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It really does feel like butterflies in your stomach, she thought, grinning wide. A common expression, but one that Mikan never really understood. If you’ve never experienced that nervous-excited fluttery feeling in your gut, it does admittedly sound a little odd. Almost unpleasant really, imagining a swarm of insects zipping around in your stomach. Mikan tried to bite back another smile. Yeah, she thought. A lot less unsavory than I’d pictured.
A buzz from her phone brought her back to reality. Mikan set down her lipstick and read the text from her roommate, Hiyoko, which read “pls don’t get urself murdered! noah fence but i don’t want any of ur gross mikan cooties and i know i’m the sole beneficiary in ur will.” Mikan squinted at the screen for a few confused seconds, before rolling her eyes and returning to her makeup. Most of the time she didn’t understand a word that came out of the girls mouth, but Hiyoko was sweet and she was the one who helped Mikan come out. Hiyoko was one of the first people to make her even consider being gay as a possibility, so in a way Mikan had her to thank for this date.
“Your turn Tsumiki! Truth or dare!” Hiyoko crooned, crossing her ankles and leaning forward. At the same time, Mikan leaned back, still not quite accustomed to the small girl entering her personal space, after only a week of sharing a room.
“Uhhh. Truth!” she stammered. Hiyoko sighed dramatically and clapped her hands down on Mikan’s shoulders. “I’m sorry I had to be the one to tell you this, but you’re a fucking pussy,” she whispered seriously. Mikan blinked. After a beat, Hiyoko leaned back again.
“Okay then if THIS is how we’re playing, I guess I’ll ask who your first crush was,” she asked, shaking her head in faux disappointment. Mikan blushed and stared at her hands.
“Well,” she began, pulling on the hem of her skirt absentmindedly. “I’ve never actually had a real crush on a boy?” she continued. Hiyoko tilted her head slightly, and Mikan was vaguely reminded of a loud puppy for a moment.
“Is that a question? No boys?” she inquired carefully. Mikan shrugged slightly, avoiding her gaze. Hiyoko hesitated for a moment, before tentatively pressing on. “Have you had a crush on a... girl?” she asked, more timid in that moment than Mikan had ever seen the blonde. Mikan’s eyes widened and she quickly rushed to correct her mistake.
“No no no of course not, thats not... That’s not what i meant!” Mikan silently considered the query. A moment passed, filled only with silence and Hiyoko’s furrowed brow and vaguely hurt expression, before she continued. “At least... I don’t think so?” she said, her voice barely above a whisper. Hiyoko’s face immediately softened and she grabbed the purple-haired girl’s hand, smiling softly.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
Yet again, Mikan was snapped from her thoughts by her phone buzzing. She found two texts from Mahiru, reading “HEY ASSHAT ANSWER MY BITCH’S TEXT!!!!” followed by “Sorry Tsumuki, I thought Hiyoko was playing solitaire on my phone. Ignore that last text.” Mikan sighed and went to respond, before registering the time displayed above. She gasped quietly, tossing the device to her bed and doing her best to finish her makeup and fix her hair as quickly as possible.
Mikan rose clumsily from her desk chair and gave her and Hiyoko’s shared room a quick once over, mumbling something about time management nervously under her breath. She glanced down at her outfit and pursed her lips, nervously flattening the skirt. Is this suitable first date attire? Is it even ok to wear for rollerskating? she wondered. After a little more fussing, she grabbed her purse off the back of her chair and picked up her phone to slip inside. She hesitated for a second, before groaning and speed dialing Hiyoko.
The phone had barely rung twice when her roommate picked up. “HI HELLO HI MIKAN WHATS UP!!!!” a familiar squeaky voice called from the other side of the line. Mikan grinned as her friend’s voice instantly provided some relief.
