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There were three immutable facts about Shiratori Azusa.
One, she was the cutest person in any room she entered. There was no contest, and if there was any competition, refer to fact number two.
Two, if she saw something or someone cute, she gave them a new name thus making them hers. Oh sure, people tried to say she couldn’t but she named all of her belongings. If she hadn’t named them then clearly they weren’t hers.
Three, the cutest someone could be was dolled up and hiding the tent poking out from beneath their skirt. It was so cute how they tried to hide their excitement. But Azusa knew a girl when she saw one. Even if they didn’t realize how cute they could be.
How did Azusa know these facts? Well, it first started a very long time ago, in the era know was freshman year. Kolhotz High School turned their pool into a skating rink and it was the that Azusa met Suzette the first. Suzette has had many successors over time, but Azusa would never forget her first pair of skates.
“Perfect!” Azusa cheered after lacing up her skates. She wobbled her way over to the ice, unsteady but refusing to give up. There were so many people in cute fluffy clothes. She just wanted to grab them and take them home with her!
But first, she had to learn how to skate, so she could elevate to figure skating, one of the cutest sports. Azusa would have done rhythmic gymnastics but their leotards weren't as cute as the fluffy and frilly stuff that ice skaters got to wear. Sometimes the leotards were sparkly, but why stop and just sparkly? Azusa already had so many outfits ready that she couldn't decide which one she wanted to wear when she made her figure skating debut. They were all so cute.
Today, she was wearing a fluffy pink babydoll coat and a matching dress underneath. The white fluff would cushion her fall and gave her outfit some extra poof, so even if she fell on the ice, she'd still look cute. Her first step was a shaky one, but Azusa held onto the guardrail. Her second step made her wobble a bit more. Her little legs weren't use to the skates and how thin they were, it felt like her ankles were going to twist at any second.
Just as she had seen so many other people do, she slid her foot forward when she wanted to move. Slide left, slide right, then slide left again. With enough momentum, she was gliding across the straight perfectly. Soon Azusa would be skating around in circles without even trying!
She just had to learn how to turn before she splattered against the wall. "How does Azusa turn?" she wailed, flailing her arms in the air. Every attempt to backpedal just seemed to make her go even faster. "This is not how this is supposed to go!" She pinched her eyes shut and held her arms over her face.
But she didn't crash. All of her cuteness remained intact. Azusa's eyes fluttered open to see an ugly boy holding her. He skated around, sweeping her into the middle of the rink where she had nothing to grab onto except him. "Are you alright, Miss?" His voice had a softer touch to it than Azusa would expected from the lesser sex. It made her blink and take a second look over her savior. "It would have been disastrous if you had gotten hurt. Here, why don't I make it up to you?"
Too caught up in her thoughts, she didn't realize the boy was kissing her unto his lips were pressing hungrily into hers. Such very soft lips, so plush. Azusa grabbed the back of her savior's head and grabbed a fistful of fluffy hair. A hearty moan escaped those plush lips, muffled only by Azusa's gnawing hunger. When Azusa let her savior pull away, she saw what laid underneath the veneer of a pretty boy. It was just a glimpse, but she had to have it. She had to see what was hiding behind the facade.
The girl inside would be hers and hers alone. No one else was allowed to mould this little cherry into ripening. No one else was allowed to twist her stem. No one else should be allowed to look at her... Maria. Yes, her Maria. Her marvelous Maria hiding under the veneer of a pretty boy when she should really be the a femme fatale on the ice.
Maria looked stunned, bewildered by the passion in their kiss. She was out of breath and Azusa wanted to make her keep up her little panting but she had to do this slowly. If she broke Maria's shell too quickly, she wouldn't have a beauty to sweep other cuties off their feet, she would have a babbling doll. Maybe one day she would find the perfect doll, but this was not them.
"That was..." Maria blinked a few times, coming out of the daze of their kiss. Once Azusa's next toy regained control of her faculties, she put up that ugly shell again and deepened her voice. "I'm glad to see you are unharmed." Maria pushed off the ice and toward one of the exits.
Azusa had to think fast! If Maria pushed her away, she might never see her again. If they separated, then she wouldn't be able to peel away at her shell to reveal the beauty in her core. That would be a travesty. Azusa couldn't let that come to pass. She needed an excuse, any excuse to keep Maria around.
Just seconds away from being taken off the ice, Azusa blurted, "Be Azusa's skating partner!" Maria twirled around Azusa and came to an elegant stop. "Azusa needs a figure skating partner if she wants to compete. You're the perfect partner."
