Chapter Text
Chisato hummed appreciatively as she took the first bite of her parfait. “Oh, wow, this is too delicious!” She shoveled a gob of strawberry ice cream on her spoon and thrust it in Takina’s direction. “Takina, Takinaa! You have to try this!”
Whenever she sang her name like that, Takina could feel her heart tugging itself. She shook her head and buried her spoon in her own parfait - black sesame, creamy and smooth, so nutty and coffee-like that it was almost savory. “I don’t like strawberry. It’s too sweet.”
“Too sweet? There’s no such thing!” Chisato pouted, but begrudgingly took the bite for herself.
There was a love song playing on the radio. It was so quiet - Takina had insisted that it was dangerous to play music too loudly, since they might attract attention - but she couldn’t help wondering if Chisato really wasn’t noticing it, or if they were both just choosing to ignore it.
Ever unaware of herself, Takina allowed her eyes to fall upon Chisato’s figure. She would never get used to seeing Chisato in everyday clothes. She looked just as handsome and strong as she did in her First uniform, but something about the way these clothes hung about Chisato’s body pleased Takina deeply. The way the neck clung so close to her throat; the way the shirt’s shoulder began long after Chisato’s had ended; the way the sleeves billowed out before closing around her tiny wrists. It was comfort, it was seeing her body breathe, it was the visual confirmation that Chisato wasn’t planning on fighting for her life today, so she didn’t need to worry about uniforms or guns or heartbeats.
But more than anything, it was beautiful. The bright, warm lights of the restaurant they were parked in front of shone full on Chisato’s face, making her look as if she were carved out of shining gold. Her long, dark lashes drooped so low they nearly touched her cheek whenever her eyes fell shut. And her lips, in this light, looked as full, shining, and soft as little dewy rosebuds. Earlier that evening, Chisato had touched a bit of gloss to her mouth with a wink, proclaiming that tonight, she wanted to look especially cute for her aibo.
“Hey, hey, hey! What are you staring at? You’re dripping!” Chisato was laughing as Takina realized just how long she had been looking. From her spoon, suspended between her cup and her face, a clump of melting ice cream had dripped down onto her skirt. Only now did she feel the chill seeping against her thigh. She stared blankly at the fast-melting cream, wondering why it had taken so long to register.
“Stupid,” Chisato giggled, reaching over into her glove compartment for napkins. Takina watched wordlessly as she wet the napkin with her mouth before pressing it to Takina’s thigh. She watched the endearing diligence on Chisato’s face as she rubbed, the little crease that appeared between her brows, the way a lock of golden hair bounced as it fell against her cheek. Without thinking, she reached to tuck it delicately behind Chisato’s ear.
Chisato paused, and one of those cheeky smiles spread across her face. There was that trademark mischief glittering in her eyes, the kind she always had just before she made some particularly mocking quip. She could’ve said anything, and Takina, completely disarmed in that moment, didn’t think she’d have the power to refute it.
But for once, she didn’t say anything at all. When she finished, she only squeezed Takina’s leg before leaning back in the driver’s seat. Takina watched from the corner of her eye as that beautiful girl smiled down into her parfait, absently stirring the gooey mess it had become.
The only thing Takina could hear was that love song, still crooning from what seemed like miles away; so longing, so tender. The music was soft in the silence of the car, but even so, Takina’s ears were ringing.