“Hey!” she started, clearing her throat to try and shake some of the nerves. “Hiyoko hi, I’m... I’m starting to freak out a little! I’ve never been on a date with a girl, what if she notices? What if she can just tell by looking at me? What if she hates me Hiyoko what if-“ Apparently the relief was short lived, because Mikan’s voice was slowly rising in pitch and speed as she spoke, until she was sure only dogs could hear her nervous rambling anymore. Finally, mercifully, Hiyoko interrupted.
“MIKAN! Babe! Take a minute to breathe ok?” Mikan nodded to the empty air and let out a shaky breath she had evidently been holding, as the blonde continued. “Ok A) How could anyone hate you? You are literally the sweetest fuckin’ person on the planet, it’s honestly disgusting. And B) You have absolutely nothing to worry about. Even if she can tell you are a little,” Hiyoko paused, searching for a delicate way to phrase her next thought. “...new to the dating scene, she won’t just bail on you! Lesbians are really nice it’s kind of weird. I’m sure this Junko girl will absolutely love you. Alright?”
Mikan nodded again, closing her eyes briefly. “Thank you,” she said quietly. She took a deep breath before opening her eyes again to say “I’m okay now.”
“Are you sure, Poomiki?” Mikan grinned at that.
“Yeah. I’m sure Peeyoko.”
Mikan heard a soft chuckle on the other end of the call. “Alright you’re gonna be late if we keep going! Text me when you get home, I’m not coming back to the room tonight.” She heard a distant voice from Hiyoko’s side. “Mahiru says have fun and be safe,” she added softly, a smile having crept into her voice as she relayed her “friend’s” message. Mikan’s grin only widened.
“You’re with Mahiru, huh?” she questioned. Mikan could almost hear the blush that she knew must be coloring the girl’s face.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” her indignant reply came just before the line went dead. Mikan rolled her eyes and slipped the device into her purse, shaking out her arms and legs to try and relieve some of the stress she was feeling. She walked to the door of the dorm and let out one last shaky breath, before stepping outside.
———————————————
Even before Mikan’s date could really be considered “late”, something felt off. As she stuttered out her shoe size to the stoned teenage employee at the counter, she couldn’t help but feel like something was missing. While she pulled on another pair of socks and tightened the laces of the skates to keep the blisters at bay, she felt she could somehow sense that this night was not going to go how she planned. And when she started to struggle her way around the roller rink alone, she knew it wasn’t just a nagging feeling of suspicion anymore.
Mikan knew after the first 15 minutes that Junko wasn’t going to be making an appearance, but she pushed the thoughts down and wasted her time anyway. She knew how sad it looked. Her cheeks burned as she clung to the railing along the edge of the slick wooden floor, and she quickly gave up on the skating. Instead she the played the obviously rigged claw machine games in the tiny arcade at the back of the rink, and intermittently ordered candy bars from the dingy snack bar for almost an hour. Finally, after sitting down on the sidelines of the rink with her 3rd Twix of the evening, it sunk in.
Mikan sat, unwrapping the chocolate bar under the blue and pink neon lights of the building, and finally truly realized that she had been stood up. Her first ever date with a woman, honestly her first real date at all, and she was stood up. Hiyoko had been wrong, she wasn’t likeable enough. Mikan stared down at her skirt and fidgeted with the candy bar, all the whole slowly deflating against the wall in defeat.
As she bit into the Twix, she felt her bottom lip start to tremble and she stared up at the ceiling to keep her eyes dry. Mikan Tsumiki was not going to cry at a roller skating rink. She managed to swallow a bite of the bar but could still feel a lump in her throat, so she clenched her teeth against the sob she knew was forming. Mikan Tsumiki was not going to cry at a roller skating rink. A stray neon pink spotlight shined directly into her eyes, causing her to instinctively glance away and squeeze her eyes shut. She could feel the tears welling at the corners of her eyes, but she bit her lip and crumpled her skirt in one hand, because Mikan Tsumiki was not going to cry at a roller skating rink. She had almost gotten her breath back under control when she made the mistake of glancing at the front door, and suddenly Mikan Tsumiki was crying at a roller skating rink.
