Work Text:
Mizuki sighs loudly, waiting to catch her girlfriend's attention for the seventh time in the last hour, without success. Although they planned a sleepover days ago, Ena was assigned an art project that has kept her hands full, and she hasn't really done anything else since Mizuki got there. It's been an hour.
Of course, Mizuki understands. More than anything, she admires her. Lately when Ena paints, there is a new sparkle in her already beautiful eyes. In fact, at first she devoted herself to watching Ena closely, studying every little gesture she made. Every time she bit her lower lip, every time she frowned, every time she puffed out her soft cheeks; and her favourite part, every time she drew something she was proud of and a small smile appeared on her face.
For Mizuki, admiring her girlfriend all afternoon is a great plan. Much better than being at home. However, Ena blushed profusely when she realised she had been watched for the last half hour and forbade Mizuki from sitting near her to look at her work. In other words, she punished the girl by sending her to the bed while she continued drawing in her chair, which is, if you ask her, very unfair.
Now she is lying down, staring at the ceiling as if it were her personal enemy, thinking about what to do to entertain herself. Of course, she could grab her phone, but it's dead, and Ena does not have an electrical outlet next to her bed (what the hell?). Besides, when she asked if she could borrow a device to watch a film, Ena simply replied, "No, it distracts me," without even looking at her.
She's starting to get annoyed by the way she's being ignored. Of course, she appreciates Ena and her art, which is such an essential part of her, but she also appreciates... having her around. Emotionally. Even though they're only two metres apart, Mizuki can sense that Ena is in another world, which is both fascinating and frustrating.
Luckily, she has devised a wonderful plan that will allow her to enjoy her girlfriend's company again.
Mizuki looks up at the A/C like it's her partner in crime and sits on the bed with a mischievous smile on her face. She knows very well that Ena hates the cold, and she knows that she tends to get clingy at low temperatures. Even if she notices that it was Mizuki who caused the cold atmosphere, Ena won't be able to resist her long, warm hugs, and she'll have her girlfriend back.
She takes the remote control for the A/C to turn it on, and startles herself with the little beep it makes. She looks at Ena, afraid she has ruined her plan, but of course the artist didn't bat an eye at the sound, still immersed in her creation. Although her lack of response bothers her somewhat, Mizuki turns the A/C up to the maximum with a satisfied smile. It's a necessary evil; she just hopes the Shinonome's electricity bill won't be too high.
Due to the power setting on the unit and the already cool autumn air, it doesn't take long for the room to cool down to levels that are little more than uncomfortable. Mizuki begins to feel herself freezing, so she turns off the A/C, waiting for Ena's reaction. Ena, for her part, seems somewhat restless, rubbing her hands together every so often and shivering occasionally. Mizuki almost feels bad for sabotaging her, until, without saying a word, Ena gets up, grabs a lilac cardigan from her wardrobe, and puts it on as she returns to work.
Mizuki is about to get seriously frustrated, then she realises that it's her own cardigan, which she took off when she arrived. It doesn't match what Ena's wearing, but to Mizuki it looks perfect. It reminds her that this beautiful girl is her girlfriend. At this point, she doesn't know whether to be embarrassed or offended, but she blushes anyway.
"Ena! That's mine!"
"Yeah, I know. So what?" Again, she speaks without looking at her.
"Well, if you're cold, why won't you hug me instead?" Mizuki ventures shyly.
"Because that would distract me, duh."
With that simple answer, the conversation ends. She has failed to attract Ena. Even worse, she has wronged herself, because now the cold feels unbearable and a certain girl has taken her cardigan. She has no choice but to sneakily open the window and grab one of Ena's pillows to hug; she doesn't think it's right to use her sheets yet.
As recent events have shown, making Ena uncomfortable does not contribute to her plan and has significant side effects (she hates having cold feet). Therefore, Mizuki decides to change her strategy. Instead, she will draw attention to herself and wait for Ena to approach her on her own. That's probably what she should have tried from the beginning, but mistakes are for learning, right?
After thinking about it for a while, Mizuki begins to sing The Light That Dwells Here in a soft voice, acting like she's doing it out of boredom and not at all to get Ena to look at her. She doesn't rush to get to the chorus even though she wants to, because she knows that's Ena's favourite part and Mizuki wants to believe that Ena will join her by then.
To her surprise, Ena doesn't wait, and halfway through the pre-chorus, she begins to whisper the lyrics. Her voice grows stronger as the song progresses, and it's obvious that her concentration shifts from art to singing when she stops her right hand and closes her eyes, lost in the music.
