Author Notes
Well, here's the new chapter, my dear friends. Finally, the date part! I hope you enjoy it. Did you know that Glastonbury is real? I had no idea about that. Writing this was how I found out. Oh, and also, the café place that I wrote about here actually exists. Search for it if you're curious.
Any constructive review is really appreciated.
Thank you for the Favs and Follows.
Declaimer: I don't own any characters from Little Witch Academia, I'm just doing this for fun.
Chapter XIII
Delve
The trip to Glastonbury didn't take long.
And even though Akko was dying to fly the broom herself, Hannah wouldn't allow it. She knew that even though Akko had impressively improved in her broom handling skills, it wasn't yet safe for her to venture out like that, and Hannah definitely didn't want to end up with a date in the Arcturus Forest.
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The city wasn't as large as Blastonbury, but for Hannah's plans, it was more than enough. Slowly descending on her broom, she took a small breath and asked, "Are you hungry?"
"A bit," Akko replied as she untangled herself from Hannah's waist to get off the broom.
"Umm, then how about we start with breakfast and then explore the city a bit, sound good?" Hannah proposed, going over the plan for the day in detail in her head.
"Yep, I'll follow you then."
Without another word, Hannah left her broom in a locker located at the exit of the Ley Line terminal, gave a coin to the little gnome that guarded the storage, and approached Akko, taking her by the hand as they set off towards the restaurant. Throughout the entire journey, neither of them spoke; it was as if there was no need to say anything at all, everything was communicated through that small connection they had. The streets, on the other hand, were bustling, as being early in the morning, activity was constant. Various people passed by them, some dressed in suits heading to work, while others were on their way to the city center, perhaps to do some shopping or other daily errands.
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Noticing that the place in question was nearby, Hannah began to slow her pace, and upon arriving in front of the establishment, turning slightly to look at Akko, she said, "Welcome to Lazy Gecko Café." The place was a small establishment in the city center, and although it didn't seem like much, it was the place Hannah always came to whenever she left Luna Nova.
"It has a pretty strange name," said Akko, inspecting the place from top to bottom, noting a small lizard drawn next to the sign.
"You'll have to tell that to the grandma who runs it; I have no idea why she chose that name either," said Hannah, in front of Akko, as she waited to enter.
Taking the first steps and opening the door, they were met with a very cozy place; the smell of fresh bread and coffee filled the air, while various colorful lizard figurines were scattered across the counter. On the other side, a small elderly woman, noticing the sound of the door, turned around and, recognizing Hannah, said, "You, here again."
Hannah, frowning slightly, immediately stuck out her tongue in response, then said, "I'll come as many times as I want, old hag."
The grandmother, not giving in, replied, "Rotten little brat," and thus continued an exchange between the two that lasted a good while. When both were out of breath, the old lady, who hadn't noticed her companion, turned to see Akko, who jumped, expecting the next insult to be directed at her. However, the lady simply examined her for a moment before saying, "A new customer, come in little one, come in." Akko, not knowing what to do as the entire interaction left her speechless, looked at Hannah for help with her eyes.
Hannah reacted and, after taking a breath, responded taking up her word "She's with me, old crow." The lady, that sense another wrinkle forming on her forehead, said, "Well, what are you waiting for? Find her a table and stop bothering." Hannah, turning away while sighing, took Akko by the hand and guided her to the small patio of the café.
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The back area was just as charming as the entrance; lizard figures were everywhere, only this time there were small pots scattered around the place, accompanied by tables for two with an umbrella in case it rained or it was too sunny. Hannah chose the one closest to the exit, which had a perfect view of the counter. Waiting for Akko to sit down, she took the menu from the table and showed it to her, "Order whatever you want, it's all on me." Akko, at this, took the menu that contained the selection of food but, before checking it, looked seriously into Hannah's eyes and said, "Hannah, I don't want you to pay for everything." Hannah simply held her gaze then said, "Nope, I invited you, so I'm the one who should pay." Akko, not yet willing to drop the subject, said, "Fine, but on one condition." Hannah, closing her eyes, said, "Shoot."
"That next time, I get to pay."
