Word Count: 1,366

"You have something for compensation, right?"

Cocona blinked and nervously tugged at the hem of her dress. She bit the inside of her lip, thinking about what this pink-haired witch had asked her. What did she have to pay her with? She was just a simple farmer, tending to her potatoes, hoping that something, anything or anyone, would save her from the terror the current famine brought her.

She looked back at her simple cottage. There was nothing of value in it, except perhaps a rabbit, but he was different. No one wanted Uxekull, and she never wanted to give him away either. He was a gift from her parents when she was young.

Cocona turned back to the witch and gloomily shook her head. She looked down at the dirt, unable to meet the witch's intense gaze.

"It's okay, Cocona."

Cocona looked up at the witch, who was smiling at her, her expression not one of mercy, but of grace. Cocona's eyes widened, unsure of what this might lead to.

"Just give me your firstborn child as payment! That's all I need."

Her firstborn… child? She wasn't planning on having kids for a long while, if at all, so what was the harm in that?

"Sure," Cocona said, a tiny smile creeping up on her face. Not because she felt like she tricked the witch, but because something about her made her genuinely happy.

The pink-haired witch bounced with excited energy and grinned. "Great!" she squealed, then leaned in and sniffed Cocona's neck several times. "I'll be back in three years," she promised as she waved at Cocona's potato fields, "So be ready by then!"

The blue-haired girl watched as the witch mounted her broomstick and floated gently upwards.

"Wait," Cocona cried in the last second before the witch blasted off. "What's your name? Just in case I need to call you again for something."

She thought the witch would be angry, or annoyed, anything but cheerful. But the witch grinned down at Cocona again. "Papika," she chirped, and offering no other names, took off into the night.

"Papika," Cocona whispered. It was an unusual name, unlike anything she'd ever heard of before, but then again, witches had their own outside society. Maybe it was common where she came from.

"Papika," she whispered again as she walked back to her little cottage. Uxekull, her little rabbit, ran up to her and licked her legs as she passed by his little nest. Pausing for a second, she bent down and stroked him.

"Papika," she mouthed as she fell asleep. For some reason, the name filled her with a warm, fuzzy feeling inside, unlike anything she had ever felt before. It calmed her down and she fell asleep faster than she ever remembered doing.

"Hey, Cocona~"

At the sound of her name, Cocona looked up from her stitching and out the window. It was dusk, and Papika, the pink-haired witch she had promised her firstborn to three years ago, was back and grinning. Cocona put her embroidery down on a little side table, pricking her finger in the process. She flinched and began to put her finger in her mouth, but Papika stopped her.

She hopped off her broomstick and trotted over to the window, where Cocona was, and took the latter's finger in her hand and inspected it. Cocona honestly didn't know how to react, until Papika popped her pricked finger in her mouth and began to suck away the blood.

"Hey! Y-you don't need to do that!" she objected.

Papika looked up at her. Was that a bit of hurt reflected in her eyes? Ah, it didn't matter. She gently removed Cocona's finger from her mouth, and began smiling again. Cocona began to think that her face was stuck in a permanent grin.

"Have you got my firstborn child yet?" she cheerfully asked.

Cocona sighed and sat down on her windowsill. "I'm not even betrothed to anyone yet; how do you expect me to have a child for you?"

"Ehhhhh?" The witch pouted. "I'll help you find one, then!"

Uh-oh. Cocona hadn't planned on this. Heck, she had never planned on getting married in general; boys had never interested her. Not when she was younger, not in the present day. "Uhhh, I think I'm good," she stammered, getting off the windowsill and taking a step back. "I'll find one on my own, eventually, I promise!"

Papika frowned, then leaned through the open window and sniffed Cocona several times. "Hmm…"

Cocona froze, not sure of what she should do. Her heart beat rapidly inside of her chest, her thoughts were racing faster than she could keep track of them, and her stomach fluttered, all feelings she had never experienced before.

Papika suddenly jumped back, but those feelings still remained in Cocona. "I'll be back in a week~" she promised as she hopped back onto her broomstick and flew into the night.

Cocona stood frozen in her house, staring at the spot where she had last seen the witch. Her heart was still beating wildly. Her legs gave out beneath her, something that had also never happened to her before. She brought a trembling hand up to her face, panting heavily, though she wasn't sure from what. What… what was wrong with her? Something had to be wrong; this– this wasn't normal. She was sure of it.

Was she broken? She hoped she wasn't. She had to work her fields; she had to survive. Since Papika had blessed her fields, many people were dependant on her for food.

She shakily stood up and slowly walked over to her cot. She closed her eyes as she lay down. "Papika…"

She wasn't broken. Cocona knew that now. She was just… in love. That's what her childhood friend Yayaka told her, anyway.

But with who?

It was a question Cocona had been pondering for months. But only now did she realize the answer had been in front of her all this time.

"Papika," she said to the witch when she came for her weekly visit.

"Hmm?" The pink-haired witch cocked her head and leaned on the windowsill.

"Papika, I–" I love you. But the words were caught in her throat. She couldn't say them. It was weird, anyway. Girls loved boys, not other girls; why would this witch love her back?

"Yes, Cocona?"

"I–"

There it was again. She mentally cursed herself for being so meek and mild-mannered all her life. For being unable to say three simple words to the one she loved.

"Did you find someone?"

Did you find someone? Well, that was one way of putting it. Cocona nodded slightly.

Papika nearly exploded with happiness and excitement. She half leapt through the window and leaned in very close to Cocona's face. "Really? Really, truly? Who is it?"

From her viewpoint, Cocona could have sworn she saw a little bit of disappointment in Papika's eyes.

"Yes," she said, a smile blooming on her face at her thoughts.

The witch's eyes widened and she leaned in ever closer. And unlike how she used to, Cocona didn't lean away.

"Who?" Papika breathed. She was so close now that Cocona could smell her breath, sweet and herbal and oh-so-enticing.

"You," Cocona murmured before closing the gap between the two girls.

Papika froze, and for a second, Cocona feared the worst: the one she loved did not reciprocate, that she was not normal, that she was truly broken.

But all that was out the window when the witch began to press back, passionately, hungrily, and surprising Cocona. She could taste the sharp tang of herbs along with the savor of a mystery flavor on the witch's lips, feel the comforting heat her body gave to her own cold self. Her own warmth grew, rising up from her core and spreading all throughout.

She had never felt quite like this before, but if anything, it felt right.

And right it was.

Author's Note: i miss flip flappers. i wrote this almost a year ago and am just now cross-posting from ao3. usually it's the other way around lol. anyway, reviews would be great but the fandom is also smol so it's cool. have a great day~~~