Chapter Text
Momoka couldn’t concentrate. This is nothing new, she had never had much of an attention span for anything that didn’t particularly interest her, but then she usually got distracted by the sound of people talking or the sight of a bird flying by the window, but now, for the last few days, her attention kept drifting back to one person in particular.
Ultimate Moral Compass and newfound best friend, Kiyomi Ishimaru.
Also known as the person with the most kissable looking lips ever (to Momoka at least). They just looked soft , okay? It’s not like Momoka wanted to kiss her, just that… she imagined it must be nice for whoever did get to kiss her best friend. They were lucky.
Oh who was she kidding, she absolutely wanted to kiss Kiyomi. It had been the subject of her daydreams for the past hour. It was honestly getting out of hand- whenever the prefect opened her mouth to talk about something, the urge to kiss those lips just hit Momoka square in the gut, to the point she could hardly even concentrate on what Omi was saying. Thankfully, the girl had a habit of getting so into the conversation that it turned into a monologue, and all Momoka had to do was smile and nod while she further admired the way her best friend lit up while talking about yet another of her interests.
“..and since they regress back to a larvae state once they reach a certain age, they are practically biologically immortal, which I find very intriguing. The only way they can die is due to physical injuries and this one specific disease which causes them to lose the ability to reset their age cycle-” Today’s topic was jellyfish, apparently. Kiyomi had been reading about it in the library and was now sharing what she learned, while walking back to the dormitories with Momoka, who was trying to focus on the words and not the lips they came from (failing miserably). “-oh and also- wait… I was rambling again, wasn’t I? I’m so sorry I keep doing that-”
“Yeah, ya do, and I keep telling ya I don’t give a shit if yer rambling. I like hearing ya get excited ‘bout stuff.”
“Yes- But I can imagine it would get annoying-”
“Shush. Don’t wanna hear ‘bout anythin’ but that weird immortal jellyfish from you.” Kiyomi’s face lit up after a brief moment of confusion.
“You were actually listening?” She sounded like she was genuinely surprised about that.
“ ‘Course I was, doll.” Trying to, at least. In truth, Momoka hadn’t caught more than half of the things Omi said, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Not her fault that she kept getting distracted by the urge to just pin her against a wall and kiss her until she forgot her own name-
She really needed to stop thinking about that. Momoka had very little self-restraint, so if she kept thinking about it, she’d inevitably do it too. It was just too tempting, okay? She knew it wouldn’t end well, but damn did she want to. But she’d lose her best friend, a price she wasn’t willing to pay, and probably get detention on top of that for PDA. No, she’d cling onto whatever self control she had left for dear life, thank you very much.
She was pulled from her thoughts by the familiar beeping noise of a dorm room being unlocked. Kiyomi turned back to her with a smile, silently asking her if she’d like to come in. Momoka just nodded in response. As soon as she stepped through the door, Momoka was assaulted by just how clean and tidy the room was. Nothing like her own dorm- The way the bed was made and the way the stacks of paper on the desk were somehow lined up perfectly felt like a personal offence. She couldn’t get her room this tidy if she tried, and Omi somehow always had the nerve to apologise for it being ‘messy’. Just because there was maybe one stray pen lying around or a piece of paper in a slightly different angle of how it should be. It pissed her off, but she knew the prefect meant no harm with it. To her, this was merely untidy. Not good enough for the ridiculous standards she had set for herself.
Momoka did not want to know what Kiyomi thought of her dorm room. While her dorm had gotten a lot better now that she had someone to impress, it was still… not that good. Downright bad, actually.
Momoka sat on the neatly made bed, making a few wrinkles in the fabric. Once Kiyomi had closed the door again she came and sat next to Momoka, very close. Nothing new, the Moral Compass had never really had any concept of personal space when it came to her friends (read: Momoka), and often found herself just a little too up and personal with them. That’s fine. It totally wasn’t distracting to the Biker Gang Leader, and she totally wasn’t thinking about or even noticing the way their legs were touching- Kiyomi was saying something, but once again she wasn’t listening, and when she looked back at Momoka, seemingly expecting an answer, those red eyes felt like they stared right into her soul in the best ways.
This girl was gonna be the death of her. And she wouldn’t mind one bit. What a way to go.
Kiyomi remained blissfully unaware of the effect she had on the girl next to her. Thank the lord for giving this girl absolutely no skill in social cues- Momoka would’ve been found out ages ago if Kiyomi knew even just the basics.