"The perfect partner." Maria rolled those words around in her mouth, tasting them and realizing just how succulent the idea was for both of them. Yet when she looked down at Azusa, it was with pity, not excitement. "As tempting as that idea is, I'm afraid that you would be a poor fit for the ice. Perhaps you'd be better suited to sitting pretty and watching me instead. Doesn't that sound nice?"
No! Azusa was cute but not arm candy. She refused to just sit pretty when she could be flaunting how much cuter she was than everyone else in the room. "Then teach Azusa how to skate! Azusa will get better and be the best figure skater." Her brunette didn't look convinced yet. At least her pity had dissipated. "This is your one chance to be Azusa's partner. If you refuse..." What did Maria like? Oh, kisses! She liked kisses. "Then Azusa will never kiss you again!"
Now that got Maria's eyebrows rising. "You drive a hard bargain." She smiled and showed off a perfect set of teeth. She practically sparkled just by smiling, Azusa had to have her now. "Fine, I shall teach you how to skate." She placed a finger on Azusa's lips. If Maria dared to smudge Azusa's lip gloss and defile Lisa's sacrifice, Maria would be testing out lipsticks first. "But in return, would you indulge me in a few minutes in private?"
"Of course!" Azusa had her! Maria was on board, which meant that she would be hers soon. Everything was going according to the plan she had meticulously crafted twenty seconds ago. Nothing could go wrong.
And then Maria swept Azusa off her legs while she was distracted and took her away from the rink. Before she knew it, Azusa was being pressed against the wall in a dark corner of the rink. Her feet dangled in the air and her coat was being mussed up. Yet what did that matter when Maria was so desperate before her? Her brunette was hungry, in need of more kisses. In need to feel her real self again for just a moment. Azusa smiled and curled her fingers into her brunette's hair again. "Come here, Maria," she beckoned and her pet obliged.
After all, who would Azusa be if she denied someone the chance to be cuter? She returned her brunette's vigorous hunger with a desire of her own, a craving that only grew with each breath. Others would call it a sloppy make out session. Azusa preferred to call it nonverbal cuteness affirmations.
Maria dipped a girl onto the ice before pressing a kiss to her pale pink lips. It was chaste and swift, nothing like the vigorous affirmation that she had received last week for her efforts of saving those about to crash or fail around the rink.
The girl she was kissing pushed away, sliding back and nearly falling again. Maria held onto her hand with hope in her eyes. In a matter of seconds, it was all dashed. The girl tossed her hand away like it meant nothing and skated away with her friend in tow. Together, the two left the rink entirely, giving up on a fun day out thanks to one bad experience and leaving Maria standing alone in the middle of the rink.
Azusa didn't think much of the rejection. She was much too enamored by Harleen the hairband to be paying constant attention to Maria. Harleen was so sparkly! She just had to have her. And some nasty girl was trying to chase her down for it, but Azusa kicked her and Suzette did the rest. Suzette was the best and cutest pair of skates a girl could ask for.
Unfortunately, Suzette couldn't comfort Maria for Azusa. That would be too easy. Her morose brunette glided across the ice even while she was being weighed down by a bout of rejection. She slid over to Azusa's side. "Why were you so different?" Maria asked glumly, her ugly boy voice sounding even more miserable than usual. Azusa hummed and kicked off to get back to her practice with Maria following at her heels. "Every single kiss since then has felt..."
"Empty?" Azusa guessed. Maria scowled at her but nodded nonetheless. "That's simple. No one but Azusa sees how cute Maria can be." That scowl deepened and Azusa couldn't the giggle that followed. Her brunette was so cute when she was fussy!
"Would you stop calling me that?" Maria's pace slowed down. Her long legs were hidden behind a pair of slacks that could hardly be considered cute. Same with Maria's penchant for plain button-ups. At least her jackets looked nice and rugged, Azusa might let her keep them if her boyishness persevered after Azusa sank her teeth in.
"What else would Azusa call Maria?" she asked, playing dumb. She knew Maria's last name, but it wasn't very cute. Maybe if she was a Shiratori, then Azusa would consider calling her that. As it was, Maria was the cutest option, and therefore, the only one that Azusa would use.
"Stop being ridiculous," she scoffed, getting a little of her usual energy back. "My name is Sanzenin Mi-"
"Maria!" Azusa came to a stop and held her hand out, catching her brunette's chest. "Does Maria need a kiss to feel better? Does she want to forget all the bad kissies," cooed Azusa.
"Don't talk to me like I'm some whimpering child." Maria looked away with flushed cheeks. Should Azusa find a way to make her wear blush? No, that would hide her real blush and that was cuter.
