Chapter Text
“Nekomaru, truth or dare?”
“Dare.”
Akane didn't know it at the time, but these few simple words would cause a chain of events that would change her life for good.
“I dare you to kiss, Akane.”
Akane, Nekomaru, and the rest of their class were hanging out in the dorm lobby, simply chatting, when Kazuichi proposed that they should play truth or dare. Most of the class was hesitant but, when Sonia immediately said she'd like to play as she never had before, they warmed up to the idea.
However, Mahiru stated that there needed to be some ground rules. Firstly, Kazuichi was not allowed to dare Sonia to do anything. Seeing as he's the one who suggested the game, he likely had an alternative motive involving the princess. Secondly, they would be keeping it PG. These rules relaxed those who were still a little hesitant about playing, and so they began.
Of course, as teenagers, they were bound to push the boundaries, heading into PG-13 territory, especially as the night went on, and they grew more comfortable. Which eventually culminated in the dare she was faced with now.
In reaction to the dare Nekomaru was given, Akane simply shrugged her shoulders, “I don't mind.” There were far worse things she could think of than kissing her best friend.
Nekomaru, who was already seated next to Akane, repositioned himself, so he was sitting on his knees. He scooched a little closer to her before placing one of his hands along her jaw.
“Are you sure?” He asked, his eyes betraying his concern.
“Yeah, I'm sure,” Akane responded with a smile.
Those would be the words that would seal Akane’s fate, as the next thing she knew, Nekomaru’s lips were pressed against hers. Akane let out a soft gasp as she felt something akin to a flame flicker to life inside her. Akane’s eyes slipped closed and, a small smile graced her lips. As the kiss continued, the more time that passed, the faster her heart beat. The kiss was gentle and sweet, and she found herself melting into it.
After a few seconds, Nekomaru began to pull away and Akane realized with heavy dismay that she didn't want him to, not yet anyway. Her hands flew up to the collar of the jacket he always wore and grabbed a hold of it, keeping his lips on hers for just a little longer.
This time, it was Nekomaru’s turn to gasp as Akane took control of the kiss. She tilted her head to the side slightly, hoping to deepen it. She wanted to taste him, wanted to feel him, wanted to explore him because this might have been the only chance she would ever get.
“Damn, they're really going at it, aren't they?”
It was only when a voice sounded that they finally parted from one another, their breathing ragged and faces flushed. She delicately removed her hands from the collar of his jacket, still not understanding what came over her. Their breaths intermingled as their faces continued to hover near one another, no more than a few inches away. Akane slowly opened her eyes and found Nekomaru looking right back at her. She was unable to make eye contact with him as she sat back, leaning on her hand to hold herself up.
Only then did Nekomaru return to his seat beside her, seeming just as embarrassed as she felt. The night continued, and everything seemingly returned to normal, as though her world hadn’t just been turned on its head. Except for the two friends, unable to look at each other and yet continuously stealing glances. And Akane found that no matter how hard she tried, she could not get the rapid beating of her heart to die down, as the kiss she shared with her best friend played on a loop.