That wasn't supposed to happen.

"Umi-chan, onegai!"

No no no, not this trick again.

Her birb was being unfair.

"No means no!" She wasn't going to give up this easily.

But those eyes, those eyes were killing her.

"No…"

Don't look at me like this.

She could feel herself breaking.

It was apparent that she wasn't going to let her off.

When Kotori reached out for her shirt collar and pull her forward, she felt her resistance melting away.

Everything was melting into grey.

"You're being unfair…"

She's melting into her softness.

All she got was a chuckle in return.

She knew she could never resist Kotori's requests.

"You're so whipped." The red-haired was twirling her hair as usual, giving her a pitying look.

They were at their usual café, their temporary hideout from their fiery/clingy wives.

"Oh yeah? Looks who's speaking. Who was the one running through the whole town looking for idol merch last week? Begging a child for an idol mech?"

"I-I… It's just that…! I dote on my wife! Shut up Eli, who was the one that skipped work three days in a row just to stay in bed with your wife?"

Umi had never seen her senior turn a shade of red so fast.

"I… oh my god how did you know!"

"Well someone forgot to log out of Skype after our conference that night," Maki snickered.

"Sexy sounds by the way, do you sing like this on stage?"

"NISHIKINO MAKI!"

"S-Stop! I thought we were supposed to be in this together!"

Three cups of coffee came, and three sighs were released.

"We're going to need something stronger than coffee."

"Or else someone wouldn't be able to last the night,"

"More like we all wouldn't be able to survive the night,"

Three cups of coffee were drained and three more sighs were released.

Three shots of alcohol were being served at the other side of town.

"Hey hey Kotori-chan, how's it going with Umi?"

"E-Ehh why are you asking me this all of a sudden?"

"The chuckle gave you away though,"

"Geez… Nico-chan!"

"I heard about it from Maki, oh Umi is so whipped."

"She likes it though…?" There was a pout on the designer's face, coupled with a questioning look.

"No doubt about that~ Elichi could never compare with Umi-chan in that aspect."

There were three giggles as the shots were emptied.

"Do you think we need another cup?" Amber eyes glanced at her phone for the umpteenth time.

"I have a feeling we are all not getting sleep tonight…" Violet eyes scanned through the schedule in her phone, while fingers furiously swiped across the screen.

"I'm skipping work tomorrow…."

"Again? Eli you're going to get fired at this rate."

"The ladies love me so its fine!"

"This is why Nozomi keeps you in bed…"

"You brought this upon yourself Ayase Eli, you have no right to complain to us ever again."

At the sight of their frustrated senior, there was silence again.

A moment of peace that was broken all too quickly.

There were three face-palms as their phones started vibrating one by one.

"It's here!" Umi shrieked. The blue phone vibrated, along with the chorus of 'Blueberry train'.

"Its here!" Maki cried. The red phone vibrated, screaming 'Nico-puri' all the while.

"Oh my god." The last phone vibrated.

"Yume no meiro-"

"NOT THE GAY GARDEN!"

"Hey Umi-chan~" There was a sultry voice at the other end.

Really now what did she expect?

Turning around to search for her reinforcements, Umi could only gawk in awe as her friends turned into various colours of red she'd never seen in her life.

Useless. They are useless.

"H-hey Kotori?"

They didn't even finish talking about their counter plans yet!

"Neh Umi-chan…"

"Y-Yes?" Oh my god.

"I really like you Umi-chan! Ehh..? Umi-chan did i mention I really really love you?"Jesus save me.

"Really now… where are you Kotori?" Her cheeks were burning up.

"Eh heh! With Nozomi-chan and Nico-chan!"

She could hear Nico screaming 'Love love' right after the chorus of Love Novels in the background.

Maki's face now matched her hair.

"Yeah where?"

"We're… somewhere?"

Amber eyes widened, her protective instincts overriding all embarrassment.

"Kotori!"

What if something had happened?

"Where are you now? Kotori? Koto-" There was a sound of the phone being cut off and she was sent into full panic.

