Work Text:
Tick tock. Tick tock.
Amaya sat in class with her eyes glued to the clock on the wall as the teacher droned on.
10 o’clock.
Once the hands struck the top of the hour, a chime signaled that class was over.
Amaya wasted no time getting to her feet, practically bolting out the door and down the hall.
It was time to see her.
Turning the corner, Amaya skidded to a stop, her heart fluttering in her chest as she came into view.
Yui Komori.
Amaya’s breath caught in her throat as her beautiful blonde upperclassman passed by on the way to her next class of the day, her hand daintily grasping the strap of her school bag and her mere presence seemingly causing the plain school hallway to glow just a little brighter.
Yui Komori. The second year student who had just transferred to the school a couple weeks ago. Currently a member of the literature club and one of the top five highest scoring students on the last exam.
A dreamy sigh escaped Amaya’s lips as she continued out of sight.
Oh, and the girl she had an enormous crush on. There was that too.
Realizing that passing period was nearly over and she was still standing in the hallway spacing out, Amaya shook her head and quickly returned to class. Hopefully she’d still make it in time to avoid getting scolded by the teacher again. It was getting to be a habit.
Yup. 10 o’clock was definitely one of her favorite times of the day.
***
Perfect. She was absolutely perfect.
Those were the only thoughts on Amaya’s mind on the bus ride home as she watched Yui sitting a few seats in front of her. Usually she would be sure to sit in the back, as far away as possible. Just to make sure she didn’t notice her staring. It was probably a little weird and she didn’t want to scare her.
Although she’d gotten up the courage to sit just a little bit closer to her day by day. From her current seat on the opposite side of the aisle just a few rows behind, Amaya could make out the title of the book she was reading.
Aphrodite Means Death.
While she had no idea what the book was about, the title was quite fitting. Her gaze drifted upwards, taking in how her pale golden curls reflected the light of the gradually setting sun and the slight smile on her lips as she turned the page.
Yes, if anyone deserved to be called a modern Aphrodite, it was Yui Komori.
Every time she entered the room, Amaya felt like she had to be in the presence of a goddess. Or an angel. There was no other way someone could be this captivating. Really, it was the only explanation.
Amaya barely realized her stop was being called until the doors had closed and the bus was already back on the move. She sighed to herself.
She’d have to walk back again.
***
Amaya sat at one of the library study tables feeling somewhat nervous. Usually there would be quite a few people around which made it easy to stay inconspicuous, but today it was just her and Yui.
She peeked up from her textbook, which she was holding up in what was probably a very poor attempt at hiding her face. It would have to do though, since she didn’t have any better ideas.
A few tables away, Yui sat with her study materials arranged neatly around her. Amaya watched intently as she tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear before noting something down from the textbook. She uncapped a highlighter next, drawing a line across the page.
God, she was beautiful. Amaya sighed, wishing that she had a camera so she could capture this moment for all of eternity. Her gaze shifted upwards to study the soft contours of her face. The serene smile on her lips, the slight tilt of her head when she concentrated, the curious sparkle in her eyes and oh god, she was looking right at her.
Amaya sat frozen in abject horror, desperately hoping that she hadn’t just creeped her out irreparably.
However, all such thoughts were immediately wiped away when Yui shot her a smile so bright, it could have replaced the sun itself.
A blush bloomed across Amaya’s face and she quickly ducked back down.
Scratch that.
She wasn’t Aphrodite.
With the way Amaya felt like she had just taken an arrow directly to the heart, she was sure that Yui wasn’t anything less than a cupid in disguise.
Over the rapid beat of her heart, Amaya could just barely hear the sound of approaching footsteps.
“Um, were you watching me?”
Very slowly peeking back up, Amaya felt her blood run cold when she saw that Yui was now standing right in front of her.
Oh yeah, she was definitely ready to dive under the table and curl into an embarrassing ball of embarrassed embarrassment. Although she did barely manage to hold herself together and mumble out a reply.
“Uh…maybe…”
A few seconds ticked by, during which Amaya wished very much that she could crawl into a hole and never come out.
Yui gave her a gentle smile. “If you’re here by yourself, do you want to study together? It’ll be more fun that way.”
If Amaya’s heart was a bull’s-eye, Yui would have won Olympic gold ten times over. She stammered out a brief agreement and stood up stiffly, hands shaking as she grabbed her things while almost dropping them.