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How long she had been sitting on the hard plastic bench, Mikan didn’t know, but suddenly she was looking down at roller blades that definitely weren’t there before. They looked custom made, black with neon blue and pink paint splatters all over. Mikan blinked and sniffled as she studied the pretty skates, before registering that there was a person attached to them, trying to gain her attention. She shook her head slightly. “I-I’m sorry, I was...” Mikan winced a little at the raspy sound of her own voice, trailing off as she looked up and around the windowless building. How long have I been sitting here? She wondered, seeing that the skate floor was significantly less empty than when she had arrived. A voice at the back of her mind told her maybe Junko had shown up and she just couldn’t find her, but she stamped it down with a quiet sigh.
A black-nailed hand entered her field of vision as the figure who had approached her seemed to ask another question. Mikan chastised herself for not paying attention again, and opened her mouth as she drew her focus to the mystery person in front of her, intent on apologizing. Mikan’s mouth didn’t close, although nothing came out. She openly gaped at the girl standing in front her.
She wore ripped up tights; one leg blue and the other was pink. A short black skirt not unlike Mikan’s own covered her waist, and a haphazardly cropped band tee over a pair of fishnets she had repurposed as a shirt, her torso. The girl’s long, wild black hair was streaked with blue, pink, and white, and she had somehow fashioned horns out of a few streaky pieces at the top of her head. She brushed her choppy bangs out of her face and Mikan suddenly realized she had been unabashedly staring at her bright pink eyes.
She blushed a dark crimson and tried to stammer out an apology before the girl stopped her, dropping her outstretched hand to her hip. “Don’t worry about it, Ibuki knows she’s a looker,” the girl winked and poked her tongue out of the side of her mouth. Mikan blinked stupidly.
“Who’s Ibuki?” she murmured, admiring the way the girl tilted her head back when she laughed.
“Ibuki is me! Ibuki Mioda,” she declared, jutting her hand back out as if to shake her own. A beat, before Mikan snapped her eyes away yet again and grabbed the girl’s hand quickly to try and recover the moment. The attempt failed, as she watched the girl (Ibuki, she rolled the name around in her mind, wondering how it would sound coming out of her own mouth) jolt slightly before gripping Mikan’s hand right back.
“M-Mikan Tsumiki,” she managed to get out. She glanced at the 3 studs under Ibuki’s bottom lip, feeling a strange urge to reach out and touch them. Ibuki cleared her throat, and Mikan tore her eyes away for a third time, cursing her dumb gay eyes. She needed to control herself, she was starting to look dumber by the second. “Sorry,” she muttered. Ibuki shook her head.
“I told you not to apologize! I’m very attractive, I’m used to it by now.” Mikan managed a small smile at that, and the wild-haired girl smiled right back. After a pause, she continued. “Anywho, I asked if you knew that your candy bar is all sticky and your makeup is all smeary!” The statement was a lot sadder than her tone and grin made it seem, which in a way kind of helped.
Mikan blushed and glanced down at her hand, still wrapped around the twix, which had long since grown warm and melted into her grip. With her clean hand she went to wipe at the tear tracks, before she heard the girl above her tsk lightly as she reached out to hold the girls wrist. Mikan’s eyes widened and her breath caught, almost causing her to choke on nothing. Her gaze snapped to Ibuki’s eyes, which had grown almost as wide as her own. Ibuki snatched her hand back and scratched her neck awkwardly.
“Sorry,” she murmured. “You’re just gonna spread it more if you do that.” Mikan nodded silently, hand falling back down to grip her skirt again. Ibuki took a moment to compose herself before straightening her back and reaching out a hand for Mikan to take. Mikan glanced between the outstretched hand and her face, hoping to convey her confusion without making a fool of herself yet again. A fond smile flickered across Ibuki’s features before she continued as if her energy level has never dipped. “Well now we have to clean you up don’t we!”
