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“Well, it seems you’ve done it.”
Gloria slowly spun around to face the only two other people standing in the aquarium of Olive Town Museum. Yuka anxiously combed out nonexistent knots from her sandy blonde hair, tinged with a glow of green from the light of the buzzing tanks surrounding them. Eyes of the same color flickered between the museum’s curator and her apprentice.
A soft smile formed deeper wrinkles on Gloria’s face as she focused on the curiously nervous farmer. “All of your contributions to the museum will surely help Olive Town thrive, Yuka.”
“Seriously!” A louder, confident voice from beside Yuka agreed, interrupting her racing heart. “As if everything you’ve done around here hasn’t already!”
Yuka turned her head to look down at the girl next to her, flipping long chocolate curls behind her shoulders as she gently squeezed a delicate hand around the arm of the compliment’s recipient.
And that did absolutely nothing to slow Yuka’s already raging pulse. Compliments always left her flustered, but compliments from Reina—the town’s gorgeous brainiac party girl—paired with her lingering soft touch around Yuka’s arm was enough to make her choke on her own spit. It was something else entirely.
But the two were friends, colleagues, adventure partners—or at least, that’s what Reina and Yuka had continued to tell each other, themselves, or really, anybody who would listen over the past year since the pair had begun working together. Meeting at the museum to talk shop eventually turned into meeting up outside the museum. Over time those meet-ups evolved into just hanging out, walking the beach, hikes, catching dinner and drinks, exploring Yuka’s farm—somehow, Reina was able to make anything the pair did fun.
Anyone with eyes could see how effortlessly their friendship had developed. But all Yuka could think about was how deeply she’d developed feelings for Reina and how hard it was becoming to hide them. Even the whirling air conditioning couldn’t stop her from sweating like she was out in the summer sun.
“You uh…” Yuka let out an involuntary, cringe-worthy chuckle before swallowing. “You’re both too kind. I enjoyed doing it, really. I’ve always loved fishing! I’m just glad it could be useful, you know, to someone other than myself.”
“Useful? It’s been so much more than that, Yuka!” Reina clasped her hands together, doing what seemed to be a shimmy of pure excitement. “Try invaluable!”
Yuka was speechless as her cheeks burned like a raging fire. She would have rather been ashes at that point anyway rather than figure out something worthy to say back to that.
Nothing ever went unnoticed by Gloria. Her keen eye and observant nature got her into running the museum in the first place. So it was no surprise how she watched her apprentice and the town’s farmer with knowing eyes. But it wasn’t like Reina or Yuka had been focusing on Gloria in the slightest.
“You two really do make quite the team,” Gloria interjected between the gazes Reina and Yuka had been making at each other. “And I don’t believe it’s a coincidence that this is the happiest Reina has been since she moved here.”
And that’s when Reina glanced back at Gloria, noticing the slightest, yet mischievous upturn in the corner of her boss’s lip. It was enough to make her heart drop.
“Well, it’s just nice to have somebody else around that cares about the museum as I—I mean, we do!” Reina explained in a slightly higher octave.
Maybe it wasn’t evident to someone like Yuka, who spent about 89% of her time in her own head on a good day. But Gloria knew Reina well enough by now to catch on to even the smallest of cracks in that confident, spunky demeanor.
“Naturally,” Gloria agreed, the sly look on her face not going anywhere.
“I think it’s only natural that we celebrate!” Reina seemed to cut off Gloria before she could actually get any words out of her parted lips. All of her excitement directed itself back at Yuka as she clasped the farmer’s calloused hands in her own. “Don’t you think? You deserve a little party after all your hard work!”
“I, uh, I guess I can’t argue with you there.” Yuka nervously laughed again, running a hand through her hair as they were released. It had always been hard to tell Reina no. Especially when she gushed at Yuka like that.
Truthfully, Yuka wasn’t big on parties. Large social gatherings where she was expected to put on a charismatic face to mingle with others had never interested her much. Spending time with Reina, on the other hand, did. And if parties were what made Reina happy, then that’s precisely what Yuka would do for her friend.
