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The clubroom was filled with normal conversation and everyday chatter between the present members, as they all waited for the final two members of Aqours to join them in order to begin their latest meeting - the missing members being the two Kurosawa sisters.
Come to think of it, Kanan hadn't recalled seeing either of the sisters all day so far despite being in classes with the older of the two. She wondered what could be holding them up, it wasn't like them to be late or not show up. Being part of the Kurosawa family gave them responsibilities and a name to live up to, which Kanan couldn't imagine the pressures held upon both of them which included them having to have a squeaky clean school record - attendance included.
In addition they were both avid idol fanatics - no matter how much Dia tried to downplay her fangirling - so they were always organised and raring to go when it came down to club activities.
Interrupting her thoughts, the clubroom door opened to reveal the older sister of the Kurosawa house, who bowed politely in apology before taking the free seat beside Kanan.
"I apologise for my lateness but I have something that requires everyone's attention." Dia spoke, causing the others to break out of their individual conversations and turn towards her.
"Go ahead Dia-chan, what's up?" Chika asked.
"Unfortunately Ruby will not be attending today's practice session or meeting."
Upon hearing the news, the others gasped - their eyes all widening in surprise and worry.
"What's wrong with Ruby-chan?" Questioned Hanamaru, her eyebrows drooping sadly at the news of her best friend. It was only natural that she would be the first to speak up - being Ruby's best friend for years now.
"Is my little demon unwell? Shall Yohane have to use a healing spell?" Yoshiko chimed in, striking a pose like she so often did.
"That won't be needed Yoshiko-san. She is currently dealing with a break-up and is a little fragile. She just needs some time to heal." Dia replied, her voice laced with sadness despite her attempts to keep it at a normal level.
"Her and Kyoko-chan broke up?" Mari interjected, leaning forward in her seat. Dia simply just nodded in response, while the other girls exchanged troubled looks to each other around the table. This was a complete shock indeed. Such a shock that Yoshiko had dropped her fallen angel persona and neglected Dia's use of Yoshiko instead of Yohane.
"I thought they were getting on really well." You wondered, as confused as everyone at this sudden declaration. Both girls had been incredibly close so it didn't seem right that something like that would happen but they guessed relationships didn't always work out.
Nobody even needed to ask who would have initiated the break-up, the disappearance and saddened expression on her sister's face told them everything they needed to know. It was Kyoko that had broken up with Ruby.
"Why?" Riko voiced the question that was on everyone's mind.
"I don't know. Ruby hasn't told me yet." Dia was clearly torn at the situation of having her see her own sister in pain and not knowing the full truth or how to properly help. Being powerless was something Dia never liked being, especially when it came to the health and welfare of her beloved little sister. To Dia, Ruby was practically her entire life and she saw it as her personal duty to care for her and right now she wasn't able to do that.
After a few moments of discussion, Chika cleared her throat and addressed everyone in the room.
"Okay, just make sure to fill her in on what we discuss later then please."
After that the conversation drifted towards the changes to the practice schedules that would be taking effect during their next session. However Kanan couldn't emerge her mind from out of the gutter, her focus remaining on the poor younger girl who was most likely sat alone, heart-broken and crying her heart out. Kanan felt her heart throb after picturing such a thing in her mind. Ruby didn't deserve that. She made it her mission to seek out the distraught girl after the meeting, wanting to be able to help and provide a shoulder for Ruby to cry on. Despite not being the most clued-up on the subject of love, she knew it must have stung deeply to have your feelings reciprocated and then crushed like that.
The rest of the meeting flew by in a daze and at the end Kanan stood up in unison with the others, slung her school bag over her shoulder and began leaving the clubroom in search of Ruby - making a mental note to ask one of the other girls about what they covered in the meeting later to catch herself up.
After a bit of aimless wandering, Kanan found herself being drawn towards the roof - knowing of said location having a special place in the heart of all the members of Aqours - including Ruby. Luckily her intuition was right and upon opening the rooftop door, she was greeted by the sight of the red-head curled up in a ball, resting against the wall, the view her face obstructed but Kanan didn't need to see it to know that Ruby was upset. The sight broke her heart.
To see such a kind-hearted girl reduced to tears in such a cruel way was downright evil. Kanan wasted no more time before slowly approaching the younger girl, bending down to her level and gently speaking in an attempt to coax Ruby to lift her head up.
"Ruby-chan?" She started, her voice quiet and concerned.
She heard a little gasp coming from the teary girl, who slowly but surely began to lift up her head - Kanan's own lavender eyes coming to meet the red, teary turquoise eyes belonging to Ruby.
"Kanan-chan..." Ruby squeaked out, her voice dry and hoarse, as if she had to physically push herself to make even a sound.
After a few seconds of no talking, the only sound being the ragged breathing of the distressed girl, Ruby suddenly found herself falling into Kanan's embrace, burying her head into Kanan's uniform and letting herself cry even harder - her emotions hitting at full force. Kanan immediately brought her strong arms around Ruby's quivering body, holding her tightly and securely in her hold while gently smoothing her fingers through Ruby's red hair in an attempt to calm her.
"It's okay Ruby-chan...I'm here...Kanan's here..." She repeatedly reassured, not wanting the younger girl to feel alone or any guilt for having unloaded her feelings on her. Kanan would gladly always be there for Ruby. They had both been close friends for years now, having met through Dia and ever since then Kanan had almost played another big sister role for Ruby - always making sure to take care of her whenever she could or whenever Dia was unable to. Now was another one of those times and she wouldn't fail. She would be there for as long as Ruby needed her, no matter how long that would be.
After a few minutes, Ruby's loud crying had petered down into sniffles and shallow breathing, her having run out of tears to cry. Once Kanan was certain that Ruby had calmed down a bit more, she put a little distance between them both and looked straight at Ruby - her gentle eyes hoping to convey positive feelings towards her.
"Feeling better now?" Kanan asked gently, earning more sniffles and a nod in response.
"Thank you K-kanan-chan...R-Ruby doesn't know what she would do without you..."
"Anytime and I don't know what I would do without you either Ruby-chan..." Kanan replied, shuffling herself around in order to settle into a more comfortable position in hopes of talking to Ruby and learning more about what had happened. It would do the younger girl good to open up and if Kanan could do that then she would.
"Are you okay to talk about what happened? I'm right here to listen." Kanan offered, cautiously easing Ruby into a comfortable sitting position by her side, letting one of her hands find their place glued to Ruby's back.
"I t-think so." Ruby sniffled, taking a few moments to compose herself. She was already embarrassed enough about looking so messy in front of Kanan so she wanted to at least try to regain control of herself. She wanted to show she was strong for her.
"It was just this morning...me and Kyoko-chan had plans to meet up and walk to school together but when I got to our meet up spot...she...she...."
Ruby paused, her lips wobbling with emotion.
"She just broke up with me...She said that she didn't like me anymore...And then she just left me by myself..." Ruby's eyes stared dejectedly down at the floor. "I didn't know what to do...so I went straight to school to find Onee-chan..."
