Interest in Kagami’s off-hand, boredom-inspired question sky-rocketed like nothing else, as much as due to the content as to who was asking it.
Tsukasa stared in something boarding on confused horror; Yuki looked quite surprised; Konata, though, had the most disturbing expression by far; a smug, content look.
“Oh, you want to know about dating sims, Kagamin?” She asked, her voice smooth and knowing, with the affectionate lilt that anyone else would take for arrogance.
Blood flooded into Kagami’s face as her cheeks turned the exact color of a ripe tomato.
For moment nothing but sputtering could escaped a very beet-red Kagami, but eventually she managed to speak in whole sentences.
“It- it’s not that I want to know about them… I just don’t get why you like them so much…”
Konata, however, didn’t seem convinced, though luckily for Kagami, Tsukasa and Miyuki seemed to accept this explanation and turned back to their lunches.
“Well, if you really want to know, come over today and I’ll show you.”
Konata’s words were laced with something subtle, a certain invitation that involved more than simple show and tell.
Kagami gulped nervously, but knew that come dismissal, she would be right along Konata as the blue-haired girl made her way home.
--===--
Waving bye to Tsukasa at the school gate was odd for Kagami; when you spent most of your waking moments with someone else, it was strange not to have them there.
However, her mild discomfort was soon forgotten as she enjoyed her train ride with Konata, and the short, adorable girl’s full attention. If there was any opportunity, though, it was largely wasted; unsure of what to say, as seemed to be the norm when Kagami was alone with Konata, the time passed in silence from Kagami and was used as nap time for Konata. A mere five minutes into the 45 minute train ride, and it was clear Konata was fast asleep. Though she felt a bit putout, Kagami couldn’t manage to be mad at her; no matter how hard, that was always the case. No matter what Konata did to get Kagami riled up it was always from embarrassment, embarrassment that she got a secret thrill when Konata fanned up her skirt with her book, was actually wanting Konata to touch her in that moment and when she unexpectedly got what she wanted, Kagami was so surprised and scared that she might seem to like it that she fled from Konata. If anyone suspected her feelings for Konata… but no, there was no way. Even she herself had only realized it recently. Surely, no one else could have seen it? Konata didn’t suspect, did she…? Konata… Konata…
Kagami stared at her, fascinated; how could she sleep in such a noisy, unfamiliar place?
She looks so peaceful though… gosh, she’s really cute when she’s asleep…
So absorbed by this newfound and adorable aspect of Konata, Kagami nearly jumped out of her skin when, due to a particularly hard bump, Konata’s head came to rest lightly on her shoulder. After the reaction to recoil in fear had passed, and her heart had returned to a pace that didn’t threaten to cause it to explode, Kagami realized how this position; Konata leaning lightly against her, the other girl’s head resting comfortably on Kagami’s shoulder. It felt… natural. Without thought or conscious decision, Kagami’s arm moved of its own accord to encircle Konata’s waist. Several seconds passed before Kagami realized what she’d done and her eyes widened in surprised at her own boldness.
Frantically, her eyes swept the train car, but it was nearly empty, and the other 5 passengers had their own business to mind. With no onlookers, and Konata fast asleep, Kagami nervously and somewhat guilty, kept Konata snug in her embrace. The time passed with only the constant clack of the tracks to break the silence, the other passengers absorbed in their own little worlds. 15 minutes from Konata’s stop, however, Kagami hit a snag; Konata rolled in her sleep. It was just one little movement, but that was all that was required to turn the questionable position of Kagami’s ‘friendly’ embrace into one that was more than ‘friendly’; with Konata’s shift, and Kagami own subsequent, unconscious movement to keep the blue-haired girl from falling off the seat, Konata’s head now rested a fraction of an inch above Kagami’s right breast. Kagami’s arm also, somehow, ended up with Kagami’s fingertips up Konata’s shirt, resting lightly against the silken texture of Konata’s porcelain skin. With the situation so changed, Kagami didn’t know what to do. It felt so right for Konata be against her like this, but how was she going to explain this?!
Unable to decide what to do, Kagami opted for inaction, hoping that she’d think up something suitably convincing when the time came. Until then she could just enjoy this. It was Kagami’s guilty pleasure to enjoy all the little things that passed between her and Konata; the little brushes when one or the other sat down, the familiar hanging on, the sort of thing that happened between close friends…
It was just too bad for Kagami that being ‘close friends’ wasn’t exactly what she wanted to be with Konata. What she wanted to be to Konata, she wasn’t entirely sure, but she knew exactly what Konata was to her: everything.
Even though Kagami had no experience with the emotion, had hardly given it a second thought before she’d realized that she felt that way about Konata, Kagami knew what she felt for Konata: Love.
Kagami was in love with Konata.
Wincing at the thought, Kagami pulled herself back into the present, forcibly stopping herself from dwelling on it too much; it wasn’t going to help anything by getting all riled about it.
The train slowed, Kagami barely noticing it until prompted by her unconscious that if she wanted to go to Konata’s home, this was the stop they had to get off at.
Gulping down the lump on ther throat and relying on her tsundere character, Kagami leaned down.
Oh Kami-sama… I can’t believe I’m doing this…
“Konata… hey, Konata, wake up…”
At least, those were the words she was going to say, but somewhere along the way she had forgotten how to speak. Perhaps it had been when she smelled the intoxicating scent of Konata’s shampoo mixing with her own natural scent. Perhaps it was the utterly peaceful and content expression upon Konata’s impossibly adorable face. Perhaps it was when Kagami’s eyes had wandered and discovered that from this angle she could see down Konata’s shirt. Said eyes were still glued to same place they were earlier, answering the question.
A pale pink camisole… it suits her…
Blood rushed into Kagami’s face as she realized she was appreciating Konata’s underwear and, more specifically, how the other girl’s bust filled it in an adorable manner; Konata may have had a small chest, but Kagami found it at once both unbearably adorable and unquestioningly sexy. Gulping again, her heart beating so loudly Kagami wonder how everyone else didn’t hear it, leaned down further, determinedly keeping her eyes on Konata’s face. So focused was she, in fact, that her lips actually brushed Konata’s ear before she realized how close she was. But there wasn’t time to crawl into a corner and die from embarrassment, and another feeling Kagami refused to name, now; the train was seconds from the station.
“Ko-ko-Konata… Wake up…”
The words came out in a feather-soft stutter.
A moment passed, and the train slowed to a stop. One person got up and stood by the door as the bell sounded, reminding all to be careful of opening and closing doors.
Determined to try again, Kagami took a steadying breath.
“Ko-“
Konata turned her head, looking directly up at Kagami.
Their lips brushed lightly.
Kagami was frozen in place by a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, not the least of which was elation.
OH MY GOD I JUST KISSED KONATA!!!
Elation, however was quickly followed by terror.
What if she thinks I was trying something sneaky like kissing her in her sleep?! She would hate me…
Konata blearily blinked her eyes, clearly disoriented. Her sleepiness, however, quickly passed.
“Oh hi Kagamin.”
And she smiled.
Kagami was flooded with relief, the sensation so great she was grateful to be sitting or else, she suspected, she might have fainted. Without the slightest hint of discomfort, Konata sat up straight again, rolled her shoulders to get a quick stretch, and looked out the window at the metal and concrete pillars that rushed past with increasing speed.
She turned to Kagami who was still to busy being relieved to notice much.
“Um, Kagamin… we missed our stop.”