeeeee.
Yae says playfully, hearing the other woman whining her name upon the joking nickname she just gave her while a brighter shade of red tints her already red cheeks.
- Come on, let me invite you to drink something cold for your new tanned.
She teases her girlfriend, giggling at the cute pout on her face while they walk hand in hand towards the snack bar.