I know... I'm guilty of hurting Diana in a lot of my fics... but it's just so easy... It's just her character type ;~; But to be fair, this one was written months ago, so this fic actually came before more of my recently-posted ones.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

Epilogue. Morning

When Akko wakes, she finds herself in a bed she's never slept in before.

It takes a lot of effort for her to open her eyes, but when she finally manages it, she's staring up at a white ceiling.

The lights are turned off, there are windows to her left side, and the curtains are drawn. But she can discern by the very faint sunlight leaking in that it must be extremely early in the morning, probably still before sunrise.

She takes a moment to breathe, feeling an ache in her head as all the memories come flooding back.

So it... wasn't just a dream... or a nightmare...

The soreness in her bones is proof enough.

"Ah-hgk!" When she tries to make a sound, her voice hitches dryly in her throat, and she's forced to clear it. "Ugh..."

She shifts a little, and discovers she's been changed out of her uniform robes and into clean, white ones instead. The fabrics feel nice on her skin, and the bed and blankets are soft...

But she doesn't enjoy those sensations for long, because even more poignant feelings quickly surface in her chest.

Diana...!

Wincing, she turns her face to the opposite side, eyes wide and searching.

Luckily, she doesn't have to look far.

In a bed not five feet away from her own, Diana is lying quietly on her back. She, too, has been dressed in white robes.

White blankets, white robes, white skin, white hair.

She just looks so frail, so breakable...

Akko knows Diana is tougher than that, but she can't get rid of those memories - the memories of her gasping meekly in her arms, shivering.

"D-Diana..."

Akko rasps her name, but Diana doesn't react in any way. She doesn't even stir. Akko can't even tell if she's breathing.

No...! The nurse must have healed us. She wouldn't have left us alone like this last night if we weren't both in stable condition... right...?

The rational part of her brain wavers when the memories flash through her mind again. She watches the bats swarm Diana all over again, watches them bite her, watches her collapse...

Akko can't take it anymore. She needs to go to her.

Grunting, she pushes herself up, letting the blankets fall away into her lap.

"Ahhh ow ow ow..."

Despite the fact that Diana had healed her fractured arm before, it's exceptionally sore now that it's had a while to settle.

One at a time, she slips her legs off the edge of the bed, but doesn't make an immediate effort to stand.

First, she glances at the small table in between the beds. There's an open book there, a thick tome with an image on the open page. From where she sits, Akko can't tell what it depicts.

There's a chair pushed up to the table, and that's what she focuses on now.

Carefully, she drags the chair out just enough, then uses it to support herself as she staggers to her feet. Given her splitting headache, she can only manage a few steps, but that's all she needs.

She plops heavily down into the chair and pulls it up to Diana's bedside, until there are only mere inches between them. Akko can already feel the tears brimming again, and she reaches out to touch her.

"Diana..."

One hand, she rests atop Diana's stomach. With the other, she brushes the backs of her fingers gently against her cheek, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.

Sniffling, Akko dips her face into her sleeve and wipes her eyes as best she can. She tries to listen, but she can't tell if Diana's breathing or not. Akko feels nauseous with worry.

Gradually, gently, she lowers herself and rests her head on Diana's chest. She closes her eyes, bites back the sobs, and tries to listen.

Please... please...

It's fainter than she remembers, but it's there. Her heart is beating, slowly but surely.

Th-thmp... th-thmp... th-thmp...

Akko chokes back a sob of relief. She drapes her arm further across Diana's stomach and side, and nestles closer to her collar to listen. Just listen.

The rhythm of Diana's pulse never falters or fades. Even after Akko's tears have stopped, the sound of Diana's heartbeat remains. She can hear the faint rush of air filling and leaving her lungs, feel her chest rising and falling beneath her cheek.

For a while, Akko simply relishes those feelings, those sounds.

But soon, it isn't enough. She wants to see her eyes again. She wants to hear her voice.

Akko eases herself upright, dipping her face into her sleeve once again. Keeping the one hand on Diana's stomach, she draws the other away from her cheek. Instead, Akko reaches for the book nearby and turns it slightly so she may read it.

Now that she's closer, she can see the book is an encyclopedia of magical creatures. The page it's turned to depicts a bat, an image that's hauntingly familiar. Akko shudders just looking at it, but reads over the text nonetheless.

"The Snow-White Vampire Bat... When exposed to sunlight, their brown fur instantly turns white. For the purpose of camouflage, most of them live in dark places, sometimes in underground caves... Their fangs produce a poison that, when injected into the bloodstream, will steadily paralyze the victim..."

She chokes up, and her eyes wander back to Diana's sleeping form. Akko swallows hard, then continues reading.