“Sooo… Gloria,” Reina sang, swiveling back to her boss. “Hear me out here: how would you feel about letting us use the aquarium for our little soiree? Like, it only seems right to honor Yuka bathed in the light of her accomplishments.”
A long hum was all Reina received in response initially. “While I have some concerns, I’m sure we can figure something out, darling.”
“Ah! Yes! Perfect!” Reina was back facing an already flustered Yuka within seconds. “Yuka, meet me here at the museum no later than 9! And I won’t take no for an answer!”
Yuka had only given a wide-eyed nod before heading back to the farm in the early afternoon sun. The morning had been a trip and a half. Being around Reina always sent her head into outer space, but this time left her lost amongst the cosmos.
As she crossed the wooden bridge and opened the gate to her pasture, Yuka hoped that the chorus of moos greeting her could help bring back some normalcy to the day. Or, at the very least, a regular heartbeat and body temperature.
After taking care of her remaining chores, Yuka returned to her farmhouse to get ready for whatever the night had in store for her. She expected a night of making idle conversation with acquaintances while watching Reina take her rightful place as the life of the party. Even if the party was intended to celebrate Yuka, the spotlight would inevitably end on Reina. It always did, at least in Yuka’s mind.
But still, it didn’t stop her hands from shaking as they brushed through her short sandy hair. It didn’t matter what they were doing; if Reina was involved, the fluttering in Yuka’s stomach was inevitable. Yuka only managed to clean herself up and change into a fresh set of clothes before the time caught her eye. Despite the nerves threatening to slow her steps, she was swift out the door on her way back to the museum.
It wasn’t quite 9 yet, so it surprised Yuka to see Beth, Lars, and Jacopo loitering in the square outside the museum, absorbed in conversation. Immediately Yuka’s heart sunk to the cobblestones. Too worried that she was somehow both too late and too early, Yuka didn’t even notice the entire group shift as she approached them.
“I’m not late… am I?” Yuka sulked her way in front of them, staring at the museum doors.
“Huh?” Beth tilted her head to the side. “Late for what?”
“For the party?” Yuka’s heartbeat pulsed through her limbs. Beth’s confused reaction had Yuka envisioning every single way she could have possibly misheard Reina. “I thought Reina said—”
“Ooooooh,” Jacopo’s loud realization interrupted her. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. Ignore Beth. She’s just joshin’ with ya.” He sent a knowing look with raised brows in Lars and Beth’s direction.
But only Lars seemed to pick up what Jacopo had poorly attempted to put down. “Oh, yeah!” Lars chimed in, enthusiastically nodding his head at Jacopo.
Jacopo and Lars continued to emphatically bounce their heads at each other, and Beth somehow looked more lost than earlier. None of their reactions eased Yuka in the slightest—something was off.
“Oh… um, okay then,” Yuka trailed off, moving her attention back to the door. “So, are you all about to head in… or?”
“In the museum?” Beth’s perplexed voice asked, head whipping around the circle. “Why would—”
“Oh yeah, definitely,” Lars announced over Beth, putting an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer in one swift motion.
“Yeah, just head on in—we’re right behind you,” Jacopo continued the encouragement, dramatically motioning towards the entrance.
Strange encounters with Jacopo and Lars were nothing new to Yuka, but this time felt especially peculiar. Eager to get this one done and over with, she offered a polite nod and threw open the entrance to the museum.
As the doors closed behind her, Yuka glanced around the empty space. The atmosphere felt especially desolate and quiet, considering a party was apparently taking place here. She pushed the worries to the back of her mind and carried on towards the stairs. Surely the museum’s basement had some sort of soundproofing.
But the quiet continued even as Yuka descended down the staircase, and the doubt returned to her gut. Clearly, she’d messed up somewhere along the way. She didn’t know how, but she’d managed to do it.
Yuka was about to turn and hightail it back up the stairs when she finally heard Reina’s voice from around the corner.
“Yuka?” she called. “Is that you?”
