A/N: Takes place during episode 1 of S2! The fireworks scene was just beautiful and I don't know how many times I watched it on repeat. Agh! I want that OST now.

Standard disclaimer applies. Please read and review if you liked it!

Current music: Hibike!Euphonium OST 1 - Track 29, 去来する想い

Fireworks

The explosion of fireworks overhead was deafening and the stream of lights lit up the night sky like a technicolor flash bomb. Everyone in the area was gathered around the riverbank, packed onto the bridge to watch the Genji Hikaru light show. It was a highly anticipated event every year in Uji, and there were countless families, students, and couples crowded into the small area. Everyone's eyes were directed up at the night sky, in awe at the spectacular display. However, Oumae Kumiko was distracted by something even more breathtaking.

Kumiko thought that Kousaka Reina, in her indigo blue yukata, was the most stunning sight she had ever seen. The trumpeter was a classic Japanese beauty, the epitome of perfection with her pin straight black hair and her porcelain white skin. Kumiko was jealous that her friend looked so mature and graceful in her yukata, while she…looked childish in the one she kept from middle school. It was a fine line between jealousy and admiration, but Kumiko knew she wouldn't have it any other way. She appreciated the view to no end. Reina's yukata was well-fitted, the slender girl's stylish sense showed as the fabric hugged her curves.

Kumiko continued to observe the other girl, getting lost in her musings. The fireworks seemed to pale in comparison to Reina and Kumiko found herself more interested in watching Reina's ever changing expressions more than the fireworks themselves. With her hand gripped tightly in Reina's, Kumiko felt like everything was perfect. She wouldn't give up this moment for anything in the world.

Kumiko smiled, glad that Reina had asked her to come.

The usually stoic trumpeter had a genuine look of enjoyment on her face, her eyes wide as the fireworks continued on. Her lips were parted slightly in awe, her deep purple eyes shimmering as they reflected the artificial light. She was mostly unaware of her admirer, but as the minutes dragged on, it became more obvious.

Suddenly, Reina glanced over, an inquisitive look on her face, realizing that she wasn't just imagining Kumiko's eyes on her. The trumpet player was suddenly feeling hot under the collar, wondering why the other girl fixated on her with an intensity that rivaled the searing white of the lights above them.

A hint of guilt flashed in Kumiko's amber colored eyes as she averted Reina's attention suddenly, pretending that she hadn't been staring. It was a poor attempt at subtlety.

Reina fidgeted slightly in her crouched position, but masked her wishful thinking with her usual stoicism.

"Hm, what's wrong, Kumiko?"

A sudden breeze blew by, whipping Reina's silky tresses around, framing her face perfectly.

Kumiko's attention was automatically drawn to the trumpet player once again, like a moth to a flame.

"It's…nothing."

Reina was more gorgeous than words could describe, but Kumiko knew that what she felt wasn't remotely close to admiration. It was definitely a darker and heavy kind of love. There was blatant attraction, but laden with guilt and a taste of something forbidden. The brunette sheepishly looked away, sipping on her cup of melted shaved ice. It was a sickly sweet concoction of strawberry that was a pleasant distraction. Her thoughts were infringing on dangerous territory.

A comforting squeeze from Reina's hand jostled her out of her reverie.

Swallowing hard, Kumiko felt her chest tighten as she couldn't help thinking that it wouldn't be so bad to live forever in a moment like this.

"Kumiko…"

Kumiko looked over, still embarrassed. She snuck a glance at Reina, feeling her cheeks grow hot as she studied the other girl's face. There was a subtle smile on Reina's lips, her eyes wrinkled ever so slightly with the expression. It was hard to describe, but Kumiko thought that the other girl looked…like a maiden in love.

Those were strange words to use, but the euphonium player couldn't think of anything else to call it. Reina looked content, but there was an air of wistful longing about her that Kumiko couldn't quite understand.