Mizuki is happy to hear her, but she really smiles when Ena turns to look at her, still singing the last parts of the chorus. It's funny how synchronised they are, as they are improvising the line distribution without Kanade and Mafuyu, yet the verses flow by themselves. They both soften their gaze as they finish the song, just smiling at each other silently afterwards.
"Why did you start singing that?" Ena asks.
This is her chance. "Uh, nothing in particular, just felt like it. Do you want to sing more?"
Ena's smile widens. "Yeah, I actually do."
Mizuki celebrates with a silent scream, though it's not like she can hide it. She jumps out of bed. "Really?! Where do you want to start? I was thinking Envy baby–"
As she approaches her, Ena seems to react. She tries not too subtly to hide whatever is on her tablet by holding it close to her chest. "Ah, sorry, Mizuki. I've got to finish this as soon as I can. We'll have plenty of time after that, alright?"
Mizuki steps back, sits down on the mattress again and pretends she's not bothered at all. "Yeah, no problem. You do that and I–"
"Thanks," Ena says before going back to the draw.
That's something she hasn't mentioned. For some reason, Ena doesn't want her to see what's on the screen. It's not the first time, and probably not the last, that Ena refuses to let her see her art until it's finished, so she didn't pay much attention to it at first, but Mizuki notices that this naturally happens when she's in a bad mood or experiencing some art's block. The sparkle in Ena's eyes and the ease with which her fingers decorate the white background suggest that neither of those things are happening, so it must be a third thing.
Her mind inevitably turns to the romantic possibility. Wouldn't it be nice if Ena were drawing her instead of an art project? It's not that she's asking to be her muse; she knows that wanting something like that is too much when they haven't even been together for two months. Still, Mizuki daydreams about Ena asking her to hold a particular pose, about accidentally distracting her every time they share a glance, about having a portrait of herself created by the person she loves most. If only Ena were painting her at that moment.
Then, for the third time that evening, Mizuki has a brilliant idea. What's better way to get Ena to make her her muse than by inspiring her to do so? With a change of clothes and a little make-up, she should be ready, and she knows very well what Ena has in her closet given how often they go shopping together.
With a new plan in mind, Mizuki smiles at her ingenuity and jumps out of bed once again, not that Ena notices anyway. Now in the wardrobe, she notices that Ena has more clothes than she once thought, but she also remembers that their styles are quite different. Of course, that's not going to stop her. If there's one thing she can say with complete confidence, it's that she's good at looking pretty, so with her hands on her hips and a confident smile, Mizuki gets to work.
After a few minutes of thorough searching, a white dress with brown and green details catches her attention enough to consider it. It's not something she would wear in a place full of clothes, but she thinks it would be a shame not to try it on with the beautiful details around the neck and the fact that it's quite long (an important aspect, since Ena is not her height). Maybe she'll even change her hairstyle a little. She decides on the outfit and goes to the bathroom, not without first telling Ena, although she doubts she heard it.
Her return is, of course, glorious. She can safely say that the outfit suits her better than she first thought, and she did nothing more than change her side ponytail to a traditional high ponytail to create a slightly bigger impact. If it doesn't work (which she honestly hopes won't happen), at least she had fun playing dress-up with her girlfriend's clothes.
As she opens the door to Ena's room, she strikes a pose that she later notices looks suspiciously like one of Tsukasa's. "Ena, look how pretty I am~"
Her girlfriend's first reaction is to roll her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, I know you're pretty, but I have to–"
She's not sure if she's speechless because of how good she looks or because of how random her change in appearance is. Most likely it's both. But looking good won't achieve her initial goal if she doesn't make the most of it, so she smiles and flips her hair as if she were in a shampoo and toothpaste ad at the same time.
I didn't plan this very well.
"I look great, don't I?"
Ena stands up, ready to scold her. "Mizuki! You're going to ruin my clothes! You're not my type!"
That brings her hopes down. "Huh?"
"Not that type, I meant our bodies aren't the same size because you're tall– oh, fuck it, just why did you put this on?"
Beneath her frustration, Mizuki sees a hint of genuine surprise. It's progress. "I looked at it and liked it, so I tried it on. It's not like you aren't wearing my stuff too."
Ena looks at the cardigan on her. "This is different! I'm cold, you're playing dress-up the doll."
"So I look like a doll?"