That reassurance was enough for Yuka to hop down the remaining two steps. She forced a deep breath in a poor attempt to calm her pounding heart and rushed through the hallway to the aquarium. But when Yuka turned the corner, she couldn’t believe what was in front of her.
Other than the glowing tanks, the room was practically empty. Reina stood alone between the rows of swimming aquatic life, a small table decorated with a bottle of wine, glasses…. And a basket of bread? The spread had clearly been set up to Reina’s standards. But it was the last thing Yuka expected to see—so much so that she was blinking uncontrollably, looking around for any indication that this was some sort of cruel lucid dream.
But this was real. And now, Yuka was sure Reina thought something was seriously wrong with her.
A million different things to say rushed through Yuka’s mind as she stared at Reina. What the hell is going on? Am I in the right place? But Reina’s wide grin was unwavering as she waved over her frozen companion. And just like that, the only thought left on her mind was, Why do you always look so beautiful?
Eventually, Yuka settled on the only thing her mouth could force out, which was a shaky, “Hi.”
Reina laughed at Yuka’s rigid stature—it was like she belonged on a shelf with the other ancient relics upstairs. “So are you just going to stand there or…” her voice trailed off as she reached for the bottle of wine, keeping a side-eye on a still unmoving Yuka.
“Did I…. did I mess up or something?” Yuka asked slowly. She must have messed something up—she was convinced she had. Something was off, and no amount of Reina’s nonchalance and dopamine-inducing smiles could shake the gnawing from her chest.
A loud POP filled the room before Reina tossed the cork. “What? No! You’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.” A reassurance that did nothing to curb Yuka’s puzzlement.
“I just, I thought….” Was Yuka the crazy one? Had she somehow misheard or misinterpreted what Reina had said? It wouldn’t have been the first time, but she knew what she’d heard. “I heard you say party.”
“I did!” Reina sang, utterly unfazed by Yuka’s apparent confusion. “We’re just about to start.” She swiveled back to the table, and Yuka watched as the only two glasses of wine were filled in chugging succession.
And despite her echoing heartbeat and the lightness of her limbs, Yuka managed to shuffle over to the table. Up close, she could really see the detail that had been put into orchestrating something as simple as a surface for holding refreshments. The table cloth, the presentation of the breadbasket, the neatly placed cutlery, the intricately patterned napkins placed perfectly beside wine glasses engraved with olive branches—it was so undeniably Reina.
Yuka smiled as she looked it over, but it was a short-lived relief when a glass brimming with deep red wine was thrust into her hands. The nerves ignited all over again as her fingers curved around its cool, smooth surface. So Yuka hadn’t messed up—she should have been relieved. But she wasn’t.
If Reina wanted her to come over and drink wine to celebrate, why not just say that? Why go to all the trouble of framing it as a party? Unless maybe Reina had intended it to be, and nobody wanted to show up to celebrate Yuka. It would explain why Reina seemed to be going to all the trouble on her behalf—a consolation celebration. Considering that this was what Yuka preferred anyway, maybe it was a win. But that didn’t stop lingering guilt, knowing that a real party is what Reina would have preferred.
Reina linked her free arm around Yuka’s elbow and yanked them both towards the tanks lining the back wall, not giving the farmer any more time to dwell on the unusual and potentially sad circumstances of the night.
“I can’t believe it all started here.” Reina followed with a sip of wine, eyes unmoving from the stationary mollusks in front of her.
Yuka took a longer drink, intent on using the extra time to figure out what to say and failing miserably. “I mean, you can find them all over town. It doesn’t seem like that big of an accomplishment now.”
“Always so humble,” Reina sighed. “If it wasn’t for these critters, who knows what this place would look like?”
“I probably would have just caught something else first….”
Reina let out an offended gasp paired with a playful nudge. “But it wouldn’t be the same!”
“I… I guess you’re right.” Yuka brought her eyes back to the specimen. She couldn’t imagine a scenario where she wasn’t finding any excuse to stop by the museum. The fact that it had been a mollusk over the blood clams had been purely chance—they were all Yuka had on her when she realized she needed an excuse to see Reina. It wasn’t like she’d ever admit that, though.
