Chapter Text
Pitter… patter… pitter… patter…
The sound of the rain hitting the window was ambient, a gentle sound that provided a cozy atmosphere for the two girls in bed. It continually fell, making a sound each time a droplet hit. Pitter… patter… pitter… patter…
Mahiru nestled her head on Kotoko's chest, Kotoko found herself staring mindlessly at whatever was in front of her. The two laid there, listening to the sound of the rain. In between sounds of rainfall, Mahiru could make out the distinct sound of a steady heartbeat in Kotoko's ribcage, accompanied with waves of slow, calm breaths. The rhythm made Mahiru simply melt, sinking deeper into the other woman's body.
When she looked up, eyes fluttering open from their comfortable haze-like state, she could see Kotoko's strong jawline and eyes still peering forwards. Upon feeling the shuffling, Kotoko looked down to meet Mahiru's gaze. Her face was neutral, neither upset nor overjoyed. Though it seemed cold, Mahiru knew this was simply how Kotoko was, her resting face stern and intense. Mahiru couldn't help but smile.
"You know…" Mahiru began, "you have a very strong face. When I look at you from certain angles, you look powerful. Like you could make someone melt just by looking at them."
"What do you mean from certain angles?" Kotoko asked, "And… making people melt?"
Mahiru uttered, "Yes… You're certainly making me melt looking like this."
Kotoko looked away, Mahiru could tell from her position that a small smile had crossed her face. She could tell from the way Kotoko exhaled, more like a small laugh than a proper breath.
"I mean it. You're beautiful… I love you." Mahiru affirmed.
"I… love you too." Kotoko replied, looking back down.
A hand reached down, stringing fingers through Mahiru's soft hair. The already big smile on her face simply grew as she felt Kotoko gently play with her hair, hair that had found its way all across Kotoko's collar. She stayed like this, feeling her eyes drift close and taking in every small sound that filtered its way through her ears.
Being in this state made Mahiru's heart flutter. Being in the presence of the one she loved, feeling the warm feelings of affection well up throughout her whole body, was when Mahiru found herself the happiest. Laying there, Mahiru could hear the sound of her heart thumping against her chest.
Thump… thump… thump…
Pitter… patter… pitter… patter…
Soon, the feeling began to build up in Mahiru's face. A rose-coloured tint painted her cheeks, and she pursed her lips, taking in every emotion at once as they swirled up within her.
She shuffled herself upwards, breaking away from Kotoko's hand still in her hair, and brushed her lips across Kotoko's jawline, weakly bringing her closer in order to solidify the kiss. She sat up all the way, repositioning herself so that she was sitting similarly to Kotoko, then tucked Kotoko's hair behind her ear in order to spread more kisses across her cheek. With each kiss, Kotoko's face felt warmer and warmer.
"I love you." Mahiru said again after pulling away from Kotoko's face.
There was a brief moment of silence, and in that moment Mahiru could feel her heart drop. Kotoko's face looked the same as usual, but that cold expression pierced Mahiru's heart like a shard of glass. The hesitation creeped up, and Mahiru unconsciously held her breath, letting everything she'd inhaled swell in her lungs.
Then, a kiss.
Kotoko turned to face Mahiru, then promptly pulled their faces together, lips locking in a seemingly long embrace. Once they came together, Mahiru let out everything she'd had built up in one exhale. As she did, she sank deeper into the kiss, wrapping her arms around Kotoko's back. Kotoko could feel the sensation of nails grabbing at the back of her shirt, balling the fabric into the palms of Mahiru's hands. In return, Kotoko let her hands feel their way across Mahiru's shoulders. She could feel the silky, thin straps of Mahiru's bralette while her hands wrapped around her back, pulling Mahiru even closer.
After a repeated few beats of taking their lips only millimetres away from one another only to crash them together again, they changed positions. Kotoko lazily threw the sheets off of her and rolled over, moving her waist on top of Mahiru and shuffling on top of her. She looked down at Mahiru, whose face was one that was more than satisfied with the place she was in. Their legs intertwined with one another, and Kotoko locked hands with Mahiru.
"You're beautiful." Kotoko muttered.
"I love you… I know I say it a lot but I'll say it again. I love you so much."
"I love you too, Mahiru."
Kotoko leaned down, bangs falling in her face, and kissed Mahiru again. With her free hand, Mahiru felt her way across Kotoko's chest, then around to her back. Mahiru's knee came up, pushing Kotoko slightly closer.
As they continued this action over and over again, the sound outside continued, roaring even louder than before. Pitter… patter… pitter… patter…
When she was done, Kotoko rolled over and laid flat on the bed, hands resting on her stomach. She stared up at the ceiling and took a few seconds to breathe, absorbing all she'd done with Mahiru in the past few minutes. Mahiru rolled over in return, sitting above Kotoko to her side and looking down at her with a grin. Kotoko turned her face to Mahiru.
"Even now, you still look strong." Mahiru commented.
Kotoko chuckled, "I do?"
"Yes… very strong. I like it a lot."
"You've got quite some stamina too." Kotoko said.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Mahiru asked, her cheeks puffing out.
Kotoko moved up, making eye contact with Mahiru. Her hand reached Mahiru's, brushing over the top of it with calloused fingers. Kotoko's face leaned to the side, and she smiled at the other woman.
"It's not too late yet… Want to find out?"
Mahiru's face flushed entirely. Though physically she remained the same, she could feel her heart melting into a puddle at the inquiry.
Pitter… patter… pitter… patter…
"Of course… I'd love that more than anything."