Kanan didn't want to be angry as she knew you couldn't choose how you felt, feelings and love are not personal choices but as she relived Ruby's breakdown from moments ago she couldn't help but feel her blood boil.
"W-what did Ruby do Kanan-chan? What did Ruby do to make her not love me anymore?" Ruby cried, feeling her emotions threaten to overwhelm her again.
Despite trying to remind herself that Kyoko breaking up with Ruby would be better than her staying, if she had indeed somehow lost her feelings so suddenly, she simply couldn't dwell on any positives of the situation. She hated seeing Ruby so torn and heartbroken. She didn't deserve that.
She deserved a partner that understood her and would always look after her. It was Kyoko's loss anyway. Ruby was an adorable, multi-talented, intelligent sweetheart (who was very soft to hug) and anyone would be incredibly lucky to date her.
"You didn't do anything wrong Ruby-chan...Kyoko-chan must be stupid to let such an adorable cutie go."
"Y-you really mean that?" Ruby stuttered, her eyes glassier than a window - letting Kanan see the bright blue sky and beaming sun in the reflection of her eyes.
"Of course I do. Ruby-chan is amazing." Kanan reassured, gently smoothing her hands down the back of the sobbing girl and letting her lay on top of her legs like a protective mother lion with her baby cub.
"Kanan-chan is amazing too."
With that, both girls stayed in the same position for a while - giving Ruby the chance to properly calm down. Kanan knew patience was the key and forcing Ruby to do anything wouldn't help at all. She needed some time to revel in the comfort of another.
After a while Ruby pulled away, steadying herself into a fixed seating position.
Seeing the girl who was normally bubbly when around her and the rest of Aqours (something Kanan was already honoured to be able to witness as she knew how said girl struggled around others but she had showed immense growth since becoming involved in the group), so deflated and down made Kanan never want to see her that way again. She wracked her brain for any possible ideas to help bring Ruby her spark back.
Suddenly a lightbulb popped in Kanan's head.
"Hey Ruby-chan?"
She began, watching as Ruby tilted her head in her direction, curiously.
"Hagu Shio!" Kanan exclaimed, extending her arms out - waiting to take Ruby into her warm embrace.
Ruby's lips curled into a smile and she leapt into Kanan's hold, gripping tightly onto the older girls uniform as she was held securely. Both girls giggled and rocked around slightly before Kanan pulled the smaller girl down onto the ground - both girls continuing to chuckle as they laid down beside each other.
Once their laughter had died down, both girls turned their attention to the light blue sky and the clouds above them - watching as they drifted by.
"Ooh look look!" Ruby tugged on Kanan's uniform sleeve repeatedly before jabbing her finger up in the air, gesturing towards one of the weird shaped fluffy blobs above.
"What do you think that looks like?" Ruby asked, enthusiastically waiting for an answer from the older girl.
"A big, white puffy thing." Kanan replied, earning a joking slap on her arm from her companion.
"Boo! You're no fun!"
"I'm kidding, I'm kidding!" Kanan cried, attempting to defend herself from a further onslaught of hitting.
"What about that one?" Kanan tried, pointing up in the air before turning her head sideways towards Ruby, waiting for her to answer - watching as she took it in and seemingly tried to calculate a possible answer.
"It looks like Yoshiko-chan!" Ruby exclaimed as a cloud resembling some kind of face with two horns and what could have been interpreted as a tail, flew by.
"I'm sure she'd be happy about that!" Kanan replied, making both girls break out into fits of giggles.
The world continued to turn, revealing many different strange shapes of a white fluffy nature to the two girls, before they were replaced by other silly looking ones.
After a while of comfortable silence, Ruby suddenly spotted a cloud she seemed fond of.
"Ooh look, this one is Kanan-chan!" Ruby excitedly piped up, jumping up and down in her seating position.
Kanan looked up at the sky again, her eyes scouting around for whatever cloud shape could possibly remind Ruby of her, her eyes stopping when she came across a certain cloud.
She was greeted by the sight of what seemed to resemble a dolphin, which looked like it was smiling cheerfully as it flew through air.
"I'm a dolphin am I?" Kanan joked.
"You're the best dolphin! You swim SOOOO fast!" Ruby exaggerated, absentmindedly nuzzling her head into Kanan's shoulder.
It was times like this that were really special to Kanan. Times where it was just her and Ruby, freely being affectionate with each other without any worry or anyone else's opinion or watchful eye.
The pair continued to cloud-spot for a while longer, coming across some rather funny and odd shapes every now and again and making little comments about them, snickering together at the particularly silly ones.
After a while they knew it was time to get up and back into their schedules. Ruby was not attending practice that day so both girls had to part from each other, the younger going home while the rest stayed and got dressed into their practice outfits - Kanan finding the session much different than normal due to the noticeable disappearance of one of their members.
~~~
That night after Kanan got home and took care of her nightly diving shop duties, she came back to her phone and was greeted to a barrage of notifications from the younger girl.
Ruby 🍭: Thank you for comforting me today Kanan-chan. It means a lot to me.
Ruby 🍭: Also I hope we can go cloud-watching again someday!
Ruby 🍭: Ooh that gives me an idea!
Ruby changed your nickname to Dolphin 🐬
Ruby 🍭: There! Perfect! \(^+^)/
Kanan chuckled as she scrolled through the messages. She had grown rather fond of the nickname and decided she would keep it. It was something special that they could share between them both, even if it was a little silly.
Feeling her heart swell with giddiness, Kanan swiftly tapped her fingers against her phone keyboard and replied to Ruby's messages.
Dolphin 🐬: Anytime Ruby-chan, I'll always be here for you. Of course we can go cloud-watching again, maybe I could take you to see the stars sometime too.
Noticing how late it was getting, Kanan decided to wrap up their conversation with a pleasant message to ensure Ruby got a good nights sleep.
Dolphin 🐬: You should get some rest. Can't have Princess Ruby-chan being tired can we?
After a few minutes of messing around on social media, Kanan's phone buzzed again: she didn't even need to look at the banner at the top of her screen to know who the message was from.
Ruby 🍭: I'd love that! And okay, good night Kanan-chan!! Sleep well and see you tomorrow!!
Satisfied, Kanan chuckled and switched off her phone - shoving it under her pillow before lying back down and letting herself succumb to a peaceful sleep, knowing that Ruby seemed to be in much higher spirits now.
She couldn't wait to see her again tomorrow and to spend more time with her.
~~~
The next day when Kanan arrived at school, she made sure to get there slightly earlier than usual so she could prepare herself to meet Ruby to walk to class with her and being late would not be a good impression (having Dia as a close friend throughout the years had definitely influenced Kanan on ways to show good manners and behaviour - while Mari had taught her how to disobey Dia's advice).
