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What a strange dilemma Nerissa finds herself in.
She hadn’t thought much about it at first, when Biboo had come up with the bright idea to play Seven Minutes in Heaven while waiting for Calli and Kiara to return from buying food.
It was harmless.
Nerissa knew the rest of the girls well enough that sitting in a closet with them didn’t seem like too much of a problem. So she agreed. When it was her turn to spin the bottle and it landed on Shiori, it should’ve been a no brainer.
Yet as Nerissa stands, awkwardly hunched over whilst leaning against the wall in a dimly lit closet with Shiori across from her, she’s reminded of why she had that dilemma in the first place.
Things had changed between them.
“You know, I have to give it to Mooms, I thought there’d be at least two bodies in this closet.”
Nerissa, only slightly taken aback by the out of the blue comment, lifts her face to look at Shiori. “Maybe she keeps them in a different closet,” she tries to reason. While the demon may have long gotten used to Shiori’s antics over the years, that didn’t mean she couldn’t get surprised once in a while.
And with someone like Shiori, it was almost always guaranteed.
“Oh, I guess that’s something we can bond over.” The demon chuckles as she tries to adjust her position, only to hiss when her shoulder accidentally bumps into the corner of one of the shelves.
“You okay there my girl?” Shiori is quick to ask and despite the sharp pain in her shoulder, Nerissa can’t help but internally melt at the way the Archiver tilts her head oh so cutely to the side. The way the concern is so obvious in those rich, expressive, golden eyes of hers.
“I’m okay Shiorin,” Nerissa reassures.
That’s right. Things had changed between them. Something softer, a little more intimate. The same banter had never left but with it were more longing stares. Touches that lingered and wandered a little more than they did before.
Back in reality, the Archiver gives Nerissa a once over. “If you say so.”
A smile flickers across Nerissa’s face. “What about you? You doing okay in your little corner of the box?”
Shiori hums and before she even gets to elaborate any further, Nerissa cuts in.
“I can move a little if you want more space?”
Ah.
There was the other side of her dilemma.
In spite of the mutual agreement to take this new step in their lives together, Nerissa finds herself hesitant. Reluctant. Dare she say it, maybe even a little bit scared .
Overcompensating in parts she usually wouldn’t or haven’t in the past. For all her talk of dates and relationships and wives, some people might be surprised to find Nerissa Ravencroft not being an expert in this field. But she’s always known that fact.
“Rissa…” Shiori sighs exasperatedly but it comes from a place of fondness. “You barely have any space for yourself over there.” “I still could,” Nerissa shrugs. Another sigh leaves Shiori's lips before turning into soft laughter.
“Last I checked between the two of us, I’m the one who has access and can make hammer spaces. If I really wanted space, I would’ve just left for the Archives for the next seven minutes then come back later. No one would know.”
Nerissa looks away in embarrassment, hoping the lack of light would hide the flush on her cheeks but in front of someone like Shiori, the chances were slim. She tries anyway.
“Right.”
“I don’t mind being here with you though.”
Nerissa blinks and she turns to Shiori who only stares back at her with a grin. “That’s why I’m still here.”
There it was. That was the source of Nerissa’s fear.
In her eagerness to give Shiori her heart, the demon hadn’t expected to receive Shiori’s in return. She should’ve frankly, but still she couldn’t fathom it.
Sweet and kind Shiori’s heart placed in her own two hands, where the risk of breaking it was not zero. To Nerissa, it seemed like a terrible mistake.
“Is making out a requirement in seven minutes in heaven?”
“Huh–”
Shiori snickers as she watches Nerissa gape and stutter over her words. “That got your attention,” the Archiver waits a little for the other to calm down before pressing further, “Well, is it?”
Nerissa takes a deep breath, trying to quell the way her heart hammers against her ribcage. “No… it isn’t. It can happen but it doesn’t have to.”
“Ahh.”
There’s a brief pause.
“Do you want to?”
“WHAT–?!”
Nerissa’s entire body jolts out of shock and it’s followed up by a cry of pain as she feels several parts of her body hit several different pieces of furniture scattered in the closet all at once. Shiori’s expression instantly flips into concern as she reaches out to check on her but Nerissa holds up a hand.
