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[-Continuation-]
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[-Hachiman's POV-]
"If you don't stop laughing soon, you will run out of oxygen before I get the chance to end you myself."
Yukino's voice carried a peculiar mix - like honey drizzled over ice, sweet yet sharp.
I am still on the ground, my body shaking with uncontrolled laughter.
My back presses against the cool floor as I try to compose myself, but her fierce glare only makes me laugh harder.
Maybe she's right about the oxygen thing. I think hazily.
My lungs already burn from the effort, and the world spins just a little - though that might be from when I collapsed earlier.
"Heeh… ehaaa…" The laughter gradually faded, replaced by a soft chuckle that lingered between us.
From my position below, I watch Yukino, and there's something captivating about her expression - that particular blend of exasperation and composure that only she can master.
"A little help here?" My voice comes out rough, sandpapered by all the laughter.
I reach up, half-expecting her to leave me there as punishment.
But she surprises me.
She let out a soft sigh that carries the weight of her thinning patience. Then she bends slightly, offering her hand like a peace treaty.
Her composed expression can't quite hide the warning in her eyes – this better be worth the trouble.
Oh, it will be. I chuckled inverdaly.
Our hands connect.
Her grip is firm and reliable - like an anchor in a storm. As she helps me up, something electric passes between us.
As I rise, I feel the gentle pressure of her support, matching it with my own strength.
But standing isn't enough.
Not anymore.
A thought takes root in my mind, growing wild and unstoppable like ivy.
Fush–!
The space between us disappears in one fluid motion.
Using our joined hands as an anchor, I drew closer, as natural as gravity pulling two objects together.
My hands find her bubbly cheeks, cradling them with the reverence of holding something precious and rare.
?!!Yukino's breath hitches, the sound barely audible in the quiet hallway. But she doesn't step back. Instead, she stays perfectly still, like a deer sensing movement in the underbrush.
"...hold on. This one will be deep." I muttered sensually, leaving my hot breath across her nose.
Then I tilt my head and close the final distance between us.
Our lips meet in a kiss - and it feels like finding something I never knew I was missing.
Not rushed, not desperate - just right - As steady as a heartbeat.
Her body tenses like a bowstring pulled taut, but then - slowly, beautifully - she yields.
Her lips soften against mine, the surrender sweeter than any victory could be.
The warmth of her face under my palms, the gentle exhale of her breath mingling with mine.
Her hands, once hanging by her sides, slowly found their way to my arms, her fingers lightly resting there as if she, too, needed something to hold onto.
The hallway was quiet, the soft sound of our breaths the only thing filling the space.
When our lips finally parted, it was slow and unhurried, leaving behind the lingering warmth of her kiss on mine.
I could still feel the wet sensation, the quiet reminder of the closeness we had just shared.
I look down to find a delicate flush painting her cheeks as she averts her gaze, if only for a heartbeat.
"I really needed that oxygen supply." I say with a playful grin, breaking our comfortable silence.
"...and also, it was a good suggestion, or I might have actually died." I throw in a wink, watching as the color on her cheeks deepens ever so slightly.
My hands drift down from her cheeks like falling leaves, wrapping around her body and drawing her close.
The softness of her hair tickles my chin as her head settles against my chest, the softness of her hair and her warmth seeping through my uniform.
She takes a few steps backward, her heels creating a gentle rhythm against the floor - tap, tap, tap - until she meets the resistance of her apartment door.
The sound was barely noticeable, just a quiet punctuation in the stillness around us.
For a second, there was silence.
Silence stretches between us like taffy, sweet, and elastic, until Yukino breaks it with words as steady as a heartbeat.
"If this is the so-called excuse you are coming up with again for your …perverted behavior…"
She continued, pointing out. "Then, you better be ready, because I will remind you, this is not going to make the cut for today."
Yet I feel her lips curve into the smallest of smiles against my chest, betraying her stern words.
Her arms tighten around my waist like a safety belt, holding me in place with a gentleness that speaks louder than any declaration.
It was a contradiction, her words conveyed annoyance, but her actions spoke of comfort.
"Oh, Yukitty, you really are something." I breathe, my voice warm, as I return her embrace with equal fervor.
"...I am still angry." She muttered, her voice trailing off as she traced back to the very question that had led us here.
Angry at whom?
The thought spins in my mind.
At herself? At me? Maybe we are both to blame.
"Hehe..." A light chuckle bubbles up from my chest, floating in the heavy air between us.
I lift my head from her shoulder, seeking her face. Her eyes meet mine like searchlights scanning for answers, trying to understand what amuses me.
"Okay... give me a second." I need time to arrange my scattered thoughts.
"Umm..." Her response is simple, accompanied by the slightest nod.
Emboldened by the moment, I hugged her tightly for a brief second, savoring the warmth between us, before he spun her around in a swift motion, my grip still firm on her wrist.
