Samantha, hair still damp from her shower, started dressing for her date with Kaguya. They had been texting each other quite often for the past couple weeks, but Samantha hadn’t approached her admirer, as promised, since that day at the gazebo. She hated staying away from Kaguya, but keeping their distance especially during school hours, was crucial to avoid unnecessary conflict. However, today, they were finally going to meet up in town for a much anticipated date.
Well, that’s what Samantha was calling it anyway. Kaguya didn’t call it a date, and Samantha hadn’t used that word when talking with her to describe their upcoming evening, but Samantha still liked to think of it as such. Even if it wasn’t a date, Samantha still decided to dress as if it were. She shimmied into the pants that she’d purchased that day at the mall with her companion.
“I wonder if she’ll still like it,” she mumbled as she gave a quick glance into the bathroom mirror from her bedroom. Her thoughts were soon interrupted by a knock at the door, she opened it quickly and found Thea standing there. Her eyes widened as she gave her sister a quick once over.
“I’m impressed,” she said, pushing Samantha back into the room, closing the door in the process. She circled Samantha like a vulture stalking its prey as she took in the rare sight. “That outfit looks really good on you, the shirt really makes your eyes pop!” Thea stopped in front of Samantha, and her eyes momentarily focused on the other girl’s chest. “Is that-” She stepped closer and peeked down the green v-neck, “It is! You are wearing a real bra! Wow, you are going all out!”
Samantha, face flushed, swatted at Thea as she giggled. “Shut up, Thea! Even I know you’re supposed to dress up for a date!”
"Except you've told me, repeatedly, that it's not actually a date," Thea pointed out, flopping herself onto the bed. "And if it's not a date, you don’t have to get all fancy."
Samantha hummed and looked down at herself. "Do you think I'm trying too hard then?"
Thea sighed, she really didn’t want Samantha going out with the Kazegami princess, and she was even more miffed that she wasn’t informed about the not-a-date until yesterday, however, Samantha did ask for her to help her get ready. On the plus side, Thea was able to convince her sister to take the car instead of her bike, so she felt this was at least a partial win. She cared about her sibling, and showing at least a little support would be better than hurting her feelings.
Thea had given Samantha her story as well as warnings about the murderous missus, but ultimately this was her sister’s decision. She looked happy, almost glowing and the brown haired beauty wasn’t about to take that away from her. “No, I don’t think you are trying too hard.” She lifted herself off the bed. “Have a seat,” she said softly, patting the edge of the bed, “I will add some finishing touches and you’ll be all set! Even if she doesn’t consider it a date, as long as you do, you might as well go all out. Especially, since you’re wearing that bra!”
Samantha chuckled, her redness returning at the mention of her undergarments. She sat patiently for a moment as Thea rummaged through what little makeup that Samantha actually possessed. “What is it with you and my bra anyway?” She questioned, touching her chest self-consciously. “I mean, I do wear them, you know!”
“Sports bras do not count as bras,” Thea argued, as she sat a few cosmetic items down on the comforter. She uncapped the eyeliner pencil and smoothly moved it across Samantha’s bottom lash line.
“They hold boobs in place, and therefore are bras.” Samantha countered.
Thea grunted with an eyeroll and decided to leave it at that, though she did not agree in the slightest. Still, she was fascinated by the effort her comrade was making to impress her suitor, even if she was the devil’s spawn. After the addition of a nude, yet shimmery eyeshadow, a coat of mascara and a quick dash of eyeliner to the top of her eyes, Thea finally stopped poking at her face.
She stepped back from her masterpiece with a smile, and handed her a tube of clear lip gloss. Samantha took the tube as she stood, maneuvering herself to her bathroom mirror. “You know, I really hope you appreciate the effort that took.” She teased as Samantha applied a thin layer of gloss to her lips. Thea came up and hugged her from behind, “You look perfect.” she told her as she put away the torture devices.