Hannah, surprised, opened her eyes again and, looking at the girl who now offered her a smile, realized something very important: that Atsuko was willing to go out with her again and, if everything went according to plan, it wouldn't just be as friends, but maybe as something more.
Snapping out of her daze and responding not to leave the girl hanging, she said, "Okay," while returning the smile, "So, what are you going to order then?"
"I'll have a Full English, what about you?" replied Akko, looking at the menu.
"I'll have the Gecko Special. Do you want coffee or would you prefer tea?"
"Coffee, but with milk and sugar, please."
"Okay, give me a second; I'm going to ask grandma." And leaving the young Japanese girl at the table, she dashed to where the old woman was, approaching the counter, she said, "Grandma, one Full English with coffee and milk, and for me, the usual." The woman, who was busy with the pans, nodded her head, taking the order. But before Hannah returned to where Akko was, she looked around and, noticing that one more person was missing, asked, "Grandma, where's Edward?" Without looking at her, she replied, "Said he'd be back in an hour; had something important to do." Seeing that the grandma was alone and that customers were arriving one by one, Hannah asked, "Do you need help?" The lady, this time turning to look at her, grunted between her teeth and said, "Do whatever you want," taking the reply as a reluctant yes. She ran back to the table where Akko was, who greeted her with a curious look.
"Umm, Akko, could you wait a bit for me?" The girl, not understanding what she meant, replied, thinking she was talking about the food preparation, "Yes, of course, Hannah." Her surprise came when Hannah ran behind the counter, took a restaurant apron, and began serving customers. She watched her moving from one side to the other, taking orders, and delivering them. At one point, she passed by the table and left a glass of orange juice, "To pass the time," she said while winking.
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With her glass half-empty, Akko watched as Hannah slowly approached the table again; this time carrying a tray with two plates and two cups, accompanied by small sugar cubes. Setting the tray on the table and taking a seat, Hannah removed her apron, placed it on the back of her chair, and proceeded to distribute the plates.
Akko's plate consisted of two slices of bacon, a fried egg, a pork sausage, tomato, mushrooms, sautéed potatoes, some beans, and toast. Hannah's plate had poached eggs with smoked salmon, Portobello mushrooms, spinach, sautéed potatoes, and English toast.
Everything looked delicious, and both were salivating, but before even taking the first bite, Atsuko looked straight at Hannah and said, "Hannah, you're amazing." Hannah, for her part, nearly spat out the bit of tea she had started to drink and, after wiping her mouth with a napkin, asked, "W-why do you say that?" Akko, looking at her with a sweetness she had never seen emanate from those precious rubies, replied, "For everything you do, for what you just did, for what you do every day for me." Hannah, left speechless, began to blush from head to toe, and Akko, seizing the moment, moved her hand and, placing it over hers, continued, "Hannah, you are brave, intelligent, and challenging," she said while turning her hand and placing her palm on top of hers. "You are beautiful, sexy, and flirtatious." Now, she massaged with her thumbs the small crevices of her hand, while the English girl was captivated by that gaze. "My God, it hasn't even been three hours since the date started, and I've discovered things about you that I couldn't have imagined in my wildest dreams." This time, led by instinct, Hannah lifted Akko's hand and, resting her elbow on the table, joined their palms and intertwined their fingers. "Akko, you are amazing too," she whispered. "Your willpower is unmatched, and not to mention your enthusiasm." Akko, not letting her continue and squeezing the grip, said, "But none of that would have remained part of me, if it weren't for you."
As they remained locked in their gaze, they heard someone clearing their throat in the background, "Ahem." Upon hearing this, both jumped from their seats, a clear blush appearing on each of their faces. Akko, for her part, tried to hide it by covering her face with her hands, while Hannah looked up, searching for anything to distract herself. The boy who had interrupted them simply watched them for a while and, when he managed to catch Hannah's eye again, gave her a playful smile and said, "Hannah, I just came to say thank you for helping grandma while I was away, and to ask if you need anything else." The girl in question, who had already recovered, turned to look at Edward and, noticing out of the corner of her eye that Akko was also calming down, responded quickly, as she did not want to take more time than she had already lost, "Don't worry about it, Edward. You can make it up to me later with a potion I need." Hearing this, the boy made a somewhat funny grimace, knowing that Hannah would show no mercy. "And no, we don't need anything else, thank you." With that, he simply nodded and went off to attend to other customers calling for him.