"It sounds silly, but I just want to freeze this moment in time. It's just so perfect, so…special to me. I can't help but be afraid that I'll lose this feeling someday." Reina stared off into the sky, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear.

"Reina…I-"

The euphonium player looked on in pure surprise, feeling strangely giddy. The other girl read her mind so clearly that they must have been on the same wavelength.

"Me too."

At that moment, another burst of fireworks punctuated the air, the blast muffling Kumiko's words.

"What was that, Kumiko?"

Reina leaned closer, trying to catch wind of what the brunette had said.

"I-I said…me too!" Kumiko closed the distance between them, her lips grazing Reina's ear. "I just want to be with you…always." The brunette's words tapered off into a whisper, her inner monologue slipping out.

The fireworks were still going off in the background, popping in the night air like a continuous firecracker, filling the sky with smoke and lights, filling the sudden silence between them.

They moved away slightly and Kumiko could see an unsettling expression work its way onto Reina's face. Kumiko knew that look very well, and she bit her cheek to conceal the grin that was already tugging at her lips. She could tell when Reina was embarrassed. It was always subtle, and to Kumiko, she loved to think that it was a secret side of Reina that she only knew.

A heavy blush colored Reina's cheeks, an obvious contrast against the Japanese beauty's alabaster skin. As always, the stoic trumpeter played it cool, the blush disappearing from her skin almost immediately. "You're really the worst, Kumiko…to say that so casually." Reina sulked slightly as she averted her gaze, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"But it's true!" Kumiko laughed, glad that her previous anxiety had lifted. She squeezed Reina's hand reassuringly.

"Don't get my hopes up too much though…I'll hold you to your words." Reina smiled at Kumiko as that wistful expression returned to her face.

There was a sudden change in the atmosphere between them as the two girls locked gazes.

Kumiko smiled sheepishly, feeling the tension wedge itself between them. "Reina, I wouldn't lie about something like that, you know."

"Do you really mean it, Kumiko? Do you really want to be with me?" Reina cocked her head slightly as she said this in the manner she always spoke, straightforward and unwavering. Her purple orbs smoldered in the semi-darkness, fixated on Kumiko.

Kumiko stared back, unwilling to back down as she collected her thoughts.

Reina's question hung in the air, unanswered. Kumiko's simple response danced on the tip of her tongue. It would have been so easy just to say yes, but she felt that a simple admission alone could never convey how much Reina meant to her. The frustration was heavy on her heart, weighing her down with a strange apprehension.

She needed to say it. She needed to scream it aloud, to tell Reina that she felt like she couldn't live without her.

Kumiko raised a hand and cupped Reina's cheek gently. She inched closer to the other girl, bringing them mere centimetres apart now. They stayed like that for a few seconds, lost in each other's eyes, searching for the answer to the feelings that the both of them had tiptoed around for so long.

Kumiko's breath was coming in more short and shallow as she fought to keep her head clear, the deafening pounding of her heart distracting her.

"Kumiko…" Reina was still waiting for a response, the atmosphere thick with a tension that they weren't unfamiliar with. It was time to break that silence, that tension, to finally acknowledge the unspoken words that always hung between them. The black haired girl waited with bated breath, knowing that this moment in time was as perfect as it would ever be.

Kumiko opened her mouth, hesitating slightly before her words tumbled out.

"Reina, I'm serious about you."

Time seemed to stop as Reina held Kumiko's gaze. There was an intense sincerity in them that made the trumpeter's heart skip a beat.

To anyone else, that sentence would have been vague and misunderstood, but Reina knew what Kumiko meant and Reina knew the weight of those words.

The final barrage of fireworks illuminated the night sky with a bang, dissipating and enveloping the area in a sudden darkness. The streetlights were dim compared to the fireworks, making it difficult to adjust to the sudden contrast. However, the two girls were lost in their own world, unaware that the show had ended. They both drew closer, their eyes closed, lips almost touching. They grazed each other, trembling with controlled excitement.

