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Ruiko didn’t ever expect to meet with one of the seven Level 5 Espers in Academy City, much less two of them. Much less that she would be dating two of them, either. It still was something that she had trouble really grasping at times, yet it was somehow oh so real, and she was standing in-between the two of them as they walked through the streets of District 7.
“Where should we eat?” Misaki asked, one hand pressed against her lips, her eyes scanning the many cafés and restaurants lined up along the street. There was a variety of different kinds of choices, but Ruiko didn’t pay them much attention. How could she even concentrate, when she was far too embarrassed to think properly?
It was always like this - ever since she had started dating the two of them - or, more like, joined them in their relationship. While she had gotten used to being around the two of them in private by now, being in public was another matter. While she had been with countless times before with Mikoto, this was different now, because everything was different between the two of them now that she was holding her hand and Misaki’s hands and she was they were her girlfriends.
“I think we should get Chinese,” Mikoto said, and Misaki let out a hum, as if she was thinking about it for a moment. The two of them had long since shed their Tokiwadai uniforms, both now going to a high school with significantly laxer restrictions when it came to what you could wear outside of school, which Ruiko honestly appreciated. If they would be wearing school uniforms on their dates, it would feel a lot less casual than it did now.
Though, she had to admit, the fact that she got to see both Misaki and Mikoto in casual outfits these days didn’t help her flushed expression one bit. Both of them looked incredibly nice in their outfits of choice, and she couldn’t help glancing at Mikoto’s cute Gekota hoodie and Misaki’s frilly skirt.
“Chinese?” Misaki repeated what Mikoto had said, sounding like she was weighing it amongst all the other options. “I don’t know, that seems a bit subpar for a date. ”
“As if you’d know if it was subpar or not,” Mikoto scoffed, a smile spreading across her lips. “You barely ever went to go eat outside of those fancy cafés until we started dating.”
“Well, it doesn’t help you keep dragging me to places I don’t want to go,” Misaki tutted, her ribbing all in good fun. They did this a lot when they were deciding were to go - going back and forth, their tastes couldn’t have been farther apart. Ruiko loved both the french cafés Misaki brought her too, as well as the foreign restaurants that Mikoto took them too.
“You’re such a bad liar,” Mikoto rolled her eyes when Misaki stuck her tongue out in response, but they quickly settled on Ruiko. She seemed to have noticed how red her face was, and they looked at each other for a moment. Giving her what Ruiko assumed was supposed to be a comforting smile, it only made her want to blush even more just from how pretty she was.
“How about we let Ruiko decide where we will eat,” Mikoto said, and Ruiko felt like hitting her head with a baseball bat. “I don’t think she’s ever chosen for the two of us, after all.”
“Don’t make me decide!” she whined, crouching a bit as she walked. She didn’t want to have to choose between the two of them - when loved them both equally, she loved what they did equally. Why Mikoto put such faith into her to make a decision that all of them would like was beyond her, anyways - she or Misaki were usually the ones who made the decision of where they would go to eat during their dates.
“She didn’t say you had to choose between the two of us, Ruiko,” Misaki pointed out. “Just that you could make a decision. An idea, which, by the way, I fully support.”
“So you’re leaving it up to me?” Ruiko felt like whining, but honestly, she felt a little flattered that they would put such trust in her to make the right decision. It still was pretty unreal they were dating, to begin with - but this felt like it was cementing the situation a bit in her head, making it a bit more solid, more tangible. She could choose what they would eat, and although that wasn’t much, it made her feel like she was a part of this relationship she had joined a few months ago.
Made it feel more real that a Level 0 like her could be dating two Level 5s at once, and be going on a date with them.
Before either of them could make respond to her question, Ruiko had made her decision, bouncing up and lifting her head excitedly. “Alright! Let’s get some crêpes! I’m pretty sure there’s a stand nearby that makes them, somewhere around here.”
Neither Misaki nor Mikoto said anything for a bit, making her worry that she might have suggested the wrong thing - that their confidence in her decision had been misguided and that they would reject it.
“Crêpes sounds good,” Misaki nodded, her star-shaped pupils shining brightly down at Ruiko, her warm smile fond and bright like the sun, making Ruiko feel a warm feeling around her chest as she clenched her ungloved hand, feeling her soft skin. She’d worn gloves always while she was in middle school, apparently, but had ditched them by now. She tightened her grip on Mikoto’s hand, too, feeling her more worn, more used hands - less taken care for due to numerous fights and physical activities, yet still feeling just right.
Ruiko gave a quiet huff of relief, as she began thinking of the way to the crêpe stall from where they were right now. “Alright, then!” she gave a very satisfied smirk, holding both of her girlfriend’s hands tightly and loving how they responded with tightening their grips on hers.
Maybe she would get used to this someday.
Maybe that day was now.