Samantha sighed with a smile as she looked over her reflection once more, “I guess it’s worth it, on occasion,” she agreed with some difficulty. “Thank you for doing this, Thea. I’m not sure how I’d have gotten ready without you.”
Thea sighed and took her seat on the bed again. “You’d have been fine, but I am glad you came to me. I’m still not happy you’re going out with her, but as long as you don’t get hurt I’ll try to butt out.”
“That means a lot.”
“I know. And it’s hard for me to back off like this,” Thea pointed out. “You’re my sister, Samantha, and while I don’t always understand how to be a big sister, and you’re way better at it, I am trying.”
Samantha smirked. “Why are you the big sister? My birthday is before yours.”
Thea huffed. “Because I was a Thomas first, and because I wanna be the big sister!” Samantha laughed, and after a moment of pretend pouting, Thea did as well. “I guess it’s not that I want to be your big sister, but I do want to be someone you can count on to have your back. I mean, you always have Emmett’s back as his big sister, and I thought it would make sense to be like your big sister.”
Samantha nodded along and thought about what Thea was saying. “I don’t need a big sister, Thea. But… I could use a friend-sister. And we were friends before our parents got married. Sometimes I feel like you focus so hard on being my sister, that you forget that I’m your friend too.”
“Yeah, I guess that’s true,” Thea mumbled. “And I do know you enough to realize that you can’t leave someone in trouble alone. Especially someone you care about.”
“While you’re right, there’s more than just helping her with her troubles involved in this,” Samantha pointed out. But then she sighed and added, “And Kaguya doesn’t see herself as someone who needs to be saved. As long as she thinks like that, there’s nothing I can do except be there for her.”
“But you can entice her away from the evil demon,” Thea joked, poking at one of Samantha’s boobs. “She’s not going to know what to do with these things actually doing their job. If you guys don’t end up with your hands on each other before you get back, she’s beyond saving. Just saying!”
Samantha laughed and pushed Thea away. “Stop poking fun at them! And I doubt she’s going to suddenly be handsy after being so distant the last couple of weeks.”
After several minutes of playful banter, Samantha exited her room with her sister in toe. “You are taking my car as agreed upon, right?” Samantha sighed. She’d wanted to take her bike, especially since they had agreed to meet in town instead at the school where they could be seen together, but she did promise Thea and it had been a stipulation of her ‘backing off’.
“Yes, Thea.” Samantha answered as she rolled her eyes. “Only because I don’t want to mess up my outfit, and you’d kill me if something messed up my makeup. It literally has nothing to do with the fact that you think my bike is more dangerous than your car.”
Thea stood for a moment with her arms crossed, an annoyed pout drawn onto her glamorous face. “Come here,” she reached out and gave Samantha a hug which was only half returned. “I know I’m not her biggest fan, but I want you to have a great time. I can’t wait for the details when you get back!” Samantha shoved her away and turned toward the hallway that would lead out to the nearest parking lot where Thea’s car would be parked.
On a normal day, it would take about an hour to reach the nearest bustling town, but the weekend traffic added another thirty minutes to that time. She was set to meet her date at 6:00pm sharp at the corner of Maple and First Street, just outside of Buona Sera, the Italian restaurant Samantha had chosen for dinner.
Samantha patiently sat in traffic waiting for the light to change from red to green. She looked at the clock on the center console and a slight panic ran through her as she realized they were supposed to be meeting in seven minutes. She started anxiously drumming on her steering wheel as something in her peripheral caught her eye.
Standing on the corner across from her stood perfection. Kaguya’s slender yet toned frame was draped in a red satin dress that gathered on one shoulder, leaving the other bare. Her hair, a raven colored waterfall flowing down her back. The fabric of the dress clung niceley to her curves and stopped midway down her thighs. She wore red heels that matched perfectly and would add about another four inches to her height. A horn honked behind her pulling her from her trance and she drove forward, eyes focused on finding a place to park.
