KuroMaya mini fics

by mitaharukai

Summary:

A collection of mini fics of KuroMaya, mostly fluffy and playful

[...]
31. I believe it’s Kiss Day
32. Breaking into your apartment and into your heart too
33. The art of the eyeliner
34. Goodnight kiss
35. You’re not injuring yourself further

Chapter 1: I object

Summary:

Maya already told Claudine how jealous she could be, right? She'll show it when least expected

I object

The subtle melody of the organ accompanies the delicate steps of a gorgeous woman as she makes her way to the center of the chapel decorated painstakingly for the occasion.

Her ash-blonde hair moves with every step she takes as if it was being rocked by a soft breeze. Her radiant smile and sparkling magenta eyes give her a mesmerizing look that takes everybody's breath away as well as it traps them in her beauty, captivating them.

They follow with their gazes the trail her wedding dress leaves behind itself until she reaches the last meters that separates her from her lover at the altar.

A slender hand is held out at her chivalrously which she gladly accepts it, smiling gratefully at her lover to get a wide and soft smile in return.

Once she finishes stepping up the last few stairs, both lovers are finally reunited at the altar of the chapel, looking at each other with a happy but timid smile on their faces.

Their hands intertwine and soon, green meets magenta, making the smile on their faces widen.

The priest clears his throat to gain the attention of the women in front of him as everybody remains silent, waiting for the ceremony that will join the ash-blonde and the pink haired girl right in front of them to begin.

 - If anyone knew why the couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your peace – the priest's grave voice announces, breaking the solemn atmosphere.

- I object!!

A new voice emerges from one of the benches as a woman can be seen rising up from her seat, and soon, numerous mumbles, giggles and groans can be heard simultaneously.

- Cut! Cut!

Claudine groans, bringing a hand up to cover her face in exasperation while Yachiyo giggles amused at the upcoming scene developing.

Claudine turns around and strides off the altar, marching furiously to an unabashed brunette.

- Here we go again~ – Kaoruko says naughtily, hiding her sly smirk behind her fan. Futaba just sighs heavily next to her.

- Tendou Maya – Claudine calls her name out irritated, poking Maya's chest with her finger as soon as she's in front of her – stop interrupting the rehearsals all the time.

- But ma Claudine, how could I not? Didn’t I tell you time ago that I’m a very jealous person? – Maya says unabashedly, taking Claudine’s hand to leave a chivalrous kiss on its back.

- Méchante va – Claudine mumbles, taking her hand back with a furious blush blossoming on her cheeks – it's just a play!

She huffs and turns around, afraid of embarrassing herself further if she stays any longer with Maya and also afraid of letting the brunette's charms enrapture her completely.

- I mean it Maya, stop interrupting – Claudine turns slightly around to warn Maya and glare at a giggling Kaoruko before she goes back to her position at the altar beside Yachiyo.

- I'll do my best ma Claudine but I can’t promise you anything – Maya says happily, bowing playfully with a cheeky smile on her face.

Claudine huffs again and lets Yachiyo’s soft giggle calm her down somehow.

- Are you okay? You seem a bit... worked up – Yachiyo says amusedly and Claudine can’t help but snort, glaring at her this time.

- Don’t start you too – she mumbles and Yachiyo just laughs, enjoying being able to tease her precious friend.

- Okay! Let's pick up from this take! Take number… urgh, I don't even know which one we are in anymore – the director says, pinching the bridge of her nose in desperation.

Nana laughs, filming everything in detail with her phone before zooming at the exasperated expression on Junna's face sat on her director’s chair.

The priest clears his throat once again to repeat the same words he said not many minutes ago for what feels the umpteenth time.

- If anyone knew why the couple should not be joined in holy matrimony, speak now or forever hold your-

- I object!!

A loud groan can be heard as an ash-blonde glares at a certain sly brunette.

Claudine rolls up the skirt of her wedding dress to stomp furiously towards Maya who just looks at her in a mix of amusement and awe at how gorgeous she looks..

- Tendou Maya!! – Claudine yells the brunette's name angrily – I swear if you don't stop interrupting the rehearsals, I'll divorce you even before you ask me to marry you!!

She ends up saying, hitting Maya with her wedding bouquet, eliciting everybody's laughs.

- Urgh, let’s just call it a day – Junna says resigned, pinching the bridge of her nose again while Nana giggles and kisses her temple fondly.

Maya, upon hearing Junna's words, takes Claudine happily in her arms to carry her bridal style and leave the chapel as soon as she can.

- Tendou Maya! Put me on the floor right now or else-!

Claudine can’t even finish her squeaked threat as a pair of soft lips interrupts her in a greedy kiss and the brunette starts running away, carrying the ash-blonde in her arms while her laugh echoes around the place on her way out.

- Looks like we have a runaway bride – Kaoruko says laughing behind her fan and Futaba can’t help but snort amused.

- We really do.

At the end, the rehearsals and also the play therefore end up with the unexpected finale of Claudine as the runaway bride being carried out by Maya in her arms.

Chapter 2: Drunk

Summary:

Claudine certainly enjoys how cute and amusing Maya can be being drunk

Drunk

She opens the front door of her apartment heavily, throwing her jacket, handbag and shoes around the entrance not caring in the slightest where they land as soon as she enters, and before she heads directly to the kitchen to pour herself a glass of the strongest liquor they have stored in their cabinet.

Then, she drinks it in one gulp to quickly pour herself another glass, repeating the same action for several times until more than half of the bottle is empty.

She's so wasted that her vision starts to get blurred, obliging her to cross her arms over the kitchen counter to rest her spinning head on them, falling asleep within seconds.

An hour later, another woman enters the apartment, cursing loudly as she steps on the belongings scattered all over the entrance's floor. She grunts, putting everything on its appropriate place to head to the kitchen as she sees the lights on, ready to scold the woman that lives with her about the mess at the entrance.

As she gets closer, she can see the brunette hunched over the kitchen counter, making her sigh heavily and quickly calm down.

She closes the distance between them to gently move the other woman’s head, who slowly and groggily begins to open her sleepy eyes.

- Saijo-san?

Saijo-san? Since when does she call me like that?

Claudine thinks to herself, furrowing her brows before she notices the almost completely empty bottle of liquor resting next to Maya.

That explains everything.

She sighs and puts the bottle away.

- Care to tell me why are you drunk?

- Mmmh, no? – Maya says almost cheekily.

- Méchante va – Claudine mumbles under her breath while Maya giggles to then pout in mere seconds.

- Saijo-san?

- Yes, Maya?

- I… I'm completely in love with a girl – Maya confesses drunkenly, much to Claudine’s surprise.

- Oh, are you?

- Yep – Maya pauses, hiccupping as a stupid grin takes over her features – You know, she's truly beautiful, *hic* nope, gorgeous! *hic* and stubborn but really caring.

- Ah, she sounds amazing, like a good catch – Claudine says apathetically, washing the glass Maya used to drink.

- She has deep magenta eyes and long ash-blonde hair, just like *hic* you.

Claudine can't help but smile with her back turned to Maya, amused at her confession.

- I… I really love you. Yep, I love you a lot, Saijo Claudine.

- I see.

Claudine says, finally turning around to look at Maya who just pouts with her brows furrowed.

- You're so cold, Saijo-san. I just confessed my *hic* undying love to you and you *hic* just dismissed it like nothing.

Claudine giggles at her and approaches Maya, taking her hands in hers to kiss the ring on the fourth finger of her left hand, then her nose.

- That's because we're married, silly – she says with a tender smile on her face and Maya looks at the ring on her finger then at Claudine’s, shock evident on her face before a wide grin starts to spread across her face.

- Oh? Oh!! You’re right! We’re married! – she says giddily and Claudine can only sigh amused at her wife's drunkenness and poke her cheek.

- Come on, it's time to go to bed and sleep, you drunk ass.

Maya keeps giggling giddily as Claudine turns around to go to their bedroom, before a hand clutches her shirt to stop her.

- Claudine?

- Uh?

- Could you… take me to bed? – Maya says tipsily and shyly with a cute blush adorning her cheeks, which Claudine isn’t sure if it because Maya is embarrassed at requesting her that or simply drunk.

Claudine sighs and positions herself to try to give Maya a piggyback ride, only to be stopped by the brunette again.

- What now? – Claudine grumbles.

- Carry me like when we got married – Maya says between giggles and Claudine rolls her eyes and pinches the bridge of her nose before she complies and carries her bridal style.

- Happy?

- Much *hic* – Maya says still giggling giddily while Claudine rolls her eyes playfully again.

- God give me patience – she mumbles under her breath while Maya giggles and starts pampering her wife's cheeks with kisses, eliciting an amused smile on Claudine’s face at how silly yet lovely her wife can be being drunk.

Chapter 3: Strawberry (cake)

Summary:

Claudine can’t believe a strawberry and a cake had defeated her

Strawberry (cake)

Red and white delight her sight as she stares in wonder at the slice of the strawberry cake in front of her. Of course it isn't her beloved baumkuchen but it’s still a dessert she loves very much. Not for anything she is known for her gluttony and love for desserts.

Her eyes focus on the strawberry crowning the top of the slice of the cake, standing out brightly with its red, making it even more appealing than it already is.

She licks her lips, fork in hand ready to stick it into the strawberry and take a taste of it, of paradise.

It’s in that precise moment when Claudine’s rant stops abruptly and she gazes at her companion, too absorbed on the strawberry on top of her slice to actually pay attention to anything she has to say.

The ash-blonde huffs outraged, crossing her arms over her chest briefly, eyeing at Maya then at the strawberry.

How is it possible that she’s competing against a stupid strawberry for her girlfriend’s attention!

Claudine huffs again and takes her fork to stick it into the stupid object of Maya's desires and gluttony to then take it to her mouth.

- Mmmh, delicious – she says out loud teasingly, chewing it slowly and licking her lips before a satisfied smirk appears on her face.

But soon, her satisfied smirk falls as she watches her petrified girlfriend, fork in hand half way to the plate where the strawberry cake is with a shocked expression on her face.

- M-Maya? – Claudine calls her girlfriend’s name bewildered, snapping Maya out of her trance.

The brunette lowers her fork at the same time her lips form a thin line before they quiver. Claudine watches the expression on her face changing bewildered and gasps as Maya turns to look at her with a frown present on her face, eyes glistening with something that Claudine can’t quite put her finger on.

Sadness? Hurt?

Claudine doesn’t know what it is but it makes her feel guilty about having stolen the strawberry, even worst when she sees tears starting to peek out Maya's eyes and her lips quivering more.

Wait, is she pouting!?

Her eyes widen as she watches Maya’s lips curl down, pouting indeed.

Shocked, she looks up at Maya’s eyes once again to tease her about it, when she sees her girlfriend giving her puppy eyes, a shot right to her heart.

Argh, damn, why does she have to be so cute!?

- It was just a stupid strawberry! – she exclaims frustrated, defending herself which only brings a sadder pout upon her girlfriend’s face – urgh, fine! You can have mine!

Claudine says placing her strawberry on top of Maya’s slice of cake. She sighs heavily as she witnesses the frown on her girlfriend’s face disappearing and a happy and beaming smile taking over her features, sparkling her now free of any tears eyes.

Seriously, a strawberry has won me.

Claudine thinks to herself, resting her head on the palm of her hand dejectedly as she sees Maya putting the strawberry in her mouth, closing her eyes to savor it in absolute delight.

- Mmmh, delicious.

Maya repeats Claudine’s previous words in total delight, her face glowing brightly and Claudine can’t help but snort. As cute as Maya is being, she’s still offended by the fact that a stupid strawberry won her.

-  Can I continue with what I was telling you? – she asks Maya, grimacing at how her girlfriend turns to look at her with her mouth full of bits of cake, nodding happily at her.

- Of course ma Claudine, please continue – she says with her mouth full of cake.

Ah, there goes the elegant image she had of her girlfriend, all ruined because a strawberry and a cake...

Claudine sighs heavier than before and continues narrating what she was telling Maya before her girlfriend’s gluttony interrupted her, eating her own cake from time to time until she notices Maya’s attention is drifting once again from the ongoing conversation to her almost finished slice of cake.

Claudine sees the brunette almost frowning and pouting sadly at it as if she was a kid about to cry.

Argh, stupid cake!

Claudine is about to tear her hair out of frustration because of the cake before she gives up and slides her own plate with the remaining of the slice of cake on it towards Maya.

- Here, eat mine. And for god's sake, stop pouting!! – she whines and can’t help but chuckle at the happy and beaming expression on her girlfriend’s face once she says those words, smiling sheepishly at her.

- Merci – Maya says gratefully and somehow teasingly, quickly taking the offered plate and digging her fork into the cake.

- Est-ce que tu peux le croire!? (Can you believe it!?), you truly are like a kid – Claudine says with a tender smile on her face as well as Maya smiles at her brightly before savoring the precious cake.

Claudine doesn’t know if she should be offended at had been defeated by a strawberry and then by a cake, or amused. Either way, she loves to be the only one witnessing Maya acting like this.

Chapter 4: Like home

Summary:

Maya and Claudine miss each other and steal the other’s favorite piece of clothing to feel like home until they can see one another again

Like home

Claudine comes back home after a long day of rehearsals, opening the front door languidly before she’s greeted by the silence and darkness reigning inside the house.

She sighs heavily, closing the door behind her to lean against it for a brief moment as she turns the lights on.

The house feels really empty without Maya walking around and going to greet her with her usual soft but cocky smile.

Ah, Claudine can’t help but really miss her...

She shakes her head, leaving her shoes, coat and purse at the entrance before heading to their bedroom, flopping tiredly on their bed to rest on it as soon as she enters.

She sighs again and turns around, burying her nose in Maya’s side to smell her soothing lavender scent. Even though it brings a soft smile upon her face, it also makes her miss the brunette even more and wonder what the other woman is doing at that very moment.

A beep on her phone brings her out of her musings.

Maya.

Claudine smiles again as she sees her girlfriend’s name on the screen of her phone and quickly opens the message.

M: Tu me manques (I miss you) 🥺

She reads, squealing and blushing at how cute the brunette can be.

C: Tu me manques aussi (I miss you too) 🥺

She quickly messages her back, lying on the mattress as she sees the other woman typing a new message.

Minutes go by seeing the three points appearing and disappearing from the screen, indicating Maya is writing something rather long until the points stop without a new message being sent. Claudine furrows her brows before her phone beeps again indicating a new message.

She quickly opens it to find a picture of Maya wearing her favorite black hoodie, accompanying it with the following words:

M: I don’t miss you that much anymore?

Maya types out as a question, making Claudine laugh yet blush cutely.

She stares at the cute picture for some minutes before she gets out of their bed to go to their wardrobe to retrieve and put Maya’s favorite grey knitted sweater on.

She inhales the soothing lavender scent coating the knitted sweater deeply, smiling slightly before she takes her phone and lies back down on the bed with a pout on her face.

She takes a picture of herself pouting and proceeds with sending it to Maya with a short phrase accompanying it.

C: Too bad, I still miss you

Upon receiving such cute message, and especially cute picture, it’s Maya the one squealing and blushing at her girlfriend’s endearing cuteness.

M: Soon, ma chérie 💜

Maya quickly messages her back, sighing heavily as she also lays down on the bed, phone in hand.

C: Soon 💛

Maya smiles at Claudine’s answer before her phone beeps again with another message.

C: Now go to sleep, it’s late

Maya giggles and quickly messages Claudine back.

M: I’m going. Je t’aime, ma chérie 😘

C: Je t’aime aussi mon amour 😘

With a smile on her face, Maya closes her eyes to sleep enveloped in Claudine’s warmth and scent, wearing the ash-blonde’s favorite hoodie so she could feel like home.

It’s almost 10 in the morning when a knock on her hotel room’s door wakes her up.

Groggily, she gets out of bed, almost tripping before she goes and opens the door, not expecting the person on the other side at all.

- You should have seen your bewildered face, mon amour, it was quite amusing – Claudine says giggling as Maya smiles widely before she quickly wraps the ash-blonde tightly in her arms, pulling her inside the hotel room.

- What are you doing here? – the brunette asks her with evident surprise, helping Claudine to take her coat off to see her still wearing her favorite grey knitted sweater.

- I’ve missed you, so I came – Claudine says timidly, shrugging her shoulders as if that was enough explanation to show up unexpectedly in Maya’s hotel room’s door, warming the brunette’s heart who holds her even tighter in her arms again, before she cups Claudine’s cheeks to kiss her tenderly.

- I’ve missed you too, I’m glad you came. It feels lonely without you by my side – she confesses against her lips bashfully, resting their foreheads together to look into her eyes.

- Oh, but I thought you didn’t miss me – Claudine says teasingly, touching the hoodie Maya is wearing, her hoodie, while the brunette just laughs and hugs her tighter against her body.

- I apologize ma chérie, I lied – Maya says still bashfully yet cheekily.

Claudine rolls her eyes and pulls her girlfriend closer.

- You’re terrible then.

She says against her lips, making Maya laugh briefly before Claudine captures her lips again in a deep kiss, feeling like home in one another’s arms again.

Chapter 5: Hoodies

Summary:

Claudine just wanted to keep sleeping but a series of noises in the kitchen obliges her to get out of her warm bed to find that her girlfriend and her favorite hoodie are nowhere to be found.

Hoodies

The dim light of the sun rays slowly awakes Claudine from her slumber.

A gentle smile becomes visible on her face as a soft breeze caresses her bare back and even though it feels pleasant, she can’t help but feel a shiver traveling down her spine, obliging her to seek refuge in her girlfriend’s body, but to her surprise, she finds the spot next to her in bed empty.

Her smile quickly disappears as a frown makes an appearance on her face and she opens her eyes sleepily to search for her infuriating girlfriend.

Her eyes scan the bedroom only to find it empty.

Claudine sighs and curls up further in bed, covering herself more with the blankets until Maya decides to come back. Until then, she’ll just steal her spot and let her girlfriend’s soothing scent lull her back to sleep.

She’s almost falling asleep again when she hears some noise coming from downstairs.

- Mayaaaa – she grumbles her girlfriend’s name before sighing heavily and giving up on trying to go back to sleep.

She pushes the sheets apart begrudgingly, shivering more due to the cold breeze colliding against her naked body.

As much as she loves the brunette, she still doesn’t trust her when it comes to use the kitchen, yet she can’t help but smile goofily at the thought of Maya trying to make her breakfast.

She quickly gathers and puts on the discarded clothes lying across the floor, frowning once again after not finding her favorite black hoodie.

Claudine just shrugs it off and grabs Maya’s purple one instead, inhaling her lavender scent as she puts it on.

She smiles once again, ready to face the disaster her girlfriend may be doing in their kitchen.

As she ends descending the last step of the stairs and heads to the kitchen, she notices Maya with her back turned and her black hoodie on.

Oh, so this is where it was after all.

She thinks to herself, blushing as she notices how nicely it fits Maya’s body.

Maya turns around upon hearing her light footsteps, greeting the ash-blonde with a big and sweet smile on her face.

- Good morning, ma chérie. I was making something for breakfast.

Claudine smiles back at her, a light red tinting her cheeks.

- I can see it – she says, giggling as she wipes some flour off Maya’s cheek.

- Oh, my bad – Maya giggles, smiling widely at Claudine – you look good in my hoodie.

She ends saying with a wide grin on her face, outraging and making Claudine blush equally.

- Méchante va... And whose fault is it that I have to wear it? – she says with her hands on her waist pretending to be mad at her.

- Not... mine? – Maya says as innocently as she can, tilting her head adorably and Claudine feels her heart skipping a beat at her cuteness.

- It’s totally your fault, you infuriating woman! You stole my-hmph!

As Claudine steps closer to reproach her the theft of her beloved hoodie, Maya takes advantage of it to kiss her and cut her off.

- Maya!! – Claudine exclaims her girlfriend’s name outraged as soon as they break the kiss.

- Sorry, I couldn’t help it. You looked really cute – Maya says between giggles, surrounding Claudine’s waist with her arms to pull her closer while the ash-blonde looks away, pouting with her arms crossed across her chest.

- Shut up – she mumbles sulkily, blushing while Maya keeps giggling.

- You’re so cute, ma chérie – Maya says, stealing another kiss from Claudine, who squeals.

Maya laughs wholeheartedly at her cute reaction, irritating Claudine to the point that she takes the laces of the brunette’s hoodie’s hood and pulls them down, closing the hood around Maya’s head until she can’t see any longer.

Claudine looks at a hooded Maya amusedly.

- Now you’re the one looking really cute.

And with that, she turns around to keep making their breakfast while Maya laughs, opening the hood with a soft and wide smile on her face before joining the ash-blonde to help her with their breakfast.

Chapter 6: Pay attention to me

Summary:

As much as Maya likes Futaba and Kaoruko, she doesn’t like it when Claudine neglects her and she has every intention of making her know about it.

Notes:

Maya is a fox in this one 😋 🦊

Pay attention to me

Her small body rests comfortably on Claudine’s bed filling the sheets with her soft purple fur, but Maya knows perfectly that the ash-blonde doesn’t mind about it. So she just curls up in a ball and closes her eyes to enjoy the soothing classical music filling the bedroom as her human types her essay out.

- Maya?

Her ears perk up at the sound of her name being called by her human, slowly opening her eyes to find Claudine looking at her with an amused smile on her face.

- What have I told you about lying on my sheets? – the ash-blonde scolds her without a hint of meanness nor annoyance in her tone, still smiling amusedly at her and Maya can only whine back at her – Fine, fine, you can stay. I still have a couple of pages to type out before I finish the essay though.

Claudine tells her and Maya purrs contentedly, waging her tail shortly before she sees Claudine shaking her head amused and turn her attention back to the laptop to continue typing her essay out. Maya watches her for a brief period of time before she closes her eyes again and relaxes.

It doesn’t take much time for Claudine to actually finish her essay and Maya can’t wait to feel her stroking her soft fur, but before that can happen, Maya hears a very familiar ringing sounding.

- Oi Kuroko!

Maya immediately hears the cheerful voice of Futaba greeting her human, opening her eyes to see the pink haired girl on the screen and another blue haired girl sat on her lap.

- Well, hello there Kuro-han.

- Bonsoir, girls.

Maya hears Claudine greeting them and lets out a heavy sigh knowing her petting will have to wait for a little bit longer.

- Hey there too Maya!

She hears Futaba greeting her as well, her ears perking up while she raises one of her paws in acknowledge, seeing both Claudine and Futaba smiling at the gesture. Then, she hears a chuckle.

- You sure have her domesticated, Kuro-han – Kaoruko says cheekily, earning herself a growl from Maya and a telling off from Futaba.

- Kaoruko, be nice.

- Yeah, be nice little demon or I’m ending the video call – Claudine says and Maya’s irritation immediately fades away with her defense, feeling a contented purr rumbling across her chest.

- Fine, sorry Maya-han – Kaoruko apologizes playfully – Happy?

She says to Maya before turning slightly to Futaba who rolls her eyes at her girlfriend and Maya wonders how she can put up with her for so long. She really admires the pink haired girl for it, and of course also Claudine for her patience.

She closes her eyes again and lets them chat calmly, almost dozing off to sleep when she hears Claudine’s sweet laugh reverberating through the bedroom.

She opens her eyes promptly, almost in alert to see the ash-blonde trying to hold her laugh at something Futaba just said while Kaoruko is trying to silence the pink haired girl completely embarrassed. Maya observes Claudine starting to turn red before she bursts into another loud laugh unable to hold her laughter any longer.

And even though Maya loves to hear her lovely laugh, this time it somehow irks her.

So she stands up on her four legs, stretching her body and paws before she jumps off the bed, landing gracefully on the floor to start walking elegantly towards her human.

She takes a look at her as Claudine wipes the corner of her eyes still laughing, and jumps on her lap, startling the ash-blonde for a moment while her purple fur comes to almost cover the totality of the screen.

- Maya! Nice to see you joining us – Futaba says chirpily and Maya can’t help but move her ears and tail in response, before she lays down on Claudine’s lap, feeling the ash-blonde’s hands immediately coming to rest on her fur, stroking it as she smiles softly at her.

Maya can only purr and curl up more against the ash-blonde enjoying her petting. Yet as soon as she does it, she hears the click of a tongue in the distance, followed by a muffled sound before she hears Claudine laughing again and sees Futaba covering Kaoruko’s mouth with both of her hands.

- F-Futaba-han! I didn’t even say anything! – Kaoruko exclaims outraged once Futaba takes her hands off her mouth, making the pink haired girl roll her eyes for the nth time of the evening.

