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As Kiara laid down the tray of her freshly baked cookies onto the living room table. The rest of the members have chattered about their own stories, sharing the happy and hilarious times to each other. Telling all about what they had done the past few weeks of December. It was currently Christmas Eve, the colorful christmas lights and the christmas spirit was visually present on Kiara's home. Everything was bright and soothing, just like her presence.
"I originally planned to make about a hundred cakes in our previous Minecraft stream to celebrate how far we've come though I ran short on time." said Gura.
"No way! I was thinking the same thing! I actually started already and made quite alot. The chests near the Christmas Tree you made were for that idea." followed Amelia.
"We can finish that idea for tomorrow afternoon if you want. Just a little off-stream work?" Gura asked, a soft flush of red flushing on her cheeks.
Amelia grinned "Sure thing!"
Ina peacefully reading a book as she listened close to the chatter, she was done sharing the moments she had, and was now reading a new book she bought on the way to Kiara's home. Getting farther interested in it as she flipped through each of the pages.
"Would you like to join us, Ina?" Gura offered, Ina lowering her book a little, meeting eye contact with both the gremlin and shark softly smiling at her. Her heart thumped, almost like her heart skipped a beat.
"I would love to." Ina replied.
Kiara was listening to them, she smiled. Everyone was getting along really well. Although she noticed how a certain reaper, Calli, was nowhere to be found in the living room.
Soon after, the three grabbed onto the cookies and were totally amazed on how tasty they were. Kiara replied with a wink, she learned baking not too long ago, just after she made Valentines chocolate for Calli.
Ina put left the book open onto her previous seat, standing up and walking near Kiara.
"May I ask where the bathroom is at?"
Kiara snapped from her trance, immediately responding to Ina "The door in the far right, just there!" Kiara pointed a finger onto the direction, Ina bowing down and thanking her before she went, she turned around and whispered.
"Calli went outside just a few minutes after you finished baking, she's been really flustered since she got here. Might wanna check on our reaper, Kiara." said Ina before she winked, and made her way to the bathroom.
Right, that was why Kiara couldn't spot her.
She mentally thanked Ina for the information, it's as if she were being a wingwoman.
Who was she kidding? Ofcourse Ina was the wingwoman.
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Even though Calli remained seated at the porch stairs outside of Kiara's house, she could still hear the conversations her friends had. The soft laughs, the nice talks. She figured she had to step outside for a while since she had no other story to share. December was a pretty busy and normal month for her. Repeating the same old routine and almost never stepping outside from her own apartment unless necessary, she felt left out.
She knew she wasn't supposed to be.
Her head remained at rest on her arms, that rested on her legs. It was cold outside, it felt lonely... And the way it felt lonely was... Different. A comfortable type of silence, the faint chatter, the cold atmosphere.
The snow fell right infront of her, she closed her eyes, she felt tired.
She is tired.
The door opened, Kiara appeared, her gaze averting to Calli, who didn't even seem to notice she was right behind her.
She grinned silently.
Good thing Calli has still left a space enough for Kiara to sit, right beside Calli. Laying her head onto Calli's shoulder. Calli's eyes snapped open, her head raising up to the sight of Kiara's head placed comfortably on her shoulder, eyes closed, smiling, and humming to a tone.
She looked... She looked very peaceful. Calli brushed it off with a sigh and looked infront of her, watching as the snow slowly covered the front of the house.
"Kusotori..."
"Hmm?" Kiara hummed in response.
"How has this month been for you?" Calli asked after a few minutes.
Kiara tapped her foot onto the stair, snuggling closer to Calli, before she answered "As long as I'm in contact with you, any month passes by quickly and happily for me."
Calli cringed, no, tried not to cringe. Kiara sure was grabbing the opportunity on Calli right now.
Calli groaned, and said "That sounds... Boring."
"How is it boring? They say time flies by fast when you're with the person you love. Technically, we're not even together each and every day." Kiara paused, retracting from her current position to look at Calli "But, this love I feel...? This passion inside me, couldn't help but treasure each and every moment that I spend with you. Even when you're far."