After their conversations the previous day, Kanan realised how much she had missed spending time with the younger girl as ever since her and Kyoko had began dating, there had been noticeably less 'KanaRuby alone time' due to the other girl being dragged off on various different dates and outings - leaving Kanan tagging along with Dia and Mari if ever they all decided to do something together themselves but as both girls were being swamped with different responsibilities relating to school and the idol club, it was often that Kanan was left by herself, which she didn't always mind but she couldn't say that she didn't miss spending time with her friends.
Retrieving her phone from her pocket, Kanan switched it on and glanced at the time - noting that she still had fifteen minutes before the time they had set to meet up. Instead of standing around and doing nothing, Kanan decided to take the time to go for a walk around the school to kill the time. As she wandered through the main hallway of Uranohoshi she couldn't believe that she had been away from this place for so long. Taking the break from her studies to care for her injured grandfather and work on the upkeep of the Matsuura family diving business had been something that she was glad she did but she had definitely missed being in the normal bustling high school atmosphere. It proved that you truly didn't know what you had until it was taken away from you, even if it was just for a certain duration of time. She couldn't help but think that the same principle applied to her previous situation with Ruby.
She had wanted to be happy for Ruby, knowing that she found someone that had made her happy but she couldn't ignore that stabbing feeling in her chest that she felt whenever Ruby had gone to spend time with her significant other. She knew she was just being silly. Ruby deserved to be happy and Kyoko had made her just that. She should be glad for that. But now that the breakup had happened Kanan couldn't help but feel even worse.
Ruby had always been so happy, so optimistic after getting into a relationship and whenever she talked about her girlfriend she praised her to no end. So for Kyoko to cut it off and take away that happiness in an instance ticked Kanan off more than she could express.
As she turned the corner of the hallway, her lips tightened into a thin line as a familiar figure came into her line of sight.
Speak of the devil: It was Kyoko.
Instantly all of the memories of Ruby crying her heart out came rushing back to Kanan, causing her to bawl up her hands into a fist, her seething anger growing more and more intense the closer they became,
'Kanan, don't do something you'll regret.' Her mind told her warningly.
'But she hurt Ruby-chan.' Kanan bit back at the voice in her head, her protective instincts threatening to take over.
Step. Step. Step.
Kyoko carried on, unknowingly, walking closer and closer to her immediate doom.
'She deserves it.'
As soon as Kanan was about to brush against the other girl's shoulder from close contact, Kanan promptly twisted her body around and shoved Kyoko with all her might, catching her off guard and sending her flying onto the floor with a loud thud - catching the attention of a few passers-by.
A few seconds passed as both girls tried to recover from the shock of what took place, Kanan felt a pang of guilt hit her as she realised what she had done - the threatening anger dissipating into thin air, leaving a shocked Kanan to try and come to terms with the situation and explain what happened.
Crap.
'I shouldn't have done that.' She realised, nervously biting her lip.
Sure, she had hurt Ruby but there was no need to bite back, that would make her even worse than Kyoko was. There was no need to stoop to that level, yet she had already done it and with witnesses too. She couldn't take it back.
"What was that for?" Kyoko spat, trying to regain her composure enough to stand up, glaring up at Kanan from her position and essentially knocking all confidence out of the blue-haired girl.
"I..." She spluttered, panicking.
"I am deeply sorry..." She finished before bowing respectfully at the other girl. Before anything else could happen and her pride could take anymore blows, Kanan dashed out of sight - leaving Kyoko to brush down her skirt and try to understand why she was suddenly shoved over in such a malicious fashion before being apologised to and abandoned.
She had met Kanan on a few occasions due to hanging around with Ruby and the idol group but she had never really become that close or friendly with many of the members - Kanan included. Despite knowing they had probably been informed of their breakup, she thought the older girl's behaviour was rather odd.
"Ruby-chan has some weird friends..." She muttered under her breath, shaking her head before continuing on her way.
Meanwhile Kanan had made her way back into the courtyard of the school before coming to a stop, panting in an attempt to regain her breath. She really shouldn't have done that. And not to mention running off in the way she did was most definitely not the best way she could have handled it. She could have apologised properly or even had a serious discussion about what happened yet she chose the cowards way out - to just run away from the issue.
Why did she react like that?
She was just hurt for Ruby wasn't she?
Only, she knew the others were too - Dia being absolutely fuming over the other girl's actions towards her little sister - but they never did anything like that. Even if she had an inkling that Dia would definitely be having 'a small chat' with said girl later, Dia wouldn't get physical like that. To be frank, Dia had a higher chance of flat-out murdering Kyoko than shoving her over like Kanan had.
Was there more to her actions than simply getting revenge for Ruby's sake?
For someone so intelligent about different things, Kanan's own feelings weren't at the top of that list. Ask her about nature, sea-life and diving and she could go on forever whereas asking her about feelings and emotions would sometimes result in more confusion than there was initially. After all Dia wasn't the only stubborn third year student at Uranohoshi - Kanan had her own reputation in that field (as Mari had no problem continuing to bring up).
She knew she had to talk to someone about what she was feeling. She had to make sense of whatever this was. She didn't want to let it consume her and make her continue to get angry or hurt others, especially when she didn't even know what she was feeling or why she was feeling it. She was lucky it was only a simple shove, if she wasn't careful she (and her pretty strong muscles) could cause some serious damage.
She knew she couldn't talk to Dia about it. As reliable and helpful as she always was, she wondered what her reaction would be to something that included Ruby. She didn't want to particularly meet her untimely demise at such an early point in her life, she had so much she wanted to see and do.
Having eliminated one of her friends from the list of go-to possibilities, the person to see became clear to her and before she knew it she found her legs making their way throughout the school in search of said girl.
~~~
Not long after she found herself stood right outside of the Chairwoman's office, the large wooden door seemingly towering over her menacingly.
She had visited the chairwoman's office plenty of times in the past but this time it just seemed too different and fate-filled. She was hopefully going to get an answer by the time she left the room, however long later, which was a definite change from the times Kanan had come to assist Mari and Dia with their work or simply just mess around together.
She raised her knuckle and began knocking on the office door politely. It was strange to be so scared of just going to see her best friend. She really had to pull herself together.
From the other side of the door, she heard a muffled "Come in!" ring out, in a slightly high-pitched and cheery voice which Kanan recognised instantly to belong to Mari.
Hesitantly, Kanan opened the door and entered the room, deadly silent through the entire process.
"Why so nervous Kanan-chan? You come here all the time!" Mari asked jokingly, watching as Kanan approached the desk she was currently sat at.
"I need some help with something..."
Mari instantly noticed how nervous Kanan seemed, knowing that whatever this was, was rather serious.
"Well I'm all ears, come sit down." Mari gestured to the empty chair at the other side of the desk.
Kanan slowly took the offered seat, slouched back on it and fiddled idly with her fingers on her lap as she attempted to find out where to begin speaking.
"It's about Ruby-chan..."
"Ruby-chan? Did something else happen to my precious little bella!?" Mari's voice adopted an urgent tone the more she progressed with the sentence.
