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Her second date with Ann -- well, the first official one, technically -- was at a French restaurant.
Makoto had planned for weeks. She wanted it to mean more than crêpes, but taking Ann to that huge buffet meant they would spend more time picking out food and waiting in lines than talking to each other. Sushi was a possibility but likely to strain her budget, which amounted to carefully saving up the pocket money Sae gave her on Sundays to deal with any expenses throughout the week. The last thing she wanted was to take Ann somewhere and have to write off half the menu.
Besides, there were a few silly, sentimental reasons she had chosen a French place. They were a common fixture in the romance movies Ann liked to watch -- and Makoto had sat through, trying to pick up tips and tricks while keeping tissues on standby -- not to mention that it only seemed fitting for someone who wielded a Persona named Carmen.
Actually finding the restaurant had been the hardest part. It was tucked away on the second floor of a rather nondescript building in downtown Tokyo, and Makoto couldn't fathom how they stayed in business until finding an online review that said half of the appeal was its "frustrating exclusivity". Despite that rather loaded compliment, she managed to get a Friday night reservation by being as painstakingly formal as possible on the phone, trying to imitate her sister's charismatic air from the courtroom.
Then she had to figure out something to wear. Ann had teased her about it after they both stopped blushing over mutually confessed feelings, promising to show up like a model straight off the runway, and Makoto didn't have anything formal that wasn't meant for funerals. After tearing through her closet twice, she settled on a flowing white blouse and a pair of dressy black trousers she hadn't had any excuse to wear before, keeping her heels to an inch in case Ann wanted to go on a walk after dinner.
A block away from the restaurant, Makoto was seized with panic. She should have brought flowers or a trinket, something to show her affections so Ann knew she cared--
"Makoto!" She whirled around at the familiar voice, falling right into bright blue eyes. "Sorry, I totally got turned around coming out of the station."
Her first instinct was to demur, to tell Ann there was still ten minutes before the concierge would cancel their reservation, but all of Makoto's higher mental functions ceased at the sight of the other girl's dress. It was a swathe of red, strapless to bare pale shoulders, and a short asymmetrical ruffle that started below Ann's bust curved around her right side, tapering all the way down to the hem right above her knees. Crimson heels and a narrow choker completed the look, and Makoto felt like she had just taken a Psiodyne to the chest.
"Is everything okay?" Ann asked, brushing a few long blonde strands of hair back behind her shoulder; it was down for once, flowing like a wave of gold.
"Great. It's great." The words came out too fast, but Makoto would take what she could get. "We should get inside so we can eat."
By some mercy, the host didn't seem to notice her nerves -- or was too polite to comment -- and escorted them to a booth in the corner. It was huge, definitely meant for more than two people, and a little flutter went through Makoto's chest when Ann scooted closer, closing some of the distance between them.
"Thanks for dressing up for me tonight." Ann said, passing her menu back to the server after they both ordered. "And this place looks, like, fucking amazing."
Makoto wasn't sure how her hastily assembled outfit could compare to Ann's flashy style, but she knew the other girl would chastise her for refusing the compliment. Instead she steered the conversation to school and friends, wanting to keep things light. That was part of the reason she'd convinced herself this date was okay at all; it was a tether of normalcy that had nothing to do with running around the casino inside her sister's head or trying to keep Akira from being arrested by the SIU.
The food was everything the reviews promised. While their casual chatter died down to happy hums after the first taste, Ann stole smiles at her in between bites, and Makoto didn't let herself analyze whether the occasional brush of a heel up and down her calf was purposeful or not. Her plan of attack to swipe the bill before Ann could even glance at the amount was a success, and she left a generous tip to thank the staff for not being overbearing.
Makoto had just stood up to leave when Ann gently gripped her arm. "Help me up out of my seat? This dress kind of rides up a little."
"Of course." Refusing to let her eyes fall below Ann's collarbone, she took slender fingers between her own, giving Ann cover to readjust her skirt until the ruffle fell into a smooth line again.
Summoning the last vestiges of her courage, Makoto didn't let go of Ann's hand until they were back on the street again. Warmth lingered in the center of her palm even when the contact broke, a comforting sort of echo.
"So, I know you're not going to believe me," Ann paused to smile, disarming as always, "but that was one of the best dates I've been on. Guys have asked me out after shoots and stuff, but always they either took me somewhere super cheap...or expected something if they picked up the bill."
Makoto could guess what that 'something' was and felt her hackles raise, wanting to rush to Ann's defense even if there was no real threat in the moment. "I...I just wanted to do something nice for you. I like you a lot, but I certainly don't expect--"
"Hey." Ann pressed a finger to Makoto's mouth stopping her short. "I know you don't. But if it's okay, I'd really like to kiss you right now."
The words rang through her head three or four times before sinking in, and Makoto nodded, even if she was ninety percent sure this was a sugar-induced hallucination from the chocolate liégeois they split after dinner.
"Can I get a little verbal confirmation?" The finger holding Makoto's silence slipped away; she missed it already. "Just for me."
"Y-yes." It was a single, stammered syllable, but all she could manage.
Ann's lips were so soft. That was the only cogent thought Makoto had for the first few seconds before a pulse of adrenaline reminded her to participate in the kiss, even if it was just with a slight tilt of her head, an encouraging noise from the back of her throat. It couldn't have lasted that long, really, but the world must have spun for everything to suddenly seem so different.
"Was that okay?" The question was barely above a whisper, held together by a thread of vulnerability.
In a way that made Makoto feel better, that she wasn't the only one transported to unexplored territory. "Yeah. It was...it was more than okay."
Ann smiled, bright and effortless. "I'll keep that in mind for later. Our next date's on me."
Our next date. Giddiness filled Makoto's chest like champagne bubbles, and she nodded again, too overwhelmed for words.
"Did you ride your bike here?" Ann asked, glancing out to the darkened streets; it was getting pretty late.
Makoto was going to give herself a crick in her neck if she kept bouncing her head. "I did. Do you...need a ride home?"
"That'd be great. I don't like taking the trains after a certain hour, you know?"
She did know, and secretly was glad to have an excuse to spend a little more time with Ann. Their fingertips brushed a few times on the way back to her motorcycle before Makoto joined their hands again, not caring if anyone saw. Tonight had been worth every second of planning and stress, and her first kiss had been something like a dream.
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