Rolling her eyes, Azusa reached up as tugged Maria down by the collar so she could give her brunette a quick kiss. Maria pressed her fingers to her lips, only to scowl seconds later. "If Maria wants a better kiss, then she should do as Azusa says. Oh, there's that nasty scowl again."
"Just..." Maria sighed and wrapped an arm around Azusa's waist pulling her close. "Just kiss me already." She leaned in and closed her eyes, ready to be met with the bliss she longed for.
Azusa's hand blocked her brunette's desire, much to her frustration. "Call yourself Maria first. Then you get more kisses from Azusa."
"Fine. Just this once. I'm Maria, now kiss me, you brat." They would have to work on the name calling, but they were taking baby steps. Besides, Azusa didn't entirely mind if Maria ran her mouth so long as she did what Azusa wanted.
In only took a few practice sessions for Azusa to become a dancer on the ice. She glided around with ease, twirled on the tip of Suzette the skates, and leapt across her chilly realm. Azusa knew she was a perfect fit for ice skating. All she needed was someone to teach her the basics and now she was copying all the fantastic moves she had seen on the telly.
Unfortunately, her teacher had a bit of a habit of getting distracted. Should Azusa blame him for getting distracted by pretty girls? No, girls were cute. That was merely a fact. If those girls were any cuter, Azusa might be worming her way into their good graces, but they were just girls. They weren't hiding the same cuteness that Maria was. There was a large difference between their levels of cuteness that couldn't simply be overcome.
Unless they were Azusa, of course. But only Azusa was Azusa so no one else could be Azusa or match up to Azusa and if they thought they were cuter than Azusa then Azusa showed them their place as her dolly. It was very simple. She wasn't sure why the last four girls that tried to ask out Maria didn't get the message.
Maria collapsed onto her side, falling onto the ice for the first time since Azusa had given her a better name. When Azusa realized she was clutching her crotch, Azusa glided over right away and hovered over her magnificent Maria. "Is Maria okay? Can little Maria still get stiff? Do I need to kiss her better?"
"I'm... not Maria." Oh, this again? Maria was Maria and Azusa would never call her by any other name. "You airhead." Azusa pouted. She just had cute things on her mind and didn't pay attention to all the uncute things.
"If Maria can still insult Azusa, she must not need help then." Azusa smiled, her dimples making themselves them known.
Maria whined and Azusa thought that was the best sound in the world. She had to make Maria do that again. "Damn you," said her skating partner. She looked up at Azusa, her face scrunched up in pain. If she had tears in her eyes, then she might look cuter. "Help me, brat."
"Uh uh." Azusa waggled her finger and almost giggled at the sight of Giovanni the glove. "Ask politely or Azusa will go tell those pretty girls about little Maria."
Her silly little brunette glared at her. As if she could ever be threatening to Azusa. Grumbling, she had to take a deep breath before she asked, "Please help me, Azusa?" Too reluctant to get there, but Azusa would teach her better later.
For now, she grabbed Maria and dragged the poor girl-but-not-a-girl-yet off the ice so it wasn't scaring away little Maria any more. Azusa sat Maria at a table and got a good look at her. Although her brunette was beginning to wear some coordinating colors with Azusa, she was very bad at picking cute clothes. The baby blue button-up was nice, but it was so boyish that it made Azusa want to gag. At least her hair was cute. Nice and fluffy, just the way that Azusa liked it. Of course, that was all ignoring the bright pink imprint of a hand across both of Maria's cheeks.
It was abhorrent. They ruined her image even if she was still using a nasty boy facade. If some girls wanted to punish her Maria, they should have left their hand prints on her derrière not on her face. Now Azusa had to look at evidence of someone else's hands on her soon-to-be magnificent Maria's precious pretty face.
Maria slumped, hunching forward and propped up on her knees. She winced as she adjusted her sitting position, undoubtedly upsetting her little friend. "Are you going to say something?" she sighed. Azusa shook her head and took no small enjoyment in seeing her own hair bounce around. "Then what are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be practicing your pirouettes?"
Well, she should be. However, Azusa was not a dumb little airhead like Maria thought she was. This was a prime opportunity that two mysterious girls had handed to her on a silver platter. "Not when Maria needs me to be here."
Her brunette scoffed, "For the last time, my name isn't Maria."
"Azusa will only kiss Maria," she declared. "If you are not Maria, then you get no kisses from Azusa." She waited a few seconds and watched the gears click into motion inside her cutie's head.