"Well, yeah... I mean, no you don't. Take that off."
She can't let that opportunity slide. "Oh, Ena, I think we're too young."
"On your own!"
Mizuki giggles. "Fine, fine. Though in all honesty, I look better than before. Maybe you should take a picture or... something to immortalise it, right?"
"Don't say that like you're never visiting again, but you do look good... A picture wouldn't hurt. Now where's my phone?"
Her initial goal was not met, as Ena is as dense as a rock. Still, Mizuki is happy to spend real time with her beyond just being in the same space. She'll take what she can get.
"Okay, found it. Say cheese." She doesn't, she makes a silly pose instead. Ena looks resigned more than anything. "I guess that works too. And... taken."
"Yay! Tell me, did I look good?"
"Yeah, yeah, you always look good." Ena says, staring at the picture she just took.
"Ena, I'm right here."
When their eyes meet, Mizuki doesn't expect such a tender look from Ena. She looks at her as if she were a work of art, her best work of art, and such devotion is going to drive her crazy. As much as she feels her chest warm at such a gaze directed at her, she can't help but look away.
"Hey, I'm not a sculpture either, you know?" She scratches the back of her head.
"Right. There's something different though. Did you put on lip gloss?"
She noticed. Oh God, she's looking at her lips.
"Yeah, a little. Why?"
Ena takes a few steps towards her, and her gaze drops to her lips when she is a few inches from her face. Mizuki didn't plan to get a kiss out of her shenanigans, but she's not complaining. She'll steal her girlfriend's clothes every time she visits if this is her reward. Once Ena gets even closer, Mizuki closes her eyes, waiting for a sensation that never comes.
"I think that one is expired."
Her eyes fly open as she hears her and processes what that means. "What?!"
Mizuki takes a step back and compulsively wipes the lip gloss from her mouth with the back of her hand as she tries to remember if she accidentally licked her lips at some point. She did. Fear creeps into her system.
"Oh, shit. Oh, shit. Oh, shit. I tasted it, Ena. Am I going to die? I can't die this young, I'm too cute for that!" She may be overreacting, but she doesn't care.
Mizuki looks at Ena, who doesn't respond to her spiralling rant, only to see her trying not to laugh. What about this is funny?! "Ena! Don't laugh! I could die!"
"Do you really think I'd keep something expired in my closet? You're very easy to fool sometimes."
Ah. It was a trap. And she fell for it like a fool. What is she supposed to do with her right hand full of lip gloss now?
"Enaaa! It's not funny to trick your girlfriend like that! You made it look like you were going to kiss me on purpose too, didn't you?" She pouts as she crosses her arms.
Ena doesn't appreciate her complaints, although she doesn't look regretful. "Oh, shut up. I was going to kiss you at first, but I got an idea to get back at you and I did it."
"Get back at me?"
"For trying to distract me."
Oh. She knows.
Well, fuck.
Mizuki uses her old strategy and giggles. "Whaat? What are you talking about? I'm just wearing something I saw and liked."
"Yeah, yeah, because that's completely your style and not something you did to take my eyes off the drawing, right? Just like starting to sing out of nowhere."
Being caught red-handed bothers her a little. "Ah, fine, I did wanna distract you. Happy now?"
"Not really, no. Why would you do that?"
"Because you've been drawing for an hour and a half without even stopping for snacks!"
"I don't stop for snacks when I draw."
Holy liar. "Eh? That's a lie, I hear you eat on Nightcord all the time."
"I mean yeah, but that's more like– hey! Don't change the subject!" Ena puts her hands on her hips.
"It was you who changed it! Why are you drawing so much tonight that I'm here?"
Ena is about to fight back against what she said, but she pauses for a moment and then looks somewhat guilty. Mizuki regrets her words when she sees that expression on her face, a face as pretty as Ena's should never carry sadness.
"Ugh, I guess it's the truth. I'm... sorry for ignoring you today. I thought I'd finish the painting quicker." She looks down.
It's easy to understand now. Stopping drawing would be admitting that it's taking longer than expected, and admitting that would be acknowledging that she's too slow to keep up with her own plans. Ena hates feeling behind, even when the competitor is herself.
Mizuki takes her hand. "Hey, it's okay. I just want to spend time with you, but I want you to do what you want."
Ena looks at their hands, then lets out a sigh. "No, I should make sure my guest is having a good time. Seeing me painting for hours must be so boring."
"What are you talking about? I love that."