Calli's heartbeat grew faster... And faster. Her cheeks began to visibly appear red.
"Guh, enough! Cheesy! Too cheesy! Ugh!" said Calli before she distanced herself a few metres away from Kiara. Kiara laughing from the reaction, Calli continued to make disgusted sounds. Yet deep inside her, she was happy. She was really happy Kiara thought of her that way. Or whatever.
"What about you Calli? How have you been?"
Calli finally stopped cringing, closing her eyes to take a deep breath. Exhaling. She fiddled with her fingers "Every other day is starting to feel the same for me."
Kiara raised a brow.
"It's like... It's like... guh, There is something else I am missing."
"Is it me?" Kiara quickly wiggled her eyebrows teasingly.
"No! God no!"
Calli stopped fidgeting.
"...Maybe."
Kiara squealed, before she took Calli onto a warm embrace "Aww Calli! I knew you missed me!"
Calli tried to push Kiara away "Hey! It's not what you're thinking!"
"Oh Calli, it feels like it is what I'm thinking it is. Don't be afraid to tell me what you feel, I will be here for you and-"
"No! You can't always be here for me!" Calli finally seriously said, making Kiara's arms slowly retreat from the embrace.
"I-i... What if I can't be there for you? You've always been so kind to me, Kiara. I'm beginning to feel guilty that... That I can't return what you feel for me." said Calli, she was tearing up, making Kiara pout.
"Hell, I'm even only on a hiatus from reaping and... What if I have to return? What if I can't be here for you anymore?"
Kiara understood now, why Calli couldn't respond back to her feelings. She was afraid. Not afraid to love. But afraid to leave what they would have. She feared to let go.
She feared to go. Go away from Kiara.
Kiara stood up and kneeled infront of Calli, wiping her tears with the handkerchief she had on her pocket. It ached her to see Calli crying. To see Calli hurt.
"Let's treasure it."
"Huh?"
"Let's treasure the moments we spend together. Whether it be Hololive, or in this world outside for us. Calli... I'm not asking you to return back these feelings I have for you. All I want is that I can express myself freely around you. And being able to do that? Is bliss to me." Kiara held Calli's hands, holding them close and tight to her own "It will take time to find out what you feel for me, but right now..."
"I love you Calli." She smiled. Slowly closing her eyes, and slowly leaning in to Calli's own lips. Calli was surprised, she felt stunned, she didn't know what to do. All the sudden outburst of emotions.
Before she could figure it out, soft, plump lips pressed against her own. Their lips locked together in a soft kiss. Calli's eyes widened, but soon after, her heart calmed, responding back to it by leaning in herself, and placing a hand over Kiara's cheek as she closed her own eyes.
Kiara was right. Calli wanted to cherish every moment with her. And with everyone else.
They both pulled away, slowly opening their eyes. They both blushed, flustered with what just happened. Yet they brushed it off with hearty laughs.
Kiara found her hand holding Calli's once again, their fingers intertwined. Almost perfectly fit for each other.
"Let's go back inside? Everyone must be worried about you." Kiara smiled.
Calli, finally, for the first time that night, smiled along and stood "Yeah, yeah let's go."
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Meanwhile, a flustered Ina, Gura and Amelia were watching both of them from the window. Watching both of them make their way inside.
"Tell me you got that on video..." Gura mumbled.
"Yeah, yeah... Holy shit." Amelia replied.
Meanwhile, as soon as the reaper and the phoenix were visible on the living room. Ina only winked and gave a thumbs up to Kiara, the phoenix doing the same.
Ina cleared her throat "So, why are you two holding hands?"
Calli looked at their hands before she blushed and retreated her hand, Kiara only giggling softly at her action.
"I uhh, my hand felt cold so I held Kiara's to... To feel warmer because of the Phoenix heat, yeah!"
"Wouldn't your other hand be cold as well?" Ina teasingly asked.
"Guh! Enough questions!"
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