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It was the day before the queen match, and Shinobu Wakamiya was sitting alone on a bench in Ōtsu city with no hotel room and no silver lining in sight.
Accidentally had my reservation marked down for next month , what a joke.
Shinobu had already called around at the other hotels nearby the shrine and they didn't have a room for her, which meant she was royally screwed.
Groaning, Shinobu shook the cheap juice she'd gotten from the vending machine, somehow still wishing that would make it taste better. She just hoped the hotel would wait a bit longer before kicking her out of the lobby to trudge around in the snow.
"Shinobu-chan?"
Right there in front of her, hair chopped a good deal shorter than when Shinobu had last seen her a couple months ago but still pretty as ever, was Chihaya Ayase. Shinobu slumped forward, face planting into Chihaya's stomach. She made a low whiny noise in the back of her throat.
"Woah are you okay?" Chihaya exclaimed, "Have you been drinking enough water or do you need some food or–"
"If you win this year it doesn't count," Shinobu grumbled, "my reservation got mixed up so I'm going to be kicked to the streets."
Chihaya took approximately one second to deliberate before blurting out "You can stay in my room!"
Shinobu peeled her face off of Chihaya to give her an incredulous look.
"But I'm your competitor."
Chihaya blinked at her twice. "Well you're also my friend, but besides that I still want you to be on your best game! It won't be as good a match otherwise!"
Shinobu should've expected this from the girl who personally forced her to drink and stretch during their very first queen match. Chihaya was nothing if not sportsmanlike, especially to Shinobu. A true gentleman.
Shinobu agreed to her proposal, and that's how she found herself in Chihaya's hotel room, standing around awkwardly as the other girl tried to find the best way to stow their luggage.
"Your Snowmaru zipper pull is so cute!" Chihaya exclaimed, "I saw it in your latest video already but it's even better in person."
Shinobu had posted her latest video just an hour ago, Chihaya would have had to have watched it from the train. Shinobu grinned.
"Do you really watch all my videos?"
"Of course!" Chihaya replied.
Shinobu was sort of a bit obsessed with the fact that Chihaya was blatantly and shamelessly obsessed with her .
Though, for the record, she watched all of Chihaya's videos too.
Realizing she'd been spacing out for a minute, Shinobu snapped back to reality to find Chihaya staring at her. Looking away, Shinobu blushed.
Shinobu was a master of cards, not feelings, and romance did not come to her easily. At age 21, she'd had maybe 2 crushes in her life. She was not experienced here.
Chihaya, it happened, was one of those 2 crushes. Sadly, she was already taken by some random guy who couldn't even beat her in a karuta game.
Tragic .
She shook that thought out of her mind, not letting it linger long.
Shinobu stretched, happy to let some of the tension out of her body after a stressful afternoon.
"So where's the rest of your entourage?" Shinobu asked.
"Oh they're not getting in until early tomorrow," Chihaya replied, "I assume it's the same for you?"
Shinobu nodded, then paused. Words were clinging to the tip of her tongue like bitter medicine.
"Shouldn't your boyfriend be here with you though?"
"Oh, Taichi?" Chihaya said, looking away and scratching the back of her head, "We're, uh, not together anymore."
Shinobu breathed in a bit too quickly, air burning her windpipe. Everything in her mind and body was moving too fast.
"You aren't?" Shinobu said in a careful, lukewarm voice, "Well he really was never your match in kar-"
"We're not together anymore because he's gay."
"Oh."
Chihaya was looking away from Shinobu, chewing on her lip. One of her hands was balled up in her lap and she kept reaching with the other to the side of her head like she wanted to pull her hair to the front, forgetting that it was short now. Glancing over to Shinobu she stiffened, then her face melted back into a brighter expression.
"Yeah, like I'm pretty sure he's got a thing for the former meijin," Chihaya said, "and the current meijin."
Chihaya smiled wistfully.
"It's fine though, we're still best friends forever, nothing is tearing us apart again! Besides, I've got someone else I've been into for a while too."
Arata, thought Shinobu, it has to be Arata. She's in some dumb love triangle with her ex and Arata.
Shinobu was sick of losing to Arata, but she couldn't say she wasn't used to it.
Chihaya squirmed in her seat, face a bit pink and looking uncomfortable. Shinobu realized that she hadn't responded yet.
"Okay," Shinobu said.
Chihaya laughed and it popped the tension in the room like a bubble.