- You were probably gonna say something mean to Maya – the pink haired girl says and Maya can’t help but like the short girl even more, happy that Claudine has her as best friend. She can’t say the same thing about Kaoruko, although she’s also a good friend to Claudine so she just shrugs it off.

She closes her eyes again and gets more comfortable onto Claudine’s lap, enjoying her gentle strokes until she stops them, noticing how the ash-blonde is too focused on the ongoing conversation to keep petting her.

Maya sighs bothered, nuzzling her head against the ash-blonde’s stomach trying to get her attention back fruitlessly. When she hears her human laughing loudly once again, she can’t help but feel irked again, her fur bristling before a loud bang resounds and a burst of purple smoke suddenly invades the room.

- Kuroko! Are you okay!? – Futaba asks frantically while Kaoruko laughs amused still sat on her lap.

- My, my, this is going to be interesting~ – Kaoruko says wickedly, giggling behind her hand as a confused Futaba looks at her before turning her gaze back to the screen.

As the smoke vanishes, a very naked Maya can be seen sat on Claudine’s lap, her breasts almost on the ash-blonde’s face while her tail barely covers her most intimate parts, earning a loud shriek from the ash-blonde.

- My god, warn us before doing that. My innocent eyes don’t need to-

*Thud*

A loud thud interrupts Kaoruko’s rant as Maya’s tail shuts the laptop closed, looking intensely at a furiously red and embarrassed Claudine underneath her.

- M-M-Maya!! – Claudine stammers high-pitched, squirming nervously before she ends falling off her chair, eliciting a smirk from Maya, who laughs on top of her completely naked.

- Haven’t I told you that I’m a very greedy girl? – Maya whispers hoarsely and seductively in her ear, licking her earlobe before she continues down along her neck – Now I finally have your entire attention...

She purrs with a mischievous glint in her eyes and a dangerous smirk playing on her lips, making Claudine shiver at what awaits her for have been neglecting the very naked goddess on top of her.

Maya won’t show any mercy at her for it.

Chapter 7: Painting

Summary:

As much as Maya loves to watch Claudine painting and the expressions she does, she doesn’t think the position in which she’s painting is very comfortable so she’ll change that

Painting

The sun shines brightly in the sky, bathing everything under its rays.

The timid clouds that surround it, don’t seem to dare to overshadow it, making the present day a perfect one to be outside enjoying the pleasant weather.

Maya smiles at the beauty of the colors in the sky, before she gazes down, her eyes travelling across the bright colors captured perfectly in Claudine’s sketchbook.

Maya lets herself get lost into the warmth and calm that the painting conveys, and even though part of her envies the talent of her girlfriend, drawing as faithfully as possible the landscape before them, conveying perfectly the same feelings the nature and its beauty gives off, she can’t help but be completely mesmerized by it, loving it.

Her smile widens as she gazes from the colorful painting to Claudine’s hands, and she can’t help but let a soft giggle escape her lips upon noticing the ink staining them.

Maya has always found this really cute.

She lets her gaze keep wandering up to her girlfriend’s face, paying special attention to the way Claudine knits her brow in concentration, trying to capture the life in front of her with all detail.

Maya hears her mumbling something she can’t quite catch before she observes Claudine’s tongue timidly peaking out her lips, her teeth trapping it between them to then bite it slightly as her hand makes a sudden movement to trace an elegant line on her painting.

Maya’s breath gets caught in her throat with the mere movement. She can’t help but be completely in awe by the thoughtful woman in front of her, yet she can’t help but knit her brow once again upon noticing the uncomfortable position in which Claudine is painting, hunched forward.

The brunette sighs and carefully moves away from her spot next to her girlfriend’s side, trying not to break her concentration to stealthily position herself behind the focused ash-blonde, resting her back against the tree they’re under.

Maya can’t help but take a look at Claudine’s painting, seeing how from that position, the painting looks even more realistic that it already looked, more breathtaking even...

Maya smiles and carefully wraps her arms around Claudine’s waist, not wanting to scare her neither mess her painting, before she pulls Claudine towards her own body so the ash-blonde rests against her.

Claudine can’t help but gasp startled by the sudden action.

- M-Maya?

- Shh, it’s okay, just keep painting – Maya says softly, leaving a light kiss on the side of Claudine’s neck, feeling the ash-blonde shivering at her gesture. Then, she rests her chin on her shoulder, enjoying the feeling of Claudine’s body in her arms and against her own body.

- You say it like it’s easy to paint with you hugging me – Claudine mumbles embarrassedly, a light blush tinting her cheeks while feigning to be bothered at her.

- Oh. I apologize ma Claudine, am I being a nuisance? – Maya asks her worried, slowly retreating her arms from around the half-French’s waist.

Claudine sighs and shakes her head to then stop Maya from retreating her arms around her waist, placing one of her hands over Maya’s forearm while her other hand keeps holding her sketchbook.

- No, don’t worry.

Maya smiles widely and leaves a kiss on Claudine’s shoulder, resting her head on it once again while she watches attentively how Claudine continues with her painting.

Claudine’s soft humming and the light pleasant breeze running feels so relaxing and comfortable that Maya barely notices her eyes fluttering close, slowly falling asleep.

The sun is about to return to its hiding place when Claudine finally finishes her painting, admiring it with a proud smile on her face.

- What do you think of it? – she asks aloud only to meet silence.

Surprised upon the lack of any answer coming from her girlfriend, Claudine turns around to find Maya sleeping peacefully against her body, still hugging her tightly.

Claudine smiles tenderly at it, caressing her girlfriend’s cheek softly before she notices the ink staining her hands.

She slowly moves her hands away to replace them with her lips, kissing Maya’s cheeks fleetingly, to then kiss Maya sweetly on the lips.

She feels Maya smiling against her lips, her eyes slowly fluttering open to look at her with such an amount of tenderness in her them that Claudine feels overwhelmed for a second, having to look away to try to control her racing heart and the embarrassed blush creeping up to her cheeks.

Maya, upon seeing this, can’t help but grin and cup her girlfriend’s cheek to oblige her to look back at her before kissing her as sweetly as Claudine did seconds ago.

Claudine kisses her back before placing a hand on Maya’s face to push her away.

- W-we should go back home! – she squeals a tone higher than she intended in embarrassment, while Maya just laughs carefree, loving to see her girlfriend like that.

Claudine takes her sketchbook and stands up, waiting for Maya to join her, intertwining their hands as soon as she feels Maya’s hand in hers. Maya simply smiles, bringing their intertwining hands to her lips to kiss them.

- Je t’aime.

Claudine’s blush grows even deeper before she murmurs a soft:

- Je t’aime aussi, stupide.

And between embarrassed blushes and carefree laughs, they go back home with the hiding sun witnessing their love, bathing them with the bright colors of the sky as if they were a beautiful painting itself.

Chapter 8: Little Maya and baumkuchens

Summary:

It doesn’t matter how young or old Maya is, Claudine will always find her infuriating yet adorable over baumkuchens

Little Maya and baumkuchens

The first thing Claudine notices when she wakes up is a cold breeze brushing against her body, making her scoop closer to the body next to her in bed only to find it impossible, unable to move.

Claudine opens her eyes begrudgingly, expecting to find the face of her beautiful but infuriating girlfriend next to her on their shared pillow, but she only finds the spot empty and a mane of brown hair tucked under her chin, almost tickling her.

She lets out a heavy sigh and looks down expecting to find the rare sight of Maya tucked under her chin, stealing the blankets all to herself while leaving her exposed to the cold morning breeze, but much to her surprise, she finds a little girl clinging onto her.

Claudine can’t help but squeal in shock, falling off the bed with a loud thud that wakes up the little girl that was just seconds ago sleeping peacefully in her arms.

She watches how she cutely and sleepily rubs her eyes before she opens them, bright amethyst eyes staring at her with evident confusion in them.

- Who are you? – the little girl asks with sleep in her voice.

- I-I could ask you the same thing! And what are you doing in my bed!? – Claudine asks her high-pitched, confusing the kid further.

- My name is Tendou Maya, and I’m afraid I don’t know how I ended up in your bed – the little girl says calmly yet blushing a bit embarrassed.

Claudine feels even more confused than before.

- This can’t be happening.

She mutters to herself, seeing the little kid being the spitting image of Maya being young, tilting her head in the same adorable way that old Maya does. She can’t help but bite her lip at the resemblance.

- I’m Saijou Claudine.

Little Maya looks surprised for a bit before she furrows her brow.

- Saijou Claudine? As the girl starring as Arrie? You look rather old – she says innocently, and Claudine feels her eyes twitching upon had been called old.

There’s no doubt she truly is Maya.

She thinks to herself, standing up from the floor.

- I guess I’m exactly that girl. Now, do you want to have breakfast? – she asks the kid politely, seeing her smiling and nodding at her timidly. She then offers the kid her hand to help her to get out of the bed, seeing how big Maya’s shirt suits her on her small body yet how adorable she looks like that.

They go to the kitchen where Claudine helps little Maya to sit at the table before she goes for some croissants.

- What do you want to spread the croissants with? – Claudine asks her as she takes out of the refrigerator a variety of different flavored marmalades.

- Croissants? I prefer toasts, they put less weight on. I believe you already knew about it, Saijou-san.

Claudine’s eyes twitch for the second time in such a short span of time and she swears little Maya is just as infuriating as old Maya, if not even more.

- Right, toasts then – she mutters as she goes to make the toasts.

Thankfully for her, they eat breakfast in silence.

- What do you want to do now? – Claudine asks the kid once they finish their breakfasts, not knowing what to do next.

- I have to practice, mother says it’s important.

Claudine can’t help but furrow her brow because even though practice it’s important, a kid should also go out and enjoy their day.

- How about we go for a walk and to buy you some proper clothes?

- But-

Little Maya begins to complain before Claudine crouches and places a finger on her lips to silence her.

- I know practice it’s important, and I promise I’ll help you when we come back, but you need proper clothes to practice, don’t you think?

Little Maya can only nod and after Claudine fixes one of her shirts as a dress, they leave the house.

Little Maya can’t help but hold Claudine’s hand tightly, making the ash-blonde smile widely as they walk through the streets to buy the kid some suitable clothes for her, before they go for a walk around the park.

Once they’re back at home, Claudine leaves little Maya practicing by herself in the living room, watching her from time to time as she makes a salad for lunch.

After some time, the kid strolls through the kitchen and opens the refrigerator searching for a bottle of water, when she finds something that catches her eye immediately.

- Saijou-san, what is this? – she asks curious as she pulls out of the refrigerator a plate with a kind of spit cake on it.

- That’s a baumkuchen, it’s a dessert – Claudine explains to her, taking the plate off the kid’s hands.

- Can I take a bite of it? – little Maya asks her hopefully, only to frown upon seeing Claudine shaking her head.

- After lunch.

- But I want to try it now! – the kid complains, huffing and puffing out her cheeks, crossing her arms over her chest and if Claudine wouldn’t find her so infuriating, she swears she’d melt over her cuteness.

She sighs heavily and gives in, cutting a really small slice of the baumkuchen for the kid to try it.

- Just this, okay? – she says as she hands the kid the small slice, seeing her eating it in pure delight.

I guess some things don’t change no matter the years Maya has.

Claudine thinks to herself, giggling quietly before she finds a pair of bright amethyst eyes staring at her with a thrilling spark glinting in them, sending a shiver down her spine.

- Can I have some more!? – little Maya exclaims enthusiastically, reaching for the plate before Claudine moves it away from her reach.

- After lunch – she repeats sternly once again.

- But I want more now!!

Little Maya grumbles, trying once again to reach for the plate, only to be stopped by Claudine.

- I’ve said after lunch.

Little Maya huffs once again and pretends to comply, only to try again, obliging Claudine to raise the plate higher to prevent the kid to reach for the dessert.

She actually can’t be even more amused than she already is, seeing little Maya jumping in the air to try to catch the plate, repeating it several times. The ash-blonde can’t help but laugh at it, having some mercy at her.

- Okay, you can have some more now and the rest as a snack later in the afternoon – she tells the kid, already cutting like half of the baumkuchen so little Maya can eat it before the salad is ready.

- Thank you! – the kid thanks her effusively, before she happily begins to eat the dessert.

Claudine can only sigh and look at her tenderly, adoring to be able to witness it.

After they have lunch, they move to the living room where Claudine lies on the couch to read a book while little Maya stands in the middle of the room, waiting to start practicing.

- Weren’t you going to help me to practice? – she inquires the ash-blonde, hearing her exhaling heavily.

- And I will, but after we rest the food for a bit.

Little Maya puffs out her cheeks and huffs, going to the couch to lie on top of Claudine.

- Then if you aren’t going to help me, I’ll stay here like this and bother you in your reading time.

Even though Claudine wants to find the infuriating kid annoying, she can’t help but find her endearing cute and adorable.

- Fine with me – Claudine says lightly, kissing little Maya’s head to then keep reading her book.

She feels the kid huffing once again before gets more comfortable and closes her eyes, falling asleep on top of Claudine. The old girl can only giggle and close her book to leave another kiss on the kid’s head and hug her tightly.

She can’t help but wonder if having a kid with Maya would be like this, if she would look exactly like a mini version of the brunette or a mix of both of them, blushing really hard upon the mere thought of a future kid together.

She clears her throat quietly and closes her eyes to stop imagining things, before she ends up falling asleep too.

When she wakes up, she feels a heavy weight on top of her that has nothing to do with little Maya. Confused, she opens her eyes to find a pair of deep amethyst eyes staring into hers with a mischievous glint in them.

- Good afternoon, ma Claudine.

Maya’s sultry voice awakes her completely, looking down at her to find her almost naked on top of her.

- W-what are you doing almost naked on top of me, infuriating woman!? – Claudine exclaims high-pitched while Maya giggles slyly.

- Oh, I apologize. It looks like I outgrew my clothes – Maya says amusedly.

- Honnêtement, tu es vraiment exaspérante! (Seriously, you’re truly infuriating!) – Claudine exclaims, a hard blush tinting her cheeks while Maya laughs carefree still on top of her, leaning in to kiss her sweetly.

- Thank you for taking care of little me – Maya thanks her tenderly, making Claudine blush harder.

- I-it was nothing! A-and she was less infuriating than you are! – Claudine squeals while Maya just grins and laughs.

- Ma Claudine?

- Hm?

- Can I eat the rest of the baumkuchen? – Maya asks innocently, making Claudine groan.

- Your greediness doesn’t have any limit, does it? But yeah, you can.

Claudine sighs and Maya can only laugh briefly before she pecks Claudine and gets off her to hurry, almost naked, to the kitchen and get her beloved baumkuchen.

- Oh God, please put some clothes on! – Claudine complains, facepalming herself as she hears Maya laughing loudly and carefree in the distance.

She can’t help but smile widely, laughing quietly along with her, her heart bursting out of love for such a cute and infuriating big kid.

Chapter 9: Roommates?

Summary:

Maya can’t help but wonder how it’d be like to have a roommate, and Claudine, of course, will help her with her dilemma.

Roommates?

Maya is walking through the dorms’ hallways towards her room with her towel still draped over her shoulders to prevent her wet hair from damping her clothes, when she hears a loud whine coming from one of the rooms as she passes by its door.

Confused by the sound, she halts on her walking just in front of what seems to be Karen’s, Hikari’s and Mahiru’s room.

- Hikari-chaaaaan, you’ve cheated!!

She hears Karen whining loudly once again.

- I didn’t. You’re just a sore loser.

Maya can hear Hikari replying sternly to the auburn’s accusation.

- Mahiru-chaaaaan, help me! She’s cheating!

Karen whiles aloud once again, and Maya can only hear Mahiru giggling at their roommates’ antics, bringing a soft smile to her face before she resumes her walk to her room.

As soon as she enters, she’s greeted by nothing but the silence reigning in it.

She lets out a heavy sigh and ends drying her hair, before she changes into her nightgown and gets inside her bed.

As she closes her eyes to sleep, she can’t help but wonder how it’d be like to have a roommate, being greeted by somebody instead of by silence, falling asleep with that thought haunting her mind.

Yet, when she wakes up the following day, she finds that thought doesn’t seem to have left her mind as she finds herself looking distractedly at a sat Nana and Junna on the nearby couch of the common room going over a script together.

- Ah, I’ve forgot the notes I took this morning in our room. Let me go and get them real quick so we can continue reviewing – Nana says apologetically, before Maya sees Junna shaking her head and placing a hand on the other girl’s forearm to stop her.

- Don’t worry, I’ve also left some notes in the room. Let’s continue revising the script there without bothering the rest – Junna says with a soft smile on her face, seeing Nana nodding before they leave together to their room, still talking about the script on their way.

Maya can only watch them retreating curious about how it’d be like to go over the scenes of the script with a roommate whenever she wanted to, before a gentle voice interrupts her.

- Is everything okay, Maya-chan?

Mahiru’s soft voice pulls her out of her reverie, startling Maya slightly before she gives her a soft smile in return.

- It’s nothing Mahiru. I was merely wondering how it’d be like to have a roommate since my condition as top star prevents me from having one.

Mahiru giggles quietly and sits beside her on the couch.

- Well, if it’s of any help, sharing a room with Karen and Hikari is always fun and unexpected, except when I have to wake them up or oblige them to clean and organize the room.

Maya can’t help but giggle quietly, imagining how hard it must be to the kind girl.

- You have the patience of a saint – Maya comments, eliciting a giggle from Mahiru.

- Tell me about it – Mahiru jokes amusedly, before their enjoyable small talk is interrupted by a desperate Karen running to where they’re sat.

- Mahiru-chaaaaan, I can’t find my favorite shirt – Karen whines out, causing Mahiru to sigh heavily before she looks at Maya while rolling her eyes.

- Didn’t I tell you? – she mouths quietly before she lets herself be dragged by Karen back to their room – Come on Karen-chan, let’s find your shirt.

Maya can only laugh as she watches them leaving the common room, and before she goes back to read her own script.

Hours go by and soon, curfew arrives and with it, the time for roll calls.

Maya is already waiting outside her room’s door when she notices a couple of meters away from her how an almost exasperated and tired looking Futaba is holding a sleepy Kaoruko clinging onto her like a koala bear.

The brunette can’t help but chuckle to herself as she notices them already in their matching pajamas waiting to do the roll call so they can go back to their room and sleep.

She sees Kaoruko yawning as her name is called, before they can finally go to sleep, Futaba carrying the blue haired girl onto her back inside the room, and Maya can’t help but find it comical yet cute at the same time.

As she’s back into the quietness of her room, already changed into her teal nightgown and sat on her bed, she can’t help but wonder again what it’d be like to have a roommate, slightly envying her classmates and friends, before her mind drifts to Claudine, imagining how it’d be like to share a room with her.

She sighs heavily, shaking her head before she lies on her bed, staring at the ceiling as the sudden thought of playing with Claudine or reviewing a script together doesn’t seem to leave her mind.

She lets out another heavy sigh and gets out of her bed and room to go to Claudine’s, knocking on her door.

- Come in.

She hears her saying muffled through the door, before she opens it to find Claudine sat on her bed reading a book.

- Is everything okay? – Claudine asks her, prompting her to get inside her room.

- Ah, yes, I apologize for bothering you this late – Maya apologizes as she closes the door behind her, feeling slightly stupid for coming to bother Claudine over such trivial thoughts.

She bites her lip, before she shakes her head and turn around to go back to her own room, when she hears the ash-blonde sighing and stopping her from leaving her room.

- What is it, Maya? – Claudine asks her serious, the book she is currently reading still open on her lap as she looks up at Maya.

- It’s nothing, really, just… something silly – Maya says quietly, slightly embarrassed, making Claudine arch an eyebrow and close her book to leave it on the nightstand next to her bed and fix her eyes on Maya.

- It must be important if you came to talk to me this late, isn’t it?

She says softly, palming the spot next to her on bed and Maya can’t help but sigh, sitting at the end of the ash-blonde’s bed.

- I… I was wondering how it’d be like to have a roommate.

As she articulates those words, Claudine can’t help but open her eyes surprised.

- Why? – she simply asks her, seeing Maya blushing and fidgeting with her blankets.

- I’m an only child so I’ve never shared a room with anybody. I was okay with it, but I’ve recently started to notice our friends and their different personalities and yet how well they get along and seem to enjoy sharing a room between them, and I couldn’t help but wonder how it’d be like.

She admits a bit embarrassed, looking down at her hands and Claudine can’t help but smile fondly at how cute she looks at that very moment upon something so simple.

She can’t deny she hasn’t wondered about it too, or more likely, wondered how it’d be like to share a room with the brunette, so she just sighs and pretends to be exasperated.

- Méchante va… You’re lucky my bed is big enough for the both of us to share – she tries to say with a straight face, seeing Maya looking at her surprised – Don’t look at me so surprised, just get inside the bed, before I change of idea and kick you out so you can try to share a room with Karen and Hikari to know how it feels like.

Maya grimaces at the idea of sharing a room with those two, yet giggles briefly before she gets inside Claudine’s warm and comfy bed.

- Thank you Claudine.

- Yeah, yeah, don’t mention it and just go to sleep – Claudine grumbles as she turns around to turn the light on her nightstand off, hoping the darkness can bring some calm to her racing heart.

She rests her head on her pillow, hoping sleep comes soon, before she senses Maya tossing around in her bed.

- What is it now? – she exhales exasperated.

- I apologize ma Claudine, it’s just a bit uncomfortable.

- Hah? Are you implying my bed is uncomfortable, infuriating woman!? – Claudine exclaims outraged, hearing Maya giggling.

- I believe I’ve expressed myself wrongly. I’ve meant to say it feels a bit strange. Your bed it’s nothing but really comfortable, don’t fret ma Claudine.

- Whatever, just go to sleep.

Claudine breaths out, facing the opposite side to Maya, closing her eyes to sleep when she senses Maya moving again in bed and suddenly feels an arm surrounding her waist and pulling her closer to the body behind her, being spooned from behind, and she can’t be happier enough that Maya can’t see the hard blush adorning her cheeks in the darkness, hoping she can’t hear nor feel the loud and fast beating of her heart.

- W-w-what do you think you’re doing infuriating woman!? – she squeaks high-pitched, and Maya can’t help but sadden at her reaction.

- I apologize ma Claudine, I just…

Maya trails off as she begins to draw her arm back from around Claudine’s waist, before the ash-blonde lets out a long sigh and places a hand over Maya’s forearm, grabbing it gently to prevent her from drawing it back.

- It’s okay, just sleep – she mumbles still blushing, hearing Maya giggling happily before she feels her pulling her closer once again, spooning her and burying her nose in her silky locks, smelling the sweet aroma of her shampoo.

- Thank you, good night ma Claudine – Maya whispers softly, tightening the hold around the ash-blonde’s waist before she happily closes her eyes to sleep soundly while Claudine blushes even harder than before.

- Bonne nuit, ma Maya.

She whispers softly and closes her eyes as she snuggles up more into Maya’s embrace, a soft smile taking over her features.

Claudine doesn’t know what it is to share a room with anybody either, but she wouldn’t mind to have Maya as her roommate if that means to be able to sleep like this with the brunette every night.

Chapter 10: Doom days

Summary:

It’s in almost doom days like this one, when an angel and fallen angel meet up not caring about the consequences their encounter can bring with it

She watches the rain fall with rage, flooding crops, devastating cities and countries, taking thousands of lives in its path.

She hears the sky thundering like a furious roar, before it discharges a powerful lightning onto a poor tree, then onto a house.

She watches it all burn, the fire spreading quickly and consuming everything under its blazing touch, unable to do anything about it except observe the chaos and destruction reigning over the human’s world from her spot in Heaven, unable to mend it nor stop it from happening…

She simply sighs dejected as she watches the Earth burning and being consumed slowly without being able to do anything but observe it hopelessly from her spot.

This is just another wake-up call from God to warn the humans about learning to appreciate their home more and take care of their surroundings, of the nature, of their world…

Maya hopes this time they listen and learn the lesson. She really hopes they do something in that regard before it’s too late.

She shakes her head and lets out another heavy sigh, still observing silently how everything gets consumed under the raging fire and the pouring rain and yet, her mind, instead of thinking on a way to help those poor souls underneath her, can’t help but think about a beautiful ash-blonde haired fallen angel.

Oh, the irony of this girl being the epitome of chaos and destruction when is God himself the one causing all this…

Maya sighs again and gazes down trying to find with her supernatural vision the steep cliff she came to love so much in raging, almost doom days like this one.

She finds it soon, and perched on its edge, her beautiful fallen angel.

A smile takes over her features, before she looks around her, quickly spotting Futaba close to her with a fond smile on her face. The pink haired angel just winks at her and without further delay, Maya vanishes, descending to the Earth knowing Futaba will cover up for her.