Conveniently, she watched as a car pulled out of a spot across the street from Buona Sera, and she quickly maneuvered the car to occupy it for herself. Samantha took a deep breath and looked at herself in the rearview. “Nice and slow, okay? That’s how the sexy ladies in the movies get out of their cars, so that’s what we’re gonna do. You’ve been given the Thea stamp of approval on your looks, so go wow her!”
After a sufficient pep talk, she used her ability to calm her nerves but it did no more than just that. She opened the car door and eased out of it, closing it quickly behind her. She strutted down to the corner and waited at the crosswalk, heart beating a mile a minute as she stared at the vision before her.
Thea knows what she’s talking about, Samantha thought as she stood on the opposite side of the street. The young woman watched Kaguya’s eyes wander down her body for a moment before briskly returning to her face. Damn, I’ll have to tell her she was right, and she’s going to be impossible for weeks. She couldn’t help but grin, heat rising to her cheeks as she admired the other girl’s face.
Once signaled, Samantha crossed the road to where Kaguya was waiting and grinned. “Hey. I’m sorry if I’m a little late. I wasn’t expecting traffic coming into town to be quite as bad as it was.”
“It’s fine,” Kaguya assured her as she checked her delicate wrist watch. “Besides, you’re right on time.”
Samantha leaned in to look as well, which meant she got really close to Kaguya. “Huh, the car’s clock must be off then. I’ll have to tease Thea later about it, since it’s her car.”
“She let you take her car out for this?” Kaguya asked, surprised.
“Well, yeah. She told me I wasn’t allowed to go on a-” Samantha stopped, blushing and clearing her throat. “I mean, she said meeting you in my leathers would be a bad idea.”
Kaguya smirked, appreciating the lines of embarrassment cutting through Samantha’s aura. “I doubt that was what she said.”
“Well, the leathers part was true,” Samantha admitted. “She hates my leathers. And my bike,” she added as an afterthought. “Actually, she may just hate the bike and give me shit for my leathers because she can’t tease me about my bike, because she’s a gorgeous piece of machinery.”
“I think I need to see your bike sometime.”
Samantha flushed darker, but bravely asked, “With or without the leathers?”
“The leathers are only allowed if you’re wearing them,” Kaguya teased, making Samantha decide right then that she should let Thea take her shopping for new leathers. After Kaguya enjoyed the look on Samantha’s face for a moment, she took a deep breath and put her arm through Samantha’s. “Anyway, shall we head off?”
“I hope Italian isn’t too cliche.” She mentioned, leading Kaguya to the doors of the restaurant. Samantha stepped forward and opened the glass door for her date to step through and she followed behind. They were immediately welcomed with the smell of cooked pasta and sauce dancing around them. The hostess at the front was dressed in black dress pants and a white button down shirt. “A reservation for Thomas, please.” She smiled politely as she looked over a paper on the wooden podium.
“Si, Signora, right this way.” The blonde waitress directed as she grabbed two menus and lead them further into the dining area. The tables were covered in black tablecloths and the preset silverware were wrapped with white, cloth, dinner napkins. They found themselves stopped at a table set for two, complete with a lit candle in the middle of the table. Samantha pulled out a chair for Kaguya and she sat down as the wooden chair was pushed in.
Their waiter arrived in a nicely pressed suit as Samantha took her seat. With both of them being under the legal drinking age, Samantha ordered a sweet tea as Kaguya decided to stick with a glass of water with lemon. “Remember, you can get whatever you want. I’m not worried about the price.” Samantha reminded Kaguya as the waiter turned to retrieve their drinks.
The ladies enjoyed light conversation about the different items on the menu while they looked over them. The waiter returned after several minutes with a tray in hand. He placed the drink glasses with a couple of paper wrapped straws on the table in front of them, followed by a complimentary bread basket and two salads complete with a homemade Italian dressing.
“Are you ready to order or should I give you a few more minutes?”
