Costumes, Chaos, and Clarity

Aoi Kwan - The Weekend Before Halloween 2023

"That's what you're wearing?" Regan raised an eyebrow as she walked back into the dorm room, wrapped in a thick pink towel with another white one twirled in her blonde hair. Her best friend and roommate was the kind of tall, leggy blonde that guys drooled over.

"Yeah, you got a problem with it?"

"It's a little nerdy, isn't it? Is that what you want to be advertising at college this year?" Regan teased.

"I've been broken up for a month. This is going to get me laid, Regan, you watch."

"You sure it's not just going to blow the mind of some poor nerd that doesn't have the gumption to ask you out?" Regan locked the dorm door, then hung her towel on the hook beside it. The girls had been best friends for years, and neither of them was embarrassed by a little nudity.

"Gumption? What are you, like eighteen going on sixty?" Aoi (Pronounced Ah-Oh-Ee, as if the syllables blend together) looked up from putting on black cherry lip gloss. Her version of an anime magical girl had a goth-adjacent flair. She thought it fit her dark hair, rather than something bright and candy-colored like most magical girls. Aoi had a few red and blue streaks in her dark locks, which she thought provided enough color.

"I might be," Regan sighed as she plucked her bra and panties from her closet and top drawer.

"We need to get you laid, Regan!" Aoi hopped out of her desk chair, where she was putting the finishing touches on her makeup.

"I'll find the right guy when I find him."

"It's fun, Regan! Are you scared of your first time?"

"What? No! I need a good prospect, not some rando that shows up for your eighteenth birthday!"

"He wasn't random! I needed a guy with a little experience, and he did not disappoint!"

"My goodness, Aoi! I'm pretty sure that skirt is bordering on obscene." Regan changed the subject, pulling on a pearl-snap shirt.

"Think it'll catch the attention of the right girl or guy?"

"No, I think it'll catch the wrong type of attention."

"I'm going to get laid tonight. It's been a month since Henry and I... Oh! Yes!" Aoi imitated her riding her ex-boyfriend. "He had a nice cock, too bad he was looking for white meat instead of some Japanese."

"Aoi Keiko Kwan! Where are your panties?"

"In the drawer over there." Aoi shrugged.

"Well, they need to be on, Miss Chaos." Regan rolled her eyes as she pulled a pair of tight jeans from her tiny closet. Every guy at the party, and a good percentage of the gals, would be staring at her tight, round bottom all night. Aoi had once envied her friend's towering height and classic beauty, but she'd grown to appreciate her own petite frame. It wasn't like she was lacking anything in the chest department.

"Yes, Mom." Aoi skipped to her dresser and picked out a pair of black-and-pink, lacy panties. "Better?"

"I still think the skirt's too short, but yeah, it's better." Regan pulled out a cowboy hat and a pair of boots. "Try to at least take you home to his place."

"No sock on the door?"

"Wouldn't be my preference to be sexiled on a Friday night, no." Regan shook her head as she slipped on one boot. "Do make sure you're safe, though." She gave Aoi that glare that always bypassed her chaotic streak. That expression told Aoi it wasn't time to joke or inject chaos.

"I have condoms, my phone, and pepper spray." Aoi opened her little clutch to show them off.

"Some guy is going to be very lucky tonight."

"Or gal!"

"Oops, sorry, or gal. Just haven't seen you with a gal, Aoi." Regan rolled her jeans down over her boots.

"That gal could be you! We could take care of this whole virginity thing and me needing to get laid in one swoop." Aoi cackled. "Maybe I could get some practice before I find a girlfriend."

"No thanks, Aoi." Regan spun her cowboy hat, pulled the towel off her hair, and put it back on in a fluid motion. They'd been best friends since sixth grade. Regan knew by now when to actively engage the chaos and when to ignore it.

"I know, painfully straight."

"How's the costume look?" Regan asked as she brushed a few strands of hair back over her ears.

"Good, but are you sure you're looking for a guy of the rural persuasion?"

"It's Halloween, and it's what I have." Regan shrugged.

Aoi was one of the few people who knew Regan's secret and why she worked so hard to keep it. Regan's family wasn't just rich; it was often ranked among the wealthiest in the region. Fortunately for Regan, they were also secretive about their children's identities. It was of utmost importance to Regan that she find her own way in the world, including paying for her own education and all the expenses that college life entailed. Redfield State was the perfect university for her.

