Take My Breath Away | Peko Pekoyama

BONUS| First Date

Peko's fists were clenched at her sides and her teeth were grinding so hard against each other that she was shocked they hadn't been reduced to dust. "You will find something you can do and get us a table or I swear I will-"

"Peko!" Misa exclaimed, laying a hand on Peko's bicep and lightly pulling her back a couple steps so she was no longer towering over the shaking receptionist. Misa turned to the man at the counter and gave an apologetic smile. "We understand. Mix-ups happen. Sorry for the confusion, we'll just be on our way."

Misa dragged Peko outside by the arm and the silver-haired girl followed obediently. The nauseous feeling from earlier was returning. She wanted to scream in frustration. Peko had been planning her and Misa's first date for weeks and it was already off to a terrible start. As if sensing her inner turmoil, Misa grabbed Peko's hand, lacing their fingers together, and smiled softly. "Hey, don't worry about it, okay? I have a friend whose family owns a little diner close by. It won't be as fancy as this place but if you don't mind it being more casual, we could get something to eat there?"

Peko gave a little nod and allowed the corners of her mouth to lift slightly out of its scowl. "Sure."

-

Dinner went well. Even though it wasn't the five-star restaurant that Fuyuhiko had carefully helped Peko select for the date, the food was still good and the girls were still able to enjoy each other's company so all in all, Peko couldn't bring herself to be too upset. Once they had finished eating and Peko had paid for the meal, she grabbed Misa by the hand and tugged her outside.

"Where are we going now?" Misa giggled. Peko turned her head to smile at her.

"Our next stop is the university botanical gardens." Misa had been telling Peko a few weeks ago that while she had been to most of the gardens in the city at this point, she had yet to see the ones at the university. She had seemed so excited about the prospect of going that Peko had immediately incorporated the gardens into her plan for their date.

The trip to the university was short but what they found had Peko seeing red.

"Closed?"

The sign hanging on the gate, titled "Hours of Operation", seemed to be mocking Peko. Her heart fell to her feet. "I do not understand," she said, pressing her hand to her forehead and closing her eyes in frustration. "I searched their hours online and it said they were open until 10pm. It is only eight o'clock. They should not be closed!"

"It's okay," reassured Misa from behind her. "We can always come again another time."

Peko groaned. "But we were supposed to go tonight!" she exclaimed, her frustration turning to anger. "You have been waiting to come here for so long!"

"And I can wait a little longer," Misa replied gently. She lifted Peko's hand and pressed a light kiss to her knuckles. As much as she wanted to hold onto her anger, Peko could feel it evaporate at Misa's touch. "Come on," said Misa, "Let's go to the park. They have flowers there too, my love."

-

Peko loved listening to Misa talk. She could listen to her for hours and never grow bored or restless. As they strolled through the mostly deserted park, Misa was explaining how to properly care for hydrangeas. Peko had never grown any kind of flower before but she still gave her complete attention, focusing on the brunette's words as if she would be tested on them later.

That's when the first raindrop fell.

Then another.

Then another.

"Are you kidding me?" Peko yelled at the sky as the rain began to pour down on them.

Misa laughed lightly. "Peko, it's okay-"

"No, it's not!" Peko stressed, throwing her arms in the air and stepping away. Misa's eyebrows raised in surprise. "This date was supposed to be perfect but everything has been ruined! I wanted to take you for an expensive dinner; our reservation was cancelled. I wanted to take you to the botanical gardens you were excited for; they were closed. We go for a walk in the park to finish off the night; we get rained on. I am so sorry, Misa. I just wanted to give you a perfect first date." Peko was looking down at her shoes which were getting wetter by the minute. She didn't want to see Misa's disappointment.

A cold hand reached under Peko's chin and tilted it up. Peko met Misa's eyes and was shocked to see her grinning. "Nothing's been ruined. Our date may not have gone exactly according to plan, but I still enjoyed it. I got to spend the night with you. What more could I ask for?"

Peko stumbled over her words, trying to think of a response but came up with nothing. Misa grabbed Peko's hand and pulled her close before wrapping her hands around her neck and beginning to gently sway.

"What are you doing?" Peko asked incredulously.

Misa shrugged. "Dancing," she said simply.

"But it's raining!" Peko protested, "you will catch a cold!"

Misa laughed. "It's warm out tonight. I'll be fine. Just dance with me."

Peko reluctantly placed her hands on Misa's waist and began to sway along with her. She had to listen closely to hear it over the rain, but Peko could hear Misa humming her favourite song: a nameless little tune that always made her smile. Misa leaned forward to rest her forehead against Peko's. "Tonight was perfect," she said before pressing her lips against Peko's.

Peko couldn't help but agree.