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“You’re doing it wrong.”
Suletta looks up from her notebook. She tries her best to hide it with her arm, but by the look Miorine is giving her, it’s too late. She’s definitely already seen the doodles and scratched-out equations.
“N-No I’m not?”
Miorine pushes Suletta’s bag off the bed, ignores her pathetic whine, and forces her to scoot over. Suletta nervously shimmies to the edge of the covers, allowing Miorine to slide in next to her until their shoulders are brushing. While she does her best to ignore that little fact, Suletta’s face brightens noticeably, and she whimpers, more than definitely giving away her nervousness.
Miorine doesn’t pay her any mind, though. She grabs Suletta’s notebook and flips to a fresh, blank page. She pulls the pencil from Suletta’s slack hand and begins writing. Suletta watches from over her shoulder, but she quickly gets distracted by Miorine’s fragrant perfume.
She inhales deeply. Miorine is speaking, but she’s not listening.
“You got that?”
“Is that vanilla?”
Miorine turns to look at her, grimacing. “Huh?”
The look makes Suletta gulp. “U-Um, your perfume? I-Is it vanilla?”
Miorine glares at her. “Did you hear anything I just said?”
Suletta tries to scoot away from Miorine’s intense stare, but she’s completely stuck. There’s nowhere to go. Nowhere to hide.
“Y-Yes?”
“Suletta.”
“I-I’m sorry!” Suletta squeaks and hides her face in her hands. Miorine moves closer to her—she can tell because the smell of vanilla gets stronger. “I-I promise t-to pay attention!”
“You better.” Miorine flicks her. “I have my own studies to worry about, too, you know?” She writes down another equation, and Suletta stares at the notebook with a frown.
Miorine is always going out of her way to help her. She's always putting Suletta before herself. It's unfair. Miorine deserves so much better…
“What are you thinking about?” Miorine's voice is soft, light, a complete 180 to the snark from earlier. It makes Suletta's anxieties melt away; makes her feel safe enough to tell Miorine what she’s thinking.
Suletta leans her weight against Miorine, and drops her head on her shoulder with a sigh. “M’ sorry…”
Miorine switches the pencil to her other hand and keeps writing. “What for?”
Suletta doesn't respond for a bit. She's not entirely sure what she's sorry for, just that she is.
Sorry for needing so much help, for being a burden, for… existing.
But she doesn't say any of that aloud.
But… she doesn't need to. Miorine reads her easily—Suletta wears her heart on her sleeve.
“You don't need to apologize, Suletta.” Miorine runs her fingers through Suletta's hair. “If I didn't want to help you, I wouldn't.”
Suletta purses her lips. That… makes sense, but... “S-Still, s-sorry… I know y-you have other things to d-do…”
Miorine puts the pencil down with an exasperated sigh. Suletta moves away when she turns to look at her, frowning with furrowed brows.
“Suletta,” Miorine begins. She grabs hold of Suletta's arms and climbs forward, planting herself directly onto Suletta's lap. Suletta gawks, stiffening as to not jostle her bride around. This is… entirely new. Miorine is so close that Suletta can smell her shampoo, too.
“Look at me.”
Suletta can’t look anywhere else. Miorine has both her hands gripped tightly, and her stare is so intense that Suletta feels locked in place. She swallows back a whine and words of protest; instead, she waits. Waits to see what Miorine does next.
“There’s nothing…” Miorine pauses. Her fingers trace patterns along Suletta’s palms, and Suletta’s breath hitches. “I’d rather do…” She keeps going, caressing Suletta’s knuckles, then her wrists, then slowly up her arms until her hands are resting on her shoulders. “...than be with you…” Miorine’s hands glide up. Her touch tickles along Suletta’s neck, but still Suletta remains still. She watches, mouth agape, as Miorine cups her cheeks and presses a kiss on her nose.
“...I mean it.”
“M-Miss Miorine?!?” No doubt as red as a tomato, Suletta’s limbs flail about. She loses her balance, tumbling backward off the bed with Miorine still in her lap. Before she can hit the ground, she wraps her arms around Miorine’s waist and holds her tight.
With a soft oomph, Suletta sprawls out on the ground. Miorine berates her, but she isn’t listening. The ghost of Miorine’s lips on her skin is ever-present, pulsing and aching like her heartbeat. She’ll never wash her face again.
“—you idiot!”
Miorine’s hands are still cupped around her cheeks. Suletta’s smile is wide and giddy, and as she gathers her bearings, she sits up. Miorine shifts in her lap, going quiet as they stare at each other.
“What?”
Suletta doesn’t say anything. Instead, she leans forward, slowly, too slowly, giving Miorine plenty of room to back away.
She doesn’t.
So Suletta keeps going.
She grips Miorine’s uniform as she leans in, eyes fluttering shut, and places a small, almost negligible kiss on the corner of her mouth.
“Idiot.”
Suletta opens her eyes, finding a very red-faced Miorine holding a hand over her lips. She looks so cute all flustered, Suletta thinks.
“You’re really cute, Miss Miorine.” And she says it aloud, too. Miorine smacks her. Not hard enough to hurt, just enough to elicit a chuckle from Suletta’s lips. Eventually, Miorine relaxes too, and they devolve into soft giggle.
Suletta’s arms are still wrapped tightly around Miorine’s waist, and Miorine’s thumbs caress the edges of her cheeks.
“Can I kiss you?”
Miorine rolls her eyes. She doesn’t answer, instead pulling Suletta down and crashing their lips together. Their teeth clack painfully, but neither pull away. They get the hang of it quickly, melding together perfectly.
Suletta has never kissed anyone before. She had always dreamed of a first kiss; what it would feel like, who it would be with… she never could have imagined how amazing it could be.
Miorine pulls away first, eyes half-lidded and lips red and swollen. Suletta’s gaze darts from Miorine’s silver eyes down to her lips then back again. She tries to talk, but the words stick in her throat.
“You’re a terrible kisser,” Miorine whispers, her voice carrying a lilt of amusement.
Suletta pouts, but instead of shying away, she pulls Miorine tightly to her chest and tilts her head. “Y-Yeah? Can you help me practice?”
And, that’s how the experience ended. Suletta got herself a bruise on her forehead and a mountain of homework to finish.
Despite that, she can’t stop smiling.