??..?She looked up at me with a confused expression, uncertainty flickering in her eyes.
I lean back against her apartment door, the solid wood grounding me. Our bodies pressed together, creating an intimate space that feels separate from the rest of the world.
Before she can't process what's happening, I begin to slide down.
Slowly, I let my back slide down the door, bringing her down with me as I lowered myself to the ground.
It was a gradual descent, almost like a gentle surrender, until they found ourselves on the floor again.
But this time, Yukino was nestled comfortably in my embrace.
She shot him a bewildered look over her shoulder, trying to decipher his intentions.
The confusion in her eyes only made me smile.
Now settled on the floor, she sits between my legs as I rest against the door, drinking in the sight before me.
Her neck curves like a swan's as she turns, partially hidden by cascading black hair.
"...Hachiman? What are yo–!" Her voice floats between us but trails off mid-sentence.
But she stopped midway, her words trailing off into uncertainty.
Not because she chose to stop.
Not because I interrupted.
In fact, I hadn't spoken a word.
Hmm, maybe it was my action that made her stop?
Well, I was doing nothing though… not much, I guess.
I brush her long hair to the side, exposing the pale canvas of her neck.
The strands slip through my fingers like silk.
…and I can't help but want more.
I lean forward, drawn like a moth to flame, and press my lips against her neck.
Hum… maybe not that light.
My lips linger, tasting her skin for a few seconds… or maybe even longer?
I wasn't counting.
Pulling back, I admired my handiwork.
A rose-colored mark blossoming on her pale skin.
What was that called again…?
Hickey, or love bite?
The technical term escapes me, but the sight sends a thrill through my body.
The mark is larger than intended.
My bad.
A beginner's mistake.
But there's something satisfying about it.
Hmm, now that I think about it… this might actually be enough to interrupt her words.
Anyway, if I didn't mention.
Yukino's reaction is... spectacular.
Like a kettle reaching its boiling point, she radiates heat.
While I couldn't see her face directly, her neck and ears were flushed bright red, a telltale sign of her embarrassment.
She remains frozen, caught in a moment of pure sensation.
Into this charged silence, I drop my words like pebbles into still water:
"Let's get married tomorrow."
"Okay." Her response shoots out quick as lightning, pure instinct without thought.
The silence that follows crackles with electricity.
But then, I watched realization dawn in her eyes like a sunrise - slow at first, then all at once - as her expression shifted from surprise to panic.
"No… NO… NOOO! It's not possible! We are still just in highschool!" She exclaimed, her rationality flooding back in an instant.
A chuckle bubbles up from my chest as I watch her panic unfold.
Her cheeks were still tinged with pink, and I could see her thoughts racing, trying to reconcile her initial agreement with the reality of our age.
I can't resist - my hands move on their own, gently pinching her cheeks from behind. "Silly Yukino, this is what happens when you try to combine rationality and emotion."
"...a disaster." She mumbled, her voice muffled by my grip.
I release her cheeks, watching as she rubs them with an expression that can't decide between annoyance and embarrassment. Her motions are delicate, precise - so very Yukino.
"You should be dealing with rationality using rationality and emotion using emotion." I said, my voice carrying the warmth of contained laughter as I watched her try to rebuild her composure.
"Why can't I just feel what I want to feel?" The words escape as her shoulders slump slightly, the perfect posture she usually maintains giving way to frustration.
"I usually know how to handle these things, but now it's like I am stuck in a loop. I am angry, but I know I shouldn't be, and that just makes me even angrier!"
I lean back against the door, crossing my arms as I turn her words over in my mind. "So you're angry that you're angry?"
She nodded her head. "I am furious that I can't just accept this. I should be able to rationalize it away, but I can't!"
Her eyes shine like stars before a storm, her carefully constructed walls showing hairline cracks.
The sight of Yukino Yukinoshita - our school's Ice Queen - struggling with such a human emotion makes my heart squeeze in my chest.
"Yukino." Her name falls softly from my lips. "It's okay to feel angry sometimes. You don't always have to rationalize everything."
"But it feels childish! I shouldn't be whining about a love letter you received. It's… immature!" She scoffed, her tone was defensive, but I could see the conflict in her eyes.
"Childish it might be, but that doesn't mean it's invalid."
Yukino's expression softened slightly, her brow furrowing as she processed my words.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, and for a moment, I thought she might withdraw back into herself.
Instead, she looked up, her expression a mix of resolve and uncertainty. "So, you are saying it's okay to act childish every once in a while?"
I leaned closer, a grin spreading. "If it means being honest about how you feel, then go for it."
Yukino considered this for a moment, then let out a reluctant sigh, a small smile creeping onto her lips. "Fine, I will give myself permission to feel angry about it, but only if you promise not to laugh at me."
"Promise." I raise my hand in an exaggerated gesture of solemnity, my face a mask of mock seriousness. "I won't laugh... too much."
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….
[To be continued…]
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