“I’m okay. I’m fine…” With the way Nerissa was wincing, Shiori didn’t feel inclined to believe her. “Are you sure?”
“Yeah, it’s going away now. Don’t worry about it.”
“But–”
“Demon magic,” Nerissa cuts in, “I’m a big girl. It’s nothing.” Shiori opens her mouth to protest but figures it was no use if Nerissa was using that excuse. So instead she tries something else. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to surprise you that much,” Shiori says to which Nerissa chuckles lightheartedly in response. “It’s fine Shiorin. I don’t know why I reacted so hard either, it’s not like the question was out of place.”
“Was it… was it really that surprising?” Shiori whispers in a tone above a whisper and Nerissa flinches. “I just didn’t expect it,” she mutters back, massaging a part of her shoulder that slammed against one of the wall hooks behind her particularly hard. “I don’t want you to think we have to just cause of the situation, you know? If you don’t want to, we don’t have to.”
Shiori doesn’t say anything immediately at first and Nerissa is too busy looking at anywhere else besides the former to see what her reaction was. Then, she hears Shiori giggle.
Not high pitch and loud like she usually would when excited or scared but low and a little breathy. If Nerissa had learned anything from her countless attempts at trying to read Shiori, even if she couldn't quite believe it, that laughter meant affection.
“Rissa,” the demon gulps after a bit of difficulty and looks over at Shiori. The latter holds out a hand to her and, like a moth drawn to a flame, Nerissa takes Shiori’s calloused hand and lets the other pull her closer. “Come here.”
Nerissa does as she’s asked and watches curiously as Shiori shuffles around for a bit as best as she could in such a small, cramped and dark room. “Sit.” Nerissa blinks. “Sit?” she repeats and Shiori hums. “Yeah, sit. There should be enough room. Back against the wall and stretch out your legs.”
“Why though?”
“Do you trust me?”
“Of course,” Nerissa says almost instantly, the admission a severe understatement but at least the message was across. Shiori smiles, firmly gripping Nerissa’s hand in hers. “Would you mind sitting then? I have an idea on how we can both win here.”
And so the demon sits down on the ground, her back against the wall and her legs stretch out just like Shiori asked. There wasn’t however a lot of place left for Shiori, whether it be sitting or standing.
“So what–”
In that moment, Nerissa’s breath gets caught in her throat, effectively cutting her sentence off as she feels Shiori sit down on her lap. Her own entire body tensing up as Shiori’s weight settles on her legs. Heat rushes up her cheek so quickly, the demon can’t help but squeak.
“Shiorin–”
The Archiver on the other hand had the absolute audacity, the gall , to merely hum in response. All cute and innocent. “What? We’re sharing space, more comfortable too,” Shiori reasons. Nerissa feels a lump form in her throat, her hands shaking as they hover over Shiori’s lower half, unsure of what to do.
“Rissa?"
The demon finds herself unable to respond until she feels a pair of hands grab her own, quelling their shaking. Slowly and gently, those hands guide Nerissa’s arms to wrap around Shiori’s waist before letting them go to lay there on its own.
Nerissa doesn’t flinch away this time but instead, allows herself to feel more at ease which causes Shiori to lean into her embrace with the side of her head resting against Nerissa’s chest. The cuddling causes Nerissa to tense up again but only momentarily before she’s relaxed once more. Shiori’s warmth a definite helping factor in that.
“Better?”
Nerissa doesn’t know what Shiori was referring to in all honesty. If she was comfortable, if she was comfortable , her brain was too scattered to read between the lines. All that she could register was that it did feel nice.
“Better.”
Shiori hums in satisfaction, causing a shiver to run up Nerissa’s spine from the vibrations. “I should do this more often.”
“Sit on the floor of a dark closet for seven minutes?”
“Absolutely,” Shiori says, the sarcasm in her tone hard to miss. “I meant I want to…” she takes a moment before continuing, “I want to, hold the door open for you more.”
“What?”
Shiori chews on her lower lip, staring down as she twiddles with her fingers. “You’re always, you know, waiting on the other side. I just felt like I have to give you a way in.” Nerissa furrows her brows in confusion until it clicks.
