Spectacles

[LWA, Diakko, they're getting old so Diana needs glasses, Akko will never let it be easy, crushes, cute feelings realization, relaxed town day]

Diana's sudden need for spectacles brings clarity to more than just one aspect of her life.

"You're squinting again."

Diana blinked at the feeling of being poked on the forehead and looked up to find Akko all up in her face. This was nothing new, but the proximity—which was welcome on most days—seemed to catch her off-guard and defensive.

"I'm just checking a message."

"And having a hard time doing it." The brunette finally pulled back, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at Diana. "Your phone font is laughably large, and you're holding it out a mile away. I've seen that before." Her attempt at seriousness gave way to giggles, "my mother does it."

The blonde witch found herself blinking, unable to respond as swiftly as she was accustomed to. Something was eating away at her attention, keeping her from moving to the next thought. Was it the chatter coming through the window from Luna Nova's courtyard? The smell of Lotte's apple pie from the table beside theirs?

"Your mother? What do you—"

"Nothing," Akko chortled, "come on."

"I have texts to finish decoding," Diana started apologetically.

"Not with eyesight like that you don't!" Akko held a stern finger up.

She blinked again, enraptured as she watched the brunette's endless reservoir of determination focus into a single goal for this overcast afternoon:

"We're getting you glasses!"

"I thought we were procuring spectacles?"

"Nis is pwart of da proshesh," Akko replied with indignation, chewing through a hefty bite off a cheeseburger.

"The process," Diana replied with a smile, "starts with a burger?"

"Everythwing stagrst wid a burg—"

"Chew first. Talk later."

With an eyeroll that could put Sucy to shame, Akko sputtered a muffled 'yes, mom'. The sight of it made Diana's lips curl ever so slightly upward, then she blinked, dropping her gaze down to her cup of coffee upon realizing it must have been rude to stare at her counterpart while she ate. Akko devoured the burger with such vigor that it didn't take long before the sound of chewing was replaced with words.

"Have you ever had a crush?"

Diana paused, caught off guard by the question. She realized, with great incredulity, that—"I… think I've never had one."

"You're shitting me." Akko's jaw dropped. She leaned forward on instinct when Diana whipped out napkin, comfortable while the blonde wiped away a smudge of burger dressing along her chin. "You are literally nineteen years old."

Diana neatly folded the soiled napkin away. "It isn't exactly something you have time for, when, you know."

"The weight of a thousand expectations settles on your shoulders?" Akko playfully stuck out her tongue, but the sentiment hit right home even if she was kidding.

"Worded quite precisely," Diana admitted. "Of course, there were many expectations that Andrew and I would eventually come into an arrangement but—oh dear!"

Akko had nearly choked on her soda. "Sorry!" she squealed, wiping herself down before the sugary drink dried into something sticky.

"I just—pfft!—I'd have paid to see how that panned out."

The plan was simple: make a trip to the optometrist on this free afternoon. Of course, Akko made no mention of what felt like a million stops between Luna Nova and the elusive optical clinic, but Diana was foolish to think for a minute that it was going to go smoothly. Not that she minded the brunette's company, she simply preferred it when things stayed…

"Diana! There are street musicians!"

…on schedule.

She should have refused. Really, she should have. In fact, she realized that Akko had swayed her into getting dessert, taking the longer road ("Let's take the scenic route!"), going into a shop to look through dresses, and purchasing several vials of questionable ingredients for Sucy. She supposed another few minutes of distraction wouldn't hurt—the music was pleasant in itself anyway.

It was a love song, one that Akko seemed familiar enough with to hum along to. The lyrics were as sweet as honey—and if she was going to be honest, a little too enamored for her liking. "Curious," she found herself mumbling.

A crush. She'd never given much thought to such a frivolous and wholly unnecessary concept before. Of course, romance she was familiar with—many an evening was filled with Barbara's NightFall dissections and commentary. But romance was grand, with so much finality and depth. The lovers in the stories books she's read seemed to be so fully consumed by their emotions that it began to pain them as well. Whereas a crush… was it the fluttering of the stomach? A giggle one grows fond of? The feeling of—

"Ding dong?"

—slight exasperation but tenderness despite it all?

Akko made a doorbell out of Diana's cheek, and with a tick of the eyebrow the blonde gently moved the offending finger away, "I'd really appreciate it if you stopped doing that."