"Kumiko!"

The two girls jumped apart at the sudden interjection, the magic abruptly dispelled.

They looked up to see a blond young man sliding down the embankment, still in his school uniform. His school bag was on his shoulders and he almost toppled over as he skidded to a stop at the bottom of the riverbank. He stood at a level just below Kumiko and Reina, trying to catch his breath as he looked up at the two girls.

"Oh, and Kousaka…you're still here." He said off-handedly, not trying to hide his annoyance.

Reina let out a sigh, clenching her jaw in frustration. She reflexively balled up her fists, making Kumiko wince at the sudden pressure.

"Geh…What do you want, Shuuichi?" Kumiko furrowed her brows at the sight of him, feeling incredibly annoyed at the boy's presence.

"What's with that 'geh'? I was looking for you, Kumiko." Shuuichi said matter-of-factly as he stared the two girls down. His eyes locked onto their clasped hands and their close proximity and he felt nothing but jealousy. He knew he had interrupted something, the stagnant pause in the air, their flushed cheeks and erratic breathing still obvious. Steeling himself, he pressed on. "It's getting late, isn't it? Should we walk home?"

"Huh? Why do I have to walk home with you?" Kumiko raised an eyebrow at this, pulling Reina up with her as she towered over Shuuichi on her place atop the small platform.

"It's dark, isn't it? I saw you over here and I thought you'd want some company walking home?" Shuuichi swallowed hard, trying to keep his composure. He was rattled by what he saw earlier, breaking out into a desperate sprint over to the two girls. He knew what was going to happen. He didn't know why and he didn't care for an explanation, but all he had in his mind was that he didn't want to see it.

He knew he wouldn't be able to bear it.

"Kumiko's fine since I'm with her, Tsukamoto." Reina's icy cold stare accompanied her flat tone and the girl struggled to stay amicable.

"I'm sure Kumiko can decide for herself, Kousaka. After all, you two part ways after the station." Shuuichi was growing more and more uncomfortable with the situation, turning green with envy at the way that Reina was acting so possessive.

"Shuuichi…" Kumiko let out a sigh, shaking her head. She flashed him a tired expression, annoyed that he chose now of all times to be stubborn. "Just go home. I'll be fine." She waved him off with her free hand.

He was suddenly ignored, brushed aside as Kumiko and Reina conversed animatedly between themselves. The blond trombonist gnashed his teeth together, his nails digging into the palms of his hands at his side.

He watched as Reina hopped off the rock platform first, extending a hand to Kumiko as she helped support the brunette. They stumbled slightly, but Reina caught the other girl in her arms, stepping backwards as she balanced both their weights. They laughed at the misstep, their laughter ringing in Shuuichi's head, taunting him.

Kumiko's cheeks flushed pink at the sudden full contact, thanking Reina with a shy whisper as she lingered for a moment longer in the trumpeter's arms.

Shuuichi continued to watch the two, unable to accept that Kumiko looked so happy with Reina.

As the two girls turned to head up the bank, Shuuichi called out, trying to hide the desperation in his voice.

"K-Kumiko, wait!"

"What now?" The brunette turned, exasperated, but willing to give her childhood friend the benefit of the doubt.

There was hesitation in Shuuichi's voice, but he glanced up, his eyes drawn to their fingers intertwined so naturally.

He made up his mind.

"It's…it's just been bothering me, but…what were you two doing earlier? You both looked awfully close and it looked like you were gonna…kiss or something. That's weird, isn't it...? Haha…" Shuuichi let his disgust seep through his sheepish façade, wanting Kumiko to know exactly what he thought of it all. Deep down, he wanted to hear her deny it, to act embarrassed, to be ashamed.

He kicked at the ground idly as he struggled to keep eye contact with the brunette. "It's not like girls can date each other, you know? It's…just not right."

There was an uncomfortable silence between the trio and although there were people all around them, the tension was thick. Shuuichi's words hung in the air, resounding like slap across Kumiko's face.

