[ there's a moment, after arashi pulls away, where it feels like everything has stopped, frozen in time for that one moment where she can hear her own breathing, her heart thundering in her ears, and it's--

it's nice. different, but nice.

it startles her, for a moment, when he reaches out to touch her cheek lightly, because it's not something that she's expecting. the edges of her eyes are crinkled into a smile that's definitely more genuine than scripted, and arashi leans into mika's touch, just a hint of pink on her cheeks. ]

Oh, Mika, honey-- [ and her fingers move up to close around mika's wrist loosely. just to keep him there. for a bit. ] --Of course I would. You're never a hassle to me, okay? You could never be.

[ someone kind and gentle and loyal, who gives and never really expects anything in return could never be a hassle.

sometimes arashi feels like she's the luckiest person to have a friend like mika, mismatched eyes and all.

a pause, and then, it's soft: ]

Can I kiss you again, Mika-chan?

[ never mind that they're in the middle of the shopping district - it's all white noise to her as far as she's concerned - all that matters is the feeling in her chest, half scared and half hopeful, she has too much baggage and too many reservations and mika doesn't deserve any of it, but--

kissing him was nice, and knowing that he has feelings that may or may not be the same (it feels different, nothing like the kind of feelings like she has for kunugi-sensei) and it's new and alarming and there's a part of her that still wants to kiss mika anyway, wants to be selfish.

so she asks. and she waits. ]