"You were totally spacing out!" Akko teased with a grin, unfazed by the rejection. Her hand slipped easily into Diana's, and just before she could pull them towards the cotton candy cart, Diana set her foot down.

"No more detours," she declared with firmness. "Glasses."

"Mou, Diana!"

"Come on," this time it was Diana who tugged at Akko's arm. "Before it gets dark."

Akko happily nipped at her puffy, pink cloud of sugar. It was hopeless; when Akko set her mind to it, she found that she couldn't ever really say no.

"Hey, Diana?"

They were finally walking towards the optical clinic, much to the relief of Diana's tired feet. "Yes?"

"You were thinking about crushes earlier, weren't you?"

The blonde witch felt her ears go red, "I—Well…"

"You were mumbling out loud," Akko nudged her shoulder. She giggled a little, "it was kind of funny. Such a literary perspective. I thought you were going to write an essay critiquing the notable differences between classical romance and modern-day infatuation."

"Infatuation…" Diana trailed off. "Is that what a crush is?"

Akko just shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe? I think crush is a little more… wholesome? I guess."

"Go on?"

"Like… you like being around the person." Akko flailed her free arm around, trying to make gestures she couldn't quite figure out like that crazy divination professor when trying to read tea leaves. "Hanging out with them never feels tiring, and little things makes your stomach get all weird and like—"

"Like…?" Diana blinked. Akko froze and in a mixture of concentration and… panic?

"Ahh, this is impossible! You blush and feel warm inside and stuff! There are butterflies which make you feel like they're throwing a violent party in your stomach."

Diana stopped walking to give Akko a blank, expectant look.

"What!"

Diana tried to fight it, but her pressed lips curled into a smile and then she broke into giggles. The giggles grew into chuckles.

Then she laughed. A full, hearty sound that Akko couldn't help but smile at.

"That doesn't sound pleasant at all!"

The sudden clarity of the world made her dizzy. The blonde witch blinked—were corners really that sharp? She could read! She could read the text from across the room, and her phone font was suddenly offensively large.

Akko was studying her with such scrutiny that she wanted to hide away.

"How do they look?"

The brunette huffed and crossed her arms. "Frustratingly good on you!"

Diana blinked, unsure how to respond to such a direct compliment and rubbed the back of her neck. "Th—thank you?"

"Well are you comfortable?" Akko inched in closer to inspect the wiry spectacles. "They don't pinch at the nose or anything?"

Diana is a little disoriented by the sudden change in her vision and all of Akko's movements but there were so many details she's never seen before.

"Freckles," she suddenly blurted out.

"Eh?" Akko inched back.

"You… you have freckles."

…and long lashes which curled naturally upward, and a little button nose, and eyes in a clear vibrant red. Akko's eyebrow shot up and she blinked a few times before smiling.

"That's your first observation?"

The second observation was that Akko had a blindingly radiant smile. But I knew that already. It was framed by a slight blush that had always been there, but she never really noticed before.

"Uhm… Diana?" Akko takes her hand to capture her attention. "You don't have to keep wearing them all the time yet. You take them off and break them in a little at a time."

Akko's words fell into obscurity. Diana's gaze moved towards where Akko's hand met hers.

There were… butterflies in her stomach?

"Diana? Are you okay?

She could feel blood rushing up to her face as quickly as the realization was setting in. Akko was looking straight into her eyes with concern, and when the brunette's palm came into contact with her cheek everything turned crystal clear.

'Have you ever had a crush?'

"I…"

She had never had trouble with vocabulary before, but—

"Stomach. Insects. Violent party."

A/N: Hey guys! I've missed ya'll! Sorry, still rusty as usual, but I keep trying to come back and write anyway. Is Diakko and LWA still alive these days?

Times have a been tough since I started working (around the end of my Diakko writing spree days, I think?) I guess. I hope everyone is doing well. I've recently gotten into Haikyuu! and absolutely adore everyone ++ you can expect some Kiyoyachi fics sometime soon, maybe? Also found the time to watch She-Ra and I love it so far!

Inching my way through so that I can post an update to my multi-chapters, so to everyone who have reviewed recently and still encourage me to continue - thank you so much. You guys are the best! I'm still hanging on as well. I've gone into graduate school on top of work, so things are crazy, but somehow I manage. See you soon. :)

PS - I don't think I was able to proofread this well enough so I am sorry luvyu