Horror pulled itself across Maria's face, dreading the very idea of losing her guaranteed kisses. The ones that Azusa knew made her feel better than any of the short little chaste ones she kept hunting for. It was almost adorable how Maria was so desperate for validation. Unfortunately for her, only Azusa could give her what she wanted and they both knew that.
"Please don't," came Maria's shuddering plea. Suddenly Azusa's gloved hands were pulling her face down until the two of them were just centimeters from each other. "Please."
The trembling hands reaching for Azusa clasped around her tiny waist, finding a beacon of support to hold onto. Azusa leaned up to her toy's ear. "What is your name?"
"Ma-Maria." The quivering soon-to-be-girl in front of her was going to be puddy in her hands. One day, this little foreplay wouldn't be needed to have her girl ready for her.
That day was not today and Azusa was only a little upset by that. "Good girl," she whispered into Maria's ear before twisting her little cutie's head around so she could take those plush lips of hers. So hungry, her little slut.
"Are you done yet?" Maria squirmed in Azusa's parlor chair. She was keeping her eyes closed at least, so she wasn't making this an absolute pain for Azusa. Still, Azusa was sitting in her lap and every little movement was disrupting her hard work.
"Azusa is almost done. Just a little more." Maria's cheeks were already quite nice. She didn't need to have a lot of bronzer to make her cheekbones pop since they were already doing that one their own. For the look that Azusa wanted her to have, she only needed a bit of definition there. "Otay, keep your eyes and mouth very shut." Maria wanted to grumble, Azusa could see the set of her jaw up close and personal. Still, Maria complied and Azusa grabbed her setting spray. "Viola!"
Blinking away the last of the mist, Maria's nose scrunched up. "That smells horrid. Don't you have a more pleasant smelling one?" Azusa rolled her eyes and grabbed her girl's freshly painted face. The moment her brunette saw herself in the mirror, all complaints died on her tongue. While not quite as cute as Azusa, Maria made a good butch to match her.
Her fluffy brown hair was untouched. After all, the style was good and worked well until Maria grew her hair out a little more. Maybe Azusa would make her stick with the butch look, but that depended on how long Maria's nasty attitude stuck around. At the very least, Azusa wouldn't be touching the color. She didn't think Maria would become ditzy enough for blonde to really shine so the brown was good enough.
Those already sharp cheeks were given a little more definition. Maria had gorgeous skin and ice rinks didn't exactly get anyone to tan, so some foundation and bronzer was all that Maria needed. Now her cheekbones were visible and her nose was defined without harsh lighting. Along with that, her lips were given a nice clear gloss. Something light to keep Maria thinking she was boyish but that all fell away when anyone looked at her eyes.
Those cold blues had a cat eye added to them, bringing further attention to Maria's eyes over all else. It was perhaps the most obvious tell of Azusa's grand plan and Maria patted her own face, verifying what she saw in the mirror. Twisting her face one way, she hummed. Moving to see the other side got a slight smile on her face.
"Maria likey?" Azusa shifted around so her face was in the mirror. Leaning back against Maria's chest, Azusa mourned the softness that could be there yet also admired the image of herself sitting in Maria's lap like she was a throne.
"Did you really have to do all of this to my eyes?" Maria pulled down on her eyelid, watching with faint curiosity how the eyeliner made her eyelid look different. It was new, it was strange. She wasn't objecting it entirely though and that was the most important part of this. If her brunette was like the boys from their school, she would have rejected her makeover entirely. "I suppose it doesn't look that bad. It took you an awfully long time to do so little."
Azusa giggled and grabbed Maria's hands, pulling them around her waist. Her partner didn't protest the position, practically accepting the cuddling without a fight. "Does Maria think she can do better?" The smile on Maria's face was all too telling. "Then Maria should try doing her own make up next time."
"If this works as you say it will, then maybe I will." Maria eyed the outfit splayed out on Azusa's bed. Azusa didn't worry about Maria having doubts about Azusa's work. She had the outfit for weeks at this point, just waiting for the moment she got to put it on her newest dress up doll. "The make up won't smudge, will it?"
"Azusa recommends not wiping your face. The setting spray should work but it won't stop anything if Maria rubs her face." And what a shame that would be. All her hard work, ruined by some careless actions. Azusa shuddered to think about that possibility.
Grabbing the spray bottle, Maria flipped it around to read the tiny print. "No ridiculous name for this one?" she joked and got a pout out of Azusa. "Oh, don't you get on me about that. You name all of the things you steal, you kleptomaniac." Maria had the decency to place the bottle down softly even if it wasn't where it was before.
"Azusa only names the cute things! Like Suzette." She pointed toward the little podium where her ice skates were resting all snug with their blade protectors. "Giovanni." Her favorite pair of gloves rested on top of her dresser, forced to wait until Azusa had finished the makeover. "And Maria!"