“Momoka? Are you listening?”
“Oh- Sorry girl, I was thinkin’ things. Say that again?”
“It wasn’t anything important- what were you thinking about?” She looked at her with those wide, innocent eyes, and Momoka couldn’t possibly tell her the truth.
“Uh- Just regular girl talk things to ask ya about. Like, ever kissed anyone?” She had no idea why her mind decided to conjure that question, it really wasn’t much better, but she had said it, so she had to roll with it. “I bet ya got people linin’ up for a chance with ya.”
“Ah- No. To both of those statements. Definitely not, people aren’t ‘lining up’ for me. I’m not exactly the most popular or attractive, so-”
“What? No way- They all got bad taste then. Not even a kiss?”
“Yes. I have never kissed anyone. I quite frankly don’t see the appeal. It just seems… unhygienic.” She scrunched up her nose at the last word. “But I suppose I could perhaps be pleasantly surprised if I ever do get the chance to share an intimate moment with someone. After all, there must be some reason why I keep catching people doing… that in the hallways.”
“Ya mean makin’ out? Yeah, they’re makin’ yer job real hard, huh? Can’t blame ‘em tho- If I had someone to do that with, I’d be stoked.”
“....I just don’t get the appeal. It looks gross, from an outsider perspective, at least.”
“Is that just the hall monitor in ya speakin’ or do you genuinely not see it?”
“I don’t! It’s just- unhygienic! And I can’t really imagine it’d be that pleasant? But it must be, or else they wouldn’t do it-”
“You’ll get it once ya do it. Trust me.”
“...no matter how…pleasant it may be, I still wouldn’t be breaking PDA rules for it.”
“I know ya wouldn’t. But honestly, kissing is pretty awesome. Especially if the other person is hot.” Like you.
“I just… if I ever did get the chance, I’d probably… be terrible at it.” Momoka couldn’t possibly imagine any kiss with Kiyomi not being absolutely amazing, but sure- not everyone was as biassed as she was.
“Yeah, maybe. Practice makes perfect though, so ya gotta keep tryin’! Ain’t that your motto or somethin’?”
“Well… can’t exactly practise if they walk away after the first time because I’m just that bad.”
“Anyone who does that is a dick. If they like ya enough to kiss ya then they better fucking stay-”
“...I don’t think I’ll ever kiss anyone. I’d just- I’d be scared to mess it up. And I know that goes against all of the ‘practice makes perfect’ and ‘just keep going’ ideologies I’ve been preaching, but… That’s not the same. Those things you can practise in private. You can’t… disappoint people with it. And… you can’t lose people you care about.”
“Oh that’s bullshit . I’ll fucking kiss ya right now, and I bet you I won’t leave no matter how bad it might be.”
What the fuck ?
Okay, she had just said that. Shit. That’s just plain weird.
What was even weirder was that Kiyomi actually seemed to be considering her offer. The way her eyebrows had scrunched up slightly (really cute, might I add) indicated that she was thinking about it.
“Alright.”
Holy shit.
“Huh?”
“I’ll take you up on that offer. That way I can get it out of the way without having to worry too much. Just tell me what to do, and you can teach me how this works.”
Okay. 3 things.
1: Somehow, Kiyomi had managed to twist all of this into the shape of a learning experience (really, what kind of mental gymnastics-), and Momoka would be kind of evil for going along with it with ulterior motives.
2: Kiyomi seemed to think Momoka had enough experience to be considered a possible teaching instance. That did wonders for her ego, but really the only kisses she had ever had were from drunken lips at parties, where neither instance was really sober enough to care about how good it is.
3: Kiyomi wanted Momoka to kiss her, holy Christ on a stick.
Number three far outweighed the other two.
“Sure. I’ll show ya.”
She had agreed before having even considered saying no. How very evil of her.
“Perfect! Well then… go ahead.” She was still looking at her with those vibrant red eyes, so innocently. Unaware of the things Momoka really wanted to do.
“Okay. Yer gonna have to close yer eyes and relax, ‘kay? Just… do what feels natural.”
“...those are some very vague instructions.”
“Well- Yer not supposed to think about it. I can’t exactly give ya a bullet list-”
“Sorry- Okay. I’ll try.” Eyes fluttered shut and shoulders lost their usual tension. She just sat there, patiently waiting for Momoka to kiss her, and god she was beautiful .
She hoped she’d be the only one to ever see Kiyomi like this. She was a selfish creature, after all.