All Maki felt was a crash and the next moment her phone was gone.

"Nico? Nico? Are you there Nico?"

There was yet silence at the other end.

"ELI ASK THEM WHERE THEY ARE RIGHT NOW!"

"Honestly Umi!"

"You can't blame me for being worried! She cut off the call! Kotori never does that!"

"Not when she's drunk!"

"Nico ended the call!"

"You pressed the end call button in your panic…"

"Nozomi didn't actually scream back the lyrics of the gay song!"

"Am I supposed to reveal our private phone conversation to you, Umi?"

"So captain Umi, what are we supposed to do nya?"

In the aftermath of Umi's panic, the first years were summoned to form a search squad-

"I'm so sorry Rin-chan you can go home now… I'll buy you a week's worth of cat food."

-only to have Honoka, her best friend, call to tell her that their wives were at her shophouse waiting for them to pick them up.

They were after all, drinking at Honoka's bar.

"And a week's worth of rice…" Looking pointedly at the other junior, Umi couldn't help but feel that it's going to be a long night.

It didn't take long for them to reach their destination.

They had memorized the road to their favourite place a long time ago.

As her friends went to their respective partners, Umi couldn't help but tense up as she approached her wife.

Light blushes covered Kotori's cheeks, along with her unique ashen hair, they form a beautiful pastel painting.

Umi felt her throat drying.

It was just like falling in love with her all over again.

She could feel her friends giving her their usual exasperated smiles as they waved their goodbyes, slinging their drunk wives over their shoulders.

She could feel Honoka's intense 'FIGHTO UMI!' gaze as she handed over her wife to her.

She could feel her wife's warm body temperature as she hugged Kotori's waist, her wife's sleepy smile directly within the line of her sight.

She could never wish for anything more.

Honoka's shophouse/bar was only a short distance away from their home.

She would've taken the cab if it wasn't for Kotori stopping her.

"Isn't it… better if we walked home? The moon… is beautiful tonight~"

Nothing is more beautiful than you.

"I-I think! You're so much more so than the moon!"

"Eeh? Why are… you comparing me to the moon Umi-chan…?"

"E-EH! I-It was nothing!"

Silence took over as Umi struggled to explain, though there was never the need to.

The smile on her wife was suffice.

They continued walking a short distance, when Umi swept her wife off her feet, carrying her on her arms instead.

"Umi-chan…?"

"It's easier this way."

It was just an excuse to hold her wife, though Kotori understood.

She loved it when Umi did these things after all.

The moon was shining down brightly, illuminating their path. Her lover's hair cascaded down, blending into the background.

The cicadas ceased their activities, seemly done for the night.

She would've fallen asleep but Umi's quiet breathing was quite the contrast to the action her heart was producing.

Kotori could feel it pounding wildly, as if it was threatening to explode.

She loved it when Umi was like this, acting all heroic and knightly while she's just an embarrassed child after all.

The alcohol was starting to sink in.

Her wife leaned over, placing her head on her neck, silently breathing upon the patch of sensitive skin.

Her breath hitched.

"Umi-chan…"

"W-what is it?"

"Do you like children?"

Kotori has been asking that question pretty frequently recently.

"I-I… guess I do?"

Her tie was roughly pulled, and she was suddenly too close to her wife's face.

"Then you're not getting any sleep tonight."

"Koto…ri?"

"W-Wait! Koto- mmph!"

Her tie was undone within seconds, and it was thrown across her neck hastily, the two ends of the tie right in the hands of her wife.

"Umi-chan…"

Slender fingers were now sliding across her shoulders, landing on the buttons on the front.

The first button was popped.

The alcohol edged her on, and she knew Umi would never let her go anyway.

"Kotori! We're in public now!"

The second button was popped.

"Then you need to hurry home Umi-chan…"

The look on Umi's face was worth everything she had done tonight.

Part 1 fin

Happy birthday Kotori! This fic is also posted on my tumber saberin! I usually update there so check it out too.