"It's cute. Pink and powder blue are a good look on you."

"Are you sure about this party, Aoi? We could still call an audible and head downtown instead."

"Alfredo has never led me astray, and it's within walking distance, even in these heels." Aoi showed off her ludicrous stilettos. The toe was shiny black, and the back was matte white. The long heel was soft pink, matching the black, pink, and white of her magical girl costume. Poofy pink curled out like a cloud around the short sleeves. A V of white looked to be pointing down to her womanhood before it was intercepted by a short, black-and-pink skirt.

Outside the V, the fabric was a deep black. Ribbons and buckles ran down the border between the contrasting colors. The built-in bustier was a trio of colors that cinched the girls. Aoi finished the look with the same colors in her makeup; her hair tumbled over her shoulders.

"Your anime club help you with the outfit?" Regan carefully put on pink lip gloss that matched the fabric band circling her Stetson.

"Sort of. Tessa encouraged me to take a chance and gave me the scepter." Aoi picked up a shiny black prop made of sculpted foam, ribbon, and plastic. "Said it was for a cosplay that she couldn't pull off. Everything else was store-bought."

"You clearly went shoe shopping with my sisters, didn't you?"

"They have good taste."

"Sometimes," Regan said before giggling. "They do look cute on you."

"Come on, let's get going, Regan! First college Halloween party! This is going to be fun!"

Lena Martinez - Around that same time

"Where are you heading?" Miles asked when Tessa, Lena's tall, nerdy roommate, answered the door. "It's Halloween weekend!"

"Yeah, and my oldest brother decided to have an engagement party." Tessa shrugged. "I'm sure you're here for Martinez." She tapped her packed suitcase. "Plus, as a bonus, I get these things off Monday, hopefully." Her smile showed off braces with red or black on each tooth, RSU's colors. As she shrugged, her curly black hair shook.

"What if there's a quiz in Calc?"

"I talked to Professor Striski after class today, and she said there wasn't. Mind if I scam notes from you on Monday?"

"Is it really scamming if you ask?" Miles arched an eyebrow.

"See! I'm not very good with the whole evil thing, am I? Oh well, guess I'll have to keep cosplaying heroes." Tessa giggled. "You and Lena have a good weekend."

"Good luck getting those braces off. It'll feel like freedom!"

"I'll be picking up Starbursts on the way back and savoring them. Be good this weekend. I like the cowboy getup." Tessa leaned in, probably thinking she was being discreet. "Make sure Lena gets out at least a little, okay? I worry about her."

Tessa had been an ideal roommate. Lena had been suspicious when her floors only two Latinas were roomed together, but besides getting the room a little messy with cosplay every now and then, Tessa had been perfect. She didn't seem at all bothered when Lena told her why her parents weren't coming up for parents' weekend. Lena told her she was a lesbian, and her parents considered her broken beyond redemption in their eyes. Tessa was confused as to why being a lesbian would mean Lena was broken.

"I will, Diaz, have a good weekend. Tell Diego and Ellie congratulations for me. Dad's still a little miffed that he went on to bigger and better things, but mostly he's happy for his former head mechanic."

"The dorm room's yours until Monday, Lena." Tessa gave a wave before throwing her purse over her shoulder and leaving with a rolling bag that seemed way too big for a single weekend. Lena knew it was half-stuffed with cosplay projects that Tessa snuck in whenever she had time.

"Drive safe, Diaz. Text me when you get there." Lena looked up from the built-in study desk on her side of the room.

"Lena, you're going to the Halloween party, even if we have to come up with the most rudimentary costume." Miles stepped into the room.

"You're wearing that!?" Lena laughed at Miles's cowboy outfit. "Where on earth did you find spurs?"

"Megan used them for homecoming when we were sophomores."

"Oh yeah, Huskies in the West was a choice."

"You need a costume?" Tessa turned around before she could leave.

"I don't know..."

"Yes, she does. Think we can make her a passable nerd with a little tape on the glasses, if only I had a pocket protector."

"Oh, hell no." Tessa dropped her bag. "Let's go casual cosplay! You've got some red flannel. Pair that with some tight jeans and this." Tessa fished in her closet for a second or two. "You have my axe."