She reached out a hand to cup the side of the girl’s face, who momentarily stiffened at the contact but immediately relaxed and leaned into the touch. Momoka brought their faces closer, and after a split-second debate on ‘ should I actually be doing this? ’ she connected their lips, ultimately giving in to desire.
The little startled noise Omi made was positively adorable, and Momoka couldn’t help but smile a bit- which is really not that handy while you’re trying to kiss someone. It still worked though, and while the kiss was little more than just a press of lips, it tasted like Heaven. Tilting her head for better access, she deepened the kiss just a little bit, trying out the limits of just how far she’d be allowed to go. No protest from Kiyomi, just a satisfied sigh. She was steadily figuring out how to move against Momoka’s lips, improving at a fast rate.
Then she pulled away. The biker immediately grieved the loss of those lips against hers, but prioritised looking for any signs of discomfort from her best friend. She found none, just her breathing heavily with a face that was tinted red along her cheekbones and the bridge of her nose.
“Sorry- I forgot to breathe…” She said with a sheepish smile, and Momoka couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Beginner’s mistake. Ya do still need to do that, unfortunately.”
“I noticed. Well- um- back to… practise?” Oh? She wanted to do that again? Momoka had absolutely no objections to that.
“Sure. Unless ya wanna try… one step further?”
Momoka you’re on thin fucking ice- why do you keep saying things like that?
“...step further?” Kiyomi seemed intrigued, at least.
“Yeah. I’m gonna need ya to trust me on this one- You trust me right?”
“Of course.” No hesitation. It made Momoka feel just a little more evil.
“Okay, then I’m gonna need ya, when I tilt yer head again, to open yer mouth a little bit. Not too much.”
Evil evil evil -
“...alright. I can do that.”
“Good. That’s good.” Kiyomi closed her eyes again, and this time Momoka wasted no time admiring how pretty she looked. She immediately went for it, pressing her lips against Omi’s, waiting for her to react. It didn’t take long before the prefect was kissing back, and Momoka savoured that for a good minute before she tilted her head again. Lips parted as demanded, and she took the other’s bottom lip and ran her tongue over it, testing the waters. Kiyomi shivered at the sensation, releasing a soft gasp but not pulling away. That was all the confirmation the biker needed. Moving her hands from the other’s face to her waist, she pulled her closer to her until there was no distance between them to taunt her. She could practically feel the erratic heartbeat in Kiyomi’s chest, beating almost synchronised with her own.
Kiyomi moved her hands as well, from uselessly hanging at her side to around Momoka’s shoulders, arms now looped around Momoka’s neck keeping her firmly locked in place. Their open lips slotted together, and Momoka deepened the kiss again, slipping her tongue into the other’s mouth, gauging her reaction with one eye open. Kiyomi’s eyes were still shut tightly, showing next to no reaction to the new development, only accommodating for it.
And then she made a noise. A pitched sound somewhere between a hum and a gasp, pretty silent yet perfectly audible. The moment she heard it, Momoka made it her mission to get Kiyomi to do it again. Pressing forward, tongues now dancing around each other, she got a little more risky with her movements. A bit more demanding, more dominant, taking more. Hand running up and down Kiyomi’s sides, exploring the surface beneath her fingers.
Kiyomi still did not protest. Quite the contrary. The grip she had only got tighter, fingers curling into Momoka’s hair. Oh- she really liked that. The feeling of someone's hands tangled up in her curls was a sensation she could definitely get used to.
Maybe she shouldn’t have done this. Now that she knew what it felt like, she wouldn’t be able to go without it. It was addicting, the feeling of Kiyomi’s lips on hers, the sounds she made- that was something she wanted to experience again, and again, and again-
They tumbled backwards onto the bed when Momoka put a little too much force behind her advances, Kiyomi’s head now resting on the pillow. Their lips did not disconnect for a second, mostly thanks to Kiyomi’s arms that were still firmly locked around her neck. Arms now beneath her to keep her upright, Momoka no longer could use them to roam around Kiyomi’s body, which was slightly disappointing, but their new position fulfilled some sort of primal desire of control she couldn’t help but feel satisfied with.
Momoka dived deeper, took more, and Kiyomi was more than happy to provide. The satisfied noises kept growing in both frequency and volume, ranging anywhere from gasps to sighs to even a moan at some point (Momoka had been particularly proud of that last one, while Kiyomi seemed rather embarrassed, judging by the way she had noticeably tensed up once that sound had escaped). It was like music, and she adored it. Adored the kisses, adored the noises, adored the lips they came from, adored Kiyomi .
