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Kokomi, generally speaking, likes to believe she's got pretty good self control.
It's part of her whole personality, really. She likes to be prepared, to plan for every eventuality, and for that to work out she needs to keep herself on a relatively short leash.
And yet, she's somehow managed to break both the "planning" and "self control" parts of that preference, lately.
It isn't even her fault, not really. She'd just tripped, because she wasn't paying attention, and Sara had caught her. It shouldn't even really be something she lingers on, it was a simply accident that was resolved immediately, no harm done.
While there was no harm done, though, Sara had certainly done something to Kokomi.
Namely, as she wrapped her arms around Kokomi to make sure she remained stable, Sara had managed to press Kokomi's face right into her breasts.
It was an accident, Kokomi keeps telling herself. Sara meant nothing by it.
But it had happened, and the feeling of her cheek against the only part of Sara that could ever be described as "bouncy" refuses to leave her thoughts, no matter how hard Kokomi tries.
Practically speaking, it's led to far worse. She can't even look at Sara anymore without her eyes starting to travel downwards and focusing in, and even if it's just for a split moment Kokomi can tell that Sara notices every time:
She doesn't say anything about it, though.
If she didn't know better, Kokomi would be certain that Sara had put some sort of spell on her. She wishes Sara had been less of a sweetheart, less of a walking embodiment of kindness and chivalry, and just allowed her to plant her face into the dirt.
It would've hurt, sure, but at least she'd be able to think straight.
Even when she digs her head into her pillows at night, she finds herself pretending that it's Sara holding her softly instead.
She wants to scream.
***
It's never quite occurred to Kokomi before that Sara is wearing a body glove beneath the rest of her uniform.
It's another moment of happenstance that makes Kokomi truly aware of it. Simply standing at just the right angle when a gust of wind catches the side of the flap of cloth that lies across Sara's chest, and she catches a peak of how tightly the garment hugs the Tengu's body.
She's going insane, probably. Sara still hasn't said a word about her staring. Whenever the Tengu approaches her, Kokomi is certain that this time she'll be confronted about being a pervert, but Sara invariably simply continues being her heartbreakingly endearing and awkward self.
It's awful. Gorou finds it funny, though.
"I don't mean to presume, your excellency, but this sounds like an issue close to the heart"
The words are as reverent as when she's giving him commands, but she can hear the barely contained laugh in his voice, and the shaking of his shoulders are just as poorly concealed.
"This isn't funny, Gorou. I am in pain. This is her revenge for all the teasing I've done."
He titters on, and a part of Kokomi is glad that he's comfortable enough to act like the friend she remembers from their shared childhood instead of the neurotic general he's become.
"As biased as I may be, your excellency, I don't think that there's a vengeful bone in Kujou Sara's body. This sounds more like some sort of trap, if you get what I mean."
She sighs. He will never stop, and she will never hear the end of this.
"Don't say it, Gorou."
His voice is solemn and sober, and he looks at her with a gaze that carries the weight of the world. "I'll keep it close to my chest, your excellency."
After a moment of silent staring, they both break down in giggles. She's missed this. When they finally recover, they both grow serious again.
"I really don't know what to do, though. And I don't know what to do about that, either."
For a moment, Gorou looks lost in contemplation. Then he looks at her sharply. "Well, if you don't know what to do, I'd just suggest taking a page out of Kujou Sara's book and give her a taste of her own medicine."
In a flash, like one of Sara's thunderbolts, Kokomi's entire face is on fire. "I-I'm not going to stuff her face into my chest, Gorou!"
Just as quickly Gorou flinches back. "T-that's not what I meant!"
He takes a deep calming breath. "I just meant that you should do what she tends to do, and speak about it directly, without trying to hide behind euphemisms or wordplay. I think that'd help a lot, actually."
Kokomi knows that he's right. She doesn't want to admit it, though, to herself or to him, because that would mean that she actually has to talk to Sara about the fact that she's been staring at her boobs for weeks.