“I still remember when you brought them in,” Reina laughed. “Listening to you try to talk to Gloria made my entire week.”
“I had no idea the aquarium down here even existed!” Yuka’s flustered excuse came quicker than she’d liked. “I just wanted to know where she was going to keep everything, and ‘in the basement’ is a confusing answer when you don’t know it exists.”
“It was funny, is all.” Reina took a long drink. “Almost as funny as when you found out what ambergris was.”
Fossilized whale goop. Yuka almost gagged at the thought alone. She never understood why they were so important, but that didn’t stop her from delivering every single one she could scrounge up to Reina.
Yuka didn’t even attempt to hide the disgust from her face. “For the record, I still think it’s gross.”
“And for the record, I still think they’re cool.” Reina held her glass towards Yuka’s with a smug grin, and its dwindling remains didn’t go unnoticed. “I guess we can just agree to disagree then.”
The following silence provided Yuka with the opportunity to take a long drink. Her nerves hadn’t settled one bit, and the options seemed limited. Plus, she needed to keep up with Reina, who’d somehow managed to down most of her wine in a matter of minutes. There was a chance Reina didn’t even want to be here at all; boring her on top of that was a risk Yuka just wasn’t willing to take.
So Yuka allowed herself to be dragged through the rows of tanks. She took advantage of Reina’s unending string of stories to guzzle down as much as physically possible for somebody that rarely ever drank, forcing a nod or a laugh when she could. But the radiant energy beside her remained unfazed by the lack of input and continued to reminisce about every minor memory she had of each of the contributed specimens—all at Yuka’s expense.
Usually, that amount of teasing would leave Yuka a flustered mess, but now that she could feel the liquid calm extinguishing her nerves, all she could do was laugh… and be slightly amazed that Reina had such a good memory. It left a warmth lingering in her chest. She couldn’t imagine someone caring enough to remember so much about her… let alone go to all the trouble to do all this for her.
Yuka couldn’t ignore the question anymore. Whatever had been keeping her curiosities at bay threatened to come crumbling down. She had to know what was going on inside Reina’s head.
When the pair arrived back at Reina’s perfectly curated table to get a likely unnecessary refreshment for their drinks, Yuka appeared moments from bursting at the seams. It wasn’t until Reina had topped off the glasses that she met surprisingly serious green eyes staring down at her.
“Are you okay?” Reina asked sincerely, returning the second glass to the table. Her concerned face grew closer to Yuka’s as she pushed to her toes. “Do you want some bread? Maybe you shouldn’t have another—”
“How much longer are you gonna do this?” Yuka blurted without a second thought.
Reina instantly dropped back down to the floor with a frown. “Huh?”
“Are you gonna tell me what’s going on or not?” The voice didn’t even feel like Yuka’s as it left her mouth. While the question came out much harsher than she’d intended, Yuka had no intention of taking it back.
There was a moment of hesitation before Reina finally conjured a response, “Yuka, what in the world are you talking about?”
“I’m just… so confused by you tonight,” Yuka groaned, bringing a loose fist to her forehead. She closed her eyes, wondering why she ever opened her stupid mouth in the first place and why it had to get so hot all of a sudden?
Reina shook her head with a sympathetic smile focused on her flustered friend. “I’m just as confused as you are.”
One long, drawn-out sigh later, Yuka finally attempted an explanation, “You say party—talk it up like it’s this big thing, and then it’s just you being extra, extra nice.” But it all came out like an accusation. “Did people not want to come or something? And you didn’t want to make me feel bad? Because you don’t have to do all this because you feel bad—”
“Yuka, what? Stop, stop,” the words faded into Reina’s chuckles. “I didn’t do any of this because I feel bad. I just… wanted to.” Reina took a quick drink before amending her statement, “And nobody canceled because of you. That’s ridiculous.”
“Then why are we the only people here?” Yuka continued to press. Her insistence even surprised herself. “I saw Lars and Jacopo on my way in here, and they knew there was something going on tonight.”