The two exchanged looks, small smiles gracing their lips, before Samantha motioned to allow Kaguya to order first. Shaking her head at the other girl, Kaguya turned to the waiter and said, “Have you had a chance to eat the Fra Diavolo, sir?”
The waiter smiled and nodded. “It is very good, and one of our more popular seafood dishes. I tend to shy away from shellfish because of my wife, but I have had occasion to eat it several times and have enjoyed it.”
“Then that is what I will have.”
The waiter turned to Samantha, who sighed and said teasingly, “I’m not as adventurous, I’m afraid, as I would like your Chicken Rotollo on penne pasta.”
“That is also a very delicious choice,” the waiter assured her before giving a very light bow as he took their menus. “I shall take your meal choices to our chefs and have them begin preparation. Can I get you anything else in the meantime?”
“We are fine for the moment,” Kaguya answered, and the waiter gave her a nod before turning away. They were quiet for a moment before she said, “I don’t know why you were so worried about your restaurant choice. This is a wonderful atmosphere.”
Samantha chuckled, and rubbed her forearm under the table nervously. “I was afraid you’d prefer something a lot more casual for our, uh, outing,” she admitted. They were quiet for a moment before she shook her head and took a deep breath. “I’m not used to these kinds of places, so I’m sorry if I seem a little out of sorts.”
“You aren’t used to eating at a restaurant?”
“What? No, I’m not used to fancy places that aren’t chain restaurants.”
“You were able to pronounce a lot of the names on the menu, so I’m a little
surprised.”
“Yeah, I might have spent several hours looking up pronunciations online for everything the last several days, practicing all of it.”
The waiter returned with their entrees and new glasses full of drink, sitting them down in front of Samantha and Kaguya. He grabbed the empty salad bowls, “Is there anything else I can get for you ladies?” he asked.
Samantha looked to Kaguya who shook her head. “No, I think we are fine for now, thank you.” The waiter nodded with a sweet smile and moved on to tend to some of his other tables. Kaguya unwrapped her silverware and placed the cloth linen on her lap, Samantha followed suit. They silently took a few bites as they tasted the food.
“This is amazing,” Samantha said after a short time.
Kaguya nodded her agreement. “Yes, I am very impressed with the chef,” she added. She moved around a few pieces, and then moved her plate a little closer to Samantha. “Would you like to try a little? You may not be adventurous, but this may be worth a taste.”
Samantha’s cheeks warmed a moment, and after a little hesitation, she reached her fork over to take a mussel and put it in her mouth. Her eyes widened and she saw Kaguya cover her mouth to stifle a giggle. “That is really delicious. I’m a little surprised,” she admitted. Then she moved her plate closer to Kaguya with a grin. “It’s not as adventurous, but it is different. Would you like to try mine as well?”
“I believe I would,” Kaguya teased before taking a small bite from Samantha’s plate. She closed her eyes as she chewed, obviously in thought, before nodding and opening her eyes. “It does have a very pleasant taste with the sauce. Definitely not as adventurous,” she teased again before continuing, “but it is just as delicious.”
They continued their meal, talking lightly about different types of foods that they had eaten before and enjoyed. After their entrees were finished, they shared a tiramisu for dessert.
The waiter returned after they’d had several moments to let their dessert settle. “Will this be on one check tonight, signoras, or two?”
“Just one, please,” Samantha responded with a smile. The waiter nodded and placed the check presenter on the table near Samantha since she was the one who responded.
“Of course, there is no rush. Please let me know if you need anything else,” he added before turning away to check on a new table of guests.
Samantha took out her wallet from her back pocket and pulled out her credit card. She opened the book and placed the card in the slot at the top and set it up on the table. He returned moments later to take it, taking very little time before he came back and placed the book back on the table. “I hope you ladies have a wonderful rest of your evening.”