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They made their way to the women’s bathroom in surprisingly amicable silence, pausing for a minute at the door. After a beat, Ibuki smoothly slid between Mikan and the bathroom, pushing the door open and gesturing for Mikan to enter. Her cheeks turned pink as she bit back a wide grin and stepped into the bathroom. Suddenly her feet were trying to slide out from under her, and pink eyes were widening, and a surprisingly strong hand was on the small of her back, sending shivers up her spine.
For a brief, tense second, the girls were completely still, neither daring to breathe. Mikan quickly processed their position. Ibuki’s arms, one wrapped across her stomach with a hand pressed into her lower back, the other cradling her head in an impromptu dip.
Quickly the hands holding her up stopped registering as she swore she could feel the moment Ibuki started to breathe again, their bodies close enough to feel her chest expand against her own. Wide magenta eyes stared back into Mikan’s, and she felt her own breathing pick up. She opened her mouth to make some sort of excuse or witty remark but all that came out was “...Roller skates.” Ibuki’s eyebrow raised infinitesimally, but Mikan was suddenly aware of the fact that she was also close enough to the girls face to notice, her cheeks burning at the realization.
It seemed Ibuki noticed soon after, because almost immediately she was standing up straight, and Mikan was wobbling on her feet again. Ibuki looked to be considering for half a second, before she placed her hand on Mikan’s back again, much lighter this time, but she could still feel the imprint of her palm burning a hole through her shirt. When she saw the blush returning to Mikan’s face, she shrugged sheepishly.
“I’m a gentlewoman what can I say.” She turned away and skated around the corner into the restroom. Mikan took a moment to appreciate how different Ibuki acted when she was embarrassed, before carefully following her to the bathroom sink. Ibuki waited until Mikan found a good grip on the counter before relaxing and leaning against a wall.
Mikan stared for a second too long, wondering how she managed to look so graceful while wearing literal wheels on her feet. She met eyes with Ibuki and instantly looked away, red-faced. She busied herself washing the chocolate off her hand with a grimace, scrubbing until her hands were spotless. She heard Ibuki clear her throat and made eye contact through the bathroom mirror to indicate she was listening.
“Do you want me to do your makeup?” Ibuki asked, her sheepish behavior making another appearance. Mikan froze for a millisecond, quickly playing it off and shrugging in a way she hoped made her seem as cool as Ibuki(it wasn’t).
“Sure,” she said, her voice a lot higher in pitch than she intended. Ibuki slipped away from the wall and moved to stand next to Mikan, who slid her purse off her shoulder and handed it to Ibuki wordlessly. How the two were able to communicate silently after knowing each-other for less than a half-hour, Mikan will never know, but Ibuki popped the clasp on her purse and easily dug out the various makeup items she kept on her for emergencies. Mikan took the opportunity to study the girls face, memorize the faint grin that always seemed to touch her lips.
She was coming dangerously close to following through on her impulse to touch the side labrets under her lip when Ibuki hopped upon the counter, swinging her legs slightly and moving the bag to her side. Ibuki waited for a second before realizing that Mikan had made no indication of moving. Her bright demeanor slipped for a moment as she studied Mikan for the shortest of moments before patting the counter space next to her.
“Hop up here!” she chirped, bouncing back to her usual attitude with ease. Mikan complied without another word and sat as still as she could, as Ibuki immediately went to work.
Her eyes fluttered closed and a cold makeup wipe gently cleaned the mascara tracks from her cheeks. The care that the normally energetic girl took gave Mikan that feeling of butterflies she was starting to recognize, and that thought had her trying to hold back a grin. Ibuki turned to throw the wipe at the trashcan across the room and started searching for a brush.
“What’s so funny?” she asked softly. Mikan smiled a little wider, fidgeting with the hem of skirt as she searched for the words to reply.