A reaction like that was to be expected, after all Mari was also extremely close to the younger girl just like she was. All of them had known each other since Mari moved to Japan as a child and had spent their time playing around and helping teach Ruby some things they had learned from being two years above her. Those memories were ones Kanan and Mari were both fond of.
"No no! It's about something else..." Kanan but her lip, wondering how to go about this.
"Good. I was worried I'd have to get violent and teach someone a lesson! So what is the problem?"
Kanan took another deep breath and started by vaguely explaining what happened on the roof, their text conversation the previous night and what took place earlier that day involving Kyoko. All the while Mari listened intently, a professional side of her coming to light.
As Kanan recalled the details of each event, she added a description of how she was feeling at the time; how her heart would seem to beat faster the closer in proximity they were, how she found herself wanting to protect the younger girl by herself and how filled with rage she was to come face-to-face with the girl that broke Ruby's already fragile heart.
By the time Kanan had fully emptied her emotions out, letting them be laid bare for Mari to take in - Mari could sense the truth about what Kanan was truly feeling.
"Sounds to me like Kanan-chan is in love!" Mari cried happily, clapping her hands together at the realisation after having successfully puzzled everything together.
"What!? I have feelings... for Ruby?" She gulps, finally stringing the pieces together. She had thought of that being an option but chose to ignore it. Mari was more skilled in the romance department than her - having frequently told the group real tales of love that she had seen and openly expressing her fondness towards other girls on various occasions - so Kanan was inclined to believe Mari's conclusion more than if she came to it herself.
"Yes! You dense girl! Ooh this is exciting!" Mari clapped her hands together.
"Dia's gonna kill me..." Kanan muttered, hanging her head down low.
Mari saddened at the thought. Dia could be so troublesome sometimes - as much as Mari loved her. But since it involved Ruby, she knew Dia would indeed be a tough nut to crack. While it would be difficult, she knew Dia had to understand, Kanan had never strayed Ruby wrong before and clearly had no intention of ever doing so.
"Hey, it's okay. She won't kill you." Mari reached out and patted her friend on the shoulder.
"You have spent a lot of time with her. We've all known her and Dia for years..." Mari continued, clasping her hands together and placing them on top of the desk.
"She can't be mad at you..."
Which deep inside herself was something Kanan already knew but the initial terror of having to face the wrath of one Dia Kurosawa after having witnessed it be unleashed on others previously, was incredibly off-putting.
"What should I do then?" Kanan asked, her voice pleading for assistance. It was perplexing to see Kanan asking for help for once but Mari would always be around to help Kanan - even when the latter was being her obstinate self and refused to acknowledge the help that she needed the most.
"Is it even right for me to think this way?" Kanan's body slumped even further into her chair, her expression becoming more desolate as more doubts flooded her subconscious. "I mean...she's just come out of a relationship."
"Besides, she probably doesn't have feelings for me like that." Kanan finished, her head facing downwards onto the carpet - which seemed more interesting than it ever had before.
"Why don't we find out?" Mari inquired, smiling, already seemingly have some hair-brained scheme planned up. Kanan shot her head up in response. This could either go horribly wrong or surprisingly work but Kanan was prepared to take that chance.
"I know that look, what's this brilliant master plan of yours then?" Kanan submitted, eyeing her blonde companion while awaiting for her master plan to be revealed.
"When it's over I'm certain it will have helped you with both of your feelings for sure!"
The certainty in the girls voice drew Kanan to believe her, which she wasn't sure whether that was foolish or whether she just needed to have more faith in her eccentric friend. Only time would tell.
~~~
Mari's plan roamed around Kanan's mind for the remainder of the entire day, leaving little to no room for learning or paying attention during class - which probably wasn't the best as she WAS in her third year and should try to set an example and prepare for her final exams but part of her didn't care.
What was more important after all: a stupid class which she would still sit through multiple times for the next few months or her love life?
Although her teacher may have disagreed Kanan knew what her decision was. After all teachers weren't always right: algebra was most definitely NOT important for life.
She just needed to get through the rest of the school day in order to set the wheels of the plan in motion.
That day Ruby had returned to practice, carefully being monitored by her older sister (and Kanan) all the while in case she felt fragile and needed a break. Emotions could have strong effects on the body physically and nobody doubted that Ruby wouldn't be feeling completely 100% and ready to practice. Health came first after all.
Throughout the entirety of practice Kanan found herself unable to approach the younger girl and talk to her face-to-face - whether it was the audience of their friends that would be watching or the simple act itself that was stopping her she couldn't tell but she decided to carry out the plan later in order to give herself time to fully mull over what she was going to say.
Never had simply talking to someone who she was close to been so difficult - her longstanding argument involving Mari aside.
But as she watched Ruby receive comforting words and affection from her fellow first years she found herself more determined than ever to join back in with helping her overcome her post-breakup sadness.
After wishing a farewell to her friends after practice that day, Kanan rushed home and made a bee-line straight for her bed - which she promptly dived onto and sank into the plush covers with ease as Mari's master plan invaded her like once again.
Mari had instructed Kanan to invite Ruby out for a day together - just the two of them, like they so often had done in the past - in order for Kanan to truly come to terms with her feelings for the younger girl and hopefully attempt to suss out if she possibly reciprocated those feelings. Unable to ask her in person after a few failed communication attempts that day with the younger red-head, Kanan had decided to ask her through text - a much safer plan she surmised (especially if it would happen out of the line of fire that was Dia Kurosawa). While Kanan was excited for the prospect of spending a day out with Ruby, the current circumstances caused nerves and doubts submerge and trickle their way into her mind and take over.
What if Ruby didn't enjoy it?
What if Kanan did something terribly wrong and it destroyed their close relationship?
What if Ruby didn't really feel the same?
There was nothing she could do if that was the case.
She sighed, shaking her head to rid herself of those thoughts. Dwelling on the negatives would do her no good. She had to try. If not for her own sake then for Ruby's and her happiness. She had to focus on cheering the younger girl up after what had happened - she had promised to herself and Ruby that she would and she wasn't about to break it.
Pulling out her phone and anxiously unlocking it, she tapped on the messages app and onto the chatbox with Ruby's name on it - their previous conversation lighting up the screen.
Dolphin 🐬: Hello Ruby-chan, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me somewhere tomorrow?
After she spent a few moments staring blankly at the message she knew it was all wrong. What was she thinking? That was much too formal! She couldn't send that! She wasn't Dia - who felt the need to be as grammatically correct as possible even during text conversations - she was Kanan: the free spirit who texted like she pleased!
Dolphin 🐬: Hello Ruby-chan, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me somewhere tomorrow?|
Dolphin 🐬: Hello Ruby-chan, I was wondering if you wanted to go out with me|
Dolphin 🐬: Hello Ruby-chan, I was wondering if you|
Dolphin 🐬: Hello Ruby-chan,|
Dolphin 🐬:|
Tapping her chin and rolling around on her bed, mulling over what she should type. Since when had texting become so difficult? Kanan was used to doing it pretty much everyday and plenty of times in the past she had invited Ruby along on days-out with the others and just as a duo, how was this any different?