Reina opened her mouth to snap at the jealous man, but she hesitated, looking over to Kumiko who had a complicated expression on her face. The brunette was deep in thought, her eyes directed downwards at the dirt path. For a second, Reina faltered, wondering what the other girl was thinking. An irrational fear struck her suddenly and she didn't know what she would do with herself if Kumiko tried to explain away their closeness just now. She knew Kumiko was always on her side, always thinking of her, but the hesitation made Reina's heart ache.

Suddenly, all her apprehension dissipated, Kumiko's hand giving hers a reassuring squeeze.

Without looking back, Kumiko stared straight into Shuuichi's eyes, her gaze hard with conviction.

She had made up her mind as well.

"It doesn't matter. I don't think that you get to choose who you love. It's just about the fireworks, you know? And…You and I…we don't have that. Fireworks, that is." Kumiko smiled sympathetically, feeling pity for the boy she used to call her best friend. "Reina and I, on the other hand…we're a different story." Kumiko couldn't help but blush as she said this, grinning from ear to ear.

Without waiting for a response from Shuuichi, she pulled Reina up the embankment, feeling oddly giddy as she skipped down the path with Reina in tow. They left the boy behind without a second thought as they pushed past the sea of people. They continued on in silence back across the bridge, back the way they came. The Torii gates where they met up earlier were in view, the crowd thinning out as they approached the city.

Kumiko picked up her pace suddenly as an idea jumped into her head.

"K-Kumiko, wait! I can't walk that fast in these!" Reina let out a sigh once Kumiko stopped at the side of the road, the brunette still grinning like a maniac.

"Reina, c'mon!"

"What's gotten into you? You're oddly chipper after rejecting Tsukamoto like that. I thought you were dense, but I guess it was just your bad personality all this time." Reina arched an eyebrow as she sighed, inconvenienced from running in her restrictive yukata.

"That's not very nice of you to say, Reina. I did declare my love for you at the same time too." Kumiko pouted as she waited for Reina to compose herself.

Unable to stifle her grin, Reina scoffed. "Hmm, I suppose you did. It was in such a roundabout way though…all that stuff about fireworks."

"Ehe…" Kumiko stuck her tongue out briefly before grabbing Reina's hand and pulling her along again. "Anyways, let's just hurry."

Reina sighed, but truthfully, she was elated. With her hand grasped tightly in Kumiko's, she let the other girl pull her along, half-jogging down the path.

They just passed the gates of the shrine where they met up at earlier. Dim lanterns glowed in the distance, lining the pathway up to a secluded area.

"C'mon, let's go up there." Kumiko pointed to the small shrine ahead shrouded in darkness. The people were getting more and more scarce, concentrated on the main roads, everyone parting ways at the crossroads as they filtered back into the city.

Reina's heart nearly caught in her throat as she followed Kumiko blindly, her thoughts bounding ahead of her as she wondered what the brunette wanted to do up there.

They would be alone.

Finally.

They continued on the rest of the way in silence up the stone steps to the small building. It was closed at this time of night, but Kumiko was nothing but eager as she leapt up the stairs.

The two were enveloped in darkness now, the main road far enough in the distance that they wouldn't be visible to passers by.

Reina swallowed hard, trying to keep her stoic composure. "It's pretty dark over here…"

"Y-yeah, it is. I…" Kumiko paused, turning to face Reina. Her wooden slippers clacked on the stone floors as she walked, followed by a whisper. "I just wanted to be alone with you, Reina."

"Is that so…?" Reina hid her excitement well, the darkness helping to hide her blush. "Well, we're…alone now. What are you planning to do to me…?" Reina's voice took on a slightly husky tone as she leaned in closer towards Kumiko, her hands coming up to grab fistfuls of Kumiko's bright yellow yukata.