“I’m just...” she trailed off for a moment, glancing down at her lap. She looked up just as Ibuki was tapping the excess purple pigment off of her brush, closing her eyes as she continued. “You never asked why I was crying. You just... You just helped.” She hoped Ibuki would understand what she meant, and received her confirmation as Ibuki hummed gently.
The brush in her hand pressed lightly against Mikan’s eyelid, blending the powder into her skin with a touch so soft it seemed impossible that it would actually be effective.
“I don’t need to know what made a pretty girl cry to help her out,” Ibuki murmured, tone just as gentle. She took Mikan’s chin between her finger and thumb, a silent indication to open her eyes. A smile that was starting to become familiar graced Ibuki’s face, and Mikan responded with a sheepish grin of her own, blushing and looking down at her own fingers twisted in her skirt.
The tender moment passed quickly as Ibuki reached for a tube of liquid eyeliner. “Don’t be so embarrassed,” she said, uncapping the eyeliner. “No one should be modest. It’s stupid. Hot people shouldn’t have to pretend they aren’t hot.” She suddenly leaned in close. “Close your eyes,” she whispered.
Mikan, having just silently ridden an emotional rollercoaster, complied quickly. Her heart raced as the other girl applied the eyeliner. Had Ibuki just called her hot? She mentally kicked herself. She’s being nice to you and all you can think about is if she thinks you’re hot. Mikan kept quiet as Ibuki moved on to mascara to avoid say something dumb, but her mind continued to run wild. Something about the combination of the smell of the girls shampoo and the feeling of her hand on Mikan’s shoulder to steady herself, however, eventually broke her.
“I got stood up,” she blurted as Ibuki opened a blush compact. The girl shook her head and rolled her eyes as she fiddled with the blush.
“Boys are fucking idiots Mikan,” she declared finally. Mikan debated for a moment before replying in an uncharacteristic moment of confidence.
“It was a girl.”
At that, Ibuki smiled a little. For a moment the only sounds in the white tiled room were that of the song playing outside and the even breath of the girls on the counter. She slowly raised the brush to Mikan’s cheeks, pausing just before it could touch her skin to say, “Sometimes girls can be fucking idiots too.”
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Almost as soon as the pair exited the restroom, the quiet of the moments from inside faded away. Mikan glanced over at Ibuki as they shuffled across the carpet and smiled. The wild-haired girl looked to be almost buzzing in anticipation to get back out on the rink. Her smile fell a bit, realizing that this was when they were going to split up. She was just starting to spiral, trying to figure out how you’re supposed to ask a girl for her phone number, when she realized that they had reached the edge of the skate floor, and Ibuki had turned to face her with a wild grin. Fuck. Too late now. Just say goodbye and leave quickly, she thought sadly.
“Wanna skate with me?” Ibuki asked cheerfully.
“W-what?” Mikan responded in surprise.
The other girl’s brows furrowed for a moment before she responded with a hint of confusion lacing her tone. “We’re at a skating rink. Didn’t you come her to skate?”
Mikan blinked. “I just thought... Aren’t you here with anyone? Won’t your friends miss you?”
A bark of laughter served as Ibuki’s response, the sound bringing a sheepish smile back to Mikan’s face. “Ibuki’s friends are tired of rollerskating,” she announced. Mikan nodded, trying to figure out why the girl would want to spend time with someone like herself. Before she could get another word out, she was being pulled onto the rink after a sparkly-eyed Ibuki.
Watching how comfortable the girl was on her skates made the butterflies in Mikan’s belly go crazy, and she was sure that she could have watched her twirl around the rink all night. Unfortunately, Mikan was a lot less steady on her feet. Her knees wobbled and she must have looked like a bow legged goose, flailing her arms out beside her as she struggled to stay upright.
Luckily Ibuki noticed her predicament before she collapsed, and managed to get an arm around her waist. A blush colored her cheeks and she turned her head to thank the girl, before seeing her barely concealed smirk. Mikan lightly smacked her shoulder, blush deepening. “I don’t skate as often as you,” she pouted.