Her feet steps elegantly onto the soaked ground as she folds her white wings and stares silently in the distance at the fallen angel perched on the edge of the cliff unaware of her presence.

Maya can’t help but bask in her breathtaking beauty. In the way her damp ash-blonde hair whips with every impact of the rough ocean waves against the rocks, her majestic black wings moving against the hard wind lashing at them and yet, it’s the calm expression adorning her features what mesmerizes and captivates Maya the most...

Maya begins to walk towards her, taking light steps as she feels the ground crunching beneath her weight as she gets soaked under the pouring rain. She hears a lighting roar at the same time the fallen angel clicks her tongue and moves from her spot, standing up to meet her half-way.

- Why is that we always meet in days like this? – the other girl asks aloud humorless.

- Because I know you love them – Maya answers calmly, seeing the other girl smirking briefly before a flash of worry glints in her magenta eyes.

- You’re soaked – the ash-blonde sighs, raising one of her wings to shield Maya from the rain.

- So are you – Maya says with a soft smile as she takes a step closer to Claudine, and Claudine can’t help but roll her eyes and wrap her other wing around the brunette, pressing their bodies together to keep some warmth within them.

- But you’re in your human form, Maya – Claudine breathes into the angel’s wet hair.

- Do you want me to… – Maya trails off unsure if she should change back to her angel form.

- No. I’ve just remembered when we first met – Claudine says, remembering happily the first time she saw the brunette angel.

She had just ascended from Hell, wanting some distraction to her boredom when she started to wander around the meandering paths she just landed on, coming across with this enchanting yet steep cliff.

As she was getting closer to the edge, she saw a beautiful brunette girl dressed in an immaculate white dress, staring at the rough ocean from the edge of the cliff.

Claudine quickly folded her wings to walk closer to the “human” deity, observing her attentively before the human turned around and smiled at her kindly. Her heart started to pound hard against her chest at the simple gesture before she watched the brunette unfold her beautiful majestic white wings, winking at her while she did a silent gesture before taking off, flying back to her home: Heaven.

Since that day on, Claudine couldn’t stop keeping an eye on this special place to her, wanting nothing more than meet the breathtaking angel once again, even if it was something dangerous for the both of them.

- You were so surprised – Maya whispers, letting out a quiet giggle as she buries her head in the crook of Claudine’s neck, feeling the fallen angel wrapping her wings tighter around her.

- Who wouldn’t? You looked like a true angel.

- Oh well, I’m one, aren’t I? – Maya says playfully, laughing and Claudine can only roll her eyes, laughing along with her.

- You are – Claudine whispers softly before she leans in to capture Maya’s lips in a kiss. She feels Maya surrounding her neck, pulling her closer to deepen the kiss.

A thunder roars furiously obliging them to pull away, a longing sigh escaping from both of their lips.

- I should go back – Maya whimpers against Claudine’s lips, before the fallen angel captures them one last time.

- Be careful – Claudine says as she cups one of Maya’s cheek and places a kiss on the brunette’s forehead – Come back soon.

Maya nods and unfolds her wings, white and black mixing for a brief moment creating a beautiful sight. She captures Claudine’s lips in a deep and long kiss one last time, before taking off to Heaven under the intense gaze of a pair of magenta eyes.

They’ll meet again in the next raging doom day.

Chapter 11: One smile, please

Summary:

Instead of ordering a cup of tea and a baumkuchen like any other normal person would do, Maya orders something more peculiar from a certain ash-blonde.

One smile, please

Maya walks calmly through the streets of Paris, admiring its beautiful architecture along with its nature as she enjoys the pleasant weather and the sun shining brightly, the birds singing a beautiful song that enlivens her walking.

She takes one look at her phone screen, ensuring she’s following the right signals Hikari gave her, when she finally comes across the desired address.

She smiles widely, gazing up at the sign adorning the detailed white façade of the cafeteria in front of her already smelling the delicious aroma of bread rolls freshly baked coming out of it, before she takes a step forward and enters the establishment, the doorbell ringing and announcing her arrival.

- Bonjour mademoiselle, would you like to take a seat?

A kind auburn waitress greets her as soon as she enters the cafeteria, and Maya can’t help but smile at her.

- Yes, please.

The waitress nods and quickly leads her to a distant and empty table next to the window of the cafeteria, the peaceful sight of the nearby park being seen through it.

- Is this seat okay for you, mademoiselle?

- Ah, yes, it’s wonderful. Thank you.

Maya says gratefully, placing her bag next to her on the table as she takes a seat and looks through the window to see the leafy trees and flowers coloring the park with different colors, the butterflies fluttering around them.

- Here is the menu mademoiselle. Once you decide what you would like to have, one of our waitresses will come to note your order down.

The waitress informs her as she hands her the menu, before she leaves to attend to another client with the same sympathy and good manners to which she attended to Maya.

Maya smiles softly to then gaze down at the menu in her hands. Just as she is looking through the meals in it, a very familiar girl approaches her.

- Maya? What are you doing here?

Claudine asks her taken aback as to see Maya in the cafeteria she’s working, even more to find her in France without informing her about it.

- Bonjour, ma Claudine – Maya says with a cheeky smile on her face that makes Claudine roll her eyes, yet answer her greeting with a wave on her own – Hikari-san told me about you working here, so I wanted to come and see it by myself.

- Of course you had to come all the way just to see it by yourself, infuriating girl.

Claudine can’t help but say as she huffs and hears Maya giggling.

- So, have you decided yet what do you want to order? – Claudine asks Maya as she pulls out of the pocket of her apron a notepad and a pen.

- Not yet. Mind if I think for a bit longer about what I want? There’s a wide variety of delicious meals here.

Maya says softly and Claudine can only snort at her gluttonous girlfriend, before she nods and turns around to go and attend to another client.

Maya, far from going back to look at the menu in her hands to choose what she wants to order, just stares at Claudine, seeing her serving and taking other clients’ orders with a kind smile on her face.

She can’t help the smile that spreads across her face as she watches her, seeing her so relaxed, so natural, so different from their revues and performances back at Seisho…

She shakes her head with a foolish smile still playing on her lips, and goes back to read the menu in her hands to stop staring at the ash-blonde afraid of falling even more in love with her.

Soon, the clearing of a throat breaks her out of her concentration, obliging her to look up from the menu in her hands to find her beautiful girlfriend looking back at her with a grin playing on her lips, making her heart skip a beat.

- Have you decided yet? Or you can’t decide given such a wide variety of meals? – Claudine teases her causing Maya to giggle cutely.

Maya then grins back at Claudine and closes the menu to hand it back to her, seeing Claudine putting it under her arm to then, once again, pull out of the pocket of her apron her notepad and pen.

- It was a hard decision but… – she trails off, letting out an amused giggle as Claudine rolls her eyes again – I’d like… one smile, please.

Maya ends up saying with a serious expression on her face, a pregnant silence settling between them before Claudine starts to fume.

- What the… Did you just.. urgh, méchante va, ce que tu es rageante! Juste quand je pensais que ça pouvait pas être pire, tu... (you’re incredibly infuriating! Just when I thought you couldn’t be worst, you just…)

Maya blinks perplexed at Claudine’s angry and fast French rant, getting lost in the middle of it, yet she can’t help but grin at how cute the ash-blonde is ranting angrily in her mother language.

- Stop grinning idiot. I should just kick you out of the cafeteria for being so lame, but I guess I’ll just have to restrict myself and bring you a cup of tea and your beloved dessert. Nothing else.

Claudine ends up warning Maya as she hits her lightly with the menu in her hand, just before she stomps off to the back of the cafeteria not giving Maya any chance to say anything cheesier or even more infuriating that could angry or embarrass her further.

Maya, for her part, can’t help but giggle, seeing Claudine leaving amusedly yet sadly upon not being able to witness the blush tinting Claudine’s cheeks and creeping up to the tip of her ears, reddening them.

Several minutes later, and once Claudine is calmer, the ash-blonde returns with a tray food with a cup of tea and a plate with a baumkuchen on it.

As soon as Maya sees her and the baumkuchen on it, a wide smile takes over her features making her eyes sparkle happily as if she was a little kid.

Claudine upon seeing her reaction can’t help but snort at her, rolling her eyes as she makes a motion to go to another table with the meal in her hands. But as soon as she sees Maya pouting lightly, she can’t help but sigh and go back to her table, placing the meal in front of her cute yet very gluttonous and infuriating girlfriend.

- Thank you, ma Claudine.

Maya says softly, taking Claudine’s hand in hers for a brief moment to place a fleeting kiss on it, making the blush return to the ash-blonde’s cheeks once again.

- Méchante va.

Claudine murmurs, averting her eyes while Maya simply giggles and smiles at the cuteness of her girlfriend. The ash-blonde then sighs, a coy smile replacing her bothered features before she looks back at Maya with fondness, the light blushing adorning her cheeks being more noticeable now.

- Just so you know, you’re truly infuriating.

Claudine complains playfully and Maya can’t help but giggle and smile even wider, happy to witness such cute and soft expression and smile on her girlfriend’s face.

At the end, she got an even more precious smile and expression of what she could have ordered for.

Chapter 12: (Failed) kabedon

Summary:

As Claudine walks back to her practice room, she witnesses SuzuMahi’s and FutaKao’s attempts of kabedon, wanting nothing more than put into practice what she just learnt with a certain infuriating brunette

(Failed) kabedon

Claudine just got out of the bathroom after refilling her bottle of water, when she passes by one of the practice rooms and notices a blue and black practice outfit inside it.

Surprised upon the unusual colors of the outfit, she decides to approach and take a better look of it, just to find that the owner of said outfit is no other than a short dull green haired girl.

Claudine smiles, ready to continue with her walking, when she sees Suzu cornering Mahiru against the practice room’s wall to then slam her hand onto the wall, right beside the midnight blue haired girl’s head.

She furrows her brow decided to intercede, when she notices the deep blush adorning Mahiru’s face, before her shy friend quickly covers it with both of her hands completely embarrassed.

Claudine chuckles at her, before she sees Suzu pulling Mahiru’s hands away from her face to grab her chin gently, obliging her friend to look into her eyes as she slowly shortens their distance.

Just before they’re about to kiss, Mahiru’s eyes roll back and she faints, falling right into Suzu’s arms who quickly catches her.

- Mahiru!! Mahiru, are you okay!? Please answer me.

Suzu asks frenetically, worried as she holds the unconscious girl in her arms and slowly sits down on the floor with Mahiru in her arms.

Claudine is about to enter and help her, when she hears Mahiru whining and sees her hiding her face into Suzu’s chest, gripping her jacket tightly, probably too embarrassed to even look at her nor say anything coherent.

Claudine slowly moves away from the scene, giggling at her cute and awkward friends to keep walking through the hallways towards her practice room.

She’s almost reaching her practice room, when she passes by another one, seeing a short pink haired girl and her inseparable and cheeky blue haired companion inside it and in complete silence.

Claudine arches an eyebrow at this and pauses, hiding behind the wall to observe how the both of them stare at one another intensely as if they were in a staring contest. She then notices Futaba slowly getting closer to Kaoruko, obliging her to go back until her back hits the walk behind her.

Kaoruko, far from protesting, just leans against the wall and grins as Futaba keeps shortening their distance and cups her cheek ever gently.

Claudine sees how they keep staring into one another’s eyes intensely while their faces get closer.

- It’s about time you two finally kiss.

She mutters to herself, almost guilty at witnessing such an affective display between the both of them.

She’s about to leave them alone, when she notices the both of them turning their faces and averting their eyes completely embarrassed as a hard blush adorn both of their faces.

Claudine has to bite her lip and cover her mouth with both of her hands, quickly hurrying away from the door to prevent herself from laughing at her friends, advancing through the hallway to let out a loud laugh, before she takes a deep breath to calm herself and wipe the corner of her eyes.

She shakes her head amused and continues with her walking to finally reach her practice room.

- It took you long.

A deep voice greets her and Claudine can’t help but click her tongue as she enters the room, seeing Maya by the wall with her bottle of water in hand.

- Sorry, I just came across something rather interesting happening in other practice rooms.

Maya arches an eyebrow at this, before she talks again.

- Care to share? – she asks her tilting her head curiously and Claudine can only smirk.

- Of course.

She says as she approaches her, leaving her bottle of water on the bench where Maya just left hers, to then corner and push Maya against the wall behind them, slamming the space next to Maya’s head with her hand.

Maya opens her eyes surprised at the bold movement, causing Claudine to smirk confidently at her successful kabedon, before she sees Maya smirking back at her, taking her free hand in hers while placing her other hand on her waist to reverse their positions and pin her against the wall, trapping her between it and her body.

Claudine can’t help but gasp, both surprised and angered at the action.

- You saw something rather interesting, ma Claudine.

Maya whispers in Claudine’s ear as the ash-blonde blushes reluctantly and gets angry in equal parts, releasing herself from Maya’s soft hold to push her aside and go to take her belongings, hiding her stubborn blush from the brunette not wanting to admit her defeat, neither how her kabedon failed.

- Honnêtement, you’re truly infuriating – she mumbles, her back turned to Maya so she can’t see the hard blush still tinting her cheeks.

- I truly am, am I not? – Maya comments amusedly as she giggles and hugs the ash-blonde from behind, leaving a kiss on her bare shoulder as she feels her slowly relaxing in her embrace.

- You truly are.

Claudine sighs as she turns around to squeeze Maya’s cheeks in revenge and then steal a kiss from her, making Maya giggle funnily.

Maybe she failed in her attempt of kabedoning her, but at least she succeed in making her giggle and steal a kiss from her, so she still won.

Chapter 13: The bet

Summary:

After losing in their particular splashing water battle, Claudine bets against Maya in the hope of winning her so the brunette can grant her a wish, but not everything will go as she wishes

The bet

- I’ve won.

Maya states smugly as she splashes water at Claudine one last time, seeing her completely soaked and sputtering water off her mouth as her hands strikes the water and an angry expression takes over her features.

- No, you didn’t!

Claudine exclaims as she splashes more water at Maya, not giving up in their particular battle.

- Ma Claudine, I didn’t peg you for being such a sore loser.

Maya teases Claudine as she swims closer to the ash-blonde, who can only keep splashing water at her to try and keep her away.

- Hah!? I’m not! You cheated! – Claudine accuses Maya who can only laugh amused at the half-French.

- And how did I do such a thing, ma Claudine? – Maya asks with a sly smirk on her face that only infuriates the other girl further.

- We said that we’d start at the count of 3, and you started the splash battle even sooner than the countdown ended!

Claudine exclaims outraged, now poking Maya’s chest while the brunette simply laughs and takes her finger to leave a kiss on her fingertip, causing the ash-blonde to blush furiously.

- I apologize ma Claudine. It appears that I was so excited to play with you in the water that I didn’t listen to it. What can I do to make it up to you?

Maya asks charmingly as Claudine takes her hand back and looks away to hide the adorable yet stubborn blush tinting her cheeks.

- I want the revenge – she mutters.

- Excuse me, I’m afraid I didn’t quite hear you.

- I’ve said I want the revenge!

Claudine says louder this time, glaring at an amused Maya.

- Okay, let’s get ready then for another water splash battle.

- No.

Claudine interrupts Maya, causing her to clam up and open her eyes in surprise.

- Then can I know what do you have in mind, ma Claudine?

As soon as she asks that question, Claudine can’t help but smirk mischievously.

- Whoever that lasts more time holding her breath under the water, wins the competition AND have to grant the other with a wish.

Maya can’t help but look at her with evident surprise on her face, before she also smirks, offering her hand to Claudine to shake it.

- It’s a deal then, ma Claudine. Get ready to lose again.

- Hah, not even in your wildest dreams, Tendou Maya.

They smirk at one another, Claudine then glaring at Maya, before they get ready.

- At the count of 3 we dive into the water. You better don’t cheat this time, Tendou Maya.

Claudine warns the brunette who can only laugh before she nods.

- 1... 2... 3!

Claudine counts down, before the both of them take a deep breath and dive at the same time into the water.

The ash-blonde can’t help but look stunned at Maya, seeing her hair floating freely in the water as she sports a calm expression on her face, smiling softly at some small fishes that come to play with her.

This elicits a smile from Claudine, before she focuses on keep holding her breath for as long as she can, closing her eyes to stop getting distracted with Maya’s carefree beauty.

Maya for her part, can only observe the ash-blonde in front of her amusedly, seeing her puffing out her cheeks to hold her breath for longer, before oxygen becomes an issue for her.

The brunette engraves Claudine’s adorable image in her memory, before she gets out to the surface and takes a big breath, looking at the spot beside her in the water.

- Claudine, you’ve won!

She yells loudly for the other girl to hear her, watching bubbles emerging to the surface of the water, making her furrow her brow at it.

- Claudine? – she calls out the ash-blonde’s name once again, before she gasps – Claudine!

She yells as she dives into the water to see an unconscious Claudine floating inside it, quickly taking her in her arms to kiss her and give her some air, before she propels the both of them back to the surface.

- Claudine, please, answer me.

Maya says distressed as she swims with the ash-blonde in her arms to the rocky shore, laying her carefully down, before she quickly gets out of the water and checks the other girl’s pulse and breathing.

A relieved sigh escapes her lips, before she begins practicing a cardiac massage. Just as she’s about to practice Claudine the mouth to mouth resuscitation, the ash-blonde regains her consciousness, sputtering water off her mouth while soaking Maya’s face.

- What happened? Did I win?

Claudine asks out of breath, making Maya click her tongue at how competitive the ash-blonde can be, before she smiles.

- You’ve won indeed, ma Claudine – Maya says calmly as she pulls some wet strands of hair out of the other girl’s face and places them behind the other girl’s ear – But next time please be more careful and refrain yourself from doing something so dangerous. You’ve got me worried upon losing your consciousness for a moment.

Maya scolds her softly, causing Claudine to blush embarrassed, before she perks up.

- Wait, I’ve won, so that means you have to grant my wish, Tendou Maya.

Claudine states seriously, standing up before her legs wobble and she falls right into Maya’s arms.

- Be careful, you’re still weak – Maya says with concern as she makes sure Claudine sits back on the shore – I’ll grant your wish once you’re feeling better.

- Are you trying to sneak away, Tendou Maya?

- I can assure you I’m not, ma Claudine. I’m merely concerned about your well-being.

Maya says softly as she leaves a caress on Claudine’s cheek, and Claudine can only blush at her fond gaze and how delicate the brunette is treating her.

- Fine.

The ash-blonde mumbles under her breath, before she notices Maya crouching in front of her.

- W-w-what do you think you’re doing, infuriating girl!?

- I’m offering you a ride back to the inn – Maya simply says as Claudine blushes harder.

- I-I don’t need it!

- But ma Claudine, you’re still too weak to walk. Please, accept my offer.

Maya says, pouting lightly before Claudine reluctantly gives up.

- F-fine, but only because I still feel weak.

Claudine mutters as she pouts and puffs out her cheeks, before she reluctantly surrounds Maya’s neck with her arms ready for her to piggyback her to the inn. She holds tight onto her, resting her head against Maya’s as the brunette begins to walk.

- Tomorrow you’ll grant my wish, keep it in mind, Tendou Maya – Claudine murmurs as her eyes flutter close, lulled by the brunette’s soothing scent, and as tiredness slowly takes over her.

- Tomorrow, ma Claudine.

Maya whispers softly with a fond smile on her face as they keep walking back to the inn they’re staying to rest after a fun day playing at the water.

Chapter 14: Stressed

Summary:

Upon seeing the stress taking over her girlfriend, Claudine decides to go out to buy something she knows it will help Maya to relax

Stressed

A harmonic and constant rhythm takes Claudine out of the fantasy world she was immersed into, to take her back to reality.

She raises her eyes from the book she’s currently reading to observe her beautiful girlfriend engrossed on the script in front of her, her eyebrows knitted together and her jaw set as one of her hands drums an unknown rhythm against her thigh in perfect synchrony with the tapping of her foot against the floor.

Claudine can’t help but sigh and close her book, placing it over the small coffee table close to her, before she rests her head on her hand, looking at her girlfriend for a while.

- Maya.

She calls her girlfriend’s name in vain, noticing how she’s so engrossed on the script in her hand or maybe on something else to have even heard her, noticing the distant look in her eyes and the evident tension in her features.

- Maya.

She calls her girlfriend’s name once again only to be, once again, ignored.

The ash-blonde can only sigh heavier this time and get up from the couch to walk towards the entrance, putting her jacket and sneakers on.

- Maya, I’m going out for a moment.

She says aloud, getting nothing but silence in return, before she shakes her head and opens the front door, closing it behind her to sprint out down the street.

Barely 20 minutes later, Claudine is coming into their apartment with a bag in hand, leaving her jacket and sneakers at the entrance, before she crosses the living room directly to the kitchen.

On her way, she observes her girlfriend in the same position she left her minutes ago, looking absent-mindedly at the script in her hand while she’s still drumming her fingers and tapping her foot at the same rhythm as stress takes more over her features now.

Claudine sighs for the nth time in the afternoon while she begins to brew an herbal tea she knows Maya loves and that will help her to calm down, before she takes the medium baumkuchen she just brought and places it on a plate along with a fork and a knife.

She hums in satisfaction before she walks into the living room, positioning herself behind her girlfriend sat on the couch.

Careful to not scare her, she leaves a kiss on her temple and leans over to take her “drumming” hand in hers, intertwining their fingers. She can’t help then but notice Maya jumping slightly startled, making her giggle at it.

- Sorry, I didn’t mean to startle you – she whispers in her ear, leaving a light kiss on her cheek.

- Ah, I apologize ma Claudine, I didn’t notice you.

Claudine can only click her tongue because her girlfriend obviously didn’t notice her, not even when she yelled she was going out, neither when she passed in front of her with her beloved baumkuchen in hand.

- Come with me – she exhales, pulling Maya by the hand to the kitchen, and the brunette can’t help but follow her confused – Now sit.

She commands her, forcing Maya to sit by the table to slide the plate with the baumkuchen on it and a cup of steaming tea in front of her.

Maya can only gaze up at her with a soft smile on her face and a happy glint in her eyes.

- When did you…?

She trails off looking down at the dessert in front of her and Claudine can only snort, taking a sip of her tea.

- When you seemed to be so engrossed on the script you had in your hand that failed to actually notice I was leaving.

Claudine can already see the guilt taking over Maya’s features, before she takes one of her hands in hers to rub her knuckles.

- It’s okay, Maya. Now please eat it, it’ll help you to relax.

Maya smiles softly once again placing a kiss on Claudine’s hand, making her blush, before she stands up and goes for another plate and a fork to cut the baumkuchen in two.

- Maya…

- I must insist ma Claudine, after all you did it’s only fair you have the other half.

Claudine sighs but gladly accepts it, taking a bite of it.

- Care to tell me why you look so stressed?

The small smile on Maya’s face fades as a frown takes over her features, and this time is Maya who sighs.

- I guess I can’t hide anything from you, can I? – she exhales, before taking a bite of her beloved baumkuchen to calm down – I’m… I’m just a bit stressed and unsure about getting the lead role of this new play…

Claudine can’t help but open her eyes widely, surprised. She never once saw Maya doubting about it or about herself, nor once voicing it out.

- Why?

Claudine asks her as she takes her hand in hers and Maya can only squeeze it back with a soft smile on her face again, explaining her girlfriend about how she’s competing for the lead role with one of the best performers in the theater world, and Claudine then understands about her hesitation and the stress of pushing herself to be better.

She leaves her seat to then sit on Maya’s lap, encircling her neck to pull her into a tender kiss, before she cups her cheeks and caresses them.

- Don’t stress over it, it’ll go well and if it doesn’t, I can assure you that I’ll still love you the same or even more.

Those words manage to draw a laugh from Maya, before she hugs her tightly.

- Thank you.

It’s all Maya can whisper, kissing her Claudine, before they go back to keep eating their baumkuchen and talking about the audition and preparing it.

Needless to say Maya ends up getting the lead role for the play.

Chapter 15: Can you feel my love?

Summary:

After have been watching her friends interacting with their girlfriends, Maya starts to wonder if she makes Claudine feel loved at all.

Can you feel my love?

A long haired brunette can be seen blowing off the steaming cup of tea in her hands, watching her friends from afar on her spot on the couch.

She can’t help but notice Nana and Junna at the kitchen counter, observing how the blonde seems to be explaining something to the purple haired girl, before she takes her hands and introduce them in a bowl with what seems to be flour in it.

The purple haired girl can only follow the blonde’s instructions, before she spots some white dust on her girlfriend’s cheek, trying to wipe it away with the sleeve of her shirt, only to make it worst.