She took a few moments to compose herself before re-typing out another message, attempting to let her mind take over for that short while.
Dolphin 🐬: Hey, do you want to hang out with me tomorrow?
There. That seemed much better - much more casual and less robotic. She was just asking to hang out, not invite her to the prom (which she wouldn't have opposed to).
Kanan hadn't thought she would have found herself nervously fussing over a simple text to another person for a long time, especially to somebody she had known for years already but she guessed that life was full of surprises.
After a few minutes of nearly gnawing her fingernails down into nonexistence, a notification alerted her from her phone - Ruby's name popping up at the top of her phone screen, which she promptly tapped on and brought up the red-head's reply: which was as enthusiastic as ever.
Ruby 🍭: Of course! I would love to go with you Kanan-chan! Where do you want to go?
Kanan found herself splitting into a huge grin as she re-read the messages twenty times - letting the words soak in. It probably seemed stupid to her being so happy at such a simple message but to her it was a form of acceptance and a step closer to figuring everything out.
She began to wonder whether Ruby ever felt nervous when messaging her. It was rather cute to imagine the poor girl getting all flustered and frantic in an attempt to reply to something Kanan had sent her, but something her mind deemed rather unlikely.
Dolphin 🐬: It's a surprise! Meet me on the beach at around 12, if that's okay?
Was she asking too much and imposing on her?
For all she knew Ruby could think the surprise could be something scary, she wasn't exactly leaving any clues of what they'd be doing so who knew how far down the gutter Ruby's mind could have gone.
However her phone lit back up and successfully erased her worries.
Ruby 🍭: Aww no fair! But okay, I'll see you then! \(^+^)/
~~~
The next morning, Kanan made sure to wake up bright and early - something she had no problem doing as she was prone to waking up during the early moments of the morning to go out for a jog, yet today a jog could wait as she had more pressing matters at hand. She had to get ready for this outing with Ruby. She was determined to make it fun for the younger girl, hoping she would be able to forget all about silly Kyoko and what she did and hopefully bring both girls even closer.
First order of business was getting her body cleaned thoroughly and smelling especially nice for the trip. She headed straight for the bathroom, readying herself for taking a shower and setting out a pile of colourful fluffy towels to the side of the shower before opening the cabinets in search of some products to use.
What would be perfect to use on such an occasion?
Did she prefer to smell of a refreshing ocean breeze, or was that too 'Classic Kanan'?
Her eyes travelled through the cabinet, examining the entire structure through the lines of neatly organised body and haircare products; Salted caramel body scrub, coconut oil face mask, summer berries shampoo, green tea scented conditioner and the list continued. Being owners of a diving business and most of the Matsuura family spending their time in or around water lead to them owning a lot of products to help clean themselves properly.
How there could be so many different ways of washing your body and hair and maintaining it Kanan would never know. How was she supposed to choose when it mattered the most?
As she sifted through the different products, her eyes were drawn to a particular section where a group of red coloured products stood - proudly showing off their bold labels. 'Strawberry scented' each label read. Maybe it was simply the familiar colour that drew her to them or maybe it was the fact that she recalled Ruby having a particularly fondness for sweet food including like strawberries but she found herself grabbing the set and taking them into the shower with her.
Making sure to lather herself up thoroughly multiple times, in order to get the full nourishing effect, she applied all of the products in her chosen order and worked them into her scalp and skin - humming satisfied as bubbles began covering over her body and working their magic on her pores.
After successfully rinsing off everything, she switched off the shower tap and stepped out of the shower, grabbing one of the towels from the stack and drying herself off - taking a moment to let herself be caught up in the pleasant aroma of the strawberries. She had certainly chosen correctly is all she could think.
Now that the first item of business was taken care of, Kanan became faced with her second obstacle: clothing.
She was known for her tomboyish style, often preferring to dress in less fancy clothing like hoodies and shorts but would that be fitting for their not-date?
It wasn't a date - and she repeatedly reminded herself of that fact.
'But you wish it was...' Her thoughts countered, catching her red-handed.
After trying on various different outfits and then tossing them to the side, frustrated, she found herself choosing a dark blue and red striped long-sleeved shirt (for extra softness should they want to hug), pair of green trousers (which she thought hugged her legs and butt rather nicely) and accompanied them with a simple pair of black shoes to finish it off.
Giving herself a cheeky wink in the mirror, she went to put away all of her clothes after the Kanan tornado had reeked havoc on them - her long blue ponytail whipping around as she walked back and forth from the pile to her closet.
Once the bomb-site that had previously been her room had been completely cleaned of stray clothing, Kanan left her keys and wallet on the bedside table - coming to the conclusion that she was ready for the day out. That was until she turned on her phone and came to the realisation that she was ready much too early - 4 hours too early for the meetup time they had agreed on. She briefly pondered in messaging Ruby to move the meet-up time forward but shut down the idea, thinking that the younger girl was probably still asleep and not wanting to disturb her or make her feel rushed.
It didn't hurt to be early and prepared but what was she supposed to do for the next few hours?
She sighed, plonking herself on the edge of her bed, causing a depression in the sheets to form where she sat. Perhaps there WAS such thing as getting up too early.
~~~
"Kanan-chan!" A familiar voice called out - which was then accompanied by the sight of a short red-head waving frantically in Kanan's direction in the distance. There was no mistaking it, that was Ruby.
Before she knew it the figure had started growing larger and more clearer, the girl's bubbly expression becoming more prominent in Kanan's vision along with the rest of her form. Kanan took the few seconds to analyse Ruby's choice in clothing, which was; a grey jacket over a pale pink hoodie, along with a pale pink skirt and a pair of white trainers. The outfit truly showcased Ruby and her personality very well - sweet and cute down to the smallest detail.
"Good morning Ruby-chan!" Kanan replied happily once Ruby had was in front of her - taking the excited girl into her arms and giving her a famous 'Kanan greeting' hug - receiving a adorable giggle in response. Ruby truly needed to be protected from the harsh realities of this world and Kanan would make sure that happened.
She briefly wondered if Ruby could smell her strawberry shampoo but quickly shoved those thoughts away. Even if she could, why would she suddenly comment on it?
After spending a few hours trying to amuse herself on her phone, Kanan had decided to set off to the beach a little early, taking a walk along the shore to pass the time: inhaling the salty sea air which she was extremely fond of. It seemed to give her all the energy she needed for the day, accompanied by the heat from the warm sun as it begun to rise in the sky. Coincidentally, Ruby had ended up arriving twenty minutes earlier than discussed which was a pleasant surprise for Kanan - indicating that the other girl was enthusiastic about spending some time with her.
She then wondered what Dia thought about them spending the day together, knowing Ruby would have had to run it through her stubborn older sister before being allowed out of the door that morning.