Ibuki bumped her head into Mikan’s in a weird affectionate head-butt that Mikan found absolutely adorable. Her faux angry expression melted immediately, replaced by a wide grin.
“Here, I’ll help you out,” Ibuki murmured, shifting to stand slightly behind the purple-haired girl and placing her hands on her sides. In order to make herself heard, Ibuki had to move in close behind her and talk right next to ear. “Point your toes forward and bend your knees just a little.”
Mikan shivered at the combined sensation of Ibuki’s hands on her hips and her breath against her ear, but complied.
“Now put your arms out in front of you.” Mikan did. “And now...” she could hear the grin in Ibuki’s voice as the grip on her waist loosened. The body behind her started to move away and Mikan found herself leaning back slightly to try and hold on to the feeling. “Now, I’m gonna push you, and you’re gonna skate,” Ibuki finished, already propelling Mikan forward.
“W-wait what?” Mikan squeaked, but Ibuki was gone and Mikan was sailing forward. She squeezed her eyes shut, but somehow she had managed to hold the stance Ibuki had shown her, and by some miracle she was still upright. After realizing she hadn’t fallen and broken all of her bones, Mikan opened her eyes to see Ibuki on the other side of the rink, smiling like she was the only one in the building and waving at her. Mikan flashed her a terrified smile that she hoped indicated that she needed more instruction.
Thankfully, Ibuki nodded vigorously, turning to the side to make an exaggerated of walking, and Ibuki threw her a thumbs up, immediately dropping her hand as it almost caused her to collapse. Mikan looked down at her feet, electing to try and follow the girl’s instructions.
It was difficult to do while already moving, but after a moment Mikan managed to pick up one of her feet for half a second and drop it down a little farther in front of her than it had before. She looked up for Ibuki and found her clapping wildly. That boosted her confidence enough to try again, and she carefully shifted her weight to her other foot. She glanced up again, noticing momentarily that she had already crossed over three-quarters of the rink on momentum alone. She grinned, and started lifting her foot to take another short step, when suddenly a hard shoulder collided with hers.
Mikan quickly spun out of control. She fell forward onto the leg that she had raised and threw her arms out to the sides, which somehow caused her to twist until she was falling backwards. She braced for impact with the hard wooden floor when pale arms caught her for a third time that evening. Not quite as gracefully, considering Ibuki was fully sat on her knees on the floor, with Mikan sprawled out halfway on her lap.
For a moment, neither spoke. Mikan tried to slow her rapid breathing, when the shock wore off and she started laughing. She dropped her head back against Ibuki’s chest, causing Ibuki to laugh too. “What?” she managed, before descending into another fit of giggles.
“Nothing,” Mikan said, slowly sitting up. She raised herself off of Ibuki’s knees, moving to sit directly on the hardwood. “How do you do that?” she asked, shaking her head as she turned to face her savior. Ibuki just shrugged, standing up gracefully and offering her hand to Mikan.
“Ibuki has cat-like reflexes,” she stated matter-of-factly.
Mikan grasped her hand and Ibuki pulled her back up to a standing position. “That was really mean, you know.” Mikan’s expression, however, was not that of a person who is offended, and Ibuki grinned.
“That’s how I learned to skate,” she said, turning and hooking an arm around Mikan’s. “It worked, didn’t it?”
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Mikan was leaning against the railing near the back of the rink, watching Ibuki zoom around in circles. The pair had spent a little more time trying to teach Mikan, but it didn’t take long for her to admit defeat, perfectly content to just observe the more experienced skater.
More than content, really. Ibuki made a performance out of everything she did, but while skating it seemed genuine. Her face was a image constant joy, her hair blowing freely behind her as she weaved through the crowd. Every now and again she would catch Mikan’s eye, throw her a wink and a wave just to see her blush.