Kumiko leaned in instinctively at the contact and Reina pulled the taller girl towards her a bit too forcefully, ending up with her back against the building behind them. Reina's hands were still bunched up in the brunette's front, pulling her close as Kumiko nearly tumbled into her again.

The brunette stumbled slightly, sticking her hands out to balance herself. She ended up pinning Reina against the wall, her hands on either side of the slender girl's head.

"Eh?" Kumiko panicked for a second, trying to regain her composure, her face ablaze with embarrassment at their suddenly compromising position. "I-I wasn't going to do anything! I swear. I-I just wanted to…" Kumiko trailed off as she found herself closing the distance between her and Reina. Their faces were inches apart, their bodies flush against each other.

The air was heavy, their breaths blowing hotly against the nape of each other's necks.

"Kumiko…don't tell me you're the one who's embarrassed now?" Reina teased, raising a hand to Kumiko's face as she traced the other girl's lips slowly with her finger.

Kumiko swallowed hard, her head swimming with Reina's scent, feeling Reina's touch burn against her skin. It was a magnetic pull, an irresistible attraction as she moved closer.

"Y-you're getting me back for what I said on the train…aren't you…?" Kumiko trailed off suddenly, her breathing getting more erratic as she leaned down towards Reina. Closing her eyes, Kumiko captured Reina's lips with hers. The contact was almost electric as they touched. It started off gently, but grew in fervor as Reina gave into her desires.

Reina thought the kiss tasted vaguely like strawberry and she wanted more of that sweet sensation. The trumpeter pressed harder, running her tongue along the brunette's lips, demanding access.

Kumiko moaned into Reina's mouth, fighting the other girl for control. She pushed back, pinning Reina hard against the wall as she let her hands wander down the front of the girl's yukata, barely resisting the urge to expose the skin underneath.

Reina let out a small whimper as she felt the warmth of Kumiko's hands against her, explorative as they caressed her gently. Tangling her fingers in the taller girl's hair, Reina wanted to be even closer to Kumiko as she deepened the kiss.

The shrine was quiet save for the ragged breathing of the two girls who were tangled in each other's arms, locked in a kiss that seemed to last forever. They finally parted, gasping for air, their breaths hot against each other's skin. Their chests heaved up and down against one another, trying to recover from that pleasant deprivation of oxygen they both suffered just now.

There was a slight pause before both girls laughed, nearly collapsing into each other's arms. The tension was finally gone, a weight lifted off both their shoulders.

"Kumiko…you sure kept your hands busy the entire time…" Reina teased as she let out a content sigh.

"R-Reina! Y-You were way too eager to stick your tongue down my throat." Kumiko was still trying to catch her breath, slumping slightly as she shifted more of her weight onto the petite girl.

"H-Hey! Don't say it like that…" Reina batted at Kumiko playfully with a closed fist, leaning forward as she rested her forehead on the taller girl's shoulder. Reina stood stock still for a moment, pausing before she continued. "I'm sorry…if you didn't like it…" Her words were muffled into the thick yukata cloth, but Kumiko heard her clearly.

Kumiko shook her head, smiling. Reina was oddly considerate at times.

"That's not it. I didn't dislike it at all." Kumiko shifted, snaking her arms around Reina as she held the girl tightly. She brushed her lips against Reina's ear, grinning as she whispered. "More than anything, it felt good."

Reina couldn't contain her embarrassment as she buried her face deeper against Kumiko's shoulder, glad that the brunette wasn't able to see how red she was right now. "You're such a pervert, Kumiko…"

"Hehe…only around you, Reina. I told you, didn't I? When I'm with you, it's like there are fireworks between us."

"Again with the fireworks?"

Reina pushed herself out of Kumiko's embrace momentarily, a pleading look on her face as she peered up at Kumiko. "I want you to say it properly this time."

Smiling, Kumiko leaned in for another kiss, wanting to freeze this moment in time. Above all else, Kumiko never wanted to forget Reina's shy expression as she gave the girl her confession of love for the second time now.

"I love you more than anything, Reina."