Reina paused and took another, longer drink, letting the steady hums of the aquarium take center stage. And even as buzzed as she was, Yuka noticed the hesitance.
“Well…” Dark eyes scanned the tanks around the room, seemingly intent on avoiding Yuka’s. “When I talked to Gloria, she didn’t want a ton of drunk people in the museum unsupervised… and so… like, I didn’t want anybody to feel excluded.” Reina curled a long strand around her finger. “So… I ended up not inviting anyone else. I’m sure Jacopo just knew because Gloria told him, and you know how he can be sometimes….”
“That’s it?” It made sense through and through… even still, Yuka couldn’t help feeling like it wasn’t the whole truth. Maybe it was just the alcohol misguiding her intuition, but that didn’t stop the nagging sensation from crawling up her spine.
“I’m sorry for not telling you.” Reina finally turned back to Yuka with rosy cheeks. “I didn’t think you’d mind… I know smaller things are more your jam anyway, and tonight is about you!”
“Oh…” Yuka wasn’t sure what to say or how to take anything coming out of Reina’s mouth. “Well… thanks.”
It should make sense—of course, Reina would want to do whatever made Yuka happy; she always did the most for her friends. Everyone in town loved her for that very reason. So then why didn’t that answer satisfy Yuka? It was like an impossible, unreachable itch in the back of her brain.
“You… don’t sound too happy,” Reina ventured with a frown. “Did you actually want something big? Like, have I somehow converted you to the lavish party lifestyle?”
“No!” The answer was a reflex from Yuka’s gut. “This just… you didn’t have to do all this for me.”
Long curls shifted over her shoulder as Reina tilted her head at such a strange comment. “It really wasn’t that much, Yu—”
“No, just… you gave up your Friday night to be here with me.” Yuka had to shift her eyes to the nearest swimming specimen. “And… I know you would have rather done something else, and… I feel bad.”
“Yuka…” Reina trailed off with something between a laugh and a scoff. “Clearly, you have no idea what I want.” She brought the brimming glass up to her lips and turned away. “Come on, no more feeling bad! We’re supposed to be having fun! Plus, we still have the last row to get through—that’s where my fave is.”
The steady steps of Reina’s heels along the tiles attempted to punctuate the conversation. But the combination of pent-up confusion, longing, and alcohol wasn’t allowing Yuka to drop it. Utterly devoid of any sense of good judgment, she reached for the remaining glass of wine on the table and chugged as much as she could manage before chasing after Reina.
Yuka coughed down the last of the bitter drops in her throat as she met Reina in front of a glowing tank. The two watched the shimmering fish inside gracefully glide through the tank like a ribbon in the wind. It took a few moments for Reina to pull her gaze from the silver specimen that seemed to glimmer in the water before them.
“Do you really want to know the truth?” Reina finally interrupted what felt like a century-long silence. “And don’t laugh at me when I tell you.”
Yuka’s chest burned in anticipation… and alcohol. “I do… that’s why I asked.”
Reina released a dampened sigh. “I just… wanted an excuse to celebrate.” Softened eyes moved back to the tank as her lips wrestled with the words, “Just you and me.”
“You… what?” Yuka scoffed in disbelief. “Reina… you don’t have to go through all this just to hang out with me, though.” Yuka continued to stare despite Reina’s unwillingness to look up. “That’s… that’s the most un-Reina thing I’ve ever heard! You know I like hanging out with you.”
“But I wanted to do it for you. I wanted it to be special.” Reina continued to admit with what sounded like an embarrassed laugh in the direction of the fish, not Yuka. “You know, one last hurrah now that you’ve done all this.”
“One last hurrah…?” Yuka repeated slowly.
“Well, I’ve just liked working with you so much—we make such a good team.” Yuka couldn’t remember the last time she heard Reina speak so solemnly. “And now that you’re done with all of it, I’m not going to see you as much… since you don’t have any other reason to hang around now,” Reina explained, confidence evading her voice with every word. “I just… I don’t know, I wanted one more special moment with you here… to remember everything we’ve done together.”
