Could I love you any more?

The song of the cicadas can be heard in the distance breaking the quietness reigning in the middle of a summer night with the stars covering the vast sky as a beautiful full moon illuminates their bedroom.

A soft smile spreads across the lips of a burgundy haired girl as she watches the blue haired girl beside her in bed sleeping soundly with a happy smile playing on her lips.

Riko can't help but let out a quiet giggle as she remembers how the younger girl fell asleep almost as soon as her head touched the pillow, a grateful smile playing on her lips as happiness shone brightly in her eyes.

- Thank you, Riri…

Yoshiko thanked her ever so softly as if she was casting a spell in the middle of the dark barely giving time to Riko to answer her, before she heard her even breathing signaling she fell asleep completely exhausted after such a busy birthday.

The burgundy haired girl can only smile tenderly at her cute girlfriend, bringing one of her hands up to brush a strand of hair off Yoshiko's face so she can keep admiring the happy expression adorning her features. She then brushes her cheek ever so feathery careful to not wake her up from her peaceful slumber, before she hears a light grumble escaping the younger girl's lips while wrinkling her nose cutely, her smile soon returning to her lips.

- Nngh, Riri…

Riko hears Yoshiko mumbling on her sleep, causing her to freeze in place afraid to have woken the younger girl up with her touch, before she feels her girlfriend leaning in her hand as a goofy expression draws on her features.

- I'll protect you… from the evil elves of the forest.

Yoshiko mumbles cutely in her sleep, eliciting a quiet giggle from her girlfriend as she wonders what the blue haired girl might be dreaming of, before she recalls the fun they had celebrating the both of them alone Yoshiko's birthday, before they could get to celebrate it in the following day with their mothers and Aqours all together.

Riko can't help but smile wider as she recalls the confused expression adorning her girlfriend's face when she saw her all dressed up while she was still on her pajamas rubbing the sleep off her eyes.

- Riri?

Yoshiko yawned her girlfriend's name, hearing her giggling in return, before she pecked her lips.

- Get dress, Yocchan. I have something prepared for your birthday.

Riko told the birthday girl fondly, seeing her sleep quickly fading to be replaced by a happy smile and glint in her magenta eyes, before she rushed to their shared wardrobe to get changed.

The older girl could only giggle upon the excitement bubbling out of Yoshiko while waiting patiently for her to get changed, seeing her doing her infamous bun, before they left their apartment hand in hand.

- Where are we going? Are we meeting up the girls? Our moms?

Yoshiko kept firing one question after another, making Riko giggle as she remained quiet before talking.

- Nope, we aren't meeting them. Aaaaand it's a surprise.

She answered playfully, seeing the younger girl pouting cutely, before she pecked her lips, an adorable blush dusting then her cheeks as Yoshiko looked away embarrassedly, remaining quiet on their calm walk until a cozy cafeteria came into view.

- I've thought that a couple of pancakes with chocolate would be nice for breakfast before heading to our destination.

Riko didn't even need Yoshiko to answer, before she saw a smile from ear to ear illuminating her face, giggling as her girlfriend dragged her inside the cozy cafeteria to eat such a delicious breakfast.

Riko leaves another feathery stroke on her sleeping girlfriend's cheeks as she recalls how contented she looked after their little breakfast, before she took the blue haired girl to one of Yoshiko's favorite places: the amusement park.

She can't help but smile widely upon the happiness radiating Yoshiko as soon as she sensed where they were going.

- Really?

- Yes, really.

Riko said in between giggles as Yoshiko stared at the board in front of her beamingly, almost jumping in excitement like a little kid, before Riko was the one dragging her this time to go to the ticket window to get the tickets for an unforgettable day.

Warmth fills her heart upon the precious memory of Yoshiko's sweet laughing filling the air while playing with the kids around them on their way or queues to the different attractions in the park, before her nervous yells replaced them as she held the lap bar of the rollercoaster they were riding in as hard as if her life depended on it.

Riko couldn't help but guide the younger girl towards a nearby bench as soon as they exited it to help her rest and recover from her dizziness, the weight of Yoshiko's head on her shoulder still present.