"Thanks, Gimli." Miles laughed as he took the axe.

"Nerds!" Lena laughed as she stood up. "Thanks, Tessa."

"Don't worry about that one if it gets beat up at the party. It ended up too basic for the Viking queen I'm working on. Go to the party, Lena." Tessa waved goodbye. "I gotta get out of here, but send me a pic when you get her in costume."

"Will do, thank you again." Miles closed the door behind Tessa.

"She's cute, Hoit." Lena motioned toward Tessa.

"No doubt, but I don't think I'm nerd enough for her." Miles shrugged. "Okay, maybe I'm nerdy enough when it comes to math, but she needs someone who loves cosplay, too."

"You think you're going to get me out of this dorm room tonight."

"Yup." Miles smiled. "It's why I have the black hat and the lasso. I can play the villain if I need to."

"I'd like to see you try." Lena scowled playfully.

"Come on, it's just a party with Alfredo's friend from intramurals. If it's not a good time, we bounce, and you can be back sulking in your room by nine." Miles's voice softened. "What your family did was heinous, but don't let it ruin the college experience."

"You're not going to leave without me going, are you?"

"Nope. You can either put on a costume and go to your first college party, or this cowboy will sit and watch sappy movies with you all weekend in costume."

"You won't let me just suffer in peace?"

"Nope. I've let you do the whole sulking thing for three months, and I know grief has no timeline..." Miles gripped the end of his lasso, knuckles turning white. The man had too much knowledge of grief in his young life. "But... It's time to take a weekend off, Lena."

Lena felt bad; it wasn't like anyone in her family had died, though they might as well have. This year, there had been a summer to celebrate, until it all went wrong.

In the good column, Lena graduated from high school and had a full scholarship to Redfield State, as long as she kept her grades up. She worked for her local city parks department, mowing and weed-eating in the heat to afford repairs to a beat-up but functional Chevy Cobalt. Miles helped with the repairs, and Lena even paid for a basic paint job.

The first in the family to go to college. Her family had been exceedingly proud of her, even if some of her siblings didn't fully understand her desire for an education, and not just to turn her summer job into a full-time job.

Lena even had a woman she had a physical relationship with, in secret. It had started when Miles took her to prom, helping her hide her sexuality. After the dance, Lena hooked up with a woman whose prom date had preferred alcohol to sex.

Neither girl had any idea what they were doing; they were both barely eighteen and green. Although there was nothing romantic, they did endeavor to learn as much as possible from each other. It all had to be covert, but they managed to find time and private places together. Never at Lena's home, as being one of seven kids meant there was rarely any quiet, even if her four older siblings had places of their own.

With all the good that happened during the summer, Lena took a chance a week before she moved out. She told her family she was a lesbian. With all the fear and nasty reactions Lena had been concerned about, getting unceremoniously kicked out of the house wasn't one of them. Luckily for her, the Hoit family took her in for the rest of the summer. She might not have gotten along well with Miles's sisters, but they were there when they needed her.

She distinctly remembered coming home from her last day with the parks department and finding all her stuff piled on the Hoits' front lawn. Miles, his father, Megan, and Josie helped her bring it inside and put it in some semblance of order. Lena hadn't heard from her parents or siblings since she was kicked out of the house. It was as if she suddenly didn't exist because she was attracted to women.

"Promise if it sucks we can leave?" Lena asked as she stood from her desk, casually pulling off her sweatshirt and joggers. Miles had seen her in her undies many times. Enough that she felt no shame in dressing in front of her loyal best friend.

"I'll lead the charge out of there. Alfredo says there'll be cute college girls there. A lot, according to him."

"Miles! You know I'm not allowed to pick up girls."

"Says who?"

"The universe!" Lena huffed, buttoning her flannel first. Every time she even considered dating a woman, the universe smacked her around. She'd found solace in the arms of a sophomore a few times this semester, but, like her first physical relationship, there was no romance in it.

"Sorry the universe keeps kicking you, Lena, but what do you have to lose?"

"I don't know yet! That's the problem!" Lena shimmied into a pair of jeans that flattered her backside. Even if she was reluctant, she would put forth her best self.

"Bad luck, Lena. You know we're always going to be there for you, right?"

"Yeah, but I thought that about my family once, too. That's what scares me."

"I'm pretty sure that I know just about everything about you, and you know everything about me." Miles nervously shifted his hat in the mirror.