Maya sees Nana’s smile widening, giggling quietly as she makes Junna blush, before her gaze falls over a blue haired girl walking out of the kitchen making faces at them to then lie on one of the couches, resting her head on a short pink haired girl’s lap. The pink haired girl can’t help but sigh and start to comb her hair, eliciting contented hums from her girlfriend.

Maya can’t help but chuckle as she keeps observing them, watching Futaba stopping for a brief moment, only to get a groan in return, before Kaoruko quickly takes her hand to place it back on her hair prompting her to continue.

She hears the short girl sighing once again in the distance, before she happily goes back to comb Kaoruko’s hair, a soft smile taking over her features that contrasts with the tired expression Futaba sported seconds ago.

The top star can’t help but find it amusing, taking a sip of her tea, before she lets her gaze wander over the common room to watch the next couple, seeing Mahiru and Suzu hugging while being sat on another couch as the green haired girl tells something to the blue midnight haired girl that makes her laugh uncontrollably.

Maya observes Suzu’s smile widening upon making her girlfriend laugh wholeheartedly, before she continues her story, making Mahiru laugh so hard to the point of being on the verge of tears.

She can hear Mahiru asking Suzu to stop in between laughs, hitting her lightly, before she ends up hiding her face in her girlfriend’s chest hoping it can help her to calm down her laugh while Suzu hugs her tightly and happily.

Maya thinks they’re definitely cute, happy to see one of her best friends so happy, before she observes the last couple in the room.

She contemplates the stoic expression on the long raven haired girl sat across from her on the other couch, to then watch over their auburn haired friend next to her with a pleading expression on her face as she gives the other girl the best puppy eyes she can muster.

- Please, Hikari-chan – Karen begs the other girl, only to get a shake of head in return.

- I’ve said no – Hikari sentences, making Karen pout, before she tries again.

- Pleeeeeeease – the auburn haired girl begs once again, making Hikari sigh heavily, before shaking her head again.

Karen tries once again, the third time is the charm they say, no? And Maya is surprised to see how one single glance at her girlfriend’s puppy eyes and Hikari crumbles down, finally giving in.

- Okay.

Hikari simply says, before she’s quickly crushed into a tight hug, kisses being peppered all over her face.

Maya can’t help but watch the scene developing in front of her with an amused smile on her lips, before she observes Karen settling down with intertwining their hands as she rests against Hikari’s side, placing her head on the raven haired girl’s shoulder who can only smile softly as a light blush tints her cheeks.

The brunette smiles happy for her friends, before her countenance turns serious and almost sad as she looks down at the now empty cup in between her hands.

She can’t help but wonder if she makes Claudine feel as loved as the rest of the girls do with their respective girlfriends. Maya can only furrow her brow at this thought, staring at the bottom of her empty cup as if it had the answers to all her questions, before she feels a weight dipping down the space next to her on the couch.

- What’s wrong, Maya-chan?

Mahiru’s sweet voice pulls her out of her reverie, obliging her to look at her side to see her best friend and her girlfriend looking at her concernedly.

- Ah, it’s nothing, Mahiru. Don’t worry – Maya tries to reassure her the best she can, but she seems to fail miserably.

- It must be something though. You look really sad.

Suzu points out, before another voice chimes in the conversation.

- Don’t tell me Kuroko and you had a fight.

Futaba says joining them on the couch, and Maya can’t help but smile softly at her friends’ concern, before shaking her head.

- No, it isn’t that. Don’t worry, girls.

- Then what it is?

Mahiru inquires, taking Maya’s hand in hers to squeeze it in a comforting way, and Maya feels a weight leaving her chest with the small gesture.

- I was… I was wondering if Claudine can also feel the same love as you all do.

- What do you mean? – Futaba asks confused.

- I’ve been watching each one of you.

- Creepy.

- Suzu!

Suzu whispers while Mahiru gasps and hits her girlfriend lightly, making Maya giggle, before she continues talking.

- I have to admit that I have realized that I’m not as affectionate as you girls are. I barely tell Claudine that I love her, or hold her hand or even hug her. I barely kiss her unless is in a chivalrous way, because it’s something still so foreign to me that I’m not sure if it’s okay to do it. So after have been watching each one of you interacting with your girlfriends, I started to wonder if I make her feel loved at all.

A collective sigh can be heard, before Mahiru is the first one to talk.

- I’m sure Claudine knows how much you love her – she says, but the brunette can’t help but call it into question.

- Every person loves others and shows it in a different way, but I’m with Mahiru, I’m sure Claudine-san knows how much you love her – Suzu adds softly, bringing a small spark of hope within Maya.

- Yeah, just don’t think so much about it and go to show it to your girl, I bet Kuroko will be happy to see you.

Futaba cheers on her and Maya can’t help but smile, thanking her friends, before she goes to the ash-blonde’s bedroom, knocking on her door twice before said girl opens it.

- Maya? I was about to go down – Claudine says as she makes a move to leave her bedroom, before Maya stops her.

- Actually, can we stay inside for a moment?

Claudine can’t help but find strange her girlfriend’s request, yet accepts it nonetheless, letting Maya in to then close the door. She watches with a frown how the brunette walks directly to her bed to sit at the edge of it and extend a hand towards her.

The ash-blonde is totally caught by surprise by this, but still walks towards her to take her hand in hers, only to be pulled onto her girlfriend’s lap, sitting on it as a blush takes over her cheeks.

- Tendo Maya what…

Claudine can’t even finish her phrase, before Maya pulls her even closer, almost suffocating her in her embrace. The ash-blonde is about to complain, when she feels Maya’s breath on her lips, quickly pulling away as her hands cover Maya’s mouth to prevent her from kissing her.

- Tendo Maya, what’s got into you? – Claudine asks puzzled, seeing Maya pouting yet looking guilty.

- I apologize ma Claudine. I just wanted you to feel loved.

- Hah!? – Claudine exclaims gobsmacked upon her girlfriend’s nonsense.

- I had been observing the way our friends profess their love to their respective girlfriends, and I’ve been thinking I don’t do enough to make you feel loved.

Maya explains regretfully, and Claudine can’t help but sigh heavily, surrounding her girlfriend’s neck with one of her arms as she flickers Maya’s nose with her free hand, making her wrinkle it funnily to then bring one of her hands up to rub it, looking at Claudine confused.

- Silly, you don’t need to kiss me or hug me until you suffocate me to make me feel loved.

- But-

Claudine presses a finger against Maya’s lips to cut her girlfriend off, before caressing her cheek.

- You’re always sneaking into my bedroom to wake me up, and wait for me to go classes together. You always make sure I eat properly or rest enough so I don’t get sick, and make sure I’m okay when something happens at a practice.

Claudine tells as she caresses Maya’s cheek, leaning down to leave a kiss on her still red nose.

- You do that and a lot more of things, so don’t think you need to do the same things our friends do to make me feel loved, okay silly? – Claudine ends up saying with a tender smile on her face that elicits a bashful one from the brunette.

- For real? – Maya asks insecurely, seeing Claudine nodding.

- For real.

Claudine reassures her, seeing Maya smiling widely, before she pulls her into a tight hug that Claudine happily returns, before they pull away.

- Claudine?

- Yes, Maya?

- Can I still kiss you? – Maya asks clumsily, and Claudine can’t help but laugh.

- Of course you can, silly. You don’t have to ask.

The ash-blonde has barely finished saying that when she finds Maya’s lips on hers in a tender kiss.

- Méchante va.

Claudine whispers amused against Maya’s lips, making the brunette smile softly before they kiss happily again.

Chapter 16: Kiss me under the mistletoe

Summary:

Kaoruko introduces Maya the wonders of the mistletoes and the tradition behind them to try and get more kisses from Claudine.

Kiss me under the mistletoe

Maya can’t help but notice the sly grin on Kaoruko’s face as soon as she steps into the common room, frowning confused at it, before the mischievous blue haired girl gazes up and points at something above her head. It’s then and after following the other girl’s gaze and finger, when Maya notices a strange thing hanging over her head on the door frame.

The brunette can’t help but frown deeper, tilting her head as she stares at it with curiosity in her eyes, before she looks at the girl in front of her.

- May I ask what is… this, Kaoruko-san? – Maya asks confused, seeing how the grin on the other girl’s face turns into a horror expression as soon as she pronounces those words and as the other girl gasps loudly.

- I can’t believe you don’t know what is this, Maya-han – Kaoruko says shocked, before sighing heavily – but then I shouldn’t be surprised of it.

She ends up saying distressed while shaking her head, making Maya frown and pout slightly at her comment, before the blue haired girl feels somebody poking her cheek.

- Oi, be nice – Futaba says as she sees her girlfriend pouting and looking at her as innocently as possible, making her roll her eyes, before she turns her attention to the confused brunette in front of them – Don’t mind her, Maya, you know how is she. That’s a mistletoe.

- A mistletoe? – Maya repeats as she gazes up back at it thoroughly – Why is there though?

Maya asks aloud, perplexing Futaba, while Kaoruko exhales loudly.

- Seriously, you’re so hopeless… – Kaoruko mumbles, before Futaba nudges her in her ribs – Futaba-han, that hurts!

She whines rubbing her sore ribs while Futaba arches an eyebrow amused at her girlfriend’s antics.

- Serves you right – the pink haired girl says while Maya looks at her friends amused, finding soon Futaba’s violet eyes looking back into hers as a soft smile adorns her lips – The tradition of hanging a mistletoe goes back to many centuries ago but summing up, those who stand beneath it have to kiss the other person no matter if they’re a couple, or friends or whatever else. If the kiss is refused then that person will have bad luck.

- Oh, I see – Maya trails off as she looks at the mistletoe hanging over her – so if you stand under it with another person, you two should kiss? But why would somebody kiss a stranger or somebody they don’t want to?

She says while blinking confused, surprising Futaba while Kaoruko can only bring her hand to her face clearly desperate by the brunette.

- Seriously, sometimes I wonder how Kuro-han can bear your denseness, and even find it cute…

Kaoruko mumbles under her breath making Futaba chuckle while Maya blushes coyly.

The brunette is about to talk again, when the sour expression present on the Kyoto girl’s face turns into a sheer grin, brightening up like an Christmas tree.

- Kuro-han!

Kaoruko greets the other girl rather happily as soon as she spots her going downstairs, making Claudine frown confused at such an effusive reception from her, before she stops at the common room’s doorframe and next to Maya.

- Why are you all gathered here?

Claudine asks confused, seeing both Futaba and Maya shrugging their shoulders while Kaoruko grins even wider if possible, sending shivers down her spine.

- You’ve came at the right moment.

Kaoruko singsongs while Futaba sighs already imagining her girlfriend’s schemes, causing Claudine to take a step closer to Maya.

- Why do I have a bad feeling about this? – Claudine murmurs, making Maya giggle, before Kaoruko interrupts them.

- Kuro-han.

The blue haired girl calls her name seriously, making her turn her attention back at her to see her pointing over her head with a sly grin playing on her lips. The ash-blonde can only follow her to then notice the mistletoe hanging over her head, or rather over hers and Maya’s heads.

Oh.

It’s the only thing she can think of as realization draws upon her, blushing lightly while Kaoruko giggles mischievously.

That little cheeky devil.

Claudine thinks to herself as she squints at the other girl, seeing her hiding behind Futaba with a sly smirk adorning her face. She’s about to tell the cheeky devil something, when she hears Maya clearing her throat embarrassedly next to her.

- Ah, ma Claudine, I believe Futaba-san told me about the tradition behind the mistletoe – Maya says coyly, making Futaba click her tongue upon being dragged into her girlfriend’s mess.

- Hah!?

Claudine exclaims outraged, turning to glare at Futaba who can only wince and raise her hands in surrender.

- Calm down, Kuroko. She didn’t know about what a mistletoe was or why it was hang there so I’ve explained to her.

Futaba explains the other girl, but sadly her explanations doesn’t seem to calm her down, instead, it only fuels the ash-blonde furthermore as the little cheeky devil behind her giggles mischievously and Maya clears her throat once again.

- I believe a kiss is in order in these cases.

Maya says timidly yet with a goofy smile on her face.

- A what!? – Claudine exclaims outraged, seeing Maya frowning deeply.

- Oh ma Claudine, aren’t you aware? People who stand together under the mistletoe are meant to-

- I know about it, you dummy! But why do I have to kiss you!?

Claudine interrupts Maya’s explanation completely fuming up, causing Kaoruko to fully laugh, before chuckling behind her girlfriend’s back upon Claudine’s hard glare.

- My, my, Kuro-han, don’t tell me you aren’t going to kiss our beloved top star? Come on, don’t be shy.

She sows discord, seeing Claudine sparing her life with just one glance, before the ash-blonde sees Maya’s sad pout and puppy eyes, making her stomach churn at such an adorable sight.

The ash-blonde can’t help but fidget on her spot still angry with Kaoruko, before she lets out an strangled sound and quickly kisses Maya on the cheek, pulling away as fast as she kissed her with a blush tinting her cheeks while the brunette smiles happily at it, looking at her beamingly much to her further embarrassment.

Kaoruko can only laugh hysterically while Futaba smiles fondly at her friends.

- I’ll make you pay for it, little cheeky devil. Just wait for it…

Claudine mutters under her breath, storming out of the common room while hearing Kaoruko’s hysterical laugh in the background.

- You’re terrible.

Futaba exhales with a soft smile on her lips, seeing Kaoruko faking a hurt expression, before she goes back to grin widely.

- And yet you love me.

She simply answers, winking at her girlfriend who can only roll her eyes while a light blush tints her cheeks, making her look adorable. Kaoruko can’t help but grin wider, caressing her girlfriend’s cheek, before stepping closer to Maya to surround her neck and pull her slightly down to talk in her ear, a mischievous grin playing on her lips the entire time.

- You know, if you want Kuro-han to kiss you more often, you have to...

She begins to whisper in her ear while Maya can only nod, taking mental notes of everything the blue haired girl is telling her.

Mysteriously, and after that encounter, the ash-blonde does nothing but find herself in the same situation more times than she would have liked, always being the one kissing Maya’s cheek, forehead or hand, each one of those times in the hallways, kitchen or even at the stage.

- Stupid little cheeky devil… she’s so going to pay for this.

Claudine mutters as she and Maya are strolling through the hallway to the ash-blonde’s bedroom to practice the script for their next rehearsal together before going to sleep, when she opens the door and yelps.

- Comment est-ce qu’elle a réussi à rentrer dans ma chambre et à en suspendre ici aussi?! (How the hell did she managed to enter my room and hang it in here too!?)

Claudine exclaims in her mother tongue completely outraged while stares at the mistletoe hanging over her bed, both shocked and outraged at it while hearing Maya giggling beside her, before she glares at her.

- Maybe it wasn’t Kaoruko-san.

Maya says softly as a timid smile spreads across her lips and a coy blush tints her cheeks, looking at the fuming ash-blonde girl beside her softly.

- Hah!? – Claudine exclaims outraged, looking at Maya to see her blushing harder – Don’t tell me it was you all this time!?

She asks shocked at the brunette’s audacity to do something of that nature.

- Kaoruko-san told me that if I hung a mistletoe in every room of the building, I could easily get a kiss from you every time, so I…. – Maya trails off as she fidgets with the hem of her grey sweater, blushing more upon confessing that, while Claudine just blushes and snorts.

- And couldn’t you be like any other normal person and ask for it if you wanted a kiss so badly!?

Claudine exclaims outraged at her infuriating girlfriend, to then sigh heavily while Maya blushes and looks at her with a happy sparkle in her eyes, taking her aback.

- Would you have kissed me then?

Maya asks excitedly, her eyes sparkling happily at the thought of getting a kiss from the ash-blonde whenever she asked her to, while Claudine simply blushes more.

- I... of course no! – the ash-blonde yells completely flustered, yet feeling bad as soon as she sees the hopeful expression on Maya’s face dropping, letting out a heavy sigh – Well… maybe…

She mumbles while blushing harder, hearing Maya shrieking, before she hugs her tightly.

- Tendo Maya, what-!

Claudine is soon interrupted by Maya’s lips on hers kissing her under the mistletoe, sighing, before she hugs her tightly and kisses the brunette back, and even though she’s more than happy to kiss her goofy and dense girlfriend every time she wants or asks her to, Kaoruko is still not safe from her revenge.

In another bedroom, a certain blue haired girl can’t help but sneeze loudly.

- Oi, are you catching a cold? – Futaba asks her girlfriend concerned, seeing her frowning and shaking her head.

- I don’t think so… But I’m sure your kisses will keep me warm so I don’t get sick.

Kaoruko says cheekily as she snuggles into her girlfriend’s arm in seek of her warmth, making Futaba snort, before she complies and pulls her into a hug to then kiss her without the need of any mistletoe whatsoever.

Chapter 17: Claudine, the human heater

Summary:

There’s nothing like having your own personal human heater to keep you warm, and Maya knows all too well about it

Claudine, the human heater

Claudine can’t help but find strange how the brunette, who is always the first one of all the troupe to wake up, isn’t around the common room when she enters it.

- Where is Tendo Maya?

She asks Nana confused after have greeted everybody already in there, seeing the chirpy blonde pausing on her way to the kitchen.

- I think Maya-chan still hasn’t come downstairs.

The tall blonde answers with a soft smile on her face, before she resumes her walking, and Claudine can’t help but furrow her brow at it, turning around to go upstairs and back to the dorms.

She pauses for a moment in front of Maya’s door, before knocking on it twice.

- Tendo Maya, are you still in there? – she asks aloud, leaning against the door trying to hear any sound coming from inside.

- Ngh.

Claudine can only frown at the strange sound coming from inside, before she knocks on the door again.

- Maya, I’m coming in.

She warns the brunette, turning the door knob to enter and then close the door behind her as the frown taking over her features deepens upon seeing a bundle in the middle of the bed.

- Maya?

She asks tentatively as she walks closer to see said bundle moving and turning around to face her, finding the brunette completely wrapped in her blankets, causing her to chuckle at the unusual yet amusing sight.

- Are you sick? – she asks her as she walks closer to see Maya looking at her with tired and sleepy eyes and bags under them.

- No, it’s just too cold to get out of bed – Maya whines and pouts as she shivers out of cold, making Claudine laugh – Don’t laugh.

She mumbles half-whining, and Claudine can’t help but find her girlfriend endearing cute.

- Well, maybe Nana’s breakfast and a cup of hot chocolate will help you to warm up.

Just the mere mention of hot chocolate is enough for Maya to perk up, untangling herself from the bundle of blankets that she was in. But as soon as she takes them off, staying only in her warm and fluffy grey sweater and pants, she can’t help but shiver out of cold once again.

Claudine can only watch her amusedly, seeing the brunette quickly taking a fluffy fleece jacket and a scarf from the chair beside her bed in an attempt to be warm again.

- Aren’t you over-exaggerating? – she comments amusedly as she approaches Maya, seeing her shaking her head vehemently.

- No, it’s really cold – Maya mumbles, glaring at the ash-blonde who only wears a light long sleeved shirt.

The other girl can only giggle, before leaving a kiss on her girlfriend’s forehead to make sure she doesn’t have fever, and before she takes one of her hands in hers.

- Eeek! What are you, dead!? – Claudine shrieks as she quickly lets Maya’s freezing hand go, making her pout sadly in return.

- I’ve told you it is too cold.

The brunette mumbles once again, giving her girlfriend sad puppy eyes, and Claudine can’t help but sigh heavily, before she takes her hand in hers once again to warm it up, bearing its coldness just to keep her warm and see her smiling happily at her.

- Thank you, ma Claudine – Maya thanks her as she kisses Claudine’s cheek, making her blush.

- Y-you’re welcome. Now come on, I want my cup of hot chocolate.

Claudine mumbles, making Maya giggle as they go downstairs to the common room hand in hand, seeing all the girls already gathered in there, Karen with a coat on while Kaoruko clings onto Futaba to keep herself warm, making Claudine snort at her friends.

- What? It’s too cold.

Kaoruko grumbles as she clings more onto Futaba, making the other girl roll her eyes, before they start to eat Nana’s hot breakfast.

The rest of their day off goes uneventful, watching plays and movies while Karen, Kaoruko and Maya snuggle together in a bundle to keep themselves warm, making the sight of the three of them like that rather amusing.

When it’s time to sleep, Claudine can’t help but watch Maya retreating to her own bedroom shivering slightly out of cold, sighing as she enters her own bedroom to get changed into her pajama and then get out of it to go to her girlfriend’s bedroom, knocking on her door twice.

- Come in.

Maya says from the inside, before she sees her girlfriend coming in, furrowing her brow confused at it.

- Ma Claudine? Did you forget something?

She asks confused, seeing the ash-blonde shaking her head while approaching her.

- No, I’m sleeping with you tonight – she says timidly, making Maya blush lightly.

- You are?

- D-don’t mistake it! You have bags under your eyes and you’re still shivering out of cold so I’ve thought I could be of some help…

Claudine mutters embarrassed, making Maya giggle cutely, before she takes a step closer to leave a kiss on her girlfriend’s cheek.

- Thank you.

She thanks her softly, taking Claudine’s warm hand in her cold one to walk together towards her bed. Claudine can’t help but let out an amused chuckle upon seeing her sheets, noticing how they’re different from the ones she had in the morning.

- Seriously Maya, fleece sheets? – she asks amused, making Maya blush again self-consciously of them.

- I told you that it’s too cold.

She mumbles in her defense, making Claudine giggle, before they get into the warm bed.

- Turn around – Claudine asks Maya, seeing her frowning at her request, before doing what she just told her, feeling Claudine’s body pressed against her back as her arms wrap her tightly, pulling her into her – Better?

The ash-blonde asks, eliciting a tender and wide smile from Maya who can’t help but snuggle more into her girlfriend’s warm embrace and body.

- Much better, ma Claudine – she answers softly, turning slightly around to kiss Claudine briefly, noticing a stubborn blush tinting her cheeks adorably that makes her heart pound fast.

- W-whatever, just go to sleep. You look like a zombie.

Claudine murmurs completely embarrassed, making Maya giggle at her cute and embarrassing stubbornness, before she snuggles more into her warmth and closes her eyes to sleep soundly, happy that her girlfriend is like her personal human heater.

The ash-blonde can’t help but watch her girlfriend sleep for a while, making sure she’s warm, before sleep takes over her too feeling cozy. When she wakes up, she can see Maya has turned around at some point of the night, facing her as a peaceful expression adorns her face and a soft smile plays on her lips.

Claudine can’t help but feel her heart skipping a beat, a wide smile on her face, happy to be able to keep her girlfriend warm, thinking how nice it’d be to repeat this and wake up like this more mornings.

Chapter 18: Choco kisses

Summary:

Upon not having any idea for this year’s Valentine’s day, Mahiru suggests Maya to take Claudine on a date, but not everything will go as the brunette wants or would have wanted.

Choco kisses

A long sigh escapes her lips as she stares at the cup in her hands absentmindedly, stirring her tea as she thinks about Valentine’s Day.

Maya can’t help but sigh heavily once again as she keeps staring at the steaming tea hoping it could give her the answers she needs, but to her dismay, it can’t.

Not very far from her, a certain blue midnight haired girl can’t help but watch this with a soft smile playing on her lips.

- Maya-chan, is everything okay? You look sad.

She asks the brunette as she pours some steaming tea in her favorite cup, giving the top star a soft smile that is quickly returned.

- It’s nothing, Mahiru, don’t worry – the brunette tells the other girl trying to reassure her, only to see her shaking her head as she walks closer and sits across from her by the kitchen’s table.

- Are you sure?

A simple question combined with Mahiru’s fond smile, it’s all it takes for Maya to give in and tell the other girl about her worries.

- I… I was wondering what I could give Claudine for Valentine’s Day this year. I’m afraid I already gave her flowers, macarons and even stuffed toys.

- You could always make her some chocolates – Mahiru suggests encouragingly, seeing a beaming smile taking over Maya’s features, before it drops and she notices then a frown replacing it, realizing of the why of it – Or better not.

Mahiru ends, grimacing upon remembering what happened last Valentine’s Day.

Nana just helped Maya to make some chocolates for Claudine, leaving them at the kitchen’s table cooling down, when Karen saw them and of course she ended eating a couple of them. Needless to say, she ended in the bathroom for the rest of the day.

- I think it’d be better if I don’t.

Maya says as both girls share a laugh about it.

- Then why don’t you take Kuro-chan on a date? I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to spend such a romantic day alone with you while having fun.

Mahiru’s simple and innocent plan gives Maya the perfect idea for this year’s Valentine’s Day.

- That’s perfect! Thank you, Mahiru.