Amaya’s mind was still hazy as she sat down in the seat besides Yui much too quickly and dropped her books on the table with an unceremonious thunk.
This was going great, really.
Introduction were exchanged. Probably. Amaya wasn’t aware of much besides the hundred alarms going off in her head over how she was actually talking to Yui Komori.
Once she was as settled as she was going to get, Yui gave her one last smile before turning back to her notes.
Amaya gulped before opening her textbook again, quickly flipping it around once she realized it was upside down, and tried her best to concentrate on her homework. However this was proving to be an impossible task since it took her about ten minutes to even write down the first problem.
For better or worse, Yui soon noticed that she was struggling.
“Do you need help?”
Amaya nearly jumped out of her skin. “Uh…no I’m fine.”
Yui flashed her another heart stopping smile. “It’s okay to ask for help when you need it. Let me see.”
Amaya’s spine went rigid as Yui leaned in to give her textbook a quick scan. “Ah, these ones can be tricky. I’ll do the first one to show you, okay?”
In truth, Amaya’s grades weren’t too shabby either and she knew exactly how to do the problems before her. However, she just couldn’t find the words to speak up. And she did like having Yui so close to her. Her voice was calm and soothing like a spring breeze. And even though Amaya thought she already had a good grasp of the concepts, Yui’s simple and succinct explanations somehow made things clearer than she could have imagined. No wonder she was a top student.
Although the calming effect of her voice was consistently offset by the bolts of electricity Amaya felt every time her sleeve so much as brushed against her arm. She gulped down the knot in her throat.
Only Yui could make her feel like she was simultaneously in heaven and dying at the same time.
Heading home afterwards was a complete blur. Amaya wasn’t sure how she made it back to her house. She barely registered her parents welcoming her back as she went straight for her room while still completely zoned out.
Closing the door behind her, she let her bag slide off her shoulder and hit the floor. She then took the last few steps to the edge of her bed and collapsed into it face-down, her squeal muffled by the sheets.
After a few seconds, she rolled over onto her back and grabbed one of her pillows, hugging it to her chest.
On that day, Amaya was sure she could feel her heart swell in size as the love within grew just a little bit more.
***
Christmas Eve.
Amaya strolled through the streets decorated with twinkling lights with a smile on her face and Yui by her side.
It had been a few months since their official first meeting and she had eventually gotten to the point where she could talk to her without turning into a blushing stuttering mess. Although her infatuation hadn’t waned in the slightest. If anything it had only developed into something much more. What had started out as an admiration from afar, slowly deepened the more time they spent together.
It truly had come as a surprise to Amaya when Yui had continued to save a seat for her in the library study hall, but she would have been a fool to refuse. Over time, their conversation turned to things besides schoolwork and they were both happy to find that they had similar interests when it came to both books and sweets. This had then lead to a promise to meet up outside of school which somehow ended up being a regular occurrence.
During these outings, Amaya was gradually able to get to know Yui better and in ways that she never would have had she continued to do nothing but observe her in silence. While she appeared to be quite a reserved person at first glance, Amaya found that she could actually be very outspoken when it came to her beliefs. She would never forget the time she went to look for Yui at the Literature Club’s room to walk in on her fiercely defending one of the member’s interpretations of the novel they were reading from some particularly harsh criticism. Seeing such an unexpected side to her had Amaya falling harder than ever before.
Not only that, she had somehow been able to mediate throughout the entire debate while still treating everyone’s differing opinions with compassion and respect, leaving Amaya in complete awe.
Every day they spent together was full of discovery. Yui just had this energy to her that drew Amaya in, as if she were the moon spinning around the earth. She found her thoughts occupied by her more and more. Her sweet smile, her straightforward sort of innocence, her unconditional kindness that brought color and light to a world that sorely needed it.
It made Amaya want to devote her entire heart and soul into making sure Yui was happy, that the pure hope that radiated from within her would forever shine bright and never go out.
To her, Yui was the very embodiment of perfection and she wanted more than anything to have the privilege of being the one to walk by her side. She wanted to see every side of her, to be the one she trusted and confided in, to support and protect her through everything in life.
Of course, they were still in high school so it’s not like anything that serious could happen right away. But being her girlfriend would be a good start.
Now, if only she could just confess.