Hannah, turning back to Akko, saw that the girl had fully recovered and was even starting to eat a bit from her plate, not wanting it to get cold. Hannah looked at her and, with a fork in hand, also said, "I know you have several questions, but how about we eat first?" Akko, maybe embarrassed by what she had said earlier, did not look at her directly, simply nodded while hiding her face with her cup of coffee.
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Time passed, and with their plates empty, the girls enjoyed the silence while sipping on what remained of their drinks. "How did you meet them?" asked Akko. Hannah put down her cup, placed it on the table, rested a finger on her chin, and said, "You mean grandma and Edward, right?" Akko nodded. "It was when we were just about to enter Luna Nova. That day we had agreed to meet with Barbs in the courtyard in front of a church, but since I live in London, I arrived from a different direction than the main station, so you could say I was lost. Looking for help or any guidance, I noticed the sign of the place and, as you saw, it's quite eye-catching. Entering, I found grandma at the counter and, well, you can imagine what happened." Akko, understanding the implication, covered her mouth and laughed a little. "I can imagine, hehehe." Hannah, also smiling, infected by the brunette, continued the story. "After that, Edward separates us, gave me directions, and from then on, I started coming every time I passed through the city."
Akko contemplated her for a bit and, nodding her head, continued asking, "So, you live in London?".
"Yes, I know it sounds weird that a witch lives and grows up in the city, but it's more common than it seems. Plus, dad and mom belong to the London Magic and Witchcraft Association, not to mention none of my siblings felt drawn to witchcraft, leaving us with no option but to stay in the city at some point," said Hannah, while Akko, hearing about her siblings, widened her eyes in surprise and, placing her hands on the table, asked excitedly, "You have siblings?!" Hannah simply looked at her and, as if it were nothing out of the ordinary, continued, "Yep, an older sister, a brother my age, and a younger sister."
"And you, Akko, do you have any?" The girl, who had calmed down, sat back down and, shaking her head, said, "Nope, I'm an only child. Dad is the CEO of a car company in Japan and mom is a housewife, though she used to be a renowned lawyer who always accompanied dad in his role." Now it was Hannah's turn to be surprised, her mouth agape, she said, "Akko, are you a rich girl?" Akko, who this time did burst out laughing, said, "Hahahahahaha, Hannah, I wouldn't put it that way hehehe, besides studying abroad is very expensive and even more so if it's a school like Luna Nova. Not just anyone can get in there."
'Now everything makes more sense. Why she started acting more refined when it came all Diana's problem. Why some mannerisms, although clumsy and forceful, seemed somehow elegant,' reflecting in her head, Hannah replied, "It's just that it's weird, you know. After all, nothing about you says you're from that status, or at least not before you know, the thing with Diana." Without hearing a response, the English girl lifted her head which she had lowered before and found a somewhat reflective Akko and, trying to change the subject, Hannah immediately replied saying, "Well, enough about me. Now I want to know a bit more about you, what's Japan like? What's it like living there?"
And so, with the topic of the conversation changed, they continued talking for a while, getting to know each other, something they had never had the luxury to delve into since their relationship changed. Throughout the chat, there were laughs and, occasionally, a surprise. Hannah, for her part, had never felt so at ease, so extremely comfortable with someone. She knew she could talk to Akko for hours and not get tired and, in fact, seeing that the sun was starting to set on the other side, decided it was time to take the next step.
"Hey, Akko," she said as the girl stretched her legs a bit. "Everything you said, it wasn't a lie, right?" The girl, looking at her confused, said, "What are you talking about?"
"What you said when Edward interrupted us," understanding what she meant, the little Japanese girl's eyes widened, and continuing, she affirmed, "Oh... no, Hannah, it wasn't a lie." Taking a breath, as the seriousness and that look had left her breathless, the dark-eyed girl asked, "Akko, would you come with me to a place before we return to Luna Nova?"
Akko, looking towards the sky and noticing that sunset was approaching, realized how much time had passed and, looking back at Hannah, nodded her head and said, "Yes, Hannah."