Another giggle escapes her lips as she remembers how quickly the younger girl recovered, before she was back on her feet and dragging her through the amusement park in search of another attraction in which they could go in together.

- We have to try that one!

Yoshiko suddenly yelled, pointing at the entrance to a cave adorned with several flowers and vines that re-created perfectly a dreamy nature, inviting them to enter a forest.

- Let's go then.

It was all Riko could say, before they were entering said magical attraction, enjoying the nature surrounding them in their walk as well as the well-made magical beings greeting them: from amicable trolls to fairies, before close to the end of their walk, a couple of elves of the forest jumped from behind some bushes and in front of them in an attempt to surprise them.

But that only managed to scare a certain blue haired girl whose high-pitched yell scared the elves and the people behind them more than any ghost from the haunted house attraction could ever do, paling in comparison.

Riko has to cover her mouth to prevent her laugh from awakening her sleeping girlfriend as the image of Yoshiko trembling beside her clinging to her arm tightly as well as the couple of aforementioned elves comes to her mind, and before the younger girl quickly collected herself to walk in a hurry in front of her as if nothing had happened, pretending she wasn't scared while leaving the burgundy haired girl behind apologizing to the still scared elves, before she had to run to catch up with her, giggling at the cute embarrassed blush dusting Yoshiko's face.

She can't help but leave another caress on Yoshiko's face, her beaming smile illuminating everywhere they went along with her laughing, melting Riko's heart the same way their ice-creams melted with the hot weather almost before they could eat them.

- Riri, look! The Ferris wheel!

Yoshiko exclaimed excitedly halfway eating her ice-cream, pointing at the Ferris wheel, before she turned to give her girlfriend the best puppy eyes she could muster to which obviously Riko couldn't say no, not like she was thinking to deny anything to her girlfriend anyways.

Riko simply smiled at her, before she was the one pulling Yoshiko with her to the Ferris wheel to put the final touch to a perfect day.

As the Ferris wheel kept going up, Riko couldn't help but be completely captivated by the sight in front of them, the sun illuminating the city under them as it went to hide to rest while orange, pink and purple hues tinted the buildings. She couldn't help but turn to look at the girl beside her, her heart beating fast upon the happy glint shining brightly in her eyes, making their magenta color be even more mesmerizing than ever, before she found herself being trapped in the love radiating off them, her heart beating even faster than ever as Yoshiko turned to look at her.

- I love you, Riri. Thank you for today, I had a lot of fun.

Yoshiko told her with such an affection laced in her voice that Riko swore her heart would burst out of her chest, noticing the tender but coy expression adorning her girlfriend's features finding it more precious than the captivating sight in front of them, before she felt the Ferris wheel stopping briefly to contemplate the nightfall falling over their city.

- I love you too, Yocchan.

It was the only thing she could answer, hearing Yoshiko giggling quietly in return, before she interlaced their fingers as they leant to share a tender kiss with the hiding sun being witness of such a magical moment.

Still now, Riko feels her heart pounding uncontrollably against her ribcage, a giddily feeling bubbling insider her as she recalls the tenderness of such a precious moment. At how loving Yoshiko feels so magical, at how the unlucky eccentric girl that ended up becoming the love of her life.

- I really love you, Yoshiko…

She whispers, leaving a light caress on her girlfriend's cheek, pausing to admire her for a moment, before she leans to give her an ever so feathery kiss, feeling Yoshiko smiling widely in it, before Riko breaks the kiss and scoots closer, their noses almost touching.

- Happy birthday, my fallen angel.

She wishes her, a feeling of excitement bubbling inside her upon the surprise she has stored for the younger girl the following day: a belated party with their mothers and Aqours all together to celebrate such an important date as the younger girl's birthday, pampering her with a lot of love and also gifts. Among them, a small dark grey dog that they will surely be naming Laelaps.

Riko can't help but giggle as her eyes flutter close, drifting to sleep with the girl that became the love of her life wrapped tightly in her arms.