A faint smattering of pink bled through the foundation caked all over Maria's face. "I am not a thing," she drawled out.
"But you are Azusa's."
"For the time being." Maria smiled a bit more true, holding that roguish quality that swept many a girl off their feet before. "But if this makeover works like you say it will, maybe I'll find someone who can kiss even better than you. Then you can only blame yourself for making me look so dashing."
Azusa reached up to pat her brunette's neck. She caressed Maria's chin, drawing her face down to look at Azusa and show her those beautiful blue eyes. "You'll be back," whispered Azusa with a small, knowing smile.
And Maria smiled back at her, playfulness resting upon each corner of her lips. She held Azusa tight, her large hands resting on Azusa's slim hips. "I'll be back."
Later that night, Mar—Mikado. His name was Mikado. No amount of fooling around with Azusa was going to make him go by that name.
Later that night, Mikado had slipped into a music store. He didn't have any real interest in music, not even the looping records of classical music played the rink. However, it was also somewhere that he knew Azusa wouldn't find entertaining, therefore he didn't have to worry about her ruining his night. Moreover, he had seen a girl from the class next door walk in. What better time to test this makeover's effect than with someone who had witnessed his charms before?
The music store was quaint. CDs filled the shelves and there were few people in the tiny shop so Mikado couldn't find it in himself to complain about the interior's decorations. He also couldn't name recognize any of the band names on the shelf but that was a problem for someone less confident in their looks. He just had to stake out his chances and wait.
Oosawa, if he remembered her name correctly, browsed the front of the store with little interest for the case in her hands. Mikado was dimly aware that the girl was holding an album of a rock band, but nothing specific about the album, band, or even the girl stuck out to him. Her pink hair was styled into large curls down to her mid-back, which should have been some sort of sign, whether flashing down his attention or a warning sign. Yet he only attributed it as one of her features. If anything, her hoop earrings were more peculiar. They were on the unusual side as far as Mikado was aware. Azusa would have known more about that though.
He shook his head. That girl should be the farthest from his thoughts right now, even if his current look was all her doing. If he only thought about her, then he wouldn't find any satisfaction in another's embrace tonight. Which was obviously a bad thing. He was Sanzenin Mikado, he would kiss one hundred girls before he even thought of settling down with a single one of them.
"Need help finding something?" Mikado repressed his surprise as best he could. A blonde woman stood at the end of the aisle, hovering around the back of the store. She lacked a name tag or an apron, but she seemed like she belonged there. Three piercings hung on each ear, a lip ring curled around her black lipstick, and an artfully torn band shirt sent flags up in Mikado's head. "You got a genre in mind? Maybe exploring something new." The woman wasn't much older than him, but he couldn't be too sure. "Hello? Anyone in there?"
The blonde woman waved a hand in front of his face, shocking his system back into a semblance of functioning. She didn't even tower over him, but she brushed close, her arm rubbing against the thin material of Mikado's borrow button-up. The darn shirt hung open, covering the v-neck he had been dragged into. Both of which was supposed to attract attention, however as he glanced over to the front of the store, he realized Oosawa hadn't even glanced in his direction.
"So that's why you're here." The blonde woman followed his gaze. With a sigh, she moved over so her body was between Mikado and Oosawa. Leaning forward, she pushed Mikado against the shelf and planted her hand next to his head. "Listen, you're pretty and all, but she's taken. So take my advice and look somewhere else. There's a bookstore a block over, you might have some more luck with those types of girls."
Clearing his throat brought him no relief from the rather forward display this woman was putting forth. It didn't help that he was backed up against his shelf. His hands fumbled for something to support himself before he tripped over his own two feet. "Those types of girls?" he repeated, his brain barely processing the words coming from the woman's mouth.
Humming, the blonde woman pressed down on his chest. "The closeted ones, the ladies who have obscene fantasies, maybe even the ones who'll doll you up worse than this." She tugged on his borrowed shirt. It was a plain blue, nothing special save for its cut that refused to hang loose and instead chose to hug his waist. "Course, you aren't too far off the track. My girls will be right up your alley in a few years. Maybe less if you take a vacation in Thailand. But right now? Boys aren't really for them."
"What do you mean boys-" She pressed a finger to his mouth, shushing him. He scowled at the woman, but she ignored him and turned his head toward the front of the store. Was she taunting him by making him look at a girl who she made abundantly clear was off the table for him? Oosawa was a pretty girl, she was normal, she was leaps and bounds more acceptable a romantic partner than... than...