Ena meets her eyes again. "Eh? Since when? You always complain that I don't let you see what I draw and just waiting for it is a nuisance."
"That's not it at all! You don't really let me be near you while you're making art, so that's why it gets boring, but admiring your profile meanwhile is so nice."
Only when she sees a new sparkle in Ena's brown eyes Mizuki becomes aware of what she has said. The words came out so naturally from her mouth that they didn't feel like an intimate confession, more like an unspoken truth.
Of course, this doesn't stop her from stuttering with embarrassment. "I mean, because you look all focused. And you get this... light in your eyes? Like... like you're part of the pen, you know? Wait, does that make sense...? Sorry, I'm just rambling. Let me start again, I–"
"Mizuki." Ena stops her with a tender smile.
"Yeah?"
"Just say you like to see me draw."
She gets a bit uncomfortable being straightforward, which contradicts what she did just now. "Eh... I like seeing you draw, Ena."
"Then why haven't you?"
"You didn't let me sit next to you and stare."
"Of course not! Do you realise how much of a weirdo you're being when you do that?"
"I'm still allowed to watch you create your masterpieces!" Mizuki cries.
As expected, the term touches Ena. She becomes softer. "Don't call it that, no need to be dramatic. But I guess I see what you're saying. It's just that having your face so close... doesn't let me focus on what I'm doing at all."
Mizuki blushes, but acts like she's the one who isn't bothered. "Makes sense, someone as cute as me is something you don't get to see in the wild often, huh?"
"Ugh, you're so annoying. Makes me want to kiss you to shut you up."
Mizuki gets surprised by that. "Hey! We made a rule not to do that! You made it!"
"Yeah, when it's you kissing me, not the other way around."
"Now how is that fair?!"
Someone knocks on the door aggressively, then opens it without waiting for an answer. A certain redhead. "Hey, can you guys tone it down? I can hear you yell. And what are you wearing?"
Mizuki strikes a little pose again. "Ena's clothes."
"Deal with it, when you train here I don't say anything about how you sound."
Akito looks offended by the shameless lie. "You do! That's why I train outside!"
"I'm sorry, otouto-kun. Ena is not in a good mood right now."
He sighs. "When is she in a good mood? Anyway, if you show Akiyama that portrait of you two, at least try to be quiet."
Portrait? Of them?
"Huh?"
Ena is alarmed when Mizuki looks at her for answers. "Akito, she didn't know!"
"Eh? You said you were going to tell her today after you finished it. Did you change the date or...?"
Now Ena is really mad. "Shut up and leave already! This is none of your business!"
"Jeez, fine, my bad."
Akito just closes the door. He'll probably have to apologise later, but more importantly, now Mizuki understands why Ena hasn't stopped drawing and why she's not allowed to see the drawing either. She's also deeply happy.
"That's what that drawing is?"
Ena looks down. "I was supposed to finish it before you got here, but I kept making mistakes and getting distracted. It's still like that even now, I don't get it."
So it was an art block, and she was wrong to think otherwise. Oops. Still, the reason isn't usually random, so if she finds out why Ena can't draw as well as she always does, she might be able to make her girlfriend happy again.
"When did it start?"
"When I read the message that you were on your way and took that selfie. Maybe I just miss my selfie account? I don't feel like posting a photo though. This is so frustrating." She takes her pen from the table and thinks about throwing it, but decides against it. "Anyway, I'm sorry."
Mizuki, on the other hand, has already solved the problem. She's actually a bit shy about saying it. "Ena, maybe you were excited because I was coming?"
The artist doesn't make a sound. Mizuki is starting to get worried when Ena finally looks at her with a face that screams 'bitch, I didn't think of that'. Then comes the denial.
"No, it can't be that. I've seen you plenty this week, why would that make me excited?" She crosses her arms.
"I mean, we're in love, right? It's normal."
"Nah, it's not that."
"Ena..."
"Shut up!"
Ena sits down at her desk again, pretending she's going to draw, although Mizuki notices how she removes her old drawing from the screen at the speed of light and starts a new one. Smart. She was definitely going to try to see what it was.
Her face is a mixture of anger and embarrassment. Mizuki should probably wait a few minutes until the former disappears. She won't.
"Ena~ it's okay, I knew you love me already." She gets close to her desk.
"Shut up."
"You don't gotta act all tsundere, just admit the truth."
"I'm not!"
"I was excited too to come by–"
"Mizuki, I swear to God."