Orobashi, give her strength.
***
Actually getting Sara to meet up with her is easy.
It always has been. The Tengu seems willing to drop anything but a direct command from the Shogun on the spot when Kokomi approaches her, and there's something about that enthusiasm to spend time together that makes Kokomi's thoughts a bit fuzzy and incoherent.
Actually speaking to Sara proves to be significantly more difficult.
How is she supposed to tell Sara, a friend, a friend that she knows is uncomfortable with people staring at her, that's she's been ogling her like a sleazy drunk for weeks?
In her typical fashion, Sara herself seems completely unaware of how stiflingly awkward the air around them is turning.
Finally, after several minutes of Sara talking excitedly about how she has expanded her collection of Shogun figurines without a care in the world, Kokomi clears her throat to interrupt.
"Sara. . . "
Sara, bless her for being as she is, immediately stops talking and turns her full attention towards Kokomi.
"Yes? Is there something you would like me to clarify? Taking care of Statues of Her Excellency, The Almighty Narukami Ogosho, is a task that requires much training and attention, so do not feel ashamed for not immediately understanding the intricacies of its five principles."
She sounds so earnest, so genuinely carefree and content, that Kokomi almost stops in her tracks.
She knows that she has to carry on, however.
"Well . . . I . . . I know that you've noticed me staring at you a lot lately. . "
Instead of being confronted, or even a frown, Sara smiles broadly.
"Ah. I had hoped that you would finally muster the courage to ask. Here."
In a burst of movement, Sara removes the necklace hanging from her neck and drops it in Kokomi's hands. When Kokomi recovers from staring at it in dumb silence, Sara looks proud enough to burst.
"I have made sure to polish it thoroughly every morning. I noticed you staring at it one day, and made sure to ensure it presentable for whenever you would want to look again."
Kokomi's entire face heats up.
"Sara. . . I haven't been looking at your necklace."
Sara doesn't blush, not like Kokomi. Instead she blinks. "You have not? But. . . It is shiny?"
Once again Kokomi wants to scream. "No, Sara. It is very pretty, but I haven't been looking at your necklace. I've been looking at. . ."
Kokomi's voice trails off, and she can see Sara's thoughts spinning behind her (unfairly pretty) eyes.
"If this has not been satisfactory, I can procure something else that is to your liking. I apologise for not taking into account that it would not be to your tastes."
"But I've been ogling you, Sara, I'm the one that should be apologising!"
Kokomi's outburst is met by silence. The awkward and awful kind, that strethces out and lies heavy in the air.
After what feels like eternity, Sara speaks again.
"But. . . I wanted you to look at me. That is why I have been wearing shiny things, to signal my availability?"
Kokomi opens her mouth to respond, but Sara is quickly turning to nervously ramble, her voice growing more hysterical by the moment.
"When I listened in to the soldiers in the camp, they assured each other that women enjoy shiny trinkets. Tengu too find shiny things pleasant, so I thought it appropriate. Am I to understand that all I needed to do was to present my bosoms to you? That would be most inappropriate, were we not alone. . . "
Kokomi does the one thing she can think of to make Sara stop. She leans forward and pushes their lips together.
On the one hand, Sara grows silent immediately after the squeak that escapes her is over and done with.
On the other, she also looks like she's about to do her best impression of an exploding firework.
When they separate, Sara's eyes are unfocused, staring at some spot behind Kokomi's head.
"I'm sorry, Sara, that was really forward of me, but I didn't know what else. . ."
This time, it is Sara that interrupts her, the Tengu shooting forward to re-join their lips with an almost desperate fervour.
She doesn't say anything more. When they separate this time, Sara quickly wraps her arms around Kokomi and pulls her close.
Once more, Kokomi's face finds itself stuffed into the centre of Sara's chest.
For being the spot that put her into this mess in the first place, it's surprisingly comfortable this time around.