She pulled away at last, her eyes half-lidded, still burning with desire. Beneath her lay Kiyomi, splayed out on the mattress looking like a goddess, face flushed and lips still slightly parted, panting. The knowledge that she had done that made Momoka feel warm inside.
“...wow…” The way Kiyomi was looking at her was hard to read. Which was weird, she was usually an open book to Momoka, considering she was a terrible liar, but there was just something in her gaze that Momoka could not identify. "I think- I believe I understand now."
"That's… good." Momoka did not move from her position, still looming over the other girl. "Glad I could help."
"Mhm." Kiyomi tore her eyes away from Momoka, looking to the side. "It was… a learning experience." Cheeks tinted red, she lifted the back of her hand to her mouth. "Thank you."
"Yer welcome." She'd do it again in a heartbeat, if only she was allowed to. Instead she respected that it was over, that she had done enough, and lay down on the bed next to Kiyomi, facing her. She wasn't looking back at her quite yet, strangely distant somehow, and still Momoka could not read what was going on inside the other’s head. It concerned her, because that usually meant Omi was either angry (unlikely in this situation), sad (again- unlikely) or stuck in her thoughts, and there wasn't much she could do in the last case.
She reached her hand towards Kiyomi’s face, gently putting it on top of her head and caressing her hair. The girl leaned into the touch, like she always did (Momoka had done it once to make fun of how Omi acted like a dog, but discovered the girl actually liked being pat, so it became a regular thing). After a while, Kiyomi was cuddled up against Momoka, head pressed into the crook of the biker’s neck, whose hand was lost in black hair. They often spent hours this way, silent with only each other's company.
But this time was different. It was hard to ignore the tension that remained between them. There was a certain reluctance behind Kiyomi’s movements, a hesitance to touch she had never displayed before. Despite the physical closeness, there had formed a rift between them.
That had been the exact reason Momoka had been so afraid of giving in to temptation before. The fear of losing Kiyomi had far outweighed the desires, but now that all was done, there was no way she could take it back. And while Kiyomi would most likely insist nothing was wrong when asked, Momoka could feel it. Omi had put her walls back up.
"....everything okay?" Momoka couldn't help but ask. She couldn't rewind time, but if there was anything else she could possibly do to make this better, she would. "Ya can talk to me 'bout anything, y'know."
"I… sorry it's just… this feels weird."
"Weird?"
"Yes. I just- it's- apologies, give me a second…" Kiyomi was probably racking her brain for the least offensive, most understandable way to put this. She tended not to think much before speaking, so that must mean this was a special situation. With her head still safely hidden away so she didn't need to make eye contact, she spoke again. "I feel… guilty."
"Huh? Why?"
"I feel bad for… I don't know- I feel like I shouldn't have done that. I just- you probably didn't want that and I-"
"What? I don't do things I don't wanna do, Omi, ya know this."
"I still feel bad because- I feel like you only really did that for my sake, and I… coerced you into it-"
"...I am literally the one that offered-"
"Well then- I just-" A frustrated grumble clawed its way up her throat while she tried to find the words to get her point across. "I still feel like… I shouldn't have."
"Well, can't really change that that happened, but we can forget 'bout it if ya want." Silence spread out over the room. Momoka wasn't sure she could ever forget, but if she really had to…
"...Momoka?" Still with her head in the crook of the biker’s neck, she did not meet her gaze, but Momoka looked down at her regardless.
"Yes doll?"
"I don't want to forget it, but just- I don't have much experience with friendship, but I'm pretty sure friends don't kiss friends, usually."
Ah. So that's what this was all about.
"Hmm." A noncommittal sound was the only response Momoka gave. She needed a better view of Kiyomi’s standpoint before she ruined things by saying something stupid.
"And I don't want to assume anything, but you… since you offered… that makes me really confused about what that means… I just- I don't understand you sometimes. In my head it all points to a conclusion, but I'm not sure if I'm right about it, and I'd feel bad for agreeing if it wasn't…what I thought it was."
"Well… what do ya think it meant?"
Pulling away from Momoka’s embrace at last to look her in the eye, she fessed up.