"So what are we doing today?" Ruby spoke up, grabbing Kanan's full attention.
"Well, first I was thinking of taking you diving with me."
"D-diving!?" The sudden fright on Ruby's face sent Kanan's worry into hyperdrive.
"Are you okay? Is there something wrong with that?" Kanan quickly asked, kneeling down and placing a hand on top of Ruby's head as a form of comfort.
"It's just...diving always seems so scary..."
"I promise you I won't let you get hurt and it's not scary at all. Big ol' Kanan here will protect you...but if you really don't want to..."
Upon seeing Kanan's deflated expression, Ruby perked back up - determined to not be seen as a scaredy-cat, also she knew she could trust Kanan.
"No no, it's okay! We can do it! I know I'll be safe with you Kanan-chan!" She replied, nuzzling her face against Kanan and wrapping her arms around her kneeling frame.
"Okay, today is usually quiet so we'll have the water to ourselves. Let's go get suited up."
~~~
"Okay are you ready? 3...2...1...dive!"
With that, both girls fell backwards off the side of the small boat and dived into the water - both securely suited into their diving gear, Kanan having made extra sure that Ruby's was fitted safely to avoid any accidents.
As they splashed through the surface of the water, they were greeted by the mesmerising sight of the deep briny blue, bubbles trickling their way back to the surface and occasional small groups of little sea life swimming passed them.
"Wow...it's beautiful..." Kanan exclaimed, her words slightly muffled from her breathing mask as she continued to kick her legs to not be carried away by the forceful undersea tides - her stamina from years of physical activity surely came in handy.
However she received no vocal reply to her exclamation except a strong binding sensation around her frame, which alarmed her. She looked down and found Ruby clinging to her body, frantically flailing her legs around and her head buried away into Kanan's wetsuit - indicating the poor girl was still frightened.
"It's gonna be okay Ruby-chan, you can hold my hand. I won't let you float away..."
Ruby hesitantly peered upwards, revealing her turquoise eyes, glistening with hints of fear and vulnerability, to Kanan before slowly unlatching herself from the older girl and immediately upon letting go reached out to grab one of Kanan's hands - which Kanan responded by tightening her grip on the shorter girl.
As Ruby lifted her head up, her eyes widened and mouth hung open - her attention completely focused on the undersea world and all of it's beauty. She had never gone diving before, never quite having the confidence to take part in such a thing, but since she had Kanan with her she knew she would be okay, even if she was still rather frightened. Kanan wouldn't let her get hurt and she trusted in that.
"It's so pretty!" She cheered, her high-pitched voice filled with wonder.
"See? There's nothing to be afraid of." Kanan giggled, using her free hand to pat Ruby on the head as a reward for her bravery. She was proud that Ruby had accepted to come diving with her, it was something Kanan had wanted to share with the younger girl for a long time but had come to terms with the fact that she wasn't the most comfortable with more scarier and involving sports and activities. It indicated that Ruby was growing up and gave her hope that maybe when the third years did graduate, she would be okay.
She could handle herself very well - sometimes she just needed a bit of help and encouragement and Kanan trusted the other first and second years to provide that for her when she, herself, no longer could.
"Let's swim a little deeper." Kanan said. "Hold on tight!"
And with that Kanan waded further into the depths of the murky blue, a wide-eyed Ruby clutching onto her all the while.
~~~
After their diving escapade together, both girls decided to take the opportunity to dry off while treating themselves to some snacks at the nearby beach snack bar - both girls agreeing that the adventure had worked them up an appetite after hearing a grumble echoing from the younger girl's stomach.
It was then that Kanan found herself sat on the edge of some wooden decking, her companion by her side as they swung their legs over the edge - hovering merely centimetres above the warm sand - with towels draped around themselves while both tucking into a baguette with fillings of their personal choices.
The fact that the entire ordeal had basically rendered her hours of frantic preparation that morning a waste of time, as all of the products had no-doubt been washed out by the ocean, only just then occurred to her. But Ruby probably wouldn't have noticed anyway. It was a silly thing to get so worked up about. Ruby most likely didn't care what artificial scent Kanan smelt of, she had probably got used to her smelling of the ocean anyhow.
"Mmm delicious!" Ruby praised, getting happily lost in the taste of her own meal. However meanwhile Kanan found herself getting lost in something that wasn't her meal but rather the shorter girl beside her - fondly admiring the way she munched through her sandwich and the adorable expression and had all the while.
"How's yours Kanan-chan?"
"Did you enjoy the diving?" Kanan asked, both girls now facing each other as they chewed on another mouthful of sandwich.
"Yes! I never knew how pretty it is. It's a tad bit scary but I had a professional to protect me." Ruby finished her reply with a wink to the professional beside her.
Kanan couldn't help but burst into laughter at that, the wink seeming slightly strange on Ruby as she was so used to seeing them from Mari during inappropriate situations.
"Whaaaattt?" Ruby moaned, dragging the pronunciation of the word out as she tried to rebuild her ego after Kanan's teasing over her weak winking abilities.
"It's nothing, don't worry Ruby-chan" Kanan replied, wiping a tear out of her eye and settling down from her fit of giggles while she received a pout in response.
"Where she would go now? The choice is yours Princess Ruby." Kanan chuckled, bringing back her companions nickname from the previous night.
"Hmmm...How about an arcade?"
"Are you sure?" Kanan asked, with the intention of just needing some extra clarification as arcades could be quite noisy and crowded places and Kanan didn't want Ruby feeling uncomfortable.
"Scared you're gonna lose?" Ruby teased, catching Kanan off guard as of all replies she was expecting it certainly wasn't that. However she quickly picked herself back up and plastered a determined grin on her face.
"You're on."
~~~
Kanan couldn't think of a time where she had been surrounded by so many different coloured flashing lights and different loud noises. It rivalled even the atmosphere of her idol performances.
The bustling arcade environment was one Kanan was quite familiar with due to having been a frequent of on days out with Aqours and even play dates with Dia, Mari and Ruby back when they were younger. It was nice to be back - even if it wasn't as peaceful as Kanan preferred things to be as long as Ruby was happy then she was satisfied.
And by the excited expression on the face of the shorter girl beside her, it was clear she was very happy and in her element - a rather endearing sight of Kanan said so herself.
Firstly they went head-to-head in air hockey, where they both found out that they were not that skilled at the game - the puck flying off in different directions on the table plenty of times throughout their match but in the end Kanan came out victorious after having mastered the art of powerfully ramming her paddle into the puck and hoping it went in the goal.
They then tested each other's dancing skills out on a dancing game, both girls getting rather high scores and managing to keep going through the entirety of the chosen playlist of songs - thanks to their many hours of intense idol training - but Ruby managed to come out on top by a few hundred points. She always had been a ball of energy - and one with a particular talent for dancing at that.
