continued - @crownslight .
she’s got her fingers laced through hikari’s still from dragging her along ; she kept up so well despite it being so early that the sun has hardly peeked out ! she’s apologized already, multiple times for dragging her up & out of the room so suddenly, but ! it’s all for a good cause !!! she’d spent the day previous scoping out the whole area, counting, and recounting when she lost count, and writing down all the places they needed to go. the first stop has brought them out of the dorms, as planned, beneath the bike rack ; she hadn’t accounted for it being so cold, the thought of winter mornings entirely slipping her mind then. she can already see the corner of hikari’s lips quirk, like they do when she’s about to speak, & it is then that she’s pressing forward, legs stilled from their shifting of warmth seeking weight to do so, her own lips falling upon the tell-tale sign of complaint. that’s this one fulfilled, right? or, no, wait kaoruko-chan said they had to be actual kisses, didn’t she?
she regrets letting go of hikari’s hand the moment she does, forearms finding her shoulders instead so that that hand may join with her other behind the other’s neck ( this is how, right? ). try as she might, she’s not able to keep chilled fingers from brushing the skin there, & when there’s a shiver, it is a rushed response to fly from her, ‘ i know, i know ! i’m sorry !! it’s just, i heard it’s bad luck if you don’t do ‘em all, & there’s a lot, so i had to get you up early, & oh! ’ right ! this one first, more explaining when her words don’t come out on a shaky chatter. instead of using her leverage to pull hikari in, she steps in closer, standing the slightest bit up on her toes so that she may press her lips firm to hikari’s. a good kiss is at least three to five seconds, she’d been told ! and so she stays, a count kept somewhere loosely in her mind, a bit muddled by the warm exhale hikari gives through her nose ; it falls against her cheek in such a contrast from the air around them that she lingers, just to experience it again.
& when she pulls away, it is another huff of air that falls across her features, forehead pressed to the other’s in a search for more of the warmth hikari has been giving in this closeness. she inhales deep, crisp air that is cooling in her too warm, too full chest, & it is as she breathes out once more that her hands are taken away, a ghost over hikari’s neck as they go. it is words that accompany the separation in the flats of her shoes meeting the ground & they are at the same time her offering of rejoining ; her hand which had previously been used to bring her here held out once more, ‘ that’s one. let’s go knock out some of the others before breakfast ! ’
she didn’t entirely know what’s going on when karen practically dragged her out of bed so early , but she knew there had to be a good reason if it was enough to get karen so awake && EXCITED before the sun had even totally risen . had resisted for a moment as she woke , but begrudgingly readied herself as quickly as she could at karen’s coaxing , managed to grab a slightly heavy jacket with the slight foresight of the weather — uncertain of just where they were going , but assuming it would involve at least some time in the outdoors . but she hadn’t thought to tell karen to put on a coat — was about to suggest she go back inside && put one on when she saw just why she’d been brought out here .
mistletoe — something she certainly knew of && had seen , albeit mostly in movies . had never really kissed someone under one before , but that seemed to be karen’s intention , right ? then , before she could think about anything else , karen was leaning in , && for just a second she felt the warmth of soft lips against her own , heart already beginning to beat faster as chilled cheeks threatened a soft tinge of pink . was left speechless for a long moment , though anything she would have said would once again be interrupted .
this time the interruption was just a little less pleasant , if only because of the initial chill of hands at the sensitive nape of her neck . a sensation that would send a chill down her spine that would be quickly made up for by the fact that it was karen’s touch — that she was so close to her . that karen’s words were so warm hikari could swear she could feel her heart melt into her chest , only still made known by the way it hammered in her chest , made breath catch in her throat for a moment as karen leaned in . ( didn’t have time to question just what she meant by the fact that it was bad luck if they didn’t do them all — or where she had heard it . )
her own hands would find the other girl’s waist , pressed gently for both closeness && warmth . && then those soft lips pressed to hikari’s once again , this time in a kiss that seemed so much more certain — less flighty . one she would practically melt into , blue eyes closing as she exhaled in a soft , shaky breath . liked this better , if she were to admit it — the way karen lingered there , so close . could feel the soft warmth of her breath against her features . she’d let karen be the first to pull away — didn’t want to end it , even if she still wasn’t certain just why she’d been brought here so early . so suddenly .
&& when karen did pull away , hikari responded with a soft , nearly inaudible sigh , blue eyes opened again to meet green as karen’s forehead rested against her own for a long moment — already missed the feeling of the other’s kiss . hoped karen felt the same , even if only a little . hoped that perhaps there was something more to this than superstition — that maybe karen really did genuinely want to kiss her , but couldn’t bring herself to ask . instead let her own hands fall as karen separated from her , fingers found their way back between the other's as a hand was held out to her . however , she WOULD take this opportunity to question just what it was karen was talking about . “ what do you mean bad luck , karen ? && who told you that ? ”