A boy dressed head-to-toe in black walked over to Oosawa. His baggy pants, jacket, and face mask hid his pasty skin. If Mikado didn't know any better, he would've said that the boy was sick. Yet with piercings matching the blonde woman adorning his ears, it had to be a style choice. He squatted down with a box in his hands and wordlessly moved an album in front of the pink-haired girl's face. The instant she saw it, she perked up and a smile brighter than any Mikado had seen before was on her face. Pure, radiant joy shined off the girl. Not a single girl had walked away from any of his kisses beaming like that. Not a single one except for Azusa.
The boy handed the album to Oosawa, shocking her. Mikado couldn't hear what they were saying very well, but it was obvious that the album was a gift and the box full of identical cases were meant to be put up for sale. It was a gift that had Oosawa hugging the boy and clinging onto him like he meant the world to her. He hugged her back with one arm. The other kept the box from spilling onto the floor, but if Mikado could have a girl fawning over him like that, he wouldn't even have time to think about any random box.
Except he could have that, couldn't he? Azusa was willing to kiss him like no other, to cuddle him despite the advances he had put toward other woman. She had given so much attention to him, and all for what, so she could dress him in some different clothes and plaster make up on his face? That hardly seemed to be a high price when this boy was throwing away money to give his girlfriend first pick at the latest releases.
"I think I understand now," Mikado said quietly, hoping not to disrupt the happy couple no matter how his instincts sung. He could steal a kiss right now, cleave the couple in two. He didn't think it wrong at all. After all, if he could so easily separate two people through one kiss, they were never meant to last the storm that was romance. These two wouldn't be so easily broken apart. Not by him at any rate. "I think I should be going."
The blonde woman grabbed him by the collar. If he had been wearing one of his normal shirts, such a move would have choked him but this borrowed top just stretched out. "Hold on," she commanded and he found himself obeying. He didn't know why, it would have been easy to slip out of the woman's grasp. At least, if he wasn't distracted by Oosawa hooking a finger around that face mask and tugging it free.
Underneath the blanket of black was not a boy seducing his love. No, that jawline, that nose, those lips... it could only belong to a girl. The girl gave Oosawa a lob-sided smile, charming yet lacking the elegance that Oosawa or any other girl would have possessed. Yet Oosawa smiled in return and leaned forward to capture the other girl's lips in her own. Ignorant of their audience, they pressed forward until they were both moaning and breathing heavily. The girl in black dropped the box, abandoning it to run her hands through Oosawa's carefully maintained hair while the pink-haired girl grabbed the black jacket and tugged it down the black-haired girl's shoulders.
"I should go," Mikado whispered under his breath. Not out of any sort of shame, but rather concern for the girls' privacy. It was bad enough that they were at the front of the music store instead of hiding away in the back. They clearly weren't making a show of their kiss, it was much too passionate to be for anyone but each other. Silently agreeing with him, the blonde woman guided him around the couple, effectively sneaking out of the store.
Out in the street, the afternoon was losing its light. Orange was submitting the purples and blues, snuffing out the once bright warmth stretching across the skyline. Mikado’s conquest could continue into the twilight, stars twinkling yet never as radiant as he was. The thought didn’t burn a passion in him. He was smoldering, for lack of a better word. If he chose to swoop in and steal a kiss, it would lack the grace he had on the rink and the passion he had in his other escapades.
If love could exist between two women, then what kiss could compare? All of his efforts would be a pale imitation of that pure, unfiltered love. There was little point in trying to even copy such a feat. Every kiss he had and would have was a pale imitation of love already, but witnessing Oosawa and her lover raised the ideal even further away. The only time he had come close was… oh.
The door swung open before it was touched. Azusa stood in her pajamas and slippers, ready and waiting for her pet to come crawling over after her what could only be a disappointing night. She wasn't expecting Maria to look practically untouched. Her borrowed clothes weren't ruffled or poorly fixed nor was Maria's makeup smudged in the slightest. It was like her doll hadn't gotten anyone to look at her while she was out. But that was impossible. Maria was so cute even if she was still masquerading as a boy.
Blinking away those thoughts, Azusa pulled on a cute smile. "Maria came back," she said calmly, just as she had planned. In a plan that was in shreds because Maria wasn't a sobbing mess due to some unappreciative hussie that Maria tried to put the moves on.
"I came back," Maria agreed without any of the bravado of her nasty boy persona. It was almost sad, but Azusa knew this just had to happen. "Do you think we could kiss?" She hadn't lost any of that confidence though. It would be a good look on a cute girl Maria but Azusa's doll wasn't there yet. There was still some dressing up to do.