"Well, what now?" Chihaya asked, changing the subject, "Are you going to practice Karuta or…"
The 2 girls simultaneously looked around the small hotel room, then at each other. Shinobu pursed her lips.
"I'm guessing you won't be able to focus on practice either?" Chihaya said.
"Nope."
Solo practice was out, it was too close to the queen match to risk giving away any tricks they had up their sleeves. Playing together was out for the same reason, though Shinobu knew they were both dying to face off.
Chihaya and Shinobu had come to an impasse. There was no practicing, just 2 girls alone together in a city neither of them lived in.
"Hey Shinobu-chan," Chihaya said either casually or trying too hard to be casual (Shinobu couldn't decide), "if we can't practice, do you maybe want to go out somewhere?"
Shinobu blinked twice, feeling like her blood had turned carbonated. She knew it wasn't a big deal, but it was all the same. A few years ago this would have meant little to her, she may not even have said yes. But this was Shinobu's internally embarrassing herself era.
"Yes," Shinobu responded.
"That was a long pause," Chihaya said.
Shinobu made a grumbly noise and she dropped it.
And so, in the space of an hour, Shinobu had gone from miserable and hotel-less to walking around Ōtsu city with her rival on what felt quite a lot like a date.
Shinobu was thinking about reaching over to grab Chihaya's hand, (she didn't, couldn't), she was thinking about it.
Instead of looking at Chihaya, Shinobu decided to look at the sky. It was grey and blurry in the way that indicated that it had snowed recently and might do so again at any minute. Shinobu squinted at the clouds, wanting to prove her reflexes by being the first to spot a flake if it fluttered down.
Fundamentally, Shinobu was a winter person who just didn't do well in the cold. Logic dictated that the season of Snowmaru and the queen tournament should be Shinobu's kingdom, but once it cooled down she could never quite get warm. Maybe it was just another indicator that the only place Shinobu had truly belonged was in the heat of a Karuta match.
Chihaya, on the other hand, was summer through and through, so it bothered Shinobu that Chihaya seemed to be faring better than her. She was walking around head high and chipper as ever. Chihaya was the sun, she could generate her own warmth.
Shinobu kicked a snow drift as she walked by.
After a bit, Chihaya stopped, snapping to attention like she was about to strike. It took Shinobu less than a second to spot what she was looking at.
There to their right, printed on a shop window in big pink bubble letters: Snowmaru Collab Latte Foam Art.
They both dashed for it so quickly their shoulders nearly got jammed in the doorway, quickly skidding to a halt at the back of the queue waiting to get to the counter.
Frankly, Shinobu thought she deserved to be expedited to the front of the line based on appearance alone. She was wearing a Snowmaru hoodie and so much mascot jewelry she was pretty sure it qualified her to be a decora fashion icon, plus her hair was even styled like Snowhime. Anyone could see she was a superfan! Did any of these people have an official collaboration Snowmaru kimono? Shinobu thought not!
However, Shinobu was aware that her superiority complex was generally deemed to be unseemly, so she kept these thoughts to herself, instead channeling her energy into discreetly rocking back and forth on her heels.
Chihaya's head turned even before Shinobu could hear the bell.
Enter Arata Wataya.
There, wiping his foggy glasses on his coat, was Chihaya and Shinobu's communal childhood friend and sitting meijin. There was a girl with him too, following just behind with black hair tied into twintails and a lot of makeup on. She looked familiar, but Shinobu couldn't quite place her.
"Arata!" Shinobu and Chihaya exclaimed in unison.
Arata squinted at them blearily, face lighting up as he recognized their voices.
"Oh, hi guys!" Arata said, still fiddling with his glasses.
"Here," said the girl next to him, pulling out a small cloth and wiping the glasses herself. Satisfied, Arata put them back on.
While Arata looked forward, the girl next to him was grinning like a maniac and pointing wildly at him. Shinobu stared at her incredulously.
Next to her, Shinobu could sense Chihaya erratically moving around too, but when she whipped her head around to see Chihaya shoved her hands in her pockets.
"Sumire-chan, you got in early!" Chihaya exclaimed, wrapping the girl into a tight hug.
Shinobu squinted at the girl, uncertain of many things. She was pretty sure she had been in Chihaya's karuta club, but didn't think she had known Arata.
"Yeah, we're picking up an online order and then going on a walk!" Sumire exclaimed, winking at Chihaya.
"Well," Shinobu began, "me and Chihaya are drinking Snowmaru lattes here ."
"That's nice," said Sumire, looking like someone had just told her something baffling that she didn't know how to respond to.