Maya thanks her friend, taking another sip of her tea, before she finishes it and bids her farewell to the blue midnight haired girl to then go upstairs, stopping by Claudine’s bedroom’s door to knock on it waiting for an answer to come in that never comes.

Puzzled, the brunette decides to slowly open Claudine’s door, peeking her head in to observe her beloved ash-blonde laying on the bed with her eyes closed and her headphones on.

A fond smile draws on Maya’s lips, before she enters the bedroom quietly and closes the door behind her to slowly approach the ash-blonde’s bed not wanting to startle her.

Claudine, upon feeling her mattress dipping slightly, can’t help but open an eye to see Maya waiting by her side with a smile adorning her lips, eliciting another one from her as she takes her headphones off.

- Sorry, ma Claudine. I didn’t mean to disturb you. Are you okay? – Maya apologizes softly, and Claudine can only take her hand in hers to give her a light squeeze and shoo her concerns like that.

- I’m okay, ma Maya, don’t worry. I was just listening to some songs Maman just sent me.

Claudine says, seeing a fond expression taking over her girlfriend’s features once again upon mentioning her Maman.

- Are they good? – Maya asks genuinely interested in them, making Claudine feel warm at it.

- They are. I’ll send them to you later – the ash-blonde says, seeing Maya nodding – But I’m sure you didn’t come to talk about the songs Maman sent me, did you?

She ends up saying playfully, hearing Maya giggling while shaking her head, before talking.

- No. I wanted to ask you if you’re free tomorrow.

She asks the other girl quietly, almost embarrassedly, making Claudine feel warm once again.

- I’m not, unless a certain infuriating brunette has any plans for me.

Claudine teases Maya, hearing her giggling cutely once again while the brunette brings her hand to her lips to leave a kiss on its back.

- In that case, would you want to go on a date with me?

Maya asks her quietly, timidly, making Claudine’s heart flutter upon spending such a romantic day with her lovely girlfriend.

- I’d love to. Do you have anything in mind though?

- Maybe.

Maya answers quickly, a light blush adorning her cheeks that the ash-blonde can’t help but find rather cute.

- I’ll be waiting for tomorrow’s date then. Sleep well, ma Maya.

Claudine wishes her girlfriend seeing her smiling, before the brunette leans to leave a goodnight kiss on her forehead. The ash-blonde can’t help but giggle quietly, before she pulls her into a sweet kiss that makes their hearts beat fast.

- Then I’ll let you rest properly for tomorrow’s date. Sweet dreams, ma chérie.

Maya also wishes her girlfriend, leaving her bedroom to go to her own one to try to plan out their date, but to her dismay, the following morning comes sooner than she would have liked and even though the brunette has been sleeping on what to do for Valentine’s Day, she hasn’t been able to plan their date as she wanted.

A sad sigh escapes her lips as she gets dressed nicely and gets out of her bedroom to wait for her beloved in the hallway.

As she’s waiting for Claudine, she sees Mahiru passing by her giving her a tender smile.

- Good luck.

She wishes Maya softly while she goes downstairs, unknowingly encouraging the brunette with her words.

The brunette barely has the time to reply to her, when her beloved ash-blonde gets out of her own bedroom.

- You look beautiful, ma Claudine.

Maya says in a clear awe, taking Claudine’s hand in hers to leave a kiss on it that makes Claudine blush.

- You’re such a flatterer, Tendo Maya – Claudine mumbles embarrassed, hearing Maya giggling as they interlace their hands – You look really pretty yourself today too.

Claudine compliments her girlfriend, seeing her smiling coyly as they go downstairs and leave the dorms’ building.

- What do you have in mind for us today? – Claudine asks curious, seeing Maya biting her lip nervously.

- I… I admit I’m not quite sure…

This answer only elicits a chuckle from the other girl as she squeezes their hands in an attempt to calm the brunette.

- Then mind if I suggest something instead?

Claudine asks, seeing Maya shaking her head as a soft smile draws on her lips, prompting the ash-blonde to pull her towards a cozy cafeteria.

- What can I get you?

A kind waitress asks them as soon as they enter and once they’re settled down.

- Today’s special baumkuchen, please.

- Anything else?

- No, thank you.

Claudine answers for the both of them as she sees the waitress taking their order before leaving. The ash-blonde then can’t help but click her tongue at the pout her girlfriend is giving her.

- What is it? – she asks amused, seeing a frown replacing now Maya’s precious pout.

- Only one baumkuchen?

Her girlfriend asks innocently, making Claudine giggle upon her gluttony.

- Trust me, one is more than enough.

She says with an amused smile on her face, knowing all too well about her girlfriend’s love for baumkuchens.

Soon enough, a huge plate with a big baumkuchen coated in chocolate is placed in front of them, eliciting a loud gasp from Maya as she stares at it wide-eyed while Claudine just giggles.

- Enjoy your meal!

- Thank you.

The ash-blonde answers to the waitress for the both of them, seeing how the glutton of her girlfriend is way too engrossed staring at the big baumkuchen, drooling almost over it to even give any proper answer. Claudine can only chuckle at this, deciding to not take a pic of such an embarrassing Maya, before she takes her fork to cut the dessert in front of them and place a small portion on her plate, leaving the rest to her girlfriend.

- Bon appétit, ma Maya.

She says softly, pulling the brunette out of her musings, who can only blush as she takes her fork ready to take a piece of heaven.

- Bon appétit, ma Claudine.

She answers quietly as she digs into her beloved baumkuchen, savoring it slowly yet with an expression of pure delight adorning her features, closing her eyes as she hums.

Claudine can only snort and roll her eyes at Maya’s love for the dessert, before she begins to eat her small portion compared with Maya’s.

The girls enjoy a peaceful breakfast together, before Claudine pays for it and they leave the cozy cafeteria.

- I must insist, ma Claudine. You didn’t have to pay entirely for it, especially when you’ve eaten so little.

The brunette complains, being considerate at the same time than embarrassed upon have been the one enjoying the most part of the baumkuchen, and also feeling guilty that her girlfriend have paid for it on their date.

- Oh, come on Maya, it wasn’t such a big deal. But if you feel so guilty about it, I’ll let you pay for whatever you have stored for us next.

The ash-blonde suggests as they walk hand in hand through Tokyo’s streets, kissing her girlfriend’s pout away. And even though Maya isn’t sure what their next destination will be, once she spots a photo booth, she can’t help but drag Claudine along with her towards it, making her shriek in surprise, before giggling once they’re inside the booth.

- Is this okay?

Maya asks timidly, holding her girlfriend by her waist as she sits Claudine on her lap, seeing her blushing.

- Y-yeah.

Claudine answers embarrassedly, the both of them self-conscious of their position, before a robotic voice starts a countdown.

They quickly look ahead, Maya resting her chin on Claudine’s shoulder as they do a heart with their hands for their first picture, before they hug for the second.

Maya can’t help but smile widely as she looks into Claudine’s mesmerizing eyes adoringly, seeing her looking at her with an equal lovestruck expression in hers, before they close their distance and share a kiss, immortalizing both moments in the remaining next photographs, the taste of the choco baumkuchen still lingering in their mouths.

The brunette can’t help but smile beamingly at the strip of photographs in her hands, seeing Claudine blushing hard at them, before she grumbles an embarrassing “I want a copy” while looking away to hide her blush. Maya then giggles upon finding this endearing cute, before leaving a kiss on Claudine’s red cheek as she saves the photographs in a safe place.

Once again, they set out on their walk through Tokyo’s now more crowded streets, before Maya pulls Claudine by the hand making them detour on their way to enter a quiet park, stopping for a moment by a stall that sells hot chocolate as well as some seeds for birds.

Maya sees the amused smile Claudine is giving her as she hands her the cup of hot chocolate, averting her eyes embarrassed, before they walk to sit by the small lake’s shore.

- Is… is this okay?

She asks timidly and a bit insecurely for the second time of the day, eliciting a chuckle from Claudine who can only rest her head on her girlfriend’s shoulder, taking a handful of seeds from her to throw it to some nearby ducks.

- Of course it is, dork.

She answers softly as they stay like that for a while, feeding the swimming ducks that come to greet them while they sip their hot chocolates from time to time.

- I… I apologize, ma chérie. I wasn’t sure of what to do for this Valentine’s Day, so I thought a date could be nice. Yet I failed to do anything romantic for such a special day.

The brunette apologizes looking rather sad at the ducks that swim closer to them in seek more food, hearing Claudine sighing heavily, before she lifts her head from her girlfriend’s shoulder to cup her cheek and oblige her to look at her.

- Who said it wasn’t romantic? I truly cherished every place we went for this date, and especially, each second we spent together and the fun it brought within.

Claudine says with a tender smile on her lips, looking at Maya adoringly as she caresses her cheek.

- So don’t ever apologize, mon amour.

She whispers against Maya’s lips before capturing them in a sweet and tender kiss, still tasting the taste of chocolate in them.

They giggle at this, before they share more choco kisses on such a romantic and special day.

Chapter 19: A kiss per page

Summary:

Claudine can’t help but wait impatiently for the next page Maya flips to get another kiss, but upon the brunette stopping giving her kisses, she finds herself having to take the matters into her own hands.

A kiss per page

The hands of the clock points exactly 8 PM, when Maya arrives home after a long and exhausting day of rehearsals at the theater.

She opens the front door slowly, only to be greeted by nothing but silence, causing her to furrow her brows surprised at it, before she closes the door behind her and leaves her coat and heels at the entrance to go deeper into the apartment with light steps.

As she reaches the living room, she can’t help but let out a sigh of relief upon finding her beloved ash-blonde lying on the couch, her face half-buried on its fluffy back while one of her hands holds loosely the book that her next play is based on.

Maya can only giggle quietly at the cute sight in front of her as she gets closer and takes the book off Claudine’s hand carefully, trying to not wake up the sleeping beauty on the couch, to leave said book on the dining table.

A soft smile spreads across her lips as she takes a look at Claudine sleeping peacefully, leaning down to leave a soft kiss on her temple, before she heads to their bedroom to change into more comfortable clothes.

Once she returns to the living room, she can’t help but pause on the doorstep to observe and think where she could sit after realizing Claudine is taking the couch entirely for herself. But upon not finding any place available, Maya shakes her head with an amused smile on her face and decides to sit on the floor, her back resting against the couch just below where Claudine is resting, before she reaches out to grab the book she took off Claudine’s hand minutes ago to start reading it.

She has barely read 2 pages, when she feels Claudine switching positions above her on the couch.

Maya gazes up at her and smiles, forgetting about the book in her hands for a second to focus on the amusing expression on Claudine’s face. She can’t help but leave a kiss on Claudine’s forehead, making sure she’s still sleeping before she resumes her reading, flipping a page to the next, hearing then the ash-blonde grumbling while she wrinkles her nose.

Maya can only giggle quietly at this as she pauses once again in her reading to leave a soft kiss on Claudine’s nose, before she goes back to keep reading the book eagerly.

The brunette doesn’t realize the small smile appearing on Claudine’s lips nor the way it widens as she flips another page and leaves another kiss on her girlfriend’s hand, rubbing circles on it absent-mindedly.

Claudine’s eyes slowly flutter open at the soft touch of Maya’s lips, blinking a couple of times before she admires her girlfriend from above, noticing how whenever the brunette finishes reading a page and flips it to another one, she leaves a kiss on her hand or whatever other spot she has within reach.

This only make her smile wider and wait impatiently for the next kiss once Maya flips another page, but much to Claudine’s disappointment, Maya becomes so engrossed in her reading that she even forgets to leave a kiss whenever she flips a page.

The ash-blonde pouts at this and wriggles on the couch trying to get Maya’s attention, but she seems to fail miserably. So she can only huff and grunt, noticing how Maya is too absorbed in her book to actually pay any attention to her cute girlfriend.

Impatient, Claudine sits up on the couch, her arms crossed across her chest as she puffs out her cheeks bothered with Maya, and Maya, upon the sudden movement above her, pauses in her reading to gaze up and look at Claudine.

- Did you just wake up, ma chérie?

The brunette asks softly as she leaves the book on the table, and Claudine can’t help but roll her eyes, huffing in return, causing Maya to look at her confused.

- Oh, so you finally realize?

The ash-blonde grumbles and Maya can’t help but keep looking at her confused, before a timid smile takes over her features.

- I apologize, ma chérie. I seemed to be too engrossed reading the book to have actually noticed it.

Claudine just huffs again while looking away outraged.

- I’ve noticed it.

Maya looks at her now bewildered, tilting her head even more confused than before.

- Is everything okay, ma chérie? You seem to be in a bad mood, have I disturbed your sleep?

Maya asks and Claudine can’t help but pout as she keeps looking away, mumbling under her breath.

- You stopped giving me kisses.

Maya furrows her brows, before realization draws on her upon what Claudine just said and is so bothered about, giggling cutely.

- D-don’t laugh!!

- I am not – Maya says between giggles, standing up to place one knee on the couch.

Claudine, upon feeling the cushions sinking under her girlfriend’s weight, turns around to look at her, only to find the brunette closer than she expected.

- W-what do you want now, infu- hmph.

Maya cuts Claudine off with a kiss, feeling the ash-blonde pushing her away.

- W-what are you- hmph.

Maya cuts her off once again, enjoying her girlfriend’s reactions.

- Oh, I apologize, ma chérie. I thought you wanted more kisses.

- M-méchante va, you’re truly infuriating and- kya!! Stop interrupting me with kisses, infuriating woman!

Maya just keeps giggling as she pushes Claudine back down onto the cushions, kissing her everywhere she can: her lips, her cheeks, her neck…

And even though Claudine keeps complaining about it, the truth is that she’s more than happy to feel Maya’s lips on her, her book long forgotten lying on the dining table.

Chapter 20: Glasses

Summary:

Upon seeing Maya sleeping with her glasses on, Claudine can’t help but take a picture of her

Glasses

Claudine can’t help but open the door of the apartment heavily, almost out of energy, before closing it to rest briefly against it.

A tired sigh escapes her lips as she begins to take off her coat to leave it along her purse on the coat stand, to then throw her shoes around the entrance, before she’s soon greeted by her golden retriever coming to lick her hand happily in seek of some pats.

The ash-blonde can only give her a smile and stroke her head as she begins to cross the living room to the bedroom, seeing the door slightly open and the room illuminated by the dim light.

Claudine smiles and ends up opening the door to find Maya sat against the headboard of their shared bed, a book resting on her lap while she snoozes.

The ash-blonde can’t help but smile wider at the cute sight, noticing Maya wearing her glasses that gives her both an incredible cute and sexy look.

She bites her lip, and advances stealthily to leave her phone on the nightstand and change her clothes for a comfier ones, but another glance at the brunette on the bed and she can’t help but change of plans upon seeing Maya looking so cute, positioning herself in a good angle to take a picture at the sleepy girl on bed.

The ash-blonde smiles as she stares at the picture she just took, biting her lip contemplating if she should take another one or not, before she decides to go for it, bringing her phone up once again to take another picture of Maya, seeing her smiling while she still sleeps.

Claudine stares at the new the picture she just took blushing lightly, before she, once again, brings her phone up to take another picture of an apparently very sleepy and cute Maya.

This is the last one.

She promises herself, but as she looks through the camera of her phone, she finds Maya’s amethyst eyes looking right into hers with a mischievous glint in them and an unabashed smirk on her beautiful face.

- Kya!

Claudine yells in surprise, almost dropping her phone to the floor while making Maya smirk wider, a quiet giggle escaping her lips.

- Aren’t you going to take another picture of me, ma Claudine?

Maya asks cheekily, tilting her head in a cutely yet infuriating way, and Claudine can’t help but want to throw her phone at her.

- S-shut up! I wasn’t doing that! – she yells to her defense, making Maya smirk wider.

- Oooh, you weren’t~ – Maya remarks mischievously, making Claudine blush.

- No! I wasn’t!!

She yells once again, stomping out of their bedroom to close the door with a loud slam.

- Méchante va...

She mumbles, her cheeks completely red in embarrassment upon have been caught and at Maya’s teasing, hearing the brunette laughing wholeheartedly inside their bedroom as she feels her own heart racing up at such beautiful sound.

- She’s truly infuriating, isn’t she?

She tells her dog who just came to nuzzle her hand once again, hearing her barking twice in agreement while waving her tail happily. Such a simple gesture just elicits a smile from the ash-blonde who can’t help but crouch to bury her still red face in her dog’s fluffy golden fur while hugging her tightly.

- I’m glad you agree with me, good girl.

Chapter 21: A devilish morning

Summary:

Just a normal yet devilish morning in the life of devil Kuro and violinist Maya and the family they formed over the years

Notes:

Another fic of my series of fic of “The devil and the violinist” :3 go read it if you didn’t already! The devil and the violinist

A devilish morning

An ash-blonde woman can be found in the kitchen making breakfast peacefully, taking the slices of white bread out of their packaging, before putting them inside the toaster to wait patiently to get them slightly toasted. In the meantime, said ash-blonde takes advantage of it to take the butter and jam out of the fridge and place them on the counter to spread them over the bread’s slices later once they’re out.

As she does this and pours some hot coffee and chocolate into three mugs, she can’t help but hum and wag her tail at the rhythm of her humming much to the amusement of the two people hidden behind the kitchen’s doorframe, who can’t lose detail of any of the devil’s movements.

They look at one another slyly with a finger placed on their lips in a silent gesture while giggling quietly as they keep watching the ash-blonde wagging her tail happily and unaware of their presence.

Maya smirks mischievously and kneels to be at the same height of the little girl beside her.

- Go.

She whispers warmly to the little one, seeing the beaming expression painting her features with such a simple word while she winks at her and gives the kid a light and encouraging shove that it’s enough to trigger a happy run from her.

Maya watches happily how a little ash-blonde girl with amethyst eyes runs across the kitchen towards the older ash-blonde woman making their breakfast, pausing for a moment to then pull Kuro’s tail down.

- Kya!!

The older ash-blonde woman yelps, dropping the knife she has been using to spread the butter and jam to the sink while a certain brunette can’t help but laugh at the cute scene and the yelp she just witnessed, their little girl also giggling behind her hands innocently.

- Maria! How many times did I tell you to not pull my tail – Kuro quarrels weakly the little one while touching her tail.

- But maman your tail is too cute!

The kid exclaims happily, making her own mother blush while Maya giggles and feels her heart warm at it.

- Good grief... – Kuro mumbles, a fond smile playing on her lips while ruffling her daughter’s hair – Just… don’t pull it too hard, maman is… sensitive.

Maya can’t help but laugh a bit louder at Kuro’s words while still hidden behind the kitchen’s doorframe, seeing Maria nodding as she caresses her mother’s tail. Kuro can only smile softly at her, before she goes back to keep making their breakfast while Maria plays with her tail.

The brunette woman can’t help but look at both mother and daughter tenderly, noticing Maria’s little hands slowly pulling her maman’s tail towards her mouth to bite it lightly.

- Ahh!

Kuro yells out of pain once again while Maria giggles and Maya laughs wholeheartedly, seeing the devil taking her tail out of her daughter’s reach as tears prickle her eyes and yet she still manages to glare at Maya.

- You, infuriating woman, don’t laugh! It hurts.

- S-sorry, ma chérie, it was way too cute and funny as to not do it. Come on sweetie, apologize to maman.

- Sorry maman.

Maria says timidly, tilting her head innocently yet with a happy smile playing on her lips, and Kuro doesn’t have the heart to be mad at her. Instead, the ash-blonde woman just sighs and takes their daughter in her arms to leave a kiss on her nose while Maria hugs her tightly and kisses her cheek in return apologetically.

- It’s okay sweetie, just don’t do that again.

- I won’t!

Maria answers quickly, kissing her maman’s cheek once again while she plays now with the Kuro’s horns softly.

Maya just giggles and approaches her family with a soft smile on her lips, seeing Kuro still glaring at her.

- I don’t laugh. I bet this was your entire fault.

- But ma chérie, it was too cute, and I promise you that I didn’t do anything.

Maya says with a wide smile, winking at their daughter as she fakes being completely innocent, causing Kuro to roll her eyes. The brunette can only giggle again as she hugs the devil by the waist, nuzzling her cheek, before kissing it.

- Do you forgive me?

She says cutely yet also cheekily, almost giving the devil the best puppy eyes she can muster, and the ash-blonde can’t help but sigh and kiss her forehead.

- Yeah – the devil says, surrounding the brunette’s waist to hug her tightly against her body.

- Yay!

Little Maria exclaims happily, wrapped tightly in their family hug as her mothers make peace and laugh.

As Maya is distracted laughing, Kuro can’t help but take advantage of it to sneak her tail around the brunette’s leg, going up until wrapping it tightly around it to then brush her inner thigh.

- Kya!

Maya yelps and jumps in surprise, looking at Kuro wide eyed, while the devil just smiles at her innocently.

- Revenge is best served cold, mon amour – Kuro whispers in her wife’s ear, seeing her looking at her mischievously.

- Then I hope you show me about it after Futaba and Kaoruko come to take little Maria to the amusement park with them, ma chérie.

Maya whispers back unabashedly, making Kuro smile devilishly, her deep magenta eyes glowing dangerously.

- Oh, I will.

She promises her, tightening the hold of her arm and tail around Maya as she kisses her forehead once again and Maya inhales her scent, kissing her neck, and meanwhile Maria giggles cheerfully in their hug unaware of everything.

Chapter 22: Summer break

Summary:

Claudine just wanted to spend a calming summer break at the beach, but her very infuriating girlfriend has different plans, ones that involve being in the water.

Summer break

Ah, summer break.

A whole lovely week off classes, away from the hard dancing practices and revues just to enjoy the nice yet slightly suffocating weather as she wets her sore feet in a calm stroll through the shore with the light marine breeze blowing swaying her ash-blonde hair and as silence fills the air, only being broken by the sound of the waves crashing against some rocks, before she relaxes under the shadow of a beach umbrella drinking something cold while reading a thrilling book.

Or it’d be as calming as such if it wouldn’t be because a certain infuriating brunette has been pestering her ever since the moment she set foot on the sand, barely giving her time to set up their beach umbrella in the sand and spread out their towels, before she found her giving her the best puppy eyes she could muster while wagging her invisible tail excitedly.

- I’ve said no – Claudine states as she tries to concentrate on the book in her hands.

- But ma Claudine, I don’t want to go into the water alone.

- So what? I have to go with you? – Claudine asks bothered as she looks up from her book to see a cheeky smile playing on her girlfriend’s lips – Never mind, don’t answer to that.

She ends ups saying as she lets out a long sigh, hearing Maya giggling.

- Of course you have to. You need to make sure nothing happens to me – Maya says cheekily, outraging Claudine.

- Hah!?

The ash-blonde exclaims loudly, earning the gazes of the few people around them, making her blush hard and embarrassedly upon catching some unwanted attention, before she glares at her girlfriend just to see how her cheeky smile slowly morphs into a pout as Maya gives her the best puppy eyes she can muster.

- Please, ma Claudine.

Maya begs her girlfriend cutely while tilting her head, seeing Claudine shutting her eyes tightly, before she sighs heavily, giving in to her adorkable girlfriend’s request.

- Urgh, fine. Just let me finish this chapter first.

Claudine exhales as she returns to the story filling the pages of the book in her hands, seeing Maya giving her a beaming smile as she waits patiently beside her for the ash-blonde to finish it as she told her.

As soon as the ash-blonde puts a bookmark on the page containing the new chapter and closes the book to set it on her towel, she can’t help but chuckle at the excited expression adorning her girlfriend’s face, seeing Maya standing up quickly to then hold out a hand for her.

The ash-blonde can only grasp Maya’s hand, letting her girlfriend pull her towards her as she helps her to stand up.

- Honnêtement, sometimes you truly are like a kid.

Or a puppy.

Claudine thinks to herself the last part as her rather excited girlfriend kiss her cheek and guides them to the shore in between giggles, squeezing Claudine’s hand, before she goes in first.

- So? How is the water? Good? – Claudine asks playfully as she notices a chill running down Maya’s spine causing her to get goosebumps while clenching her teeth.

- Y-yeah, it’s g-good.

Maya stutters, trying to smile at Claudine yet failing miserably apparently, making Claudine snort.

- Good. Now that I’ve accompanied you so you wouldn’t get into the water alone, I can go back to resume my reading.

Claudine says with a smug smirk on her lips, flipping her hair over her shoulder as she turns around leaving a slightly shivering and flabbergasted brunette in the water.

- Wha- but ma Claudine! You promised me to get in the water with me! – Maya exclaims as another chill runs down her spine, quickly getting out of the water to chase her girlfriend through the sand.

- I didn’t promise anything such a thing, ma Maya.

Claudine states cheekily, grinning at Maya while almost making it to their towels to go back and read her thrilling book, when suddenly she finds herself being lifted in the air.