"–to see my beautiful girlfriend and spend the night cuddling and kissing."
Ena stands up, red as a tomato, which makes Mizuki smile. It's so easy to get her like that and she still loves it like it's day one. Next, Ena takes Mizuki's face in her hands. She knows what's coming. Dammit.
"You're a little bitch."
A kiss is of course the easiest way for Ena to destabilise her, so when Mizuki feels her mouth against hers, she tells herself she has to be strong, as if that would work. She grabs her hips and tries not to look desperate, which proves impossible the moment Ena begins to invade her mouth, and Mizuki just sighs and surrenders to whatever she does.
Even if she feels she should fight for dominance of the kiss just so she doesn't feel so defeated, the delicacy of Ena's lips, which contrast so well with her passion for kissing, and her characteristic cheesecake flavour, leave her unable to conspire or plan anything. She can only enjoy the intoxicating feeling and smile every time Ena bites her lower lip.
Finally, she pulls away, needing some air. Mizuki opens her eyes only to see her victorious face, still flushed. "See how it feels now?"
She can barely speak, she just wears a stupid little smile, but she does her best. "It was just a peck when I did it."
"Still! Shutting someone up with a kiss is rude."
"You just–"
"To prove a point." Ena gives her one last kiss on the nose and sits down again. "Anyway, I guess you were right. It's harder to draw because I'm excited you're here."
That makes her smile bigger. "Haha, I was right."
"Yeah, yeah. So... can I give it to you in a couple of days? I'll make up for the delay."
Mizuki nods. "Sure! But why is the date important?"
"Uhh... maybe this will make it clearer."
Ena goes to look for something in her wardrobe. She comes back with a gift box that Mizuki doesn't remember seeing there. Was it hidden or something?
"What's in there?"
"Open it."
Mizuki looks at her girlfriend doubtfully, but her eyes look kind, so she assumes it's not a prank. She struggles a bit to open the box without ruining the wrapping paper, a nervous laugh escaping her throat.
"Can you do it? I don't wanna–"
"Oh, jeez."
Ena breaks the whole thing, which gives away that she did not do the wrapping. She's about to tease her for that, then she sees what's inside.
She can't believe it.
"I don't know if you have one but... two is better than one anyway."
Ena takes the transgender flag out of the box and shows it fully extended, stretching her arms as far as she can. It looks kinda funny how the flag covers most of her body. Mizuki feels pure euphoria in her chest, her smile can't get any bigger.
"Are you crying?"
Is she? She blinks, and a tear falls.
"Don't cry, darling."
It's not often that Ena calls her darling, it's really an important moment. Mizuki tries to stop herself but she just bursts into tears the second Ena gets closer to her with the flag in her hands and looks at her with that genuine, soft care.
"You... bought this for me."
"Yeah. I love you, of course I did."
She tries to speak, but a sob comes out instead. She's so pathetic. "I'm sorry, I don't know why I'm crying."
"I do. And it's okay. Happy Trans Awareness Week, Mizuki."
Ena puts the flag over her and ties the ends around her neck like a cape. Mizuki looks down at the colours now falling down her back, another sob escapes her. She's happy, so immensely happy. Ena wipes her tears away.
"This is... so cheesy of you. There's not even a parade or anything."
"That's exactly what I'm drawing."
"Huh?"
She smiles holding her face."One day we'll go to a march together. I wanted to draw that future so you never forget it until it happens." Her voice is sweeter than ever.
Mizuki smiles again, then kisses Ena on the lips for a few seconds. "I won't forget. Thanks, Ena. You... make me so happy."
Ena looks proud. "I know. The flag doesn't really fit with that dress, by the way. But it does combine with your hair."
"Of course you'd turn this into a fashion matter."
"You like fashion more than I do, traitor."
Mizuki laughs and kisses Ena once more. This time Ena doesn't let her go for more than a few seconds. She feels so warm that it's as if she's floating, but she pulls away suddenly. "Wait, with my crying I taste kinda weird right now, don't I?"
Ena rolls her eyes. "Like I give a shit."
In the next kiss, Ena shows that she really doesn't care in the way her tongue plays with Mizuki's and caresses her cheek. She ends it a little sooner so as not to overwhelm Mizuki with too many good emotions. Mizuki is grateful for that.
"And next time tell me if you're bored, okay? Don't just be a pain in the ass."
"Hehe, are you sure you love me that much?"
"I bought another flag to keep in my room."
"What?!"