Ibuki caught her attention again with a sharp whistle. When Mikan looked over, she waved cheerfully, before putting up one finger to indicate she needed to watch. Her brows furrowed the smallest amount as Ibuki prepared to do some sort of trick. She took three long strides forward, then skipped her foot off the floor. She swung it across her body and into a spin, pushing off the floor at the same moment. Ibuki made 3 quick turns in the air before landing, knees bent with a cocky smile.
Her tongue poked out from between her teeth as she made her way over to Mikan, who was gaping openly. When Ibuki reached her and she still made no indication of recovering from her shock, Ibuki bowed deeply. Her sparkly grin when she came back up was enough to bring Mikan back.
“How often do you come here?” she asked.
Ibuki smiled wistfully, straightening her crop top. “Ibuki’s got a lot of free time.”
At that, she grabbed Mikan’s hand, pulling her out onto the rink again. After they had managed to make their way around the loop a few times, Ibuki lit up with an idea. She placed Mikan’s hands on her hips, turning her head to whisper “Hold on tight!” Then she took off, pulling a giggling Mikan behind her faster than the girl had ever been capable of on her own.
She was starting to like these butterflies.
———————————————
Mikan felt like time moved faster with Ibuki. Something about the way her hair streamed behind her as she skated, or maybe the smell of her perfume, or maybe just the twinkle in her bright pink eyes mesmerized Mikan. It felt like only minutes had passed since the pair stepped onto the hardwood, but suddenly they were leaning against the railing while a tinny voice came out of the speakers announcing the last song.
Mikan looked around to find that the only people left in the building were a handful of couples and fancy trick skaters there for practice. She blushed a little. To the others, she and Ibuki probably looked like a couple.
A relaxed melody eventually started to filter out of the speakers. Ibuki smiled, pushing away from the railing and pivoting on her skates to face Mikan.
“I love this song,” she murmured, reminiscent of the gentle words from hours ago in the bathroom. “Care to dance?” For what felt like the hundredth time that night, Ibuki offered her hand to the purple-haired girl.
Mikan smiled and latched onto her. She spoke with more confidence than she had felt in a long time. “I would love to.”
Ibuki lead her to the middle of the skate floor, pulling her in close as they reached their destination. Hands found their way to Mikan’s waist, and she settled her own around Ibuki’s neck. They fell into an easy rhythm, swaying gently as they slowly twirled in circles. Mikan’s cheeks flushed and she looked down, smiling bashfully. Ibuki curled one finger under Mikan’s chin, tilting her head back to up to look at her.
“Don’t be embarrassed,” she reminded her. The butterflies returned to Mikan’s stomach, as she marveled at Ibuki’s kindness. A small smile tugged at her lips. Comfortable silence fell between the girls, filled only by the last song of the night.
“I still don’t know why you’re with me tonight,” Mikan said finally.
Ibuki’s head cocked, and the confused puppy dog image resurfaced in her mind. “What do you mean?” she asked.
Mikan shrugged a little, playing with the baby hairs at the back of Ibuki’s neck. “You’re just... You’re such a shiny person. And I’m just me,” she murmured.
Ibuki shook her head. “No,” she replied simply. “I’m not the shiny one. I’m...” she searched for the words. “I’m reflective,” she decided. “You’re the shiny one Mikan. I’m just reflecting your light.”
Their eyes met, a gaze filled with tenderness and soft longing. Ibuki’s smile slowly dropped, replaced by something much more vulnerable. Her stare flickered down to Mikan’s lips, and the butterflies returned at full force.
Maybe Mikan had never experienced what she was feeling right now, maybe it was all new to her. But what she did know was that all she wanted in that moment was Ibuki. Ibuki’s hands, Ibuki’s lips, Ibuki’s stare. Before she the butterflies had a chance to say anything, Mikan leaned in and pressed her lips to Ibuki’s.
In that moment Mikan learned the meaning of another saying that had never made sense to her.
Fireworks.
hush, when no one is around my dear
you’ll find me on my tallest tiptoes
spinnin’ in my highest heels love
shining just for you