- Eek!

She squeaks out as Maya giggles, throwing her girlfriend over her shoulder as she undoes their steps towards the water.

- Tendo Maya, I swear if you don’t put me down right now, you’re going to regret it!

Claudine threatens her dork girlfriend, kicking and hitting her lightly while Maya makes her way back to the water with the ash-blonde still on her shoulder as if she didn’t weight anything.

- Are you sure, ma Claudine?

Maya asks slyly as soon as they’re in the water, smiling malevolently while the ash-blonde holds onto her as if her life depends on it.

- Tendo Maya, don’t you dare- KYA!!!

Claudine’s loud yelp can be heard going through the lengthwise and widthwise of the beach, mixing with a loud splash as well as the laugh of a certain infuriating brunette filling the air.

- Tendo Maya! You’re dead!

Claudine threatens her girlfriend, a strong splash emphasizing her words while she glares at her menacingly as soon as her head emerges out of the water with her cheeks puffed out, and after water is coughed up.

Maya, far from feeling threatened, can only laugh harder at the cute and funny sight of her girlfriend, pissing the ash-blonde off more who quickly begins to chase her through the water in her run away, launching at Maya’s back to manage submerging the brunette’s head under it as soon as soon as she catches her and before they begin a water splashing war, the relaxing time resting with her thrilling book far forgotten.

Chapter 23: Boo

Summary:

Thinking all the girls left to celebrate Halloween, Maya stays in the common room reading a book without knowing a certain ash-blonde also stayed to play a little trick on her.

Boo

A long sigh escapes the lips of a certain brunette as she lets her body sink into the fluffy cushions of the couch she’s sat on, closing her eyes for a brief moment while her hands hold a steaming mug in between them tightly.

A happy sigh then escapes her lips as she brings the mug to her nose and smells the delicious aroma of chocolate, taking a sip of the hot liquid to let it warm her insides in the middle of a cold night while enjoying the quietness filling the usually bustling common room.

In any other night, one could usually find a group of nine girls gathered all together watching a movie while eating popcorns or talking lively about classes, plays or whatever else. But today, it’s one of those rare nights in which almost all the girls are outside and there’s nothing but the weak rustling of the trees outside filling the dorms’ air.

Enjoying such a rare night, Maya takes another sip of her delicious hot chocolate, before placing her mug on the small tea table in front of her to take the book resting on it instead.

A contented smile spreads across her lips as her fingers brush the hard cover, tracing delicately the illustration on it, before she opens the book ready to continue the fascinating adventure she has been reading, the weak sound of the wind swaying the trees outside putting the perfect melody to her reading.

A certain ash-blonde girl can’t help but grin upon seeing the brunette relaxing while reading, lowering her guard thinking all of them went out to go in search of sweets with their flawless costumes while asking the infamous question of "trick or treat". But what Maya doesn’t know, it’s that Claudine decided to stay to play a little trick on her own to the top star knowing how skittish Maya is of ghosts.

Claudine can only grin wider at this, letting the brunette relax for a bit longer, before she switches the lights off, hearing a weak but cute squeak escaping Maya’s lips.

- Who is there?

Maya asks, and even though she tries to sound collected, Claudine can hear the nervousness laced in her voice almost letting out a quiet giggle if she wouldn’t have been pressing one of her hands over her mouth to quieten it.

She then hears a light rustling going around, knowing full well the brunette is searching for the little light they all decided to keep around the common room for when they didn’t want to bother the others turning the main lights on, before a grumble fills the air.

- Damn it…

Claudine hears Maya whimpering defeated after have probably checked how the little light doesn’t power on after Claudine have disconnected it from the power outlet.

Contented that her plan is going as she expected and without Maya being able to reach out for any light nor her own phone having left it in her bedroom, the ash-blonde takes another step into her plan, making different noises as she makes her way in between the deafening darkness towards the couch in which Maya is sat on rather cowardly, trusting in her senses to not mess this up.

- W-who is there?

Maya repeats again, her voice coming out this time a bit more scared than the previous one while she hugs herself in clear distress, something that breaks the ash-blonde’s heart, yet that it doesn’t make her stop but keep moving towards the brunette.

- Who-

- Boo!

- KYAAA!!

Maya yells piercingly at the same time Claudine pulls her arms around the brunette to hug her from behind, only to quickly drop them seconds after to bring her hands up in an attempt to cover her ears while Maya turns to look at her wide-eyed and with a hand over her thumping heart as if she was about to pass out at any second. Or rather to stare at the ghostly white sheet covering the ash-blonde agape while trying to calm down her erratic heart.

Claudine barely has the time to reveal herself to the other girl in an attempt to calm her down, when a serious Maya rises from the couch and walks to her to then rise the ghostly sheet covering her and step under it invading Claudine’s personal space.

- Boo.

Maya says cutely, yet managing to surprise Claudine who can only giggle at her girlfriend’s playfulness glad that Maya isn’t shivering like a leaf out of fear as she was anymore, but instead, seeing her now looking at her with an amused smile on her lips as they share a giggle.

The brunette can’t help but grin as she locks eyes with her sneaky girlfriend, before she captures the ash-blonde’s lips in a kiss that both surprises her and makes her be the one squeaking and blushing hard despite the darkness.

- That’s not fair!

Claudine complains childishly, hitting Maya’s chest while the top star only giggles, circling the ash-blonde’s waist with her arms to pull her closer.

- Says the beauty who sneaked on me to scare me.

Maya comments in between giggles while Claudine pouts and blushes equally.

And even though the brunette didn’t seem to be as scared as Claudine intended to, the ash-blonde is more than happy it isn’t like that, not bearing the thought of have caused Maya such a distress.

Chapter 24: Look at me (part 1)

Summary:

It doesn’t matter how hard Claudine tries to surpass Maya on her way to be the top star, the brunette never spares a glance at her. Maya never looks at her and actually sees her and her talent...

Notes:

Wow more than 500 kudos!
I’ve never thought I’d get so many when I started writing these. I even had moments in which I didn’t want to write any kuromaya anymore because I felt nobody liked them.
So thank you to those who give me a chance a read them and show their support through kudos or sometimes even comments. You guys have no idea how something so simple give me the strength to keep writing 🥰🤍🧡

Sadly this chapter is a bit sad, but it will end well in the next one so stay tuned for second part! 😊

Look at me (part 1)

Claudine has always been used to be the first. The centre of attention in everything she did ever since she was a mere kid, the star of every single child commercial and play she was part of.

She was used to hear her name being cheered loudly among the audience and everywhere she went. To hear her presence being acclaimed as well as her talent as a child prodigy beyond anything ever seen by far.

So when the child prodigy entered the well-regarded Seisho Music Academy expecting to be the best among all, she couldn’t even fathom the thought of being gotten off her throne in the first place to be relegated instead to a petty second place by no other one than the thoroughbred Tendo Maya, the daughter of a renowned stage actor and a prima donna.

She couldn’t help but find her brilliance not only overshadowed by the brunette, but also find herself turning into a mere shadow of the top star, the perfect partner to stand out the brunette’s presence and make her brilliance shine harder than it already did.

But what was the worst of all, was to see her talent being so easily trampled by the brunette. To see how the top star and rival didn’t even recognize her nor her talent.

It was seeing how Maya didn’t even bother to spare a glance at her whenever she walked past her with that smug and infuriating smirk she always wore.

Another girl in her position would have easily felt threatened by this, frightened even, on the verge of giving up. But this only fueled Claudine to give the best of herself in her attempt to surpass the top star.

Sadly, with every revue between both stars, with every defeat of the ash-blonde, Claudine, far from feeling more fueled to surpass Maya and become more brilliant in order to get the title of top star as she had always aimed to, was only humiliated, looked down on as Maya’s amethyst eyes looked everywhere else around them but at her.

- A dream is not something one has, it’s something that enchants. Only one shall obtain that glittering star.

Maya’s calm voice reciting those words echoes loudly across the dilapidated stage in which both stars just had their revue, a storm unleashing over their heads soaking everything as soon as the button of the loser of their fight hits the hard ground.

Claudine can’t help but clench her teeth furiously as she stares at the button glittering across the ground, the raindrops colliding against it filling the tense silence between both girls with its pitter-patter, before she lifts her gaze to look at the brunette in front of her with a restrained rage that slowly disappears as the expression on Maya’s face lashes at her as hard as the cold air blowing.

The ash-blonde gulps hard, a pained gasp escaping her lips as she observes the undaunted expression painting her rival’s perfect features. The distant, almost expressionless look in her dull amethyst eyes as Maya gazes into the horizon not even bothering to spare a second glance at her from her place on top of a rock, before a smug grin spreads across her lips.

- This is Tendo Maya.

She hears Maya proclaiming herself proudly as the winner of their revue, hammering her sword into the infamous position zero to take possession of it.

The hurt bubbling inside Claudine soon, and anew, mixes with rage as the curtain falls hiding her from the sight of the brunette goddess in front of her, signaling how once again and no matter how hard she tried, how aggressive her attacks were, none of them did anything to the other girl but only lead her to another and almost crushing and humiliating defeat.

How, no matter how hard she tried, Maya never once spared a glance at her nor was dazed by the ash-blonde’s brilliance.

Claudine can’t help but grip the hilt of her sword tightly, before her hands begin to tremble until they fall to both of her sides weakly, the sound of her sword clattering against the wet ground along with an impotent sob from her that breaks the tense silence filling the air of the dilapidated stage.

Tears mix now with the falling raindrops wetting her face as the ash-blonde stares hopelessly at her sword resting on the ground, the sparkle of her black gem on it fading the same way her stolen brilliance does too.

- Why…

Her quiet and heartbroken voice gets lost in the middle of the drumming of the raindrops falling harder to die against the ground beneath her.

Why in spite of her hard efforts to try to defeat Maya, Claudine can never reach her. She can’t touch her, and much least win against her.

Why in spite of everything, Maya can’t even take a look at her and actually see her…

The ash-blonde shuts her eyes tightly as she hits the ground beneath her with her fists in clear frustration, more tears falling from her eyes and mixing with the rain.

Why Tendo Maya can’t even deign to spare a glance at her, yet she seems to see Kagura Hikari, even daring to take a peek at her heart?

Just why!?

Another punch against the ground echoes around as Claudine recalls all the times she caught the brunette looking at the raven haired girl with a glint in her eyes that she couldn’t even decipher.

Was it admiration? Curiosity? Or perhaps rivalry?

Claudine doesn’t know it. She isn’t even sure if she wants to know it, but she knows that the way the brunette looks at Hikari is completely different to the way she looks at her.

The way her mesmerizing amethyst eyes glint is completely different to the lack of emotions she shows in them whenever her eyes meet hers, especially in their revues.

Her reserved smile is too different to the smug and infuriating smirk Maya always sports whenever they dance or cross their swords in fights.

The careful way Maya holds the raven haired girl whenever they dance together in practices is completely different to the possessive way she has to hold her.

Another heartbreaking sob escapes the ash-blonde’s lips as the last sparkle of her brilliance fades in between the pouring rain of her defeat, slowly giving up on trying to be seen by the top star. Giving up on trying to defeat her and be the star that she has always been ever since she was a mere kid.

A constricted feeling settles in her chest then, prompting Claudine to take her sword and use it for support to stand up so she can go back to the loneliness and safety of her own dorm, her dragged feet and serious and beaten demeanor not going unnoticed by a certain short pink haired girl on her way back to her own shared dorm with a certain sly and cheeky blue haired girl.

Chapter 25: I see you (part 2)

Summary:

It only takes an accident for Maya to finally see Claudine...

I see you (part 2)

- Did something happen between Tendo and you?

A short pink haired girl asks as she crosses the room in which Claudine has been practicing alone fruitlessly for hours until ending up on the floor, taking the mop in her hands to begin washing the slippery floor of the practice room not wanting the ash-blonde to injure herself.

- What makes you think that?

Futaba hears Claudine answering quietly, seeing her bringing her knees to her chest to hug them as she stares at the floor, and the pink haired girl can’t help but tighten her hold around the stick of the mop upon noticing the pained expression on her friend’s features and the almost imperceptible flinch drawn on it as she hears the brunette’s name.

- Tendo is your rival. She’s the only one able to put you in a mood like this.

Futaba says calmly as she keeps washing the floor with her back to the ash-blonde.

She’d be lying if she said she didn’t notice the odd way her friend has been acting ever since that evening in which she caught her walking back to her dorm in the verge of crying. The way the ash-blonde flinches whenever she hears Maya’s name being mentioned or even the sound of the brunette’s voice talking to her.

Futaba noticed the way the ash-blonde does everything is in her power to avoid being paired off with the top star ever since then, or how she even stopped fighting to try to show how she’s better than the brunette and take the spotlight until Claudine ended up being nothing but a shadow of the girl she used to be.

A long sigh escapes the shorter girl’s lips upon her friend’s silence, before she finds herself in her arms, struggling to keep up with Claudine’s steps as the ash-blonde pulls them into an impromptu dance. Futaba can’t help then but smile as she sees the fierce glint in her friend’s magenta eyes returning after have been cruelly stolen days ago by the top star.

- I used to think I was special, but I realized I wasn’t once I meet her and saw that I couldn’t reach her…

Claudine trails off with evident hurt laced in her voice, tightening her hold around Futaba as they keep dancing around the practice room.

- I was so used to be the first in everything that I couldn’t stand to be under her shadow – Claudine pauses as she twirls Futaba around, before keep leading their impromptu dance – I can’t stand how no matter how hard I practice, how hard I try, I can’t even reach her. I really can’t stand how that infuriating girl never sees me…

Claudine whispers quietly shocking Futaba with her words, before they stop their dance abruptly, panting hard while Claudine looks down at the floor once again with a pained and dejected expression painting her features.

Futaba can only offer her a lollipop in return, opening her mouth ready to comfort her friend, when the familiar ringtone of the revues’ calling pulls them out of their shared moment.

The pink haired girl then can only look at the ash-blonde worriedly, seeing the tight smile playing on her lips, before she places a hand on her shoulder to squeeze it in a comforting way.

- Don’t worry, Kuroko.

It’s the only thing she says as she gives her friend a reassuring smile, before she turns around to leave, ready to confront the brunette that stole her friend’s brilliance and will to fight and aim to be the top star.

As the pink haired girl takes a step into the dark stage, she can’t help but take a shaky breath.

She knows she’s no rival for the infamous top star, especially not when not even Claudine could defeat her once, but she hopes she can at least give Maya a piece of her mind regarding the ash-blonde.

- The shine of the moon, the love of the stars... I will gather that outpouring of light, now, and send it to your heart! Head of the 99th class, Tendo Maya! Tonight, I will show you my brilliance!

Futaba hears Maya reciting her intro, before she sees her at the top of the stairs shinning dazzlingly, making her gulp, before anger bubbles inside her upon the arrogant smirk playing on her lips.

- Isurugi-san, I wasn’t expecting you.

Maya says conceited, looking everywhere around them expecting another rival, expecting a certain ash-blonde girl, before the pink haired girl finds her voice to talk.

- Kuroko isn’t coming.

She cuts her off sharply, seeing a disappointed look on Maya’s face that manages to fuel her anger, making her launch to attack the brunette, only to be easily blocked by her.

- I hope you’re happy. You stole Kuroko’s brilliance!

Futaba exclaims angrily as she keeps attacking the brunette, barely giving Maya time to dodge or block her attacks before another and new one is thrown at her.

- It wasn’t my intention.

Maya defends herself as an angry spark ignites in her eyes, launching at Futaba who can barely block her strong attack.

Both girls keep a dance of attacks and blocks for some time, before the voice of a certain stage girl interrupts them.

- Futaba!

The pink haired girl hears her name being called by her ash-blonde friend, seeing a flash of pain crossing Maya’s features, before using said distraction to attack her with such a bad luck that Maya, in her efforts to dodge her and avoid getting her button pulled out, slips and falls from the top of the stairs.

- Tendo!

Futaba exclaims the top star’s name in horror as she tries in vain to grasp her hand, only to feel the air slipping through her fingers as the brunette falls from such a high height.

- Tendo Maya!

Maya hears then the ash-blonde yelling her name in distress as the wind pounds against her ears in her fall while seeing Claudine running towards her.

Just the mere sight of the ash-blonde running towards her makes her laugh ironically at it and at how beautiful she looks at that very moment, more than the brunette has ever witnessed, before her body collides against the hard floor, her head bouncing with the impact.

- Tendo!

- Tendo… Maya!!

Maya hears Claudine’s distressing yelling getting closer as her ash-blonde hair flows wildly in the air in her run, tears flooding her mesmerizing magenta eyes, before crimson and black begins to fill her vision, the feeling of a warm touch on her hand being the last thing she remembers as she slips into unconsciousness.

When Maya wakes up, the first thing she notices is that same warm touch wrapped around her hand, making a timid smile spread across her lips, before fear takes over her as soon as she opens her eyes and finds herself sinking into the most absolute darkness.

The brunette can’t help but squeeze her companion’s hand hard, hearing them grumbling loudly.

- Qu’est-ce qu’il se passe (What’s wrong?), Tendo? – Claudine asks confused, unconsciously making Maya panic further.

- I can’t see…

The brunette whispers quietly as if saying it loudly would make it more real.

- Huh?

- I… I can’t see...

Silence falls over both girls, before Maya feels Claudine standing abruptly from the chair she has been sat on making it screech against the floor, to then hear her leaving her side and the room they’re in calling for a doctor frantically.

Maya wants to cry, both for how the girl she has stolen her brilliance is always the one beside her and at how scared she is at the moment, feeling Claudine’s hand taking hers again in reasurement as the doctor comes in the room to check on her.

After some anguishing minutes, the doctor tells them that the hit on her head caused a light inflammation that doesn’t seem to have any gravity other than a temporal blindness. But even though the doctor emphasizes it’s only temporal, it doesn’t make Maya feel less scared.

- I guess now you will see me even less.

The brunette hears Claudine whispering bitterly, chuckling and making something break inside her prompting her to grasp her hand tightly.

- That’s not true, Claudine.

She says firmly, hearing Claudine snorting ironically, making her tighten her grasp around her hand.

- I mean it. I have always been looking at you, ever since you were a kid.

Maya confesses, hearing the ash-blonde gasping surprised, before she continues.

- Ever since I saw you on that stage playing Arrie, and then at that ointment commercial, all I ever wanted was to be able to dance and act like you. I strived to be better so I could be with such a talented girl as you were and one day hopefully be able to be your partner.

The brunette explains embarrassedly as she brushes Claudine’s knuckles with her thumb.

- I aimed for nothing more than be the best version of myself so we could shine on the same stage together, so I could shine along with you. Claudine, it was never my intention to actually steal your brilliance...

Maya says regretfully, hearing a sob escaping Claudine’s lips that breaks her heart.

- You really have a funny way to show it, Tendo Maya.

- I know, and I’m deeply sorry for it. Trust me when I say that it was never my intention to steal your brilliance but shine brightly together, right beside you on the same stage.

Maya apologizes wanting nothing more than be able to see Claudine’s beautiful face at that moment while she keeps hearing her sobbing.

- Honnêtement. You truly are an obnoxious idiot.

Claudine murmurs in her mother language, making Maya smile. She then can’t help but feel her with her hands, trying to pull the ash-blonde into a tight hug. For a moment, she feels her tensing up against her, before relaxing and hugging her back.

- You’re beautiful even when you cry, Claudine.

- You say that and yet you can’t see me…

Claudine whispers dejected as Maya manages to bring a hand up to wipe some tears away from her face.

- I don’t need to. You have always been beyond beautiful to me.

Maya says, sad that she can’t see the ash-blonde blushing, before she feels her hitting her arm, making her giggle.

- S-shut up.

She hears Claudine mumbling embarrassedly under her breath wanting to give everything she has to see her, before tiredness starts to take a toll on her and lulls her to sleep.

- Rest, Maya. I’ll be here when you wake up again.

The next time Maya wakes up, she can still feel the warm touch of Claudine’s hand wrapping hers tightly, making her heart melt at it, before her eyes flutter open slowly to see the captivating and cute sight of the ash-blonde sleeping next to her, a wide smile spreading across her lips as she tucks a strand of hair behind Claudine’s ear.

- Tendo… – Claudine trails off sleepily and cutely as she struggles to open her eyes and see Maya smiling at her tenderly while her eyes have a soft glint in them.

- You’re truly gorgeous. I’m sorry for making you feel as if I never actually saw you or took into consideration your effort to stand by my side.

Maya apologizes, seeing Claudine crying, before hugging.

A certain pink haired girl can only smile at this as she closes the door of the hospital’s room behind her not wanting to interrupt her friends’ moment, turning around to leave as stealthy as she came.

- I think we should come back later.

She tells a blue haired girl as she takes her hand in hers and drags her away from the scene, seeing a mischievous smirk appearing on her lips.

- You’re such a good friend, Futaba-han~.

Kaoruko says slyly, making Futaba blush while she giggles and interlaces their fingers happy to have the pink haired girl back with her.

Chapter 26: The swan mug

Summary:

“It’s just a mug” Maya tells herself as she looks at the shattered swan mug on the floor, but both she and Claudine know it’s more than that.

The swan mug

A soft melody being hummed can be heard filling the air of the apartment, mixing with the light pitter-patter of the rain falling outside while its owner awaits for the water of the black kettle in front of her to boil for their brewing tea.

A warm smile plays on the lips of a brunette, before the particularly loud roaring of a thunder along with the flicker of the lights make her flinch with such a bad luck that her elbow hits the mug beside her on the counter.

Silence then fills the kitchen, reverberating thunderously as Maya stares at the shattered mug on the floor.

She knows it’s stupid, childish even, but she can’t help the tears that start flooding her eyes, wetting down her face as she crouches to touch the small pieces of the shattered mug covering the floor.

It’s just a mug.

She tells herself, wiping her tears away with the back of her hands. But Maya knows it’s actually more than a mug.

Before the brunette can keep dwelling on the sight of her shattered mug, rushed steps can be heard approaching the kitchen.

- Maya? Are you okay? What happened?

Claudine asks alarmed as she enters, seeing the brunette still crouched beside her shattered mug while furiously trying to dry her eyes and give her girlfriend the best smile she can muster.

- Ah, it’s nothing, ma Claudine. I just hit the mug and it broke in its falling.

Maya reassures the ash-blonde, yet a trace of sadness can be heard in her voice.

- Don’t worry Maya, we have more mugs.

The ash-blonde tries to comfort her girlfriend, her hand stroking the brunette’s still wet cheeks as she feels Maya leaning in her touch.

- So why don’t you go and choose the movie you want us to watch tonight while I clean this mess?

- But-

- I’ll even let you watch your favorite one for the nth time while we cuddle.

Claudine offers Maya playfully, seeing her blushing lightly as a coy smile takes over her until then sad features. Still, the brunette can’t help but walk dejected towards the living room, not before giving Claudine a kiss, of course.

- Thank you.

Maya whispers softly as Claudine watches her walking away, looking then at the shattered mug scattered on the floor, before taking a broom to sweep the pieces.

The ash-blonde knows it isn’t just another mug of all the ones they own, but Maya’s mug. Her favorite one, the one she brought for her when they moved in together, but there’s nothing she can really do about it.

A heavy sigh escapes the ash-blonde’s lips as her fingers carefully trace the little but shattered swan pattern that adorned the mug, before she gathers all the pieces together and throws them into a bag, taking then another mug of one of the cabinets to pour their still hot tea in it.

When Claudine walks into the living room, Maya can’t help but feel a pang of sadness in her chest upon the white flowery mug her girlfriend carries in her hands, wrapping her own hands around it to feel its warmth, before she feels Claudine leaving a kiss on her forehead that sure cheers her up and warms her the same as the mug in her hands.

- Don’t worry about it.

Claudine whispers in her ear as she pulls her into a tight hug, before the credits of the movie begin to roll and Maya soon forgets about the unsettling feeling in her chest in her girlfriend’s embrace.

But even though the brunette does her best to forget about the incident, every time she looks at the flowery pattern adorning the mug in between her hands, it makes her feel how it isn’t the same as before.

The flowery mug doesn’t bring a smile to her face nor makes her feel warm as when her thumbs used to brush the cute little swan adorning it, but feel empty instead.

A heavy sigh manages to escape the brunette’s lips every time this happens, before Claudine changes that one evening.

The brunette just came back home after a long day of rehearsals, when she finds her lovely girlfriend waiting for her at the kitchen.

- I’m back.

She lets out tiredly as she sinks into Claudine’s warm embrace, hearing her giggling and kissing her head, before talking.

- You came just in time. I was brewing a new blend of tea Kaoruko sent us.