Admittedly, she had been fantasizing about the idea quite a bit. There had even been a time when she had tracked down the store where Yui had gotten her trademark pink sweater and bought an identical one for herself. She’d never worn it out but would occasionally put it on and stare at her reflection in the mirror for a bit as she wondered if this is how it would be like if they were sharing clothes while dating. Sometimes she would even wrap her arms around herself, enjoying the soft texture of the warm fabric while imagining if this was how it would feel to hold Yui in her embrace.
Amaya cleared her throat subtly, embarrassment welling up at the memory.
Back on topic.
She had actually tried to ask her properly a couple of times now, but Yui always seemed to misunderstand. Amaya knew this was mostly her own fault since she’d inevitably get too nervous part way through and end up saying things much too vaguely.
But today, she was determined to get her feelings across. Amaya glanced at around her, extremely aware that most of the people walking around were very clearly couples on dates. It was typical, considering it was Christmas Eve.
Right, today wasn’t just any girls’ night out. Yui was planning on baking a cake for her father to celebrate and had asked her to come along while she shopped for ingredients. Amaya had actually met him once before when Yui invited her over to her house to taste test a new recipe she was working on.
Seiji Komori was a pleasant man who ran the local church. He had greeted her warmly, saying how glad he was that Yui had finally brought a friend home. Yui had been a little embarrassed at his doting, but was clearly still happy. Amaya smiled when she saw how close they were.
Unfortunately, he had gotten got called away on urgent business at the last moment and wasn’t able to eat any of the dinner Yui had made. She’d simply smiled and told him not to worry about it, but Amaya could still see the disappointment in her eyes. Amaya knew that he would have stayed if he had a choice. Work was work, so she couldn’t blame him. But, it was the first time she had seen such a lonely expression on Yui’s face and it just made her want to protect her smile all the more.
Which was why she was absolutely going to confess today! For real this time!
She glanced over at Yui, who was holding a shopping bag full of ingredients for tonight. They’d gone to one of the fancier stores to buy them since it was a special occasion. Her cheeks were slightly flushed from the cold and it made her look even cuter if such a thing were possible.
Amaya fought to contain her blush. If she thought about that now, she was sure to lose her nerve again. She slipped her hand into her jacket pocket, gripping the box that was inside to give herself courage. It contained a silver necklace with an apple shaped pendant she had bought, intending for it to be a Christmas present for Yui. She just hadn’t found the right moment to give it to her yet…
The words of encouragement from her parents before she headed out for the day echoed in her ears, not at all helping with her nerves. She appreciated that they were cheering her on, but the three of them really needed to stop being so invested in her love life.
“I think that’s everything.”
Yui’s voice jerked Amaya out of her thoughts.
“Thanks for keeping me company,” she continued. “Sorry for taking so long. I’m sure you have plans at home too…”
Amaya shook her head, not mentioning that this was literally the only thing she had planned for the holidays. “It’s okay. Should I walk you home?”
Yui smiled at the offer. “If it’s not too much trouble. I’d like that.”
With that settled, they started to make their way out of the downtown district. Amaya felt her heartbeat growing louder every step of the way, knowing that the moment she was waiting for was almost upon her.
Before long, they arrived at Yui’s doorstep. She turned around before heading inside. “Thanks again. See you when school starts again then?”
“Yeah…”
A few long moments passed before Yui nodded and stepped through the door.
“Wait!”
Yui turned around, a surprised look on her face.
Amaya gulped. She reached into her pocket, hands clenching around the box.
It was time. She knew it was. But yet, she felt completely paralyzed. Why couldn’t she just say what she wanted?
Letting out a defeated sigh, she took her hand out of her pocket and simply gave her a small wave. “Uh…Merry Christmas.”
Yui blinked as she stood there in silence.
Amaya studied her expression. Was is just her imagination or did she look a bit disappointed?
But within moments, that brief hint of dissatisfaction was replaced by her usual radiant smile. “Yeah, Merry Christmas.”
The door shut with a soft thud.
Amaya stood there for a while staring into space before slumping down with her head buried in her knees.
She was such an idiot.
***
A few hours later.
Amaya paced back and forth impatiently along the street in front of Yui’s house, scowling at the necklace box in her hands.
The sun had gone down already and it had started to snow, but she just couldn’t find it in her to go home. She couldn’t believe she messed it all up at the last second when she’d been planning this for weeks!