Arata gave Shinobu a thumbs up, which she returned.
" Online order ," shouted a woman at the counter with a stiff smile.
"That's us," said Sumire.
As she walked by, Sumire discreetly high fived Chihaya before taking Arata's arm.
Oh, Shinobu thought, that's how it is.
So Arata was with that girl from Chihaya's old club, huh?
The ground felt like it was shifting under Shinobu's feet. She stared blankly into space, mind reeling with vertigo. Chihaya nudged her in the side when it was time for them to move, now nearly to the front of the line.
On her way out the door, Sumire gave Chihaya and Shinobu a thumbs up.
"Two Snowmaru lattes please!" said Chihaya.
Something caught in Shinobu's chest.
"Actually," Shinobu interjected, "I'd like mine to be Snowhime."
The cashier blinked at her, "Okay."
Chihaya looked at Shinobu as if she was indexing the information. Shinobu's face felt warm, and she hoped everyone would give her the grace of blaming her red cheeks on the cold outside.
Falling for Chihaya was logical, Shinobu told herself, it made sense. Chihaya was the only one in her level, her one true match.
However, the way those feeling were making Shinobu act was frankly embarrassing and definitely not logical.
Shinobu picked at a loose thread on the bottom seam of her jacket as they waited.
As expected, the lattes were adorable. Little puffs of foam were shaped into surprisingly accurate renditions of the snowmen, and the teacups they came in were even heart shaped. Breathing in, Shinobu could catch a hint of peppermint mixed in with the fragrant coffee aroma.
"I need a picture," Shinobu exclaimed, tripping over words in her excitement.
Chihaya, staring bug eyed at her latte, just nodded in acknowledgement as she started to slide her drink to the side of the table she was sitting at.
Shinobu caught the edge of Chihaya's cuff between her thumb and pointer finger, stopping her.
"Snowmaru and Snowhime are a couple," Shinobu mumbled, "they shouldn't be separated."
"Makes sense," said Chihaya, placing her cup next to Shinobu's.
Shinobu's heart burned as she carefully arranged the drinks in an aesthetically pleasing way. She had to retake the picture twice.
Sitting down, Shinobu sized up her latte, positioning her spoon at different angles trying to find the best place to strike. She knew drinking the foam art bit by bit would feel like she was hurting Snowhime, so she had to get it all in one go.
"Personifying inanimate objects," Chihaya murmured completely unprovoked.
Shinobu's head shot up, suddenly aware that she'd been watched. Chihaya blinked back at her, not a hint of judgement or malice in her wide eyes. Shinobu let out a small breath.
Shinobu enjoyed her drink and let Chihaya do most of the talking.
This time when they left the cafe Shinobu held out her arm to Chihaya and the other girl took it. Shinobu was pressing, cautiously feeling around an unspoken boundary to test what would happen. She held her head high though, not letting her uncertainty be betrayed by her mannerism.
They walked side by side, matching step. She stayed looking straight ahead, gaze level, but Shinobu liked to imagine that their combined presence was powerful enough to turn at least a few heads.
Shinobu was not yet someone who was well fit to play on a team, but she was becoming accustomed to being part of a duo. Chihaya and Shinobu: the youthful, gorgeous queens, unbeatable by all but each other. Rivals with a shared goal of using the spectacle of their conflict to elevate the sport they love and prove the power of its female players.
Young, beautiful, and the strongest in the world. Those words no longer belonged to Shinobu alone.
Maybe also the dorkiest (positive) in the world too, Shinobu thought as Chihaya brought them to an abrupt stop just outside a park to suggest they make a real snow Snowmaru.
Shinobu, of course, went along with it.
Starting to roll the base snowball, Shinobu winced slightly as the damp started to seep through her woven limited edition Snowmaru gloves. Brushing it off, she started to ramble on about the Snowmaru snowman look alike contest of 14' and how unfair it was that they didn't judge individuals and teams in different classes.
Bored of rolling snow, Chihaya trotted off to look for some arm sticks. When she got back Shinobu gratefully reached for a stick, only for Chihaya to laugh and whip it above her head. Shinobu glared up at her, not taking the bait.
On one hand, Chihaya's height was definitely part of what made her so ridiculously attractive.
On the other, Shinobu did not always care for being made to feel short.
Sometimes Shinobu would grab Chihaya by the chin or collar and pull her down to Shinobu's level as they spoke and Chihaya would just go along, staring at Shinobu blankly with her big, dopey eyes.