Claudine tells her girlfriend, letting Maya smell its delicious aroma, before pouring it in their mugs.

At first, the brunette doesn’t notice the grey color of the mug in front of her, but when she notices the little swan decorating it and whose is surrounded by a beautiful red and full of roses pattern, she can’t help but gasp loudly, looking at Claudine with wide eyes as she carefully takes the mug in her hands to survey it.

- This…

She trails off, raising her head as she hears Claudine giggling cutely.

- It’s your mug – Claudine says with a tender smile on her lips – I know how much you loved it, so I took all the broken pieces and take them to repair it. It isn’t the same as before but-

- It’s beautiful.

Maya rushes to say so Claudine doesn’t have to worry about her not liking its new appearance, a fond smile playing on the brunette’s lips as she looks at her girlfriend with nothing but utter love in her eyes.

- It’s perfect. Thank you, ma Claudine.

She whispers touched by her girlfriend’s gesture, leaving the mug in a safe place on the table to then pull Claudine into a tender and deep kiss.

- I’m glad you liked it. Now shall we try this delightful tea before It gets cold?

The ash-blonde asks eliciting a giggle from her girlfriend, before she feels Maya hugging her tightly.

- We shall.

Chapter 27: (I can feel) the draw

Summary:

In her left hand the familiar, in her right hand the unexpected. Maya has a hard decision to take, but she can feel a pair of magenta eyes drawing her in to take the greatest one…

(I can feel) the draw

Amethyst eyes trace the delicate engraving carved on the golden frame in her hands, a perfect and constant reminder of the life full of luxuries and money in which she had been raised in, but that lacked of the most important: love.

A heavy and sad sigh escapes the lips of its owner, a long haired brunette that can’t help but stare at the photograph that it contains with nostalgia, looking fixedly at the image of her young self in it holding the hands of her beloved parents with a wide and happy smile sparkling on her lips as brightly as the sun itself.

Maya still remembers those days in which her parents were everything to her, in which they were respected and idolized to the point of wanting to be like them. Of aiming to be as good as they were in their respective careers and make them proud.

And yet, instead of that, she encountered nothing but their hard criticism filling her days, always demanding more and more of her until turning her life into a complete misery.

The brunette can’t help but go back to those days in which she found herself locked in the studio of their home hearing the same song in repeat until her dancing and acting were perfectly refined.

Until her feet bleed out or her muscles burned so hard she could no longer stand on her feet dancing and fell unconscious to the floor due to the pain and exhaustion that came with such sacrifice.

Days full of bitter and hurtful words reminding her the mistakes she made, before punishing her without eating so she put more effort into the next audition, into the next play to be the top star she was aimed to be and that would make them proud of her, congratulating her for her success before showing her off around as if she was a trophy.

A shaky sigh escapes her lips as Maya tries to hold back the tears peeking through her eyes, before she looks away from that “illusory” happy and perfect family portrait to let her gaze land on the photograph at her right.

A fond smile quickly spreads across her lips as she takes the simple bluish silver frame in her hands, her slender fingers tracing the beaming faces of the girls in it.

Tracing the faces of that group of eight girls that came to her life unexpectedly, fighting hard to earn her respect and friendship. Those same eight girls that taught her what a family truly was and felt like.

Soon enough her gaze stop at a familiar ash-blonde girl, her fingertips tracing ever so feathery her grumpy features almost as if she was doing it for real, learning by heart every wrinkle and freckle on her smooth skin as a warm feeling runs through her veins until reaching her heart making it pound fast.

Maya lets out a chuckle as she recalls with fondness their first Starlight together, the grumpy expression adorning Claudine’s beautiful features as she promised her, or more like threatened her, to win her at the next one. As she unknowingly set her goal to win not just her position as the top star and main character, but also her heart.

She can’t help but remember with fondness how the ash-blonde stage girl made her way through every one of the walls she long put up to tear them down and make herself a home in her heart just as if she had entered their usual practice room like a gale: her ash-blonde hair flowing in the air with every step she took, her mesmerizing magenta eyes and confident grin drawing her in, pulling her to take her hand and dance together through every obstacle on their way.

Pulling her into a rollercoaster of emotions, some which she wasn’t even aware of: insecurity, envy, jealousy, pride, happiness, but especially, love.

Maya can’t help but feel her heart pounding hard against her chest just with the mere thought of Claudine, of that proud and grumpy yet lovely ash-blonde that managed to steal it and turn her life upside down (for the better, of course), before she goes back to look at the familiar photograph at her left.

Another heavy sigh escapes her lips as she stares at it, as she gets lost in the premise of a future full of the success that it will give her.

The numerous work offers that would lay on her table everywhere she goes just for the mere fact of being the daughter of a renowned stage actor and a prima donna, of being the brightest star that anybody has ever witnessed, before seeing a rain of proposals pouring over her trying to think on which one her parents would agree with to then arrange a prosperous but unhappy marriage with any famous actor or multimillionaire they choose for her.

She can’t help but shake her head, before going back to look at the ash-blonde girl that stole her heart years ago.

At the premise of a future filled with love, of sharing the same feelings, the same thrill and passion for the stage, dancing and acting. A future in which they’ll help one another to be the best version of themselves and reach their dreams together.

A future filled with the warmth of Claudine’s gaze, her tender smiles and cute grumbling in her mother language.

Filled with the happiness of have finally found a home in her heart and a love for all times even if that means having to overcome and face many closed doors because of her parents’ reputation and the nasty comments for loving another woman, a dazzling ash-blonde woman that makes her life have a meaning.

With a smile, Maya places the family portrait back down on her desk to then take the Starlight photograph with her, holding it close to her heart, before she puts it in her bag.

- I’m sorry, mother, father, but I choose Claudine. Always.

She says in the intimacy and quietness of the bedroom that saw her grow and became a star, before she bows at the door as she says goodbye to all the memories she made in there and goes downstairs ready to leave her childhood house behind and get out of her parents’ life forever.

- If you set a foot outside this house, I swear I’ll cut you out of my will, Maya. You’ve heard me!?

Her father threats her, and Maya, far from being intimidated by him, can only take a look at his furious face and at her mother’s sadden face, before she takes a step out of the house.

- You’re no longer a Tendo, you hear me Maya! From this moment on, you stop being our daughter!

Her father reproaches her while her mother cries in the background all while she begins to walk out with her head high, not letting the threats of being repudiated, vilified and disinherited for choosing to be happy with the love of her life affect her.

Maya’s eyes soon meet Claudine’s ones, feeling those mesmerizing magenta eyes that drawn her in years ago welcoming her, before she feels her arms wrapping her and pulling her into a tight and warm hug.

- I love you, mon amour. I’m really proud of you.

Claudine tells her as she cups her cheeks and wipes away the tears that managed to fall.

- I really love you.

The ash-blonde whispers as they rest their foreheads together, smiling softly, before she gives her a short but tender kiss and pulls the brunette by the hand towards her car.

- Let’s go home.

Claudine says as she interlaces their fingers together, leaving a light kiss on them, and Maya can’t help but feel her heart fluttering happily upon the prospect of having a home, of their home, knowing that if Claudine is with her then it won’t matter whatever that happens because they’ll face it together.

That everything will be okay.

Chapter 28: You make my heart go Kuro Kuro goo

Summary:

Following Kaoruko’s recommended light novels, Maya uses a line from one of them to confess her love to Claudine in front of all of her friends while having breakfast all together.

You make my heart go Kuro Kuro goo

The sun is shining brightly on the clear blue sky when Tendo Maya wakes up, a yawn escaping her lips as her eyes flutter open slowly to contemplate her bedroom bathed in the star’s golden hues.

A soft smile spreads across her lips as she hears the chirpy singing of the birds outside her windows as if they were cheering on her.

Today is the day

She thinks to herself, the smile on her lips widening as she thinks on the present day being the day in which she’ll put in practice the advices of a certain sly blue haired girl and the recommended light novels that she gave her to confess to her ash-blonde partner.

With a happy smile still playing on her lips, Maya gets out of her bed and stretches, hearing her joins crack after a long but pleasant night of sleep and rest, before changing into more suitable clothes to go out for a little jog before breakfast.

But even though the brunette has woke up early, the little jog she has had to calm her nerves and plan how she will confess her feelings to Claudine, besides her following shower once she came back from it, makes Maya be late for breakfast.

- Maya-chan, you’re late!

- Behave.

Karen says in a lively way, before her hand ventures forward to grab one of the still steaming hot banana muffins on the table that Nana just baked, earning herself a light slap and a scold from Hikari, before Mahiru’s sweet giggling fills the air.

- Oh, did the infamous top star oversleep?

Claudine comments playfully as she grins with mirth to the brunette who can only smile back at her softly.

- I apologize for my tardiness. I went for a little jog.

- Ah, today is such a lovely day to go for a little jog.

Nana says dreamily, looking over the common room’s window to watch the sunny sight outside as the birds put the perfect melody to their group breakfast.

- It is indeed.

Maya answers calmly as she stands still by the large table.

- Well, sit and start eating before Nana’s meal grows cold.

- Or before Karen eats it all haha.

Junna says, before Futaba chimes in between laughs, prompting the brunette to take a seat and accompany them eating before it’s too late.

Maya can only nod in return with a small smile gracing her features, walking to her seat at the table. When she halts and clears her throat thinking it’s suitable to talk.

- Actually, if I would like to take a minute of your time.

She starts saying, the small smile playing on her lips turning coy as she shifts on her feet upon looking over her ash-blonde partner, seeing her blinking at her sudden change of demeanor.

- Ma Claudine – she starts, clearing her throat – I must say that *cough* y-you make my heart go Kuro Kuro goo.

- …

There’s a brief pregnant silence reigning over the room, before the sound of cutlery hits the table and a certain sly blue haired girl spits her tea wetting the pink haired girl’s face next to her.

Kaoruko’s roaring laugh soon mixes with Futaba’s displeased grumbles as she takes her napkin to clean her face, all while Mahiru and Nana giggle and Hikari and Junna groan, raising a hand to their faces in clear embarrassment. Karen for her part, can only blink confused not understanding anything yet smiling encouragingly to their brunette friend and her shy confession.

Maya for her part can’t help but feel proud of her confession, looking over Claudine to see the ash-blonde girl looking down with a hand covering her face.

Was it terrible?

Maya thinks to herself with worry, her proud smile turning into a sad pout as she observes the ash-blonde, before she hears her lovely voice.

- Tendo Maya! You... you’re an infuriating idiot!!

The ash-blonde outbursts, standing abruptly from her chair to walk past Maya to her own bedroom in a quick pace, her head low trying to hide the beet red blush covering her face and that reaches even the tips of her ears coloring them adorably.

Maya can only watch her leaving in a rush dumbfounded yet with worry, while Kaoruko wipes the tears from the corner of her eyes.

- Was it that bad? I followed the lines of a light novel about a purple braided haired God confessing to a pink haired kitsune that Kaoruko-san recommended me.

Maya admits with a sad pout on her lips, hearing Futaba snorting while Kaoruko assures her it was perfect. Junna can only sigh heavily into the hand covering her face, before Nana gets up to pat Maya’s shoulder in a comforting way and guides her friend to seat between she and a smiling Mahiru.

- Don’t worry, Maya-chan, I’m sure Kuro-chan liked it. But give her a moment to come to terms with it, okay?

Nana tells her reassuringly, seeing Maya smiling softly again, surely looking more cheerful than she did moments ago.

- I’m sure she did hahaha.

Kaoruko bursts out of laugh once again while Futaba rolls her eyes.

- Stupid Maya.

A certain ash-blonde girl complains inside her bedroom as she closes the door behind her to lean against it, her hands falling to her sides to reveal the still beet red blush tinting her features unable to admit she actually loved Maya’s silly way and lines to confess her love to her even though it was extremely embarrassing.

Notes:

The “referenced” light novel is this one

Chapter 29: Why are you petting me like a cat!?

Summary:

Maya can’t help but compare Claudine to an infamous grumpy Persian cat.

Why are you petting me like a cat!?

Her eyes roam over the last page of her book, humming contentedly with its ending, before she closes it and places it over the small table next to the couch to then let her eyes wander to the ongoing movie in the TV and to the ash-blonde girl next to her.

Maya can’t help but stare at her companion, watching her brow furrowing as she wrinkles her nose rather cutely at whatever is happening at the ongoing movie she’s watching attentively, the brunette being too engrossed on her own with the adorable sight in front of her to even actually care about it.

As she keeps observing Claudine’s expression, she can notice the hard look in her mesmerizing eyes glaring at the TV, before she grumbles something in her mother tongue, wrinkling her nose in disgust. The brunette can’t help but giggle quietly at it, before she gasps, suddenly remembering Claudine’s reminiscence to some famous cats memes on internet that Karen showed her once.

The more she stares at her, the more she can see Claudine’s similarity to some kind of Persian cat looking really grumpy, making the soft smile adorning her lips turn into a grin upon the amusing comparison.

Suddenly, an interesting idea crosses her mind, and Maya can’t help but find herself extending her hand towards her companion to scratch her under her chin.

*purr*

A loud purr escapes the ash-blonde’s lips shocking both girls, before Claudine blushes hard completely embarrassed by it and slaps Maya’s hand away from her chin, turning to look at her with the best glare she can muster even though her cheeks are tinted of a deep red.

- Why are you petting me like a cat, you infuriating woman!?

Claudine exclaims loudly and outraged, blushing even more if possible, and Maya can only giggle at her reaction, before she tries to control it upon the even harder glare the ash-blonde is giving her.

- I apologize, ma Claudine. You resembled to a grumpy Persian cat that Aijou-san showed me the other day.

- Hah!?

Claudine exclaims now completely outraged upon the comparison, glaring harder if possible at Maya as her nose wrinkles and she hisses, truly resembling to a cat, and Maya can’t help but wonder if she’d scratch her if she tries anything.

After considering her options and with a curious thought in mind, Maya can’t help but let her hand wander forward to reach under Claudine’s chin to scratch it once again, eliciting an embarrassed but contented loud purr from the other girl, before she realizes of it and slaps her hand away once again, turning her head so the brunette can’t see the deep blush tinting her cheeks.

- The nerve with you, infuriating woman!

Claudine exclaims out of her wits as she stands up from the couch abruptly to stride towards the kitchen.

On her walk, Maya can’t help but see her as the infamous Persian cat, walking off with her head high looking grumpy yet trying to hide the embarrassing blush still dusting her cheeks. She then notices her walking, seeming to see said cat walking off elegantly while moving its tail looking graceful and soft, making Maya start to laugh loudly at it.

She briefly sees Claudine turning around to glare at her in the distance and hiss, making her laugh even harder, tears flooding her eyes, before she wipes them away with the sleeves of her grey jersey and tries to calm down.

But she barely has the time to catch her breath and calm down when a “flying” clean cloth crosses the common room at full speed to hit her right on the face.

- You’re an idiot, Tendo Maya!

The yell of a certain outraged ash-blonde girl can be heard from the kitchen, making Maya giggle at how cute Claudine is while a stupid grin takes over her face.

Chapter 30: You’re worth all the money in the world

Summary:

Claudine can’t understand why she let Tamao and Kaoruko wrap her into this. She understands even less the high sums of money some women are willing to pay to have a date with her.

You’re worth all the money in the world

She can hear it in the distance, the muffled voices full of excitement filling every corner of the crowded medium sized hall.

A shaky sigh escapes her lips as the ash-blonde woman fidgets her hands in a futile attempt to calm the nerves bubbling inside her, almost laughing at the irony of what she’s about to do causing her to be even more nervous than when she has to go on stage and perform in front of hundreds of spectators.

- Why I’m even doing this?

She whispers to herself, closing her eyes to take a deep breath and calm herself, before a mischievous giggle makes them snap open again.

- Because it’s for a good cause, Saijo-han.

A mischievous dark blue haired woman says as she steps out of the shadows to walk beside her, her sly grin hidden by a fan that makes her look exactly as cunning as her senpai.

- Then I don’t see why aren’t you offering Rui to the audience too, or Futaba for the matter, Tamao.

The other woman can only laugh, before another sly giggle joins her making Claudine roll her eyes.

- My, my, Kuro-han, are you so scared to get auctioned alone that you want to drag our girlfriends with you?

Claudine hears Kaoruko saying playfully, before she glares at her, standing a bit taller on her ground.

- I’m just saying that if you wanted to raise more money for charity with this auction, you could have asked Futaba and Rui too.

- She has a point.

Tamao can’t help but add agreeing with Claudine, and Kaoruko can’t help but be the one rolling her eyes now.

- We all know that even though Rui would have loved to help, she’s too shy to have a date with a stranger.

- And Futaba?

Claudine presses knowing full well why the Hanayagi heiress didn’t let Futaba participate in this “mess” even though she wanted.

- Because she’s my fiancé, why of course~ and there’s no way I’m letting any stranger go after what’s mine – Kaoruko says with a wink, before resuming talking – You, on the other hand, my dear Kuro-han, are single. And who wouldn’t want to pay such high amounts of money for a date with one of the most famous and acclaimed stars of the international scene?

Claudine can only roll her eyes once again seeing Kaoruko winking at her while Tamao just giggles at their playful banter.

The ash-blonde can’t deny that as much as she’d have loved some company in the auction for charity, neither Rui nor Futaba would do as well as she can do no matter how much she disagrees.

Letting out a sigh, she allows Tamao to fix her appearance while Kaoruko squeezes her arm in a gesture of gratitude and steps from behind the curtains onto the stage.

- Now ladies and gentlemen, I hope you’re all having a wonderful dinner and are ready for this auction to begin.

Claudine hears the muffed voices breaking into excited and encouraging cheers, before Kaoruko continues.

- Let’s remember the money raised in this auction will go for charity, so the higher the biddings are, the better.

There’s a slight round of laughs being heard at the background, before Kaoruko calls out her name.

- Now let’s give a warm applause to our star for the night and the woman who you will be bidding to have a date with by the end of this dinner... Saijo Claudine!

Kaoruko announces, and Claudine can’t help but take another deep breath, before she goes on the stage.

- Don’t worry, Saijo-han. I’m sure it’ll go well.

Tamao says and the soft smile on her lips and her reassuring tone are enough to help Claudine to calm, stepping out to walk towards Kaoruko at the center of the stage with the spotlights almost blinding her as much as the roaring applauses of her eager audience deafens her.

- Shall we begin the bidding at… JP¥ 25,000?

Kaoruko inquires playfully, and Claudine can already see a great amount of hands raising at the same time at the offered sum, before a dance of numbers begins.

- 30,000!

She hears somebody yelling in the background, before another voice quickly counter offers increasing the sum.

- 45,000!

- 60,000!

People yell lively, and Claudine can only gulp at how quickly things seem to be escalating.

- 80,000.

A rather timid voice says close to the stage she’s on, and Claudine has to squint her eyes against the light of the spotlights illuminating her to find that the owner of such a melodic voice is no other than Mahiru.

The ash-blonde can’t help but look at her agape, seeing Mahiru smiling and waving at her shyly while blushing, before another voice cuts through the hall.

- 100,000!

Somebody yells at the background earning a wide smirk from Kaoruko.

- Wow, we’re already exceeding the sum of JP¥ 100,000 – she says, winking at Claudine – Does anybody bids more?

- 250,000!

A loud exclamation is heard in the hall, before Claudine squints her eyes to see a woman with curly pink hair. As her magenta eyes meet a pair of aquamarine ones, a gasp escapes her lips.

Wait, Yachiyo!?

She thinks surprised, seeing Yachiyo smirking and winking at her, before another and deeper voice cuts through the air.

- 500,000!

- I raise my bid to 750,000.

Yachiyo quickly counter offers, and Claudine feels about to pass out at the high sums of money being shout out from one side to another as if it’s nothing.

A tense silence fills the hall, before the sound of a gavel banging the wood lectern in front of her breaks it.

- The lovely pink haired woman bids JP¥ 750,000. Does anybody want to improve her bid? No?

Kaoruko replies without giving the audience a chance to reply, and somehow Claudine feels at peace at one of her best friends being the one winning the auction.

- Then JP¥ 750,000 going once… JP¥ 750,000 going twice, and-

- One million!

A deep voice shouts at the last second, and Claudine really feels about fainting now.

One million!? Who the hell would want to spend so much money in an absurd date!?

Claudine thinks to herself, her eyes scanning the audience in a futile attempt to see who bid so much money for a date with her, before they land on Yachiyo, almost pleading her to counter offer, just to panic upon seeing the pink haired woman shaking her head sorrowfully unable to offer more money for her.

- One million going once. One million going twice, and one million going thrice!! Sold to the lovely person at the background for one million! – Kaoruko announces happily, the hall bursting into applauses forcing Claudine to applaud awkwardly too – Thank you for have participated in this auction for charity projects, and congratulations to the booming person. You might want to step closer to meet your wonderful date.

Kaoruko says slyly, winking at Claudine as they walk towards the curtains to get off the stage.

- Oh, don’t worry, Saijo-han. It’s just a date – Tamao comments in between giggles, and Kaoruko can’t help but chime in.

- Who knows, you might enjoy your date and even want to do this more often to help if our dearest Kuro-han is able to raise a million.

The Hanayagi heiress says playfully, and Claudine is about to retort at her, when the same deep voice that “bought” her interrupts them.

- I hope not. I wouldn’t want to lose Saijo-san to Tsuruhime-san.

Claudine’s head quickly snaps to the side to see a certain infuriating brunette walking towards her with an infuriating grin adorning her lips.

- Tendo Maya? What are you… – Claudine begins to ask confused as to why Maya is there, causing the other woman to giggle.

- I’m afraid I’m here to demand my date with you.

Maya answers as she takes Claudine’s hand in hers to leave a kiss on it that snaps her out of her reverie.

- You, infuriating woman! Why did you have to spend a million for a date with me!?

Claudine exclaims taking her hand away from Maya as an adorable stubborn blush tints her cheeks.

- Because it was for a good cause – Maya states cheekily, before adding – Besides, I couldn’t let Tsuruhime-san win. Didn’t I already tell you that I’m a greedy woman?

Claudine can only blush even harder at her cheekiness, hearing both Kaoruko and Tamao giggling, before they run away after being the target of the ash-blonde’s deadly glare.

- Shall we begin our date, ma Claudine?

Maya asks as she offers her arm to the ash-blonde who can only grumble embarrassed yet link her own arm with her infuriating date’s one reluctantly.

- You didn’t need to spend so much money if you wanted a date with me, idiot.

Claudine mumbles shyly, seeing Maya smiling at her softly as a quiet giggle escapes her lips.

- Are you telling me that you would have gone with me on a date if I had asked?

- No! Yes… Maybe?

Claudine says even more embarrassed than before not wanting to give such a satisfactory answer to the brunette which only causes her to laugh.

- That’s good to know then. Although ma Claudine – Maya says, seeing Claudine looking into her eyes curiously as she turns to look at her and strokes her cheek – For all it matters, you’re worth all the money in the world.

- S-shut up, infuriating woman!!

Claudine exclaims completely red, hitting Maya’s chest lightly while earning the laugh of the other woman.

A couple of blue haired women can only watch this with amused smiles on their faces, while a pink haired woman approaches them.

- Tsuruhime-han, thank you for playing your part in this.

Kaoruko thanks her, and Yachiyo can only smile.

- Anything for a good cause and to help those two to finally get together. Although I have to admit if I wouldn’t be with Mei Fan, I’d have totally go for Kuro-chan.

She admits, and the three of them can’t help but laugh at it.

Notes:

Absolutely not me loving YachiKuro and having fun writing about these two even if it ends as KuroMaya >.<

Chapter 31: I believe it’s Kiss Day

Summary:

“Today is kiss day” it’s all Kaoruko says, but it’s enough for Maya to google about the date and search for a certain ash-blonde to get a kiss or rather several kisses from her.

I believe it’s Kiss Day

Maya is entering the dorms after have been taking a short walk around the city enjoying the peaceful and sunny weather, when she meets a short pink haired girl at the entrance, a warm smile spreading across her lips as soon as she sees her.

- Maya-chan! You’re up early.

Futaba greets her, eliciting a smile from the brunette as well as a quiet giggle once she bumps her fist against the other girl’s fist.

- Good morning, Futaba-san. I was taking a walk in this fine morning – Maya greets her, seeing Futaba grinning, before she continues talking – Are you also heading outside to take a walk?

This only earns a chuckle from the shorter girl as Futaba shakes her head.

- I wish, but nope, Kao wanted to watch one of those lame romcoms at the first session because it’s cheaper, so we’re going to the cinema.

