Book Buddies

13 - Say it.

"Hmm....", I thought while pretending to be confused, which just made her pout even more; but I suppose I should end my teasing here.

Either way, I don't want to take it too far to the point where she'll go away from me (that's the last thing I want to happen), and her reaction is going to be cute whether I tease her or not.

"I'm your boyfriend and you're my girlfriend", I said bluntly.

Following my words, her pout dissipated sadly. But then as expected an extremely large blush appeared; making up for the loss and causing her to stuff her entire face into my chest and nuzzle into it.

 I couldn't help but hold her tighter and smile a little while she couldn't see, and at the same time It had also strengthened my already unbreakable resolve to protect her from everything that may come at us.

The hush of tranquility invaded the world around us again, and there was absolutely no mention of us ever breaking this hug; and I really didn't want to anyway. 

 How much time had passed? What time was it when we came here? I didn't care anyway, all I cared for was what was happening in the present.

"Kiyotaka?", she again spoke up breaking the silence yet again.

"Yes?", I asked questioning her next words.

"I..."

I?

"I want you to... I want you to say it.", looking up at me again expectedly and with a desire for something, some words filled in them.

The problem was, I didn't know what she wanted me to say.

That I'll be there for her? That I'd never abandon her? That she's the most important person to me in my life? That I'd do anything in the world to protect her? That I'll always be with her?

All of those things were true and I would actually do, but I still didn't notice what she wanted me to say to her.

Is it perhaps that I'd see her everyday without fail no matter what happens? Or is it perhaps that I love he-

Oh, wait a second.

That must be it.

Could I actually say those 4 words that she wanted to hear? I'd never said them in my entire life and saying them to someone for the first time ever would be quite out of place for me.

Even then, it is Hiyori, someone who I do truly love dearly - so I suppose it was fine.

I took in a sharp intake of breath slightly, looked down directly at her face. 

And spoke the words she wanted to hear.

"I love you, Hiyori", I said gently and as lovingly as I could.

She blushed, then smiled while looking directly into my eyes.

"I love you too, Kiyotaka."

When those words were uttered before me, I began moving my head in closer to hers without thought a few seconds after, and slowly put one of my hands on her cheek.

She did the same actions I did, except she kept both of her hands on my back and continued hugging me tightly.

Our faces were again, like that day, millimeters away from each other; but this time without the hesitance or sadness that came after.

"Hiyori...", I gently whispered as my breath grazed her soft skin and as my right hand rubbed left cheek gently.

"Kiyotaka...", she said as her breath did the same albeit on my much more rough skin.

And as we both uttered our names, as we both looked at each other one last time, our lips connected once more; as the wind danced around us in cheer of this display of emotions and romance.

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Well, I have decided who I will make a ship of next.

And it's Arisu, haven't seen too much of her but I hope you'll enjoy it when it comes.

But I'm still going to make more of Hiyori, she's tied for favorite for me.