But , Shinobu knew doing such things today was not a good idea considering the state she was in. Chihaya, eventually realizing that Shinobu wasn't going to play along, deflated and solemnly handed the sticks over.
"Did you hear about the Daddy Bear x Hatsune Miku Collab?" Shinobu asked, feeling a bit guilty.
Chihaya immediately perked up, launching into a tangent about how she and Chitose had to explain Miku to their mom. Looking down at her work to hide her face, Shinobu smiled.
They worked like that for a while, Chihaya and Shinobu together, just as it should be.
When they were nearly done, Shinobu glanced over her shoulder, feeling watched. There was an older woman coming down the path with a small child and shooting a funny look at Chihaya and Shinobu. Probably judging them for being young adults playing in the snow. Shinobu held her gaze with a steely hardness until she looked away.
Shinobu often missed the way it was when she was younger and had little awareness and even less care of how others saw her. Before she was 16 and everyone in the karuta world decided commenting on how she looked was their job. Before she was 18 and decided to make herself a spectacle.
Shinobu was an influencer now, how she was seen by others was business in the most literal sense. Yes, being true to herself and her passion was part of why she started this in the first place, but she could not afford to live in ignorance of all the eyes that were watching her anymore.
Chihaya didn't lift her head until the woman was gone, but Shinobu watched her until she left.
The last bit of daylight was streaming over the field, casting long shadows and painting the landscape orange and blue. It was still frigid, and Shinobu could feel it to her bones, but the wind had stopped.
Finished with her part on the snowman, Chihaya was on her knees in the snow doing practice swings.
It seemed like the earth itself was holding still as Shinobu was, tensed in anticipation of the inevitable events of tomorrow. Shinobu hoped that the rest of the world was awaiting this at least close to as much as she was.
In a way, Shinobu was glad that Chihaya had beaten her twice, because it justified how much she'd come to think about her. She spent much of her days thinking about that pretty brown haired girl and their next match, strategizing and planning.
It had crept up slowly on her, quiet enough to slip inside unnoticed until Shinobu was consumed. Thoughts blooming in her mind as she prepared to take her title back after Chihaya's initial win, spreading to enter even her dreams in the long months since Chihaya had taken it again the next year.
Sometimes Shinobu's dreams would spin around in an endless loop of cards and readings where she couldn't tell who was winning or if there was an end.
Sometimes Shinobu's dreams would end in her taking a close but well earned victory before pushing Chihaya down on the tatami of a side room with her hands pinned above her head.
Either way, Shinobu woke up sweaty and frustrated that the dream hadn't continued just a minute longer.
Shinobu was a passionate person, but her passion was deeply intertwined with her craft. She wished she could speak through the cards and let them say everything she could not. She hoped Chihaya, the one person who seemed to also see the world through the lense old poems written on small rectangles of paper, could understand her unwritten love confessions. She hoped Chihaya could see how Shinobu's continued drive to play with her set her apart from the rest.
Shinobu hoped Chihaya felt how she did when they sat across from each other on the tatami.
Shinobu breathed in deeply, icy air burning her mouth. Chihaya stopped her practice swings.
For a moment they both looked at the sunset and the world went silent. Then Chihaya stood, brushed snow off her pants, and bounded over to Shinobu.
Chihaya put her arm over her shoulder and it scalded Shinobu's soul.
"Shinobu-chan you're freezing!"
Shinobu grumbled, pulling her jacket closer around herself. She looked back to the snowy field, pulling her phone out.
"Just one picture and we'll go back to the hotel," Shinobu said.
Shinobu's hands were nearly numb as she tried to position her phone to get a good shot. She hissed in frustration, unable to keep the camera straight.
She was shivering. Shinobu hadn't realized that she'd started shivering.
Taking her phone and putting it back in her pocket, Chihaya cupped Shinobu's hands between hers, rubbing her fingers to create warming friction. Then she leaned down to blow on Shinobu's hands. Shinobu felt like she might shake to pieces.
"You've got to be careful with your hands, we've got a big match tomorrow."
"Yeah," was all Shinobu managed to reply.
Back at the hotel, Shinobu immediately threw off her damp jacket and gloves, happy to be back inside. Sighing, she plopped herself down next to her suitcase, all of the skin on her body tingly as it began to wake up.
Shinobu had barely managed to unzip her suitcase before she sensed Chihaya looming over her. She looked up, giving Chihaya a questioning look.