Amaya sighed to herself and slipped the box back into her pocket. Well, there was always New Year’s…or maybe Valentine’s Day…
She groaned and bumped her head against a nearby street lamp. Who was she kidding, it was never going to happen.
Amaya glanced back at Yui’s house longingly. She could just knock and try again but…
The curtains of the front window weren’t closed all the way which gave her a partial view of the kitchen. Inside, Yui was sitting at the table with a cup in her hands. Likely waiting for the cake to finish baking.
Amaya sighed dejectedly. If only she wasn’t such a coward, she might be inside with her right now. But instead, here she was, cold and alone outside in the snow.
Yui suddenly stood up and walked off. Ah, that probably meant the cake was done.
After waiting for a little while, Amaya took a few steps closer until she was in front of the window, making sure to stay slightly behind the curtains and out of sight. She could see that Yui was now starting to add the frosting. There was also a bowl of strawberries on the counter, likely the very ones she had bought earlier to use as decoration.
Amaya unconsciously stepped closer until her face was nearly pressed against the glass as she watched her work. Had things gone according to plan, perhaps she would be standing next to her right now. Maybe she could even have helped her mix the frosting together. She knew she wasn’t that good at cooking, but that part seemed easy enough for her to not mess up. Although she’d probably still get some on her face… And then Yui would laugh and wipe it off for her.
Amaya’s stomach grumbled at the thought of food. Right, it was almost dinner time wasn’t it. She eyed the bowl of strawberries. Perhaps she would have pinched a few to snack on. Yui would probably scold her for that though. Not that she would regret it in the slightest. Her pouting face was just as cute as her smile. And all would be forgiven once she offered her one in return. Amaya let out a small whine as she sank deeper into her imagination. The picture of Yui giving in with a sigh as she ate the strawberry from her fingers was so clear she could almost believe it was reality.
A blush suddenly crept up her cheeks and she shook her head to rid herself of the thought. She whirled around and squatted down on a pile of snow at the base of the window. The cold must be making her delirious.
Amaya pulled the box out of her pocket and opened it, staring at the necklace inside solemnly as it glittered in the dim light of the street lamps and the moon overhead. She sighed and brought it up to her lips, planting a fleeting kiss on the apple pendant before bringing it to her heart with a defeated sigh. It really was time to go home. If she loitered around any longer, the only thing she’d accomplish was freezing to death.
But before she could stand, the sound of the door opening reached her ears.
“Amaya?”
Springing to her feet, Amaya felt panic grip her heart to see Yui poking her head outside. She hurriedly hid the box behind her back.
Yui looked at her with a mix of concern and confusion. “Have you been outside this entire time?”
“Um…” Amaya lowered her head, ears pink with embarrassment at having been caught. “Yeah…”
Yui’s gaze moved down towards her hands and she leaned to the side to see what she was holding. Amaya turned a little more to keep it out of sight although she knew it was hopeless at this point.
“Is that for me?”
“Yeah…uh…sorry I didn’t give it to you earlier…” Amaya brought out the box and held it out with a sheepish smile. “Merry Christmas…?”
Yui stepped towards her and took the box, a wonder-filled sparkle in her eyes. “It’s beautiful…” She looked back up with a heart-stopping smile. “Thank you.”
Amaya felt her blush deepen again. “Yeah, I’m glad you like it.”
She was about to make up some excuse to go home when Yui held the box back up. “Can you help me put it on?”
Amaya was sure her heart just about leapt out of her chest. “S-sure…”
She took the box back as Yui turned around, holding up her hair as Amaya looped the pendant around her neck. Her hands were shaking at how close they were and it took her a couple of tries to get the clasp fastened.
Once it was secure, Yui spun towards her again, the pendant gleaming at the base of her throat. “How does it look?”
Amaya nodded as she stared entranced. It suited her just as perfectly as she had hoped. “Great…you look great.”
Yui beamed at the compliment. Then, before Amaya could react, leaned forward to kiss her lightly on the cheek.
Amaya’s mind blanked out completely. She stood stock still as Yui pulled back, trying to process exactly what had just happened.
Her mouth opened and closed but no sound came out. She raised a hand touch her cheek in disbelief. This was still part of her hallucinations from earlier, right?
But the slightly bashful smile on Yui’s face before her was very, very real. “Want to come inside? It’s cold out here.”
“Y-yeah…” Amaya was still in a daze as Yui took her hand and led her inside.
The wreath on her door jingled cheerfully as it shut behind them.