Even if Yuka did have coherent control over her brain, she wouldn’t have had the slightest idea what to say or do. Feelings seemed to flash through her mind like a violent storm. Shock faded into confusion until the slow trickle overflowed into a flood of frustration. Sober or not, articulating any of that felt impossible. So she just stared, watching the turquoise glow of the tank reflect upon Reina’s face.
A few seconds had passed when Reina finally moved her attention to Yuka’s dumbfounded reaction and immediately regretted letting the words off her chest. “Wow, okay. I’m sorry. It’s so silly when I say it out loud—”
“When have I ever given you a reason to think that I’m not going to be around anymore?” Yuka couldn’t help but take offense at Reina’s unjustified worries. “Just because I’ve checked this one off… that doesn’t mean I’m going to stop hanging out with you.”
“Because we’re friends,” Reina reminded both of them with a melancholy smile. “Yeah, I know we’ll still hang out—”
“Reina, no.” Equipped with a healthy dose of liquid courage in her veins, Yuka stepped into the space between them and placed a hand on Reina’s arm. “You… you couldn’t get rid of me if you tried.” The floodgates were open, and Yuka barely held the reigns on what threatened to leave her mouth.
Deep brown eyes stared up at Yuka, wide and watching every movement. Her lips parted for words that didn’t come as a flush spread across her cheeks. A flustered Reina was rare, and Yuka couldn’t help the hold that look seemed to have on her.
Reina audibly swallowed. “Yuka…” she started with a single breath, “what are you saying?”
“I love you—I mean, love spending time with you,” Yuka just about choked on the slur of sentences, regretting every single stupid one that left her lips. But she was in too deep to give up now. “Being around you and stuff—it just makes me happy. Ugh, I probably sound so dumb, you know what I mean—”
Reina’s lips against Yuka’s was a quick end to the word vomit. Maybe Yuka’s confession didn’t make the most sense, but it didn’t have to—Reina wanted to show her that she understood. While Yuka fumbled over her thoughts, Reina had pushed to her tippy toes and wrapped a soft hand around the back of Yuka’s neck.
When Yuka tensed in surprise, realization returned to Reina. It was a stupid, unwarranted, drunk kiss, and Reina was preparing a rambling apology as she pulled back. But Yuka’s hands had already made their way to Reina’s cheeks to keep her face close. Now that the initial shock had worn off, Yuka wanted to savor it.
Their half-lidded gazes met for only a split second before Yuka returned the kiss, deeper and more deliberate than before. Reina’s lips were soft, full—-everything Yuka had imagined and more. Even the bitter remnants of wine on their tongues couldn’t hide the sweet taste on those lips. Each shared breath ignited the building desire between them. They relaxed into each other, wrapping arms around the other until there wasn’t a single inch of space left. Nothing else mattered in that moment—just the person in front of them.
But reality made its return as Reina’s ditched wine glass shattered on the tile below. The sharp crash made Reina swiftly pull away without warning, and when Yuka finally opened her eyes, the regret on her companion’s face made her heart drop to the deepest pit of her stomach.
“Yuka…I… I’m so sorry, was that….” Reina slowly spoke as she inched away, “should I not have done that?”
“What? No.” Yuka let out the most assured laugh yet as she looked to the shards of glass on the floor and brought her hands to her face. “I just mean, I wish you would have done it sooner.”
“I wanted to know what it was like.” Reina didn’t move her gaze from Yuka as the confession left her lips, “I have for a while.”
Yuka had to gather her jaw off the floor. “And…?”
“I’d like to be able to do it again. But…”
Of course, there would be a ‘but.’ Yuka had to stop herself from groaning. “But what?”
“What happens to us, Yuka?” The air between them shifted as Reina moved the main point of contention to center stage. “You’re my best friend.”
“You probably shouldn’t let Karina know that,” Yuka half-heartedly joked back, kicking at a piece of glass by her foot.
Luckily Reina laughed at that one. “You know what I mean.”