"Do you want to borrow a hoodie?" Chihaya asked, blissfully unaware of the summersaults Shinobu's heart was doing.
Shinobu nodded, not trusting her mouth enough to open it.
Chihaya grinned, sitting down next to Shinobu to rummage through her bag. At one point she jostled Shinobu with her elbow, and Shinobu was annoyed that she wasn't annoyed by this.
"Here," Chihaya said, passing her a bundle of clothing, "this should be plenty warm and I threw in some fuzzy socks too."
Shinobu took it with all the grace her upbringing had given her and all the lesbian thoughts it had not. In a split second decision, she grabbed a pair of Snowmaru sleep shorts from her bag instead of the sweatpants she'd been planning on before dashing to the bathroom.
Once she'd toweled off, Shinobu was glad to get into her loaned clothes. The hoodie was warm as promised. Then came the socks which, as Shinobu found out as she unfurled them, were thigh high.
Shinobu ran her hands up her legs in the mirror, admiring the soft texture of the socks. The hoodie was big on her, going part way down her thighs and covering her shorts so it looked like she wasn't wearing any at all. She looked cute like this, at least she thought she did. Some people might think she was cute in just a kiddy way decked out in mascot merchandise, but Chihaya…
Shinobu shivered and wasn't sure it was from the cold. Her heart was beating really fast.
Hoping her face wasn't too red, Shinobu stepped out of the bathroom. Probably having heard her coming as soon as she touched the doorknob, Chihaya bounced out of bed to meet Shinobu.
"You look so cute and tiny, Shinobu-chan, like a little cat!" Chihaya exclaimed with a big, stupid grin on her face.
Shinobu screwed her own face up into a grumpy pout because she felt like she was contractually obligated to.
"It's not my fault you're a human skyscraper."
"Whaaat, I can't hear you down there," Chihaya said, scooping Shinobu up by her waist.
" Chihaya!" Shinobu shrieked as Chihaya spun her around. Oh gods, she felt like she was going to die. She was going to have a heart attack and die right there in Chihaya's hotel room because her dumb ass had gone and caught feelings for once in her life.
After twirling Shinobu around a couple times, Chihaya collapsed back on the bed, giggling loudly. When she'd had her fun she calmed down and wiped a tear from her eye, looking at Shinobu who was half sprawled over her.
"You really are cute in my clothes though, you should borrow them again sometime."
Feeling herself blush, Shinobu half wondered if Chihaya had chosen a larger one of her sweaters on purpose just to see Shinobu like this. The thigh highs too. She wondered if Chihaya had imagined her like this before.
Gods , this was doing things to Shinobu.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Chihaya asked.
Shinobu nodded, the words blurring in her ears.
Chihaya's throat was so close to Shinobu's face, and she wanted desperately to tilt her head up and bite it, to mark up her lovely skin where everyone could see. She didn't, of course. She wouldn't have even with permission, they needed to be careful with their images.
And yet, Shinobu wanted.
Shinobu didn't know what was on the TV, or how long it had been on. How could she, when she'd spent years dedicated to learning to focus on Chihaya Ayase. She could hear the rhythm of Chihaya's body, the small shifts as clearly as any poem in the Hyakunin Isshu.
Chihaya's hand was still on Shinobu's waist and she kept looping back to how both of Chihaya's boys were no longer an option for her.
"Chihaya," Shinobu said, the words gumming up in her throat.
Chihaya looked at Shinobu, intent on whatever she had to say next. The seconds crept on into minutes and nothing happened. Shinobu couldn't speak, her words were dead.
Everything was too warm now. Too cold, now too warm. Shinobu thought of the way ice cubes cracked when hot tea was poured over them.
Chihaya cleared her throat.
"Another big game for us tomorrow!" Chihaya exclaimed.
Shinobu's words were still dead on arrival.
"It's funny, Shinobu-chan," Chihaya continued, "I can't imagine playing anyone else but you for the queen title."
Shinobu knew, she knew the feeling as deeply and truly as she could. She gave a bitchy little laugh so the gravity of Chihaya's reciprocity wouldn't crush her.
"I fear the rest of the karuta world may soon grow bored with our back and forth," Shinobu said, "too bad for them."
"If we keep this up it'll just be you and me forever!" Chihaya said with a laugh.
Chihaya's face was alight, smile as bright as the sun. Her tawny hair fanned out around her like a crown, and she was warmth and light and everything Shinobu was not but knew she looked so good paired with.
They could be side by side forever. Chihaya wanted them to be side by side forever and gods help her Shinobu loved her, she loved her so much she could die of it.
Shinobu looked to her side and saw that the TV was off. She wasn't entirely sure it had been on in the first place.
Shinobu reached out, entire body shaking like she might break apart. Chihaya, sensing what she wanted, took her hand as if catching her from a fall, steadying her.
"Chihaya," Shinobu began, voice strained, "I'm so glad that you're with me, that we can play karuta together for the rest of our lives. I want this, and I'm glad it's you and only you."
Chihaya looked at her, wide eyes and beautiful, always Shinobu's undoing. Still trembling, Shinobu reached out her free hand to stroke Chihaya's cheek, desperate, yearning to connect as best as she could.
"Chihaya, please tell me you know what I mean by this."
Chihaya simply said "I do."
Chihaya placed her own hand over Shinobu's, pressing it to her face. Shinobu managed to stop herself from crying just so she could admire Chihaya's flustered expression.
"Shinobu-chan, you inspire me and I always wanted to get better at karuta to be closer to you," Chihaya said, "You've lived in my dreams since I was 16."
Shinobu made a choked sound in the back of her throat.
"Do you get that I feel the same way, Shinobu-chan?" Chihaya asked.
Overwhelmed, Shinobu buried her face in Chihaya's shoulder. Chihaya got it. It was so much, it was so much and Shinobu was so happy.
After she'd had a minute, Shinobu lifted her head to look at Chihaya. So much had already happened that night, but Shinobu had held back for so long.
"Can I try expressing this feeling in another way?" Shinobu said, voice breathy.
"Yes," replied Chihaya, unusually squeaky.
Shinobu kissed Chihaya and no flowery description of the action could have felt more powerful than the word itself. Kiss. K-i-s-s. She'd kissed Chihaya.
Making a noise in the back of her throat, Chihaya paused for a moment to reposition them, halfway propping herself against the headboard with Shinobu straddling her lap and her hand on Shinobu's hip. It was hot , not soft as Shinobu had boredly imagined her first kiss being as a child, but much more fitting to the intensity between them.
Trying to one up Chihaya, Shinobu knotted her hand in Chihaya's hair. Somewhere along the way one of Shinobu's own buns and half of the other had come undone, leaving her hair to hang loose and wavy around her face.
Chihaya's hand moved up the soft curve of Shinobu's stomach, tracing the lines of her stretch marks. Under most circumstances, Shinobu would have snatched her hoodie back down to cover herself, but here she could relax and feel powerful under the watch of someone who saw her as nothing less than a marvel.
That was the thing about Chihaya: she was always amazed by everything about Shinobu, even when no one else was.
Shinobu knew how most others would see her, so she didn't like to waste time with fantasies. She'd be too karuta obsessed, her clothes too childish and eccentric, her face or body not perfect enough up close. Shinobu could be beautiful, like a poem or a pretty ornament, but she was not used to being wanted.
Chihaya's hand crept higher to Shinobu's waist.
"Fuck," Shinobu said, startling herself. She was raised to be a proper lady, she did not simply cuss out loud.
Chihaya paused for a second longer than Shinobu liked, then broke out into a fit of giggles.
"What's so funny?" Shinobu hissed.
"I'm sorry, I'm sorry," Chihaya choked out between giggles, "I guess I was just nervous and I've never heard you say that word before.
Giving in, Shinobu laughed along a little too. The two of them slid down, lying side by side on the bed.
"Okay, we probably should quit now though," Chihaya said, "big game tomorrow."
"I do wonder which one of us will come out on top after tomorrow's match," Shinobu crooned.
" Me," Chihaya insisted.
"Oh really?" said Shinobu, dragging her thumb over Chihaya's lower lip.
They stared at each other for a minute, transfixed. Shinobu found her own breathing annoyingly loud.
"You have the hotel room for another night right?" Shinobu blurted out.
"Fuck yeah I do!" Chihaya replied, pushing her bangs back.
Well, tomorrow's match just got a lot more interesting.
If it was even possible, Shinobu was even more excited. But, as she thought to herself as her and Chihaya snuggled up for bed, this was a little bit perfect in and of itself.
It was Chihaya's arm around Shinobu's waist and Shinobu's head tucked under Chihaya's chin. It was the feeling of soft clothing and the sound of their breathing nearly in sync. It was Chihaya and it was Shinobu and it was everything Shinobu wanted.
"Chihaya?"
"Hm?" Chihaya replied sleepily.
"I love you."