Chapter Text
Ever since that day, Ichika feels…weird.. every time she thinks about Kanade. Maybe it was due to Kanade's kindness, she DID let her sleep on the job and made her tea while she was at it.
Yet, that doesn't excuse the butterflies that formed in her stomach and threatened to fly out her mouth as nervous vomit.
Nonetheless, Ichika kept attending her duties, even if being by the Queen made her want to explode with some unknown feelings.
.
Light Kingdom Winters were no joke.
Everyone who lived there knew, after all, the kingdom had year long snow, so of course during the winter that endless snow would just get worse. So why did Ichika forget her gloves? She doesn't know.
She had started the morning fine, drinking some lavender tea –which she had started drinking more after having it with Kanade– got into her uniform, put on her jacket, some fuzzy socks Saki had given her a while back, then so on, before leaving.
Now her fingers felt numb, despite stuffing them in her pockets. Ichika was practically speed running to the palace, just for the peace of the heater. But, when she entered –
Ichika shivers, “it's…just as cold as outside..”
Ichika walks over to Honami, one of the palace keepers.
“Good morning, Honami”
“Ah, Ichika-chan, good morning”, the brunette girl smiles.
Ichika smiles back, before asking “um..why is it so..cold..? I thought they usually turn on the heater”. Honami's mouth turns into an “o” before she stammers “well…it's just this morning when we went to turn it on, we discovered that one of the parts was broken..”
The navy haired girl nods, “I see.. that makes sense..”
The two friends talked for a bit, before Ichika heads to Kanade's office..
To find no one.
“Odd..” Ichika thinks, before walking a few doors down and knocking on the door.
This door, specifically, was Kanade's room. She has never been in there, but Kanade told her that if she wasn't in her office, she was probably in her room.
It was a long silence. “Um, Kanade-san..it's me, it's..uh..time to get up..?” Ichika mutters hesitantly, she wasn't even sure if Kanade was awake or not. All she got in reply was the cold bitter air of the unheated palace, which made her shiver.
Ichika hesitantly knocks again, “um…I'm..I'm coming in”
She opens the door, the room was…definitely messy, Ichika could see a weeks worth of empty cup noodles, a TON of paperwork, then a lump in the bed.
Ichika walks to the lump, another shiver going through her as the cool interior of the palace hits her. She gently shakes the lump.
“Kanade-san..it's time to get up, it's uh..morning”
The lump softly groans. “..mnnh..”, the Queen shifts a bit.
Ichika gently shakes Kanade again.
“Euh…what…time is..it..?”, Kanade mumbles, barely cracking open her blue eyes.
Ichika couldn't help but stare, Kanade looked so…cute when just waking up.
The knight quickly shakes her head. Gods! What was she thinking?! That was her Queen! She shouldn't be having such thoughts. How disgraceful…
Ichika clears her throat, “it's just about 7 am..you should probably get up”. She shakes Kanade again, her fingertips brushing Kanade's cheek.
The Queen shivers
“I-Ichika…you're..you're freezing”, she mutters, opening her eyes more as she starts to enter full consciousness. Ichika squeaks in embarrassment, she had forgotten how cold her hands were, considering they've already gone to that cold numbness. The knight starts stammering, before sighing and giving up.
Kanade sits up, she had a bit of a bed head, so unconsciously, Ichika starts to run her fingers through her hair.
“So…smooth…silky even”, Ichika thinks, icy blue eyes sparkling with interest. It almost felt like her own hair, before she had to cut it of course, it was either that or tie it up everyday, which honestly Ichika wasn't fond of doing everyday. So she went the Mafuyu route and cut it.
“Mmgh…Ichika..your..fingertips feel nice..I think..”, Kanade mumbles, already beginning to doze off from the sensations of Ichika's fingers, which were calloused from her time as a knight and her occasional hobby of playing guitar. When she had time of course. But with an active war happening, her poor guitar was getting dusty.
Ichika shakes her head, she was getting distracted! And accidentally lulling the Queen to sleep.
The navy haired knight pulls her hand away and helps Kanade sit up. The Queen groans a bit, “mmh…so…early…”, she rubs her eyes.
Kanade was now sat up, no longer covered in the fluffy blanket. So, of course, she shivered. “It's so cold..”, Kanade mumbles, her pale skin breaking into small bumps.
“Ah, right, Honami said the heater broke, so it's pretty cold..”, Ichika softly chuckles. The knight rubs her hands together, damn her for forgetting her gloves, her fingers were aching.
Kanade then wraps her hands around Ichika's. Kanade's hands were so soft, like a pillow-y soft. Not to mention, they were so warm. Kanade's hands were like heaven. Soft, warm, and Ichika couldn't help but love how her own hands had the potential to engulf Kanade's much small ones.
Kanade smiles at Ichika, “is this better..?”. Ichika felt her face burn, she was sure the heater was broken, so why was her face flushing red?
“Um…Ichika?”
“Ah – ! Y-yes! This - this is a lot better, t-thank you, Kanade-san!”, Ichika desperately stammers. Of course, she just completely embarrassed herself.
The knight swallows, “your..hands are really nice..”
Now it was time for Kanade to flush red. The Queen squeaked a bit, before quickly gathering her barrings, “I..I'm glad you think so”, she smiles, her pale cheeks now a light pink.
“Speaking of which…where are your gloves? It's too cold for you to be, well, gloveless..” Kanade questions. Ichika averts her gaze, “ah..well, I was in a bit of a rush this morning, and I kinda just forgot them”. Ichika didn't know what was worse, stammering to Kanade about her (amazing) hand, or admitting how much of an airhead she was this morning.
Kanade nods. “Too bad the heater is broken..your hands surely would've been warm by then”, she laughs a bit. Ichika can't help but softly laugh with her.
They talk a bit, small things, the weather, how the moon seems to get prettier every night, etc.
“Ah – don't you have work to do, Kanade-san?”, Ichika squeaks
Kanade blinks, before shaking her head, “I did it all last night.”
The knight nods with a small “ah”
Kanade suddenly pulls Ichika into her bed
The navy haired girl yelps, “K-Kanade-san?! W-what are you – ?!”
“Shh..”
Kanade puts her finger to Ichika's lip, successfully silencing her. “You're cold…let's just stay like this a bit longer..please..?”
Ichika's eyes widen, but she sees no reason to decline. So with a quiet nod, she pulls the Queen closer.
Here Ichika was, full on getting spooned by her Queen. It was unbearably embarrassing. But also..nice. Kanade was so warm, her body so comforting. Ichika doesn't even register the fact Kanade fell asleep until she hears the woman's gentle snores.
“Maybe..I can let myself have this one treat”, Ichika thinks with a small smile, letting herself fall asleep in the Queen's arms.
She wanted this warm feeling to last forever. She needed Kanade to continue igniting fire in her chest.
Just this one treat.