“I don’t, though.” Yuka glanced down at Reina and raised her brow. “That’s why I’m asking you.”
“Yuka, obviously, I have feelings for you!” Reina finally admitted with a huff. “You are so special to me, but… I’ve always just been so scared because you’ve never really seemed interested in anyone else like that and—”
“Yeah, I wasn’t interested in anyone else.” Yuka had to swallow an uncomfortable lump in her throat before she could finish her thought. “And… turns out this kinda stuff only wants to come out when I try to drink as much as you.”
Reina huffed a laugh, but her face settled into a frown. “But… I don’t want things to change. I can’t imagine my life without you… and I don’t want to.”
“It’s not like things have to change. Plus, have I ever given you a reason to think you could get rid of me?” Yuka placed her hands on her hips. “I delivered you ancient whale goo for a week straight. I feel like that says something.”
Even though Reina tried to resist, she couldn’t help smiling. “So… what does that mean?”
“We should be together,” Yuka insisted wholeheartedly. Now that it was out in the open, she wasn’t going to let go of the opportunity to have something she’d been longing for. “I… I don’t want to pretend anymore, Reina. We can be friends that kiss, whatever the heck you want. I don’t care.”
“Friends… that kiss?” Reina repeated as a smirk spread across her face. “I think that’s just dating, Yu.”
“Okay? Then… date me,” Yuka tried again. “You… I mean, you already kissed me. Might as well make it official.”
Reina opened her mouth and then promptly closed it before averting her gaze to the floor. “Gloria already thinks we’re secretly dating anyway.”
“I’ll do that too if that’s what you want.” Maybe Yuka was coming off a little desperate, but she couldn’t help it.
“No!” Reina’s response was instant. “If we’re together, I want everyone to know.”
“You do?”
Reina gave a bashful nod as she met Yuka’s wide eyes. “But…if we do this, I just want to know that you’ll only have eyes for me.”
“Of course!” Yuka rushed to reply, snaking her arms around Reina’s shoulders.
“And… if you ever do have to go somewhere far away, you tell me.”
“Reina, I’d take you with me. What do you mean—”
“Wait, one last thing!” Reina continued over the protest, linking her arms around Yuka’s waist. “You don’t have to absolutely love everything I do, but… I just want you to respect the things that make me happy… and let me be myself.” She stiffened to shoot a look at Yuka. “Not that you don’t do that already! Just…those are my three rules. So, if you really want to do this, I need you to promise me—”
“Of course!” was the breathless reply from someone who was still in utter disbelief. Yuka’s tongue had never felt so heavy, but something needed to come out before the opportunity disappeared. “I promise.”
“Then… I promise that you’re the only one for me from now on,” Reina said sweetly, snuggling up against her girlfriend’s shoulder.
And those words absolutely did it to Yuka. Maybe it was the wine, but she felt confident in what she needed to do next. Yuka placed a gentle hand on Reina’s cheek, tilting it up before reuniting their lips. And until then, neither of them realized how a soft, simple kiss could have so much passion.
Their faces lingered inches apart before slowly pulling away and peeling back their eyes. While the two had returned to reality, neither made an effort to let go of the other.
Reina lifted her head to look at Yuka. “I literally can’t believe this just happened.”
“Uh, yeah,” she replied with a nervous chuckle. “It doesn’t feel real that you’re my… girlfriend? It feels weird to say.”
“Yeah, well, maybe… for our first act as girlfriends,” Reina teased, letting her hands trace along Yuka’s hips and legs as she lowered herself to the floor. She just beamed as her girlfriend’s face scorched in response. “Just to make it feel real... we can clean up all this glass, so Gloria doesn’t kill me.”
Yuka scoffed in some sort of combination of relief and disappointment. “Well, if it’s as girlfriends….” she sighed and met Reina on the floor, her smiling face inches away, “I guess I could do that.”
Reina pressed a delicate kiss on her favorite lips. “You would be the best girlfriend in the world if you did.”
And that was the only motivation Yuka needed to help her girlfriend sweep up the shards.