Afterwards they decided to kick back and have a break from going against each other and play a crane game, which was arguably more intense than anything they had done over the past few hours. Also after Ruby had spotted a particularly machine chock-full of cute plushies and ran over excitedly to press her face against the glass, how could Kanan possibly refuse?
As Kanan inserted some money into the machine, her attention flipped straight back to Ruby - who was concentrated deeply on her prize, so much so that her tongue began to pop out of her mouth slightly as sh manoeuvred the claw with the joystick, wanting to be as accurate as possible.
After a few close shaves, Ruby remained as motivated as ever, not letting the drops of the toy derail her from completing her new task. This side of Ruby intrigued Kanan greatly and made her want to see her succeed more than ever.
Suddenly she heard a small thud come from the machine and a gasp, before a red-blur speeded out of her line of vision and re-appeared, this time with the addition of a small and fluffy companion of her own.
It was a small, rounded, blue dolphin plush with cute mini dots for eyes and a tail that stuck out slightly.
"You did it, well done Ruby-chan!" Kanan cheered, extended her arm out to pat Ruby on the head for a job well-done. Ruby had always been skilled when it came to getting cute and fluffy things.
As she finished her praise, Ruby quickly turned back towards Kanan and shoved both of her own arms outwards.
"For you!" She presented the dolphin with a bright smile - waiting patiently for Kanan to recover from her sudden speechlessness.
"Really? Thank you Ruby-chan..." Kanan returned Ruby's smile with one of her own, taking the cuddly dolphin toy into her arms and hugging it tightly against her chest.
"Anything for Kanan-chan!" She perked up, proudly puffing out her chest from her winnings.
A proud Ruby was certainly an adorable one - not that Ruby ever wasn't adorable. Who could possibly resist the urge to hug that little cutie? Definitely not Kanan - especially as she suddenly found her arms latching themselves around her small form and bringing her into a secure hold.
Ruby was always amazingly soft to hug and definitely one of Kanan's favourites. Despite their height difference they made it work - Kanan resting her chin on top of Ruby's head and getting to revel in the fluffiness of her hair - which now smelt rather like the sea like Kanan usually did.
She could definitely get used to that.
The phrase 'time flies when you're having fun' was rather prominent that day as they found themselves easily lost in the games they played together that after checking the time, they realised the day was getting on.
"It's getting late. Onee-chan will probably want me home soon..." Ruby spoke, her tone noticeably saddened. Kanan found herself cursing Dia for her strict rules, it was one of the only times they hadn't helped. Suddenly she finds her arms shooting out before she can stop them and grabs hold of Ruby's hand - shocking the younger girl with her sudden outburst.
"Wait!"
Crap. That was embarrassing.
'Kanan, get a hold of yourself!'
After a few moments of self-recovery, she pushed herself to continue, afraid if she didn't speak up that Ruby would leave her and go back home. She wasn't quite ready to let that happen yet.
"There's one more place I want to take you..." Kanan hesitantly adds, retracting her hand, wringing her fingers together and watching as Ruby's expression shifts in response to the sudden idea.
She knew it was a last minute idea, but she hoped that it would give her what she needed to fully confirm if Ruby does like her. She didn't want to beat around the bush anymore. It was better to know than never have tried and spend her life wondering if things could have been done differently.
"Then I'll take you home and Dia-chan can rip into me if she wants to."
Although she wasn't particularly fond of the thought of her older sister potentially brutally murdering Kanan, her words seemed to do the trick as Ruby broke out into an enthusiastic smile, feeling reassured.
"Okay, how can I argue with a face like that?" Ruby joked, admiring Kanan's new-found determination - especially if she was prepared to go up against the particularly destructive wrath of her older sister.
"So where are we going?" She asked, large curious eyes beaming straight up into Kanan's own.
"You'll find out!" Kanan replied, winking slyly at Ruby and taking her hand once again before guiding her to their final destination for the day - trying to push down her bubbling anxieties as they grew closer and closer to the spot.
~~~
Upon arriving at Kanan's chosen location, the night sky was dotted with millions of twinkling stars and the moon had risen high up, making her spot even more perfect.
Kanan had taken Ruby up a hill, where upon reaching the summit, they plonked themselves down on the grass beside each other, laying down - the plush placed at Kanan's other side.
"I figured I couldn't end the day without taking you to see the stars." Kanan announced, her voice taking on a quieter tone as the atmosphere was silent besides the gentle chirping of crickets and sounds of vehicles as they passed on the roads down below.
After a few minutes of blissful silence, both girls enamoured by the magnificent sky above, Ruby suddenly spoke up.
"Kanan-chan?..."
"Mhmm?"
"Do you think the night sky knows everything?"
Kanan scrunched her face up in confusion. What a strange question - then against Ruby could be a strange girl sometimes but Kanan wouldn't have it any other way.
"Why do you ask?"
"It's just that it's filled with millions of stars, all placed around different parts of the world...it's like they are watching over us almost..."
Kanan did love nature and the stars but had never thought of something like that. Ruby was full of surprises.
"If they did, I bet they watched over everything we did today and kept us safe..." Kanan replied softly, smiling over at Ruby.
If the stars knew what they had done, Kanan wondered what they would have thought if it all. Would they give her strength and support the KanaRuby ship? A blessing from the stars would be lucky and helpful indeed. It would be similar to a form of acceptance although it's not like she would ever know what the stars thought - nevermind if they could actually think.
"Thank you for making me feel better Kanan-chan..." Ruby's voice was still quiet, almost trailing off at the end.
"Anytime Ruby-chan, I can't stand to see you sad and it's nice to spend some time together, just the two of us."
"I think so too..."
Suddenly, Ruby's keen eyes picked up a sudden shift in the night sky - as a lone star zoomed passed, its brightness much more intense then the rest of its brethren.
"A shooting star! Make a wish!" She squealed.
"My wish has already come true." Ruby's head snapped around to face Kanan - who lay still, her eyes focused on a certain spot in the sky above her. Ruby then settled back and smiled to herself.
"Mine too...Because I'm right here with you." Ruby's voice disappeared away into a soft whisper, leading the girls into a comfortable drowsy silence.
Their hands snaked closer to each other's subconsciously before they met in the middle, the larger taking the smaller into itself and holding it tightly. Kanan felt more at peace than ever - it just seemed right to hold the younger girl's hand. She looked forward to doing so even more often in the future.
She could have just closed her eyes and drifted off right where she was, knowing they were safe together. That was until...
"You know, I love you a lot Kanan-chan."
Her droopy eyes were suddenly droopy no more as they fired back open and she rapidly tossed her head around to face Ruby.
"Ruby-chan?"
"That was rather sudden wasn't it? I'm sorry..."
Ruby was feeling sorry for being brave and admitting how she felt? That would not do at all. Kanan's reassuring mode activated.
"No no it's okay!...I was just a little surprised but...I love you too Ruby-chan."
Kanan didn't know what to think. In what way did Ruby mean that she loved her: Aqours members said they loved each other all the time, some of it being in a platonic way, some being romantic as it seemed that Aqours was an idol group filled to the brim with lesbians.