"H-However, this poison is not fatal. It will merely slow the pulse and freeze the bodily functions over time, putting the victim into a temporary state of apparent death..."

She has to wipe her eyes again, because her tears are seeping through the pages.

"To cancel the effects of the poison, all that's required... is a kiss..."

When she finishes the passage, Akko feels a sudden warmth flare up in her cheeks.

She'd almost forgotten about that.

She's... always sort of... liked Diana.

The hectic events of last night had just made her realize that she... really likes her.

The thought of any of her friends getting hurt makes Akko feel sick.

But the thought of Diana getting hurt...

Her heart clenches. She can't bear to consider it.

Turning away from the book, Akko looks to her classmate once again, still quiet and unmoving, save from the very faint rise and fall of her chest. She leans over her, brushing her fingers through that soft white hair once again, clearing it away from her face. Even in the darkness, she can discern that Diana's porcelain skin has regained a bit of color.

Gingerly, she slides both hands up to either side of Diana's face, brushing her thumbs over her cheeks.

"I was so scared..."

Sighing, Akko rests her forehead against hers once again, feeling the bump of their noses touching. She closes her eyes and breathes her in, feeling her lips naturally being drawn to Diana's.

Softly, lightly, she kisses her again. Just for a second.

After all, this is the only proper way to wake a princess.

For a moment, all remains quiet. Akko feels a tear drip down from each cheek, and they seep into Diana's robes.

Then, she feels a small rush of air fanning out against her lips.

Easing back, Akko finds herself looking into a familiar gaze of beautiful blue.

There's surprise in Diana's eyes, and plenty of confusion. Blushing, Akko realizes what she's done, but she can't feel bashful about it for long. She's too relieved.

"D-Diana...!"

Her fingers tremble on either side of Diana's face, and more tears rush down her cheeks. They land on Diana's lips, and Akko gently wipes them away.

Diana draws in a deep breath, then releases it with her name.

"Akko..."

Akko nods, offering a wobbly smile.

"Yeah... I'm here, Diana..."

"Are you... all right?"

"Yeah... What about you? Does your chest still hurt?"

Diana takes in a deep, experimental breath.

"Not at all."

Akko whimpers with relief.

"That's good. I'm so glad..." Akko presses their foreheads together once again. "Sorry..."

Puzzled, Diana blinks up at her.

"Whatever for?"

Akko pulls back a little, and her eyes flash sheepishly to Diana's lips.

"I didn't ask..."

She watches as a blush rises to Diana's cheeks. The white-haired witch opens her mouth, but closes it again, trying to think of a response. Akko waits nervously until Diana can find the proper words.

"There is no need for apology... I do not mind..."

A tiny, hopeful gasp slips from Akko's mouth. Her eyes search Diana's before the other girl looks away bashfully.

"Diana... R... Really...?"

"...Really."

Akko's lips break into a wide, tearful smile. She lets out a squealing giggle and gently slips her arms beneath Diana's shoulders to hug her softly. She buries her face in Diana's chest to hide her blush and stifle the sounds of her elation.

Diana moves her arms free of the sheets so she may wrap them around Akko's shoulders.

The first ray of golden morning sunlight slips into the room just then, illuminating everything in a milky, warm glow.

Moments pass, and they count them in heartbeats.

When Akko pulls away again, she meets Diana's eyes. Both of them are blushing equally.

"Diana...?"

"What is it?"

"M...May I...?"

The corners of Diana's lips curve upward, just a little.

"You may."

With another soft squeal, Akko dips down to kiss her lips. This time, Diana kisses back.

Their hearts flutter together. It feels almost as though they are using Luna Lana again, only it's a different kind of magic. This is something even stronger.

At last, Akko eases back, letting out a sigh. Diana keeps her voice low.

"You should get some rest," she murmurs. "We can... revisit this once we have both recovered."

"Revisit it...?" Akko parrots. She brightens up when she realizes what that means. "O-Okay!" She gives an excited little bounce in her seat, absolutely bubbling with delight. She feels a little lightheaded, but in a good way this time. But before she makes a move to get up, Akko checks on Diana one last time. "So... you're okay?"

Diana nods.

"I am. Get some rest, Akko."

"Okay."

Relieved, enthralled, and elated, Akko gets to her feet and makes her way back to her bed. She lies herself down, heart still soaring, and steals one more glance in Diana's direction.

They share a smile and a blush before they both look away and close their eyes.

They'll have to recover for a few days.

But Akko certainly can't wait to revisit these things.

A/N: In all honesty, I wasn't originally planning to have things get romantic in this one, but... it just happened. They went through so much together. Let them (me) have this.

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