For now, she could oblige with her pet's simple requests. "Azusa will give Maria kissies in her room." Grabbing her brunette's hand, she dragged the taller teenager up the stairs. Maria didn't even hesitate to keep in step with her shorter partner.
Plunging into the symphony of frills, Maria let herself be pushed onto the edge of the bed. Azusa jumped up to straddle Maria's hips with her hands holding onto the blouse her pet had borrowed and dutifully came back with. Azusa started chaste with her kisses, just pressing her lips to Maria's and feeling her brunette tense beneath her. Maria didn't even try to reciprocate the kiss, she merely laid there waiting.
Fortunately for her, Azusa was not a particularly patient person and went in for another kiss. Maria fell back against the bed and her hands raised to hug Azusa's waist. However, she didn't move from there, she merely allowed herself to be consumed and directed by the power of Azusa. This was unexpected for her plans, but not unwelcome.
When she broke their kiss to catch her breath, Azusa laid herself against Maria, their chests heaving in unison to fill their lungs. Azusa caressed her pet's cheek and Maria turned her head to face Azusa, lips slightly parted. "Maria looks very good. Azusa is proud of her." Her voice was sweet and far from the saccharine sounds that she made others listen to. "Why is Maria so sad?"
"I... I'm not sad." Those wide blue eyes begged to differ. Azusa pulled her hand away, but her brunette snatched her wrist and pulled her back. Before her fingers could press against those angular cheeks again, Maria froze and stared at her own hand. "I don't know what got into me. I'm... I'm the guy," she said quietly. She paused, refusing to let herself stutter or let her voice break despite her vulnerability. "I'm supposed to be the one giving you affection."
"Says who? Azusa definitely didn't say that." She caressed Maria's cheek again and pulled her brunette close enough to place a kiss on her nose. Maria sighed and closed her eyes. Resting her weight into the bed, she sank into it even more with Azusa laying on top of her. "Azusa thinks that Maria can ask for all the affection she wants. Maria might have to do a few things to get it though." Running a hand through her brunette's hair, Azusa could feel every muscle beneath her tense up at her words.
"What," Maria gulped, "kind of things?" Oh it was oh so tempting to say a myriad of things. There were so many little favors, so many outfits that Azusa wanted to see her doll in. Perhaps even just one act to see how devoted Maria was to this relationship of theirs, to see if it was more than desperation. Was Azusa any more than a fallback plan.
So her request, her deal really, could only be one thing. Azusa lifted herself and leaned over to Maria's ear. "Just be mine."
Maria looked at Azusa with wide eyes. It took all of Azusa's willpower to stay calm, to keep smiling her cute little smile. Especially when Maria had to think about her answer. A snap decision would have alleviated Azusa's doubts about the cuteness she had seen so long ago and every day after that. Of course, her plan had not accounted for this. No plan that she half-cooked in the moment would have survived a moment like this. It was too soon for this to be proposed. She only managed to dress up Maria once, to bring out some of the cuteness within. Azusa didn't even get to witness anyone else reacting to Maria's new look.
Hopefully she would get the chance to see it. Maria shifted and sat up, pushing Azusa onto her lap once more. Now Azusa had to look up at her brunette, so she lowered her hands to rest against the flat chest before her. "Yours?" The words were a whisper on the wind, but Azusa caught every syllable. Maria wrapped her arms around Azusa's small body and tucked her head into the girl's fluffy hair. "I'd like that."
When Akane had been invited to go ice skating, she hadn't initially wanted to bring Ranma. He was a jerk recently and gloated about his defeat of that Kodachi girl almost all night. Ugh, after he kissed her the night before that too. She knew he was a pervert, but he didn't even have the decency to do it where she couldn't see it happening.
At least watching Ranma struggle to skate was a bit of retribution. Not anywhere near enough to make up for him cheating, but enough for Akane to giggle at him. He was like a baby deer with his knees shaking so much. It was almost cute. In a sort of helpless way. And hey, for once Akane was the graceful and skilled one. Maybe there was some sort of karma at play here.
Skating by her fiancé, Akane skidded down and killed her momentum so she could stand next to the flailing cursed boy. "You're not going to get away with your legs locked up like that. Try standing up straight."
"Try standing up straight," mocked Ranma. "Ya think I haven't tried that already?" He straightened his legs until they were ramrod straight, like someone stuffed metal rods into his limbs. Unfortunately, the sudden shift threw off what little balance he was maintaining. Flailing around, he slapped Akane's hand when she tried to steady him.
