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“Ryo-kun, darling, do you perhaps have anything to do with a sudden lack of yen in my purse?”
Kita kindly asks, during a quiet dinner with just the two of them.
The sky outside bleeds a red dye into the dining room. Ryo offhandedly thinks Kita looks pretty with orange soaking into her eyes and caressing her face.
She doesn’t seem mad, but her lips are pursed together in a way that has Ryo slightly sweating when they make eye contact over the table. Now, Ryo is sure of why Nijika and Hitori had wandered off to go have their own date while they left their two other girlfriends to have their own alone time.
“Firstly,” Ryo replies, “You’re not going to pull a Niji’ and skin me, are you?” She definitely knows her girlfriends would never do that, but seeing Kita upset made her skin wriggle uneasily. The only one that got mad was Nijika, having her older sisters morals and fierce insights on how exactly one should act.
“Because if so, it was Bocchi.”
Her girlfriend stares at her for a moment, before smiling a little too brightly. “I would never hurt you, but please don’t drag Hitori-chan into this,” She laughs a little. “I don’t even want to think what she’d do if she found out you just tried to blame her.”
Ryo pauses.
“It’s obvious. She’s Bocchi, she’d probably lick your shoes even if it wasn’t her.”
Kita furrows her brows and lets out a shocked laugh. The idea itself was absurd to even bring up, Hitori would’ve long locked herself away in shame for something she didn’t even do. Of course, Kita quickly caught onto her attempted dodging.
“Ryo-kun.”
The blue-haired bassist taps her finger against the table.
“You’re mad, I know.”
Kita tips her head a bit. “I wouldn’t say mad,” She points her fork at her girlfriend. “ But, your money- borrowing is getting a little out of hand.” Her green eyes are suddenly hard to look at.
“I’m sorry.” Ryo bows her head a little, like a little kitten having a scolding for getting into something it shouldn't have.
“I spent all my money on something I wanted.”
Her girlfriend leans back in her chair. Her usual kit-aura was toned down to make even space for the sudden seriousness in her eyes. “That’s what the problem is, darling,” She looks a bit miffed at having to even scold her girlfriend, but she plods on. Just like Nijika told her earlier that day. “Well, I need that money, so it’s becoming a bit of an issue.”
Ryo reaches up a hand to awkwardly scratch at the back of her nape. “I see.” She replies. “I’m really sorry.”
Kita just sighs softly and reaches across the table to grasp her girlfriend’s hand in both of her own.
Yellow eyes flick up to meet with the soft green gaze of her lover’s own, relaxing her hand in the comforting grasp of her partner despite the sudden serious turn of their night. “You don’t have to say sorry, I just wanted to set…a boundary now that this has come up.”
Her girlfriend blinks.
She takes it as a quiet cue for her to continue.
“I know you have problems with money spending, but please ask me beforehand if you need a little help.” Kita says, finding herself frowning and faltering further a bit when Ryo starts to become more and more like the spitting image of a sad dog with its tail drooping.
The redhead considers relenting on her girlfriend but recalls the conversation she’d had earlier on that week with their other girlfriend - Nijika. The pony-tailed woman had shaken her head, striking Kita with her never-hidden emotions in the form of a disappointed look. “You know you shouldn’t be feeding into her that much,” She’d commented, not far off from that of a scolding. “You love her– I love her. But she shouldn’t be robbing you.”
“Um,” Hitori had tried to say something, but their yellow-themed girlfriend had sent a look that resulted in the less socially inclined woman awkwardly closing her mouth and evacuating from the conversation. “I’m gonna…go play with the cat.” She excused herself and left the room with hurried footsteps.
Nijika had waited until their partner’s footsteps faded to continue their talk. “I’m on the same path with Bocchi, she’s far too forgiving and people-pleasing to even say anything.” She sighs. “Ryo is amazing, and she’s a wonderful girlfriend to all of us, but that doesn't’ mean she’s able to get away with anything she wants.”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right.” Kita speaks finally, after a couple seconds of silence and staring at her feet.
Her girlfriend smiled, before lightly guiding her close with a hand upon her shoulder. She placed a kiss on her cheek, and then her lips before pulling back.
“I’m gonna go make sure Bocchi isn’t dying of stress right now. She probably thinks I’m grilling you alive.” Nijika rubbed at her shoulder comfortingly, before hugging her. “Go get her, okay?”
She’d teased, so very Nijika-like, Kita had thought with a broadening smile when Nijika winked at her from the doorway before taking off. Kita watched her leave and spent the rest of the week thinking of actions to take with all of their shared girlfriend.
“I’m sorry, Ryo-kun, but I can’t have you doing this anymore.” She spoke it with a tone of finality.
Ryo took a concerning amount of time to reply, but she eventually had to reply. “ Shit, I- I know,” She sighs heavily and puffs air through her nostrils. “I won’t do it anymore.” She cleared her throat, and stares meaningfully at Kita. “I promise, really, I’m sorry Ikuyo.”
“I still love you, by the way.” Kita replies, trying painfully hard to not smile.
Ryo snorts. “Yeah, yeah, I love you too.”
“Let me steal at least some money, though?”
Kita laughs, before shaking her head fondly and gently. "You and I know more than to go against Nijika-chan's words, she means well-you know." She practically hears the groan grow in Ryo's chest before it even leaves her mouth.
"Yeah, yeah, you're both right. You two are just lucky I'm marrying you both for the tax benefits." Ryo jokes, smiling softly when her girlfriend giggles a little.
"Obviously, Hitori too. She's got a lot to her name." It's nice. Though, the bassist might have to consider selling an instrument or two to get by for a while.
Later that night, Kita could've sworn Ryo was holding her cheek tenderly when Nijika returned home that night from work.