Futaba explains and Maya can only smile because despite how Futaba doesn’t like those type of movies, or how hard Kaoruko tries to deny the fact she’s actually the one who likes them, the couple are still going out to spend a nice time together.

- I see. Well, I hope you still can enjoy it – Maya wishes her amicably, seeing Futaba smiling – Where’s Kaoruko-san though?

- Kao? She’s…

Futaba trails off as she looks behind her expecting to find her slow and still sleepy girlfriend trailing down the hallway, just to find it empty, blinking confused at it.

- I swear she was right behind me – she mutters under her breath, sighing as Maya giggles – Oi, Kaoruko, hurry up or we’ll be late!

- Ugh, I’m going Futaba-han! There’s no need to bully me so early in the morning.

Kaoruko mutters the last part as she finally appears on the hallway, making her girlfriend snort and roll her eyes, before resuming her walking to the exit of the dorms.

- I’ll go and start the motorbike up – Futaba tells her girlfriend, before talking to the brunette beside her – Have a good day, Maya-chan.

- You too, Futaba-san, and please be careful.

Maya wishes her, seeing the pink haired girl grinning and giving her thumbs up, before she disappears through the entrance to go to the parking lot to start up her motorbike.

Maya then greets a still slightly sleep Kaoruko with a soft smile on her lips.

- Good morning, Kaoruko-san. Enjoy the movie.

- I will – Kaoruko replies in between yawns walking past the brunette, making Maya chuckle at it and at how Futaba is so used to drive them like that – Oh, Maya-han?

The blue haired girl calls her name out, making the brunette pause as she was starting to head to her own room.

- Today is Kiss Day.

- Kiss Day? – Maya repeats confused, seeing Kaoruko grinning mischievously.

- Yep, Kiss Day, so I’m sure you know what to do.

Kaoruko tells the brunette, placing a finger over her own lips as she winks at her and disappears through the large doors leaving a confused Maya behind her. The top star wants to go after her and ask the blue haired girl what she meant clearly confused by the day, but instead, she just frowns and pulls her phone out of her pocket to google about the date.

As she walks through the hallway and goes upstairs, the brunette can’t help but read evertyhing about the date, an “O” of pure fascination forming on her mouth, before she reaches the top of the stairs and heads to her room, pausing for a moment staring at her door, then at the door across from hers biting her lips.

After debating for a brief moment, Maya puts her phone back in her pocket and takes a deep breath to walk towards the latter door, and unsure, the brunette raises one of her hands to knock on a certain ash-blonde’s door twice, waiting outside it patiently for her to open it or tell her to come in.

- Tendo Maya, what-

But Claudine can’t finish asking what did Maya wanted when a pair of soft lips meets hers in a kiss and interrupts her.

- Eek! W-what do you think you’re doing, you infuriating woman!?

Claudine exclaims outraged, hitting Maya’s chest lightly as a furious blush tints her cheeks that the brunette can’t help but find terribly cute.

- I believe it’s Kiss Day.

- Hah!?

- Kaoruko-san told me today is Kiss Day.

- Of course she did – Claudine mumbles under her breath, cursing the sly blue haired girl, before she sees Maya pouting adorably making her sigh – So what, you want a kiss from me?

She asks the brunette, seeing her cheering up happily at this while nodding, feeling as if she was seeing a dog wagging its tail happily. The ash-blonde can only sigh, before she gives in and kisses her on the lips briefly, softly, just to feel Maya pulling her into a deeper kiss.

- Tendo Maya, we said a kiss-!

She exclaims as Maya interrupts her once again with another kiss and pushes her inside her own room, closing the door behind them.

- I apologize, ma Claudine, but I don’t think I can be pleased with just one kiss.

Maya says, not in the slightest apologetic as she keeps kissing the ash-blonde much to Claudine’s dismay and embarrassment.

After all, it’s Kiss Day, and Maya is a very greedy woman, so one kiss won’t be enough for her…

Chapter 32: Breaking into your apartment and into your heart too

Summary:

After a long day of work, Claudine comes home to find that a certain brunette has break into it and filled it with many surprises for her birthday.

Breaking into your apartment and into your heart too

The first thing Claudine notices when she unlocks the door of her apartment and enters it, it’s a familiar and soothing lavender scent floating in the air.

A soft smile quickly spreads across her lips as she closes the door and closes her eyes to bask in it, breathing it deeply. As soon as she reopens her eyes, her magenta gaze lands on the large vase of yellow and purple flowers greeting her on the foyer cabinet.

Setting her bag on the coat stand and slipping off her sandals, the ash-blonde takes some steps to take the vase in her hands and bring the lively flowers to her nose, the soft scent of sunflowers and lavender transporting her to all those sunsets in which she and Maya used to get lost with their bicycles in fields filled with the aforementioned flowers in full bloom to enjoy the delightful mixture of spring and summer together.

A caring smile replaces her previous soft one upon such a fond memory, before she notices the pale orange note attached rather timidly to one of their stems.

“To my precious sun, because your smiles remind me to a sunny summer day.”

Claudine doesn’t need the note to be signed to know who those heartfelt words and elegant hand-writing belong to.

The ash-blonde can’t help but press the note against her lips and take the vase with her, smelling the flowers once more, before she walks with them to the kitchen to set them down on the table and let them brighten the room.

As she does it, she can't help but notice another and pale purple note resting over the wood of its surface.

“To my sweetheart, because you sweeten my hardest and saddest days with your laugh.

PS: Look in the refrigerator.”

The ash-blonde can only giggle at the cheesy dedicatory, before she goes to the refrigerator as the notes says and opens it to see a plate full of choco baumkuchens and macarons in it.

A wholehearted laugh escapes her lips, because of course the brunette would do something like that, before she indulges herself to steal one of Maya's baumkuchens in it and eat it on her way to her room, finding another surprise waiting for her on her bed.

Claudine chuckles at the sight of a black hoodie with a grumpy ash-blonde cat on its front along with a light grey note on it.

Shaking her head amused, Claudine opens the note to read its content.

“To my beloved grumpy cat, because you always keep me warm when it’s cold.”

Another giggle escapes the ash-blonde’s lips despite her girlfriend referring to her lovingly as grumpy cat, before she takes the hoodie in her hands thankful that it's a short sleeved one for summer and changes her creamy dress into it, along with a pair of blue shorts. She can't help but inhale Maya’s soothing scent, wondering if the brunette had sprayed some of her perfume on it or actually wore it.

A blush tints her cheeks upon the cute thought of Maya wearing the hoodie while considering (very seriously) letting her girlfriend steal it shamelessly so she could see the brunette wearing it, loving when Maya wears her clothes.

Clearing her throat upon such an embarrassing thought, Claudine takes another deep breath to let her cheeks return to their usual color and lets her eyes wander around the room looking for another surprise, when her gaze lands on a black and silvery book resting on her nightstand.

Feeling more excited than she already was, the ash-blonde walks closer to take it in her hands, her slender fingers brushing the silvery design embroiled on its cover, a rapier and a longsword crossed and intertwined with a couple of red roses beautifully.

“To my rose, to my star, because you push me to shine brighter, to be better.”

The book recites as soon as Claudine opens it, seeing a couple of lovely swans drew in it that the ash-blonde undoubtedly knows Maya didn’t draw, giggling as she recalls how despite being perfect, her girlfriend couldn't draw even if her life depended on it.

A fond smile paints her lips as Claudine flickers the page and gasps, finding a photography of herself when she was just a mere kid playing Arrie.

“The first time I saw you, I knew I was completely and irrevocably in love with you. But when I heard you singing, I knew my heart would always belong to you 💜”

Claudine reads the small but concise dedicatory beneath it, tears rolling down her face as she presses a hand over her mouth to suppress the sob escaping from it.

Not wanting to ruin it with her tears, Claudine closes the book full of photographies of she and Maya as well as warming dedicatories, and places it back on her nightstand, before she feels a pair of strong arms wrapping around her waist to pull her closer to the body behind her.

- You know, when I gave you the keys to my apartment for emergencies, I didn’t meant it so you could break in so happily.

The ash-blonde scolds her girlfriend with no malice in her voice, knowing the both of them how her words have a double meaning and stand for her heart too, not expecting the brunette top star to come taking heart by storm.

She hears Maya giggling happily in return, tightening her hold around her as she places a kiss on her cheek.

- I thought you loved it.

Maya says cheekily, making Claudine roll her eyes as she sinks more into Maya’s embrace, a soft but wide smile playing on her lips loving how sweet and thoughtful and also a bit sappy her girlfriend can be.

- Bon anniversaire, ma chérie.

Maya wishes her softly, smiling tenderly at the ash-blonde in her arms who turns to cup her cheeks and pull her into a deep kiss, resting their foreheads together while gazing into one another lovingly, before they share another deep tender kiss.

Claudine still has more time to keep enjoying Maya as her last gift before her birthday ends.

Chapter 33: The art of the eyeliner

Summary:

Even though Claudine loves to see her girlfriend sleeping soundly, it exasperates her to see Maya looking so beautiful even while doing it, so she decides to change that with the help of her eyeliner

The art of the eyeliner

That vexing, detestable and infuriating woman!

Argh, why does she have to look so damn cute and irresistible even while she sleeps!?

Claudine thinks to herself as she enters the common room and notices Maya sleeping soundly on the couch, her long silky hair falling perfectly over one of her shoulders creating a little curtain of stray locks that hides her precious face from any prying eyes. And yet, it prompts the ash-blonde to want to walk closer and tuck a strand of hair behind the brunette’s ear to keep enjoying in silence the calm expression adorning her features and the soft smile playing on her lips that makes her heart flutter.

The ash-blonde just wants to let her fingertips wander over her features, tracing ever so delicately her jawline enjoying the feeling of her smooth skin under her touch, before she lets her fingers travel up to her plump and oh so kissable lips and her nose...

As soon as Claudine catches up with her train of thoughts, she huffs and turns around in a grumpy way upon having let such a cute yet vulnerable side of Maya fool her, crossing her arms across her chest, before a brilliant idea comes to her mind.

A mischievous smirk quickly spreads across her own lips as she goes to her own bedroom calmly, trying to not to look suspicious and give away her intentions, to then take a black eyeliner from her make-up case.

If she can’t take how infuriatingly beautiful Maya looks even while she’s sleeping, she might as well do something about it, right?

She tells herself as a little mischievous giggle escapes her lips, walking ever so stealthily towards the sleeping beauty resting soundly on the couch completely unaware of her mischievous intentions.

The ash-blonde then can’t help but admire her infuriating girlfriend’s precious features for a bit longer, before she takes the cap off her eyeliner to begin to perfect the art of applying some “make-up” on Maya’s face, drawing funny little black swans on it. Soon enough, Maya’s mesmerizing amethyst eyes flutter open to trap her in them and in the glint sparkling in them as a smug grin replace the soft smile that played on her lips until mere seconds ago.

- Good afternoon, ma Claudine. Waking up to see such a captivating sight it’s truly a wonder.

Maya says cheekily, knowingly of what Claudine has been doing, making the ash-blonde snort at her sweet-talking, before the mischievous spark in Maya’s eyes sends a shiver down her spine.

Claudine barely has time to hide the proof of her crime, when slender fingers grab her wrist gently to pull her into a suffocating kiss that leaves her breathless.

As soon as they pull away to catch their breaths, Claudine feels those same plump and kissable lips finding their way to her face, peppering more kisses over it, before they effortlessly begin to go down kissing and nibbling every inch of her exposed neck, covering it in hickeys that will be harder to get rid of than the little swans Claudine drew on Maya’s face with her eyeliner.

- You detestable infuriating woman, stop-

*mwah*

A loud kiss on her lips cuts the ash-blonde off proclaiming Maya as the winner of their little game, before she snakes her arms around Claudine’s waist to pull her onto her lap and keep kissing and nibbling her, much to Claudine’s embarrassment and complaints towards an infuriatingly beautiful and very awake brunette.

- Oi, Kuroko, I’ve brought you some macarons from…

Futaba trails off, stopping dead in her tracks as soon as she enters the common room after having been outside taking her motorbike to repair it and going to the French girl’s favorite patisserie on her way back to the dorms to buy her some macarons.

The pink haired girl can only watch the scene unfolding in front of her with perplexity upon seeing a grumbling Claudine sat on Maya’s lap while pinching the cheeks of the brunette, who far from being bothered by it, seems to be more than amused by this, her light laugh contrasting with the ash-blonde’s grunting and swearing in her mother language.

The short girl can barely utter a word witnessing such a disturbing and amusing scene, before she cracks up, hearing Claudine letting out an embarrassed high-pitched squeal as she releases herself of Maya’s hold to glare at her and stomp past the laughing girl to her bedroom, huffing outraged while taking the bag full of macarons off Futaba’s hand and hurry away with a deep blush tinting her cheeks and maaaaany hickeys starting to bloom on her neck.

Maya for her part, can only stand up from the couch and follow her girlfriend with a dignified air in her despite having her face completely smeared of little black swans thanks to the ash-blonde’s wonderful art of applying the eyeliner on it.

Futaba manages to see Maya giving her a curt nod and a light smile, before disappearing upstairs, leaving the short girl bursting into laughs in the common room not sure who were more amusing, if Claudine or Maya, yet happy it was her who caught them and not a certain sly blue haired girl or else she would have given them a hell for sure.

Some kilometers away, said girl sneezes as she’s being dragged from a shop to another by Karen.

Chapter 34: Goodnight kiss

Summary:

Scientific studies mention that reading at night helps to sleep better, so Claudine will have to prove Maya that there’s another and less infuriating way to do it without ruining her sleep beauty

Goodnight kiss

Tendo Maya has always been, for a lack of a better word, an infuriating woman.

Claudine, of course, already knew this ever since the first time she held out her hand to the brunette to take it during their audition for the Seisho Music Academy.

She probably knew it even before meeting Maya that fateful day, but she couldn’t even fathom how infuriating sharing a bed with the brunette could be.

As the sun slowly goes back to its hiding place to rest and leave room to the full moon bathing everything in its silver light, the hustle and bustle of the day finally calms down as well as the heavy steps thudding to each shared room to sleep and recharge one’s batteries for the next day.

Yet, a certain ash-blonde has no choice but share hers with her infuriating brunette partner until the water leak and the resulting flooding in Maya’s bathroom is fixed.

- Tendo Maya, I swear if you don’t turn off the light right now and go to sleep, I’ll kick you out of my bed and let you sleep in the hallway’s cold floor for the remainder days that your bathroom takes to be fixed.

The ash-blonde threats her brunette companion, glaring at Maya as the top star looks back at her with an innocent look on her features almost resembling to a cute puppy after having been reprimanded.

- But ma Claudine, the book is just getting to the most interesting part, and I believe that finding out what happens next will help me to sleep better – Maya says with a timid smile on her lips – After all, several studies have prove that reading at night help people to sleep as well as improve the quality of their rest.

And while Claudine can’t refute such scientific studies knowing herself that reading a bit before going to sleep does help to rest better and sleep more peacefully, she also knows that if Maya keeps reading with the light on for who knows how long, it will mess up her sleep beauty and schedule, and she will wake up beyond tired and cranky the following morning.

- Do those studies also mention anything about ruining your companion’s sleep beauty and about her morning crankiness?

She tells the brunette, glaring at her once more while Maya can only blink a couple of times as if she was recalling if said studies mentioned something similar, before blushing ever so lightly.

- I’m afraid they don’t, ma Claudine.

Maya answers sorrowfully as well as a bit embarrassed, sighing dejected as she closes the book in her hands and places it on the small nightstand beside her. Claudine can only let out a sigh upon the brunette’s sad face, feeling bad for stopping Maya of continuing with her apparently really thrilling and interesting book.

- You know, some studies also mention another effective method to get a peaceful sleep.

At these words Maya’s mood seems to perk up, looking at the ash-blonde with wide curious eyes that do nothing but make Claudine blush.

- J-just turn the lights off and lay down.

Claudine can see Maya furrowing her eyebrows in utter confusion.

- But ma Claudine, I don’t think that’s-

- Just do it, infuriating woman!

Maya can only click her tongue, before quickly obliging, turning the small light on her nightstand side off, lying down on bed just like the ash-blonde inquired her.

Soon enough, she feels Claudine getting closer, her breath ghosting over her, before a pair of soft lips leaves a featherlight kiss on her forehead.

- G-goodnight, Maya – Claudine stutters quietly, happy Maya can’t see the adorable but deep blush tinting her cheeks and even covering up her ears.

Maya, for her part, can’t help but gasp surprised yet delighted by the gesture, letting out a quiet giggle, before pulling her arms around her ash-blonde companion, hearing her shriek as her own lips meet Claudine’s soft cheek.

- Goodnight, ma Claudine. Sweet dreams.

Maya whispers as she leaves another kiss on Claudine’s cheek, earning a grumble from her along the lines of “Mechante va”, while the French girl begrudgingly gets comfortable in the brunette’s embrace and the both of them quickly fall asleep into a deep and peaceful slumber on Claudine’s queen-sized bed.

Maybe a goodnight kiss is better than reading a book to have a peaceful night of sleep.

Chapter 35: You’re not injuring yourself further

Summary:

It’s just an ankle sprain. Claudine can still walk even if it’s with the help of crutches, but of course Maya won’t let her, taking her in her arms whenever her girlfriend needs to go somewhere much to the ash-blonde’s embarrassment

You’re not injuring yourself further

It all happens in a moment.

Claudine is doing her routine, twirling ready to pose at the end of it, when suddenly, Karen crosses her way.

Trying to avoid colliding against the auburn haired girl and send the both of them to the floor, Claudine tries to spin in the opposite direction with such a bad luck that she ends up spraining her ankle and falling to the floor in the process.

A sharp pain makes her yelp and clutch her left ankle instantly as tears peak through the corner of her eyes.

- Kuro-chan! I’m so sorry, are you okay!? – Karen yells distressed, almost at the verge of crying as she rushes to kneel beside the ash-blonde worried for her.

Soon enough, the auburn haired girl is accompanied by their teacher, Sakuragi-sensei, and a certain brunette.

- Claudine? – Maya asks concerned for her partner, before Claudine feels Sakuragi-sensei’s hand over hers.

- Saijou-san, are you okay? Let me take a look of your ankle.

The older woman asks her as Claudine lets their teacher take a look of her ankle, feeling her hands touching it ever so delicately careful to not hurt her further. As the teacher presses a bit harder, Claudine can’t help but hiss.

- Sorry – the teacher says apologetically, touching the ash-blonde’s ankle a bit longer, before sighing – It doesn’t feel broken, but you should go to the nurse and get it checked. Do you think you can walk to the infirmary by yourself, or would you need somebody to take you there?

Sakuragi-sensei asks, seeing Claudine opening her mouth to answer her, when a certain brunette butts in.

- That won’t be necessary, Sakuragi-sensei. I’ll be taking Saijo-san there myself.

Maya offers, a soft smile playing on her lips that only widens once she looks at Claudine and sees her frowning.

Soon enough, the ash-blonde feels an arm going under her knees while another one goes around her back to lift her effortlessly, finding herself in the arms and the tight hold of the brunette, much to her embarrassment.

- Tendo Maya, put me down. I’m perfectly capable of walking to the nurse by myself.

- I apologize, ma Claudine, but I’m afraid I can’t do that. It’s deemed of you to not get hurt any further, so I shall take you there.

Maya says calmly, smiling at the ash-blonde in her arms softly, who even blushing hard, can’t help but sigh and comply to the brunette’s delight and a certain sly blue haired girl’s amusement.

As Maya begins to walk away with her in her arms, the ash-blonde can’t help but hear Kaoruko giggling mischievously and wanting to tease her, before Claudine notices Futaba covering her girlfriend’s mouth to prevent her from saying anything as they go past them in their way to the school’s infirmary.

The ash-blonde can only glare at the blue haired girl as hard as she can muster, before sighing and sinking into Maya’s hold, resting her head on her chest. The brunette can only smile in return, kissing Claudine’s head as she keeps walking with her in her arms.

But that doesn’t stop there, and once they talk to the nurse, another and embarrassing problem emerges for Claudine.

- It doesn’t seem something of importance but a minor sprain that will heal in a couple of days. However, I recommend you to rest and avoid practicing any kind of sport or dance for a week until it heals completely, Saijou-san.

The school’s nurse tells her, seeing Claudine nodding as the older woman moves the ice pack away from her slightly swollen ankle and applies some ointment on it for the swelling and the pain, before she wraps it in a not too tight bandage.

- I also recommend you to put some ice on it to reduce the swelling and apply some ointment to help with it, and use the crutches I’ll lend you to walk in the meantime.

The nurse tells her, yet Maya, who has been respectfully in silence beside the ash-blonde the whole time while taking mental notes of everything the nurse says, decides to chime in.

- That won’t be necessary, Taniguchi-san – she says referring to the crutches.

- Maya!

Claudine exclaims outraged, looking at Maya wide eyed, only to see the brunette giving her a nonchalant smile.

- I can carry you wherever you need, ma Claudine.

- No! I refuse to be carried around wherever nor whenever I need to walk – Claudine exclaims, glaring to a sad Maya, before she looks at the nurse beside them embarrassedly, noticing the amused expression on the old woman’s face that does nothing but make her blush – T-thank you for borrowing me the crutches, Taniguchi-san.

The nurse only chuckles, handing the ash-blonde the aforementioned crutches, before she leaves both girls alone.

- But ma Claudine, there’s no need for you to injure yourself further when I can carry you around.

Maya explains softly, making Claudine blush at the brunette’s pouty expression and care, yet sigh softly, bringing a hand up to cup and stroke the brunette’s cheek fondly.

- And I appreciate it, ma Maya. I really do, but I promise you that I can walk myself with the help of the crutches without injuring myself further.

Claudine tells the brunette, somehow managing to convince her girlfriend, before she tries to take the crutches in her hands to begin walking back to the dorms with them. Sadly, Maya has other plans and is faster than her snatching them out of her reach.

- Maya…

The ash-blonde warns the brunette in a patient way, seeing her girlfriend shaking her head, before giving her the best puppy eyes she can muster.

- No, ma Claudine. I’m carrying you back to the dorms. Please, allow me this at least.

And even though Maya is serious, Claudine can’t resist the damn puppy eyes her girlfriend gives her, sighing as she gives in.

- Fine.

She mumbles, seeing Maya’s happy smile lightening up her cute features, before the brunette positions herself in between her legs ready to piggyback ride her to the dorms. Claudine can only blush hard at it, yet reluctantly hug her girlfriend and hold tightly onto her, hiding her face in her long hair.

The pleasant and soothing aroma of Maya’s lavender shampoo quickly fills her nostrils, making the ash-blonde close her eyes to enjoy it while thanking mentally that the brunette isn’t carrying her back to the dorms in a bridal style.

Maya, for her part, can only scoop her happily and take the crutches with her as they begin to walk like that to the dorms.

But of course that doesn’t end there, and once they’re at the ash-blonde’s dorm, Maya makes a statement of staying with her for as long as she’s injured and in need of using the crutches.

- Tendo Maya, I don’t need to- eek! What do you think you’re you doing, infuriating woman!?

Claudine squeals, hitting the brunette’s chest lightly as Maya takes her in her arms once again in a bridal style, kissing her fully on the lips to then take her to the bathroom so she can use it and get changed to bed, much to Claudine’s complete embarrassment.

- I apologize, ma Claudine, but I’m not letting you injure yourself further.

The brunette repeats once again, firmly as she waits outside her girlfriend’s bathroom already in her pajamas.

The ash-blonde can only huff frustrated and embarrassed, before opening the door already glaring at Maya who far from shrinking at her girlfriend’s deadly glare, only smiles cheekily and scoops her in her arms, kissing her once again to take her to her big queen-sized bed and lie her down on it carefully, placing her injured foot on a fluffy pillow.

Of course, after this, the ash-blonde doesn’t have the heart to be mad at her girlfriend any longer, especially not when Maya looks at her so softly with those damn concerned puppy eyes and sweet smile.

- Whatever.

She murmurs quietly while blushing lightly, seeing Maya laying down next to her while opening her arms. The ash-blonde can only sigh and move to rest on her while the brunette hugs her tightly.

- I’m still mad at you for carrying me around so shamelessly.

The ash-blonde complains, making Maya giggle and kiss her sweetly, before tucking her under her chin, tightening her hold around her.

- I can’t say I’m sorry about it, ma Claudine.

The ash-blonde can only roll her eyes at her cheeky girlfriend and give in, hugging the overprotective brunette under her while resting her head more comfortably on Maya’s chest, listening to her heartbeats lulling her to sleep with just one thought in her mind:

It’s going to be a veeeery long and probably embarrassing week, but she’s happy she has Maya beside her making sure she’s okay.