The way Ruby suddenly said it - and so casually to boot - made Kanan question which side of the spectrum it was; platonic or romantic love?
The difference between the subtle phrases 'I love you' and 'I'm in love with you' had never seemed more prominent in Kanan's life than in that moment.
But then a thought occurred to her, did it matter? Love was love right?
Even if they didn't get together yet, Kanan would be fine with that. They'd always be close friends after all, there was plenty of time to spend together before her own graduation and she should have trusted in that.
Sure, she would love nothing more than to be the one closest to Ruby, the one that Ruby could bestow affection upon and the one she could call her girlfriend, but it didn't have to happen that night. There was plenty of time after all. Ruby could do with some extra time for healing rather than lunging headfirst into a relationship with one of her childhood friends. After all Kanan was leaving for college soon while Ruby would remain in the high school stage for another two years.
There was so much pressure to find love in mainstream society that it took away the simple feelings of rightness people had with others. Kanan only found herself becoming more nervous around Ruby when she discovered her feelings. She just needed to be herself with Ruby and keep being like they always were and she knew things would work out then.
Slow and steady wins the race. Love would always be there waiting for them when they were ready.
As long as they were together at each other's side, that was what mattered. Kanan vowed to stay by her side regardless and if the day where a relationship sparked between the two came, then she would accept it wholeheartedly.
"Let's get you back home then shall we?" Kanan stood up and extended her hand out to Ruby, who took it with ease and was pulled up securely onto her feet, feeling them sink a little into the sand.
They then walked back to the Kurosawa household hand-in-hand, gently swinging them around in the nighttime breeze - both girls positively bursting from having such a thrilling day together. Their hearts were at peace. However their happiness was short-lived as they arrived at the door to find Dia standing there, looking at them with suspicious eyes.
Gulp.
Kanan knew she better prepare herself for death but there was so much she still wanted to do as a living, breathing human.
"What time do you call this?" Dia sternly commanded, tapping her foot on the doormat of the Kurosawa residence impatiently - fully clothed in her sleeping attire. Truthfully she didn't care that much as she knew Ruby would be safe with Kanan but she wasn't about to be soft with them, she had her pride and position to uphold. Besides it wouldn't hurt to tease them a little.
"Sorry Onee-chan..." Ruby guiltily looked downwards at her feet, shuffling them around before seeing a pair of familiar shoes stepping forward - causing her to snap her head back up to find Kanan had stepped up.
"It's my fault Dia-chan, please don't be mad at Ruby-chan."
She was taking the blame, just like she said she would. Ruby hoped that her protective sister wouldn't lash out on Kanan, she didn't deserve that especially not after everything that she had done for her and everything that had happened.
However, much to Ruby's surprise, Dia just tutted and shook her head.
"Okay fine then. I'll let it slide just this once."
Was Ruby hearing what she thought she was? Her sister, Dia 'mess-with-my-sister-and-I'll-kill-you' Kurosawa, was letting someone off? Perhaps Christmas had indeed come early that day.
"Now Ruby, your pyjamas are laid out on your bed for you, I'm just going to have a quick talk with Kanan-san."
Ruby nodded, shooting a sympathetic look towards Kanan - who looked like she wasn't going to get away scot-free after all - before she disappeared upstairs to clothe herself ready for bed, leaving the two third years alone together.
"So when were you going to tell me you were in love with my sister?" Dia asked, once she was certain Ruby was out of earshot, folding her arms stoically and leaning against the door frame - getting straight to the point. Kanan gulped nervously and scratched the back of her neck with her hand. She was caught. She knew it would be pointless to deny it.
"I was going to tell you..." Kanan began, wondering what she could possibly say to soften the blow.
"I was just waiting for the right time..." She finished, despite not knowing whenever would have been the right time to tell Dia. As much as she loved Dia, she knew how ruthless she could be at times and regardless of when Kanan came clean about it, she knew she would get an earful afterwards.
"I'm not mad at you, don't worry. You make Ruby happy so I know I can trust you. Also, truthfully, I could tell that she liked you for a long time." Dia sighed, her expression softening slightly.
"Really?" This fact shocked Kanan immensely.
She hadn't detected any signs that the younger girl liked her in the past but then again Kanan had never been the best with emotions - having taken a while to figure out her own feelings - so she probably wasn't the best judge. Also Dia had no real reason to lie about such a thing. Dia wasn't like that.
"Really. She was just too shy to say anything but I could tell. I'm her sister after all." She confirmed, casting a glance into the house before turning back towards her blue-haired friend.
"What about her ex?" Kanan asked. If Ruby had liked her then what about that other girl? Where did she fit in with everything?
Kanan had thought the news of Ruby dating had come out of nowhere, most of Aqours being astonished by the announcement when the younger girl had told the others she had something she wished to say before they began a practice session. Upon reflection, Kanan remembered feeling something strange inside her after hearing it, she just brushed it off at the time as an effect of being startled. Out of Aqours, Kanan hadn't expected Ruby to be one of the first to find a partner, not that she wasn't capable or anything - she just never thought her to be the type. But as long as Ruby was happy, that was all that had mattered.
"From what I can guess, I suppose she felt guilty for having feelings for you and tried to direct those feelings towards someone else. I was never a fan of her ex girlfriend, if I'm honest, but who was I to step in the way of someone Ruby said she loved? She's growing up after all, I knew the day would come where she would begin dating. I just had to accept that."
Hearing Dia's own thoughts about the situation calmed the worried seas inside of Kanan. Ruby had and would always have Dia - an incredibly caring sister who always looked out for her. There were times when she could be rather overbearing but it was just because she cared. Kanan felt like if she was in Dia's position, that some anger over someone's undisclosed feelings for someone who was her own sister would be warranted. Yet Dia had kept calm and cool. She would make sure that she would prove to Dia that Kanan would be there for Ruby as she grew up and that Dia wouldn't have to worry about her.
"You're a good sister Dia." Kanan commented, while Dia just hummed in response. Typical Dia, always bad at receiving compliments.
"Whenever you two decide to get together, you make sure you treat her right okay? You may be my close friend but I'll still have your head on a stick if you hurt her." Kanan certainly had no doubts about that.
"You have my promise, she'll be safe and well looked after." Kanan replied firmly, her voice filled with promise and determination. She truly meant what she said. She would protect Ruby with every inch of her being.
"Good." Dia nodded.
"Also care to explain the toy dolphin?" Dia prodded jokingly, pointing at the plush which Kanan had partially forgotten she was even holding.
"Ruby won it as a gift for me." Kanan replied nervously, examining the cute toy once again. Sure, it was cute but Ruby was cuter.
Dia nodded again, clearly satisfied. She began to walk back into the house before suddenly stopping midway in the doorframe and turned her head around to face Kanan.
"Are you and the dolphin going to come in then?"
Kanan wondered if she was ever going to stop being surprised that day.