They thanked him, and Samantha opened the book to sign the check and leave a generous tip. She stood and took a few steps around the table to pull the chair out for Kaguya, offering her hand to help her stand. Kaguya just smiled and placed her arm through Samantha’s after she got to her feet. They walked together past the other tables on their way out of the building. Samantha opened the door once again, allowing Kaguya to go first. The delicious smells of the food inside leaving them as they walked outside.
The levy beside the river was lit up beautifully by the setting sun. Samantha and Kaguya walked alongside it for some time before Samantha offered for them to sit down on one of the benches placed along the walkway, afraid Kaguya’s feet were going to start hurting given her choice of footwear.
“I don’t know how you manage to walk in those,” Samantha admitted, bravely sitting close on the bench as they looked out over the water that was sparkling with the evening sun.
“It takes some getting used to,” Kaguya admitted as she toed the heels off and folded her legs under her, leaning into Samantha a little and causing the girl’s cheeks to color. After a moment, she felt Samantha’s arm move to circle around her shoulders and smiled. “I’ve had a lot of practice, given my father’s philanthropic work alongside his work for the academy. Women in that world look pretty and talk little, which means men look and don’t shy away from speaking in front of them. Which is why my father takes me to the events, since it means he can gain insights through me.”
Samantha frowned a little, unhappy with how her father used her but not knowing how to voice it without potentially upsetting the other girl. After a moment, she pushed that feeling aside and decided to change the subject. “It’s a little cooler down here, so let me know if you get chilled.”
Kaguya hummed. “I find it comfortably warm right now, actually,” she said as she shifted to settle more firmly into Samantha’s side. They were quiet for a moment, with Kaguya enjoying the pleasure and embarrassment warring in Samantha’s green aura out of the corner of her eye while Samantha fought with the blush that was taking over her face and trying to calm her suddenly loud and fast heartbeat.
Eventually Samantha managed to clear her throat, “I had a lot of fun today, monopolizing you like this.” she commented softly.
“Yes, it was a lot of fun. We’ll have to do this again. Maybe we can leave earlier and take a ride on your bike too.”
“I’ll be sure to look up a nice route to take before then so we can enjoy some beautiful scenery.”
They sat quietly for a while longer as the sun began to dip over the horizon, and then decided they should begin walking towards their cars if they wanted to get back before curfew. They stopped at Kaguya’s car and Samantha opened the door for her, but she didn’t get in right away. Her cheeks were flushed a little, but before Samantha could ask if she was okay her lips were captured, Kaguya’s hand snaking to the back of her head to lightly hold her there, not that Samantha had any intention of pulling away. Instead she pressed closer, and Kaguya’s back was quickly pushed against the side of her car.
After a moment that seemed to last a lifetime, they separated just enough to breathe. They stayed like that each wrapped tightly in the others gaze until Samantha brought her hand up and gently caressed the side of Kaguya’s face, her eyes watching her carefully. Samantha cupped Kaguya’s chin and leaned in for another kiss, pressing her body against hers.
Samantha’s breath caught as Kaguya pulled their bodies even closer together, she was immediately aware of the parts of their bodies that were touching. Samantha placed her hand softly on Kaguya’s neck, and pulled back out of the kiss, placing a soft one on her shoulder. She looked deeply into the other girls eyes that were bright enough to light up the space kept between them. She sighed, “As much as I don’t want this to end, we really need to be getting back.”
Kaguya hesitantly agreed and shimmied her slightly disheveled dress back into place before sliding into the front seat of her car. Samantha stepped back and waited until she was situated before leaning in for one more quick kiss before shutting the door held between them.
Once Kaguya started her car, Samantha was able to convince herself to head to her borrowed vehicle. She couldn’t help but touch her lips, which were still tingling from the kissing, and blushed as her mind replayed all the sensations she’d felt.
“That was amazing,” she murmured, barely remembering to check for traffic before crossing the road and going to Thea’s car. It took her a moment to focus on the keys in her hand and unlock the door, sliding in quickly and sitting there for a moment in the still quiet interior after shutting the door. “Kaguya just freaking kissed me.”