"Hold still, you idiot!" Akane shouted without really meaning to. Trying to catch one of his flailing hands was an effort in futility when Ranma was faster than her even when he was a guy. Just trying to reach out and grab his shoulder had knuckles flying into her face. "Ow!" Akane skid back and braced herself to fall thanks to that cursed idiot.
Then a pair of arms wrapped around her, sweeping her off her feet. Her skates gliding against the ground, propelled by another's graceful steps. When Akane looked up, she expected some macho guy trying to play at being her savior, but she was instead greeted with the sharp face of someone who blurred the lines. Their fluffy hair didn't lean either way, but their lavender ruffled blouse certainly screamed that Akane was in the arms of another woman.
"Are you alright, Miss?" came a surprisingly soft voice. It was way more gentle than the rough and tumble voice of her fiancé that was for sure. "It would have been disastrous if you had gotten hurt." Did her heart just skip a beat?
Akane wasn't some pervert! She wouldn't blush over some girl coming to her rescue. She was strong, independent, and capable of saving herself. Pushing away from her androgynous savior, Akane said, "Thanks for the help, but I should go check on Ranma."
"Ranma," the brunette said, tasting the name on her tongue. "I'm sure she'll be fine in Azusa's hands. You have nothing to worry about."
Akane whipped around to where her fiancé should be, only for him to be even farther from the edge of the rink. Worse, he was in the hands of some girl dressed up to the nines in the fluffiest outfit Akane had ever seen on someone. "Ranma!" Her fiancé froze like a deer in headlights, not even trying to fight off the girl clinging to him. This better not be Kodachi all over again.
"A-A..." Ranma was steered away by the girl that could only be Azusa. She skated around, doing a circle around Akane before the blue-haired girl could turn around to catch her. Then she dared to hold up Ranma like he was some damn trophy. Come on, where was the boisterous and prideful martial artist she knew?
"What do you want? Are you here to try and take Rosalie away?" The tiny girl stuck out her tongue. "Well, you can't have her!" Her? How did she know about Ranma's curse? He hadn't transformed since they left the house. "She's mine now!"
"'Kane, I swear this ain't what it looks like." Ranma squeaked. Azusa hugged him tightly, pressing her body into Akane's fiancé as much as possible. "I swear," he eeked out. It was getting real hard to believe him when this was the second time he had another girl fawning over him.
Whatever. Akane ripped Ranma out of the Azusa girl's grasp and placed him behind her. Still unsteady on the ice, he held onto her for support. "Ranma's my fiancé! Don't you dare put your grubby little hands on him ever again."
Azusa had stars in her eyes looking at them and was making grabby motions with her little hands. Why couldn't Ranma flirt with less clingy people? Akane didn't want to get kicked out of the rink for beating someone up but she would if she had to get the message across.
Luckily for both of them, that brown-haired skater from earlier swooped in and pulled themselves into Azusa's side. Together the two were almost polar opposites. Azusa was a tiny ball of fluff trying to grab Ranma and steal him for her own. The other skater was large and sharp, smoothed down only by the ruffles on their shirt. They looked at Akane and Ranma, then turned back to Azusa. "I think they're like us."
Like them? Sure, Ranma was a mess of gender confusion but at least this androgynous skater seemed to have themselves figured out. Half the time, Akane wasn't sure Ranma even cared about trying to be a man. He certainly didn't seem like the man between him and her when he was clinging to her and hiding behind her because he couldn't even take two steps on the ice by himself.
Azusa pouted and grabbed onto the taller skater. "Maria doesn't know what she's talking about. Maria was too easy to make come out."
"Too easy?" scoffed the now-named Maria. The western name was faintly feminine if Akane remembered that right, so the tall girl was even more masculine than Akane was. "I was not easy. If I was easy, I would be a ball of fluff and frills like you."
Said ball of fluff giggled. "Azusa only lets you look so masculine because Maria is cute when she's pouty."
Maria stomped her skate into the ice and crossed her arms. "I do not get pouty. You're the one who pouts and acts all cute."
"But Maria is so cute!" Azusa hopped up and Maria dropped her fussy act to catch her partner. Clamping her legs around Maria's waist, Azusa's weight didn't even make them stumble. "Maybe Maria needs to wear her swishy dress again. Does Maria want to go spinny?"
A creeping blush rose up Maria's neck. "We agreed not to bring that up in public!"
A finger poked Akane's side. Behind her, Ranma was shrinking in on himself although he seemed to be gathering some form of balance on the ice. "Can we get going? This is getting weird."
"Uh, yeah. Let's go. I'll tell everyone to meet us at the yakitori place down the street."