"I'm not sure what to think anymore. Sometimes you're just really hard to read… I'm not even sure if I actually know you or I've just convinced myself that I do, because you're just… one big mystery to me. I don't get you, and it scares me. But I want to. I want to understand you, but I just can't ." She sniffled softly, but Momoka's ears still caught it due to the near nonexistent distance that was between them. "...does that make me a bad friend?" Tears had filled her eyes, and she looked at Momoka, eyes pleading not for her to say it wasn't true, but rather to not to hate her for it. Not abandon her.
"No. Yer a great friend. Don't ya dare think otherwise. It ain't yer fault that yer bad at people. Ya still try yer best, ain't that what matters, huh, miss Ultimate Moral Compass? I bet ya could answer any question I threw at ya- like what's my favourite colour?"
"Light blue. But you tell people it's black."
"Mhm. My birthday?"
"Ninth of June."
"And what do I wanna do in the future?"
"Carpentry. Because you want to learn to create instead of destroy." The smile was back on Kiyomi’s face. "I think that's a very noble goal, and I can definitely respect that decision."
"See? Yer a good friend. The best, even. I don't care if yer bad at reading me, because ya still know me better than anyone. 'Sides ya ain't half as bad at it as ya think ya are. Ya always know exactly when ya gotta step in and what ya gotta say to stop me from punching people."
"Well, someone has to keep you out of trouble." She chuckled. "Thank you. I needed to hear that. Though I still don’t understand the inner machinations of your brain."
“Well, no one says ya have to. I love ya just the way you are.” Kiyomi perked up at Momoka’s choice of words, searching for eye contact. Once Momoka had realised just how unfortunate her choice of words had been, it was already too late to take it back or play it off as a joke.
Their eyes met, and the red stared into lilac with a silent question behind them.
'Love?' She seemed to be asking.
Momoka didn't dare answer out loud. The atmosphere had shifted once again, and she didn't want to break the fragile moment that hung between them.
'Love.' Momoka replied, still no word uttered.
Silence simultaneously deafening and too quiet, she could pinpoint the moment Kiyomi had realised what she had truly meant. Eyes widened just a bit with surprise, lips parted slightly, cheeks tinted a shade of red that grew more vibrant with the passing second.
She knew. Somewhere deep within, Momoka had always felt this coming. No matter how oblivious Kiyomi might be, she couldn't have kept this to herself forever. It was inevitable.
Kiyomi did not seem disgusted, which was a good start. She didn't seem mad either, which had been the biggest concern.
No, she seemed somewhat…relieved?
Once the shock had subsided, the corners of her mouth turned upwards in a gentle smile as her gaze softened. She understood.
Was it pity? Was it love?
Was it neither one, and did her smile merely serve to substitute an expression she wished to hide?
The softness of her gaze could make Momoka melt beneath it. She wanted to reach out, to touch, to feel.
'Love' was the message splattered all over the girl's face. It was care, it was fondness.
She loved. She loved so deeply. That was what her ruby eyes told Momoka.
And Kiyomi knew that she could tell. She had laid it out for only her to see and recognise.
She reached across the distance between them and held Kiyomi’s face once more. A mutual understanding existed between them when they both leaned forward to meet the other halfway.
As their lips connected, they both knew that this was not just practice. This was real. This was love.
It tasted sweeter than their previous kisses combined. It was chaste, soft and loving, and it could not have lasted long enough.
Once again the need for oxygen got the better of their desire, when finally they were forced to part.
"...Omi-" She exhaled, voice barely above a whisper.
"Momoka." Kiyomi smiled so sweetly, so fond, as she spoke the next words with purpose. "I love you." And you love me too. It wasn't even a question. She knew.
"Love ya too." Momoka replied regardless, because it just felt really good to finally be able to say it. "So fuckin' much."
"I'm glad. It would have been really weird if you did all that and then decided you did not in fact see me in a romantic light." Her tone was light, teasing almost, but it was clear it had been a concern that had held her back.
"Nah- ya don't even gotta worry 'bout that. Yer literally perfect, how could I not love ya?"
"You're a sap." It seemed the compliment had been accepted, considering Kiyomi did not even argue with its contents.
"Maybe, but I'm right though." A laugh rumbled in her gut. "My beautiful girlfriend." She paused. "If ya wanna be that, of course."
"Only if you'll be mine as well."
"Ya got yerself a deal, angel."
"Pleasure doing business with you."
And they sealed the deal with another kiss. And another. And one more, until the tender hours of the night, long past curfew, before they both finally fell asleep, dreams filled with only the other.
Smiling in their sleep, they were loved.