“You don’t have to,” Nerissa whispers. “Point proven,” Shiori snorts, “You’re always so… considerate of me. I just want to do the same.” Nerissa feels her throat tighten, suddenly reminded of the time she overheard Shiori mentioning how she was thankful she – and by proxy the rest of Advent had taught her to be more affectionate.
Shiori was rarely ever straightforward with stuff like that.
It nearly made Nerissa bawl in the corridor outside then. She just might do it in front of Shiori now. Her chest hurts.
The Archiver feels more than sees Nerissa’s apprehension. A frown tugging at the corner of her lips as the hand that was absentmindedly brushing through her hair comes to a stop.
“I’m just worried.”
“About?”
“About you.” Nerissa whispers it so softly as if fearful that speaking at too loud a volume, too harsh a tone could shatter the heart that she feels beating against her chest.
Shiori on the other hand experiences a mixed cocktail of emotions. Of adoration and pity stirring within her. But she doesn’t let that unmoor her. She had made a promise after all. For Nerissa’s sake, and her own.
“I’m holding the door open for you Rissa,” Shiori mumbles, “There’s no need to rush or hesitate. Not when I want you here.”
The demon feels close to crying, tears brimming in her wine red eyes but at the same time, she can’t help but want to laugh. “You have such a way with words,” Nerissa says in the midst of her laughter.
“Was that weird?”
“You know I like that about you.” Nerissa snickers and instead of the usual witty remark, Shiori smiles softly. “There’s the little bird I know and love.” Nerissa’s fits of laughter are then cut off when she feels Shiori give her a little peck on the nose.
There’s a prolonged silence as Shiori stares up at Nerissa and Nerissa down at Shiori.
“Hey.”
“Hey.”
Being so close to each other, Nerissa is keenly aware of how Shiori’s golden orbs flit from looking at her to down at her lips. It’s just for a split second but Nerissa catches it all the same.
“Rissa?”
“Hm?” the demon answers a little too quickly. A little too eagerly, her grasp on her self control slipping fast through her fingers, but if it was by the hands of Shiori herself, who was Nerissa to try to resist?
Shiori’s breath is warm against Nerissa's lips as she whispers, “While you’re here, mind if I steal a little something?”
“Please.”
Nerissa doesn’t think she’ll ever tire of the feeling of sharing a kiss with Shiori. Like a metaphorical walk across the stars or a taste of paradise, Shiori truly did somehow manage to make it novel. Pun only half intended.
But as Nerissa pulls away and looks down at Shiori, the latter’s face sporting a light tint of red on her cheeks, she decides that this too is paradise.
“You like to do things in riddles, don’t you?” Nerissa points out which causes Shiori to start to pout. “I don’t mean to do it. It just happens, and besides, how else would I be entertaining?” Shiori retorts in self defense.
“You are already entertaining. I just wish I could kiss you earlier.”
“Then why were you hesitating earlier, coward?” Shiori quips and Nerissa presses her lips into a thin line. “Oh you… when I get you…”
Yes. Things had changed between them and yet at the same time, they hadn’t.
“I feel like we’ve been here for more than seven minutes,” Nerissa says and Shiori merely hums in response. Not at all bothered by the fact.
“Are you claustrophobic?” she asks instead to which Nerissa shakes her head. “Not really.”
“Then I suppose we stay a little longer until they open the door for us. How does that sound?” is Shiori’s suggestion and Nerissa doesn’t find any reason to protest nor argue. Some extra time to spend with Shiorin in private? Nerissa would say yes every time.
The demon nuzzles her face into the top of Shiori’s head and pulls the latter a little closer.
“That sounds good.”
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“Did you make sure to click the timer button this time?” Mococo whines as she swats her older sister away from her phone. “Yes! I got it, I got it okay? It’s almost done anyways. One more minute.” Upon hearing there was only one minute left, Cecilia makes a move to stand, “I’ll go get them then.”
Before she can get far, the automaton is stopped by Biboo.
“Wait,” the gem glances down at her phone, “Calli says she’s almost here with the food.”
“And? Doesn’t that mean we should get them?” Raora says with a quirked brow. Biboo just smirks, eyes glimmering with mischief.
“We can get them in a second. Let’s grab a little extra food for us as payment for playing cupid today.”
The rest surprisingly agreed.
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Fin.