"Being a virgin isn't exactly a dark secret, Miles." Lena looked in the mirror, trying to decide how much of her ample cleavage to put on display. She blamed herself partially for Miles's virginity.

First, she stole him as a prom date instead of letting him take out Becca Stevens, a near-sure thing for Miles. Then, she had to appear sobbing on his front lawn as Miles was taking Mandy out at the end of the summer. Miles chose her each time instead of the prospect of sex.

"Leave it like that, you'll catch the attention of the right gal, trust me."

"It's a little daring," Lena muttered at the mirror; her cleavage and some of her bra were on display.

"It's college, Lena. Isn't that half the point? Socialization is an important skill, too."

"Okay. Lead the way, Miles." Lena said after tying on her work boots and grabbing the axe. "Thirty minutes and then we decide if we're bailing or not. Deal?"

"Of course. A deal is a deal."

"This way, I can play wingwoman for you." Lena grinned as she locked the dorm door behind them.

Aoi - At the party

"I told you we were too early." Aoi shook her head. Barely a dozen people were in the sprawling house.

"We can pregame a little before it gets crowded." Regan shrugged.

"Fine, we'll see if there are any prospects." Aoi eyed everything as she walked the house's perimeter. It was spacious enough, but the building had clearly seen generations of college students. The scent of stale beer soaked into the creaky, stained hardwood that badly needed sanding and refinishing.

Cheap furniture and a TV too large for the space claimed the living room and open kitchen. The sofas had been pushed back against the peeling wallpaper, leaving room to dance. This wasn't on the verge of being condemned, but it had lived a rough life. The landlord seemed to do little beyond keeping things mechanically sound and demanding that smoking happen on the wrap-around porch.

That could be my stage. Aoi eyed a black leather sofa as she stepped by. A guy with Greek letters on his chest already occupied the space, sipping from a red plastic cup. Aoi was confident that the whisper of a party got someone like that to not so much arrive early as materialize fully formed on a college party couch. Have to move him, though. She could tell that guy wasn't her type.

"I'm going to say hi to our hosts." Regan peeled off to talk to Alfredo. In just a few months, the guy had built quite a reputation on campus. He lived in the dorms, but ingratiated himself with some of the seniors on his intramural basketball team. They were having him help organize things. That is, if any college party ever felt organized.

Alfredo was a genuinely nice guy and a bit of a man slut. He wasn't the co-star Aoi was looking for, even though she'd heard great things. He was debating the intricacies of the late-season intramurals with a woman taller than him, which was a feat given Alfredo's impressive height. Then again, every guy is tall. Aoi sighed. Her co-star for the evening needed to be more anonymous, though.

Even though it was early, Aoi was impressed by everyone in costume, except the frat guy on the couch. Most of them didn't look slapdash, either. One guy's tin-man garb included silver body paint; he was shirtless, with the classic seams drawn over it. He looked decent, but the prospect of paint transfer already put him off Aoi's list.

Stepping into the kitchen, Aoi saw far more than just a keg and some red cups. She gave the party points for the orange-and-black cup theme for the coming holiday. Fake cobwebs and plastic spiders huddled in the corners. The care put into the cheap decorations made Aoi wonder who the four guys who rented the house had contracted it out to this year. They had a reputation for the chintziest holiday-spirit attempts at their parties.

Maybe one of the guys has a girlfriend he wants to impress? The guys had reputations much like Alfredo. Safe, but never looking for anything beyond casual. Maybe that's the attitude I need. Aoi perused the drink selection; it wouldn't be top-shelf, but the liquor wasn't swill either. They had a rainbow of seltzer selections in an open orange cooler.

Check the bathroom situation first. Aoi had no desire to spend her whole evening standing in line for a single bathroom. If prospects didn't look good, she'd forgo social lubricant. She didn't need it to drink to be her boisterous self, but a sip or two wouldn't be unwarranted. No wonder this is the party house. Aoi admired multiple powder rooms arranged near the front room, perfect for entertaining. They were even clean.

"House checks out, want something to drink?" Aoi asked Regan as she headed back to the kitchen.

"Got a seltzer already."

"Didn't get me anything?"

"You disappeared." Regan shrugged. The woman was well used to her shenanigans.

"Are you the bartender?" Aoi asked a young man who seemed very determined to make whatever concoction he was working on correctly. She set her scepter down on the table. She didn't need to wave it around while trying to talk. He was dressed as a zombie. Old, worn clothing, open in spots, with ash-grey airbrushed skin. Fake blood leaked out of a bite mark on his neck.

"Give me a second." The zombie held up a finger, then went back to missing several liquors into a pair of plastic cups. He looked up a moment later as he reached for a bottle of triple sec. "Oh! Uh. What can I get you?"

"I can wait." Aoi shrugged. The man was cute, but he had the same paint transfer issue as the tin man.

"No, ladies first. My bro can wait a minute on his long island." The man straightened his posture and puffed out his chest.

"Awfully considerate of you. One whiskey, two fingers and a single ice cube."

"Whiskey!?" The zombie's eyebrow shot up. "Dangerous woman."

"Oh, I can be." Aoi winked. She might have preferred a seltzer, but when her appearance threw the zombie off, she steered into the skid. Keeping guys off balance was too much fun to resist.

"There you go..."

"Aoi."

"Craig, sophomore."

"Freshman."

"From an anime I should know?"

"Inspired by. With a little extra poison." Aoi didn't break her glare at poor Craig as she took a belt from her glass. The cheap whiskey burned going down, but Aoi didn't show it.

"Oh... Well, have fun."

Maybe that was a little too intimidating. Aoi shrugged as she stepped out to the backyard.

"No, he's not a businessman. He's a vampire. Look at the fangs!" A man yelled, and Aoi wasn't sure he could still fully control his voice. He wore the classic Shaggy outfit from Scooby-Doo. Aoi had to give him a few points for having a stuffed Great Dane on a leash.

"Those are just his teeth!" His friend in what looked like a Speed Racer outfit said. The white helmet beside him didn't quite fit. It looked like a football helmet he'd pulled the facemask off of and poorly painted white.

"And the blood on his cheek?"

"Bloody Mary?"

"He's a modern fucking vampire!"

Too drunk. Aoi decided on the two guys as she surveyed what was going on outside. She hadn't arrived that early. A rousing game of cornhole occupied one half of the yard, and a round of flip cup occupied the other. In the middle, a warm fire blazed, and partygoers laughed loudly. Several propane heaters dotted the space, making it comfortable despite the cold front.

A few possibilities. Several cute guys wore a wide variety of costumes. Take it slow. Aoi went back to check on Regan, still assessing her possible co-star. It wasn't like that was going to be until at least midnight. The main event didn't happen until the end of the program. Better to build to a climax, not go off too early.

"No, we lost to her team." Alfredo shook his head and pointed at a tall woman, but not the same one he'd been talking to earlier.

"So, no undefeated season?" Regan asked.

"Got a lucky three in at the last moment. I think that means you owe me a drink, Alfredo." The tall woman said, grinning.

"Oh, do I?" Alfredo raised an eyebrow. "Suppose it's the sporting thing to do."

"Thanks, Fredo. You know what I like." The woman winked. "Regan, right?" She held out her hand as Alfredo left. "I'm not getting in your way, am I?"

"She's Regan. I'm Aoi. Who are you?" Aoi bounded up beside her best friend.

"Helena, I'm Alfredo's best friend's sister."

"Miles has a twin?" Regan asked.

"No, Alfredo's best friend back home, Eli."

"I still haven't met Miles; I've just heard good things from Alfredo," Regan said.

"Never know if he's just talking up a friend." Aoi nodded.

"He'll be here in a few minutes, then you can meet him." Alfredo handed Helena an open bottle. "IPA, I know you don't like that light beer bullshit." He raised his own orange glass. "Some of us don't have such standards."

Aoi was about ready to wander off again when the front door opened.

"Hey look, another cowboy!" Aoi turned around to see that the two drunk costume detectives had made their way into the living room.

"No, dude, she's a cowgirl! Not the same." Shaggy shook his head, then took a big swig of his beer.

"Fair."

The cowboy was fairly good-looking, and Aoi considered him for a potential co-star role until the woman walked in with him. The tall, sturdy Latina had Aoi staring like no one else at the party. She had an axe over her left shoulder, a red flannel shirt that didn't hide her ample cleavage completely.

Tight jeans hugged her hips and thick, toned legs. Aoi found