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Eight leaned over Three with her hands on their thighs. Her face burned rose with hot ink as she gazed at the squid that for a little over a month and a half, she'd been pining for.
They looked up at her from their seat on the couch with shock. The Octoling was hardly ever this bold, and seeing her change in demeanor sent Three’s hearts racing.
“Wha-” Eight cut them off.
“I have something I need to tell you. Now.”
Dumbfounded, all the pinned Inkling could do was blink in response.
Eight continued speaking, “Three, I didn’t know before what it was called but I think that I am in love with you. My hearts beat out of sync when you’re around, my face keeps getting hot, and, Cod dammit, try as I might, my mind keeps drifting to you.”
The pear-tentacled Inkling flustered, and opened their mouth to speak. Nothing came out at first so they closed it to try again.
“I don’t- Why would- What?” They managed to stammer out.
The Octoling above them grunted and shifted her weight further forward, now leaning against her hands.
“I said I love you. I’m sorry, but I couldn’t keep this to myself,” She said looking down at them with an expectant look in her eyes.
Three swallowed hard and raised a hand from their side to rest on Eight’s forearm.
“I get that, but I just- I don’t understand. Why? Why me?” They asked.
“Because you’re you? You’re so strong, and you try to hide it but you’re a huge softie, and- and… I don’t know, okay?”
Silently, the Inkling met her gaze. They looked for some kind of deception in her pools of grey but found none there. They only found admiration and pure want- no- need , for the person in front of her. They furrowed their eyebrows in thought.
Did they feel the same way about her? They hadn’t ever put much thought into it, they supposed. Sure, sometimes they felt nervous around her, like there were millions of minnows swimming in their stomach, but they chalked it up to be because they weren’t used to being around Octolings in a non-threatening situation.
That was another thing to think about. Eight was an Octoling, Three wasn’t. How would that affect their relationship? If they had one. Sure Pearl and Marina were dating despite being different species, but it wasn’t the same. Three killed so many Octolings in the past, and considering her being an ex-soldier, Eight possibly killed Inklings. Would that be a healthy thing in a relationship? What if they hurt each other? What if Three didn’t realize it was her and accidentally killed her?
The Inkling was brought back to the world around them as they felt the pressure on their thighs lessen. Eight suddenly looked a bit less confident as she looked away from them.
Three had to say something. Think, think, THINK . What could they say? What should they say?
“I don’t know if I feel the same way,” They began. “It’s not that I don’t like you, but I also don’t know if I do .”
Eight’s eyes fell back onto their face, and her own flushed a darker pink than before.
“I think I know a way we can test it. Um, if it’s okay with you?” She muttered.
Confused, Three gave a slight nod. Eight leaned forward again. She had left only about an inch between their faces. She looked into their eyes as her breath tickled their cheeks. She smelled to them like strawberries and rosewater. The Octoling sucked in a breath and closed her eyes, before closing the gap between them.
Three’s eyes flew open wide. Their brain felt as if it was short-circuiting. The action of their fellow agent sent their hearts galloping.
Her soft lips felt like heaven itself against their slightly chapped ones. Three was breathless for what felt like an hour, but all too soon, the warm lips left their own.
Hurriedly, the Inkling grabbed the front of Eight’s cropped sweater and pulled her down to meet their eyes. The taller girl yelped, her hands moving from their thighs to the cushions on the back of the couch to brace herself.
Three crashed their lips back against Eight’s with passion. Their eyes were clenched tight and it seemed like fireworks were going off behind their eyelids. The Octoling, now more stable, shut her eyes again and kissed back, although far softer.
The Inkling’s beak opened and they slipped the Octoling’s bottom lip between it, gently pulling at it. Getting the memo, she opened their mouth for them. The green-inked cephalopod’s tongue flooded into her mouth. Eight didn’t put up any kind of fight against them as they mapped out her mouth. Their tongue traced her beak, as well as every nook and cranky she had.
A pair of hands snaked down from her sweater to around her waist and pulled her closer. Clumsily the Octoling straddled Three’s lap, the Inkling pressing their bodies together.
Suddenly Eight remembered she was venomous. She wondered if her venom was what was causing this reaction in Three, or if it was at least a part of it. Either way, she was starting to feel out of breath.
The Octoling's hands met with her companion’s chest and pushed them gently away. The Inkling whined and the space between them filled with short, rapid breaths.
Eight used the moment separated to admire the one before, or rather under, her. Three’s eyes were half-lidded as they stared up at her with blown pupils, their face was almost completely flushed pear-green, and a similarly colored tongue lulled out of their mouth as they gasped for air.
Suddenly, the rose-tentacled girl found it was her that was struggling with words. Luckily for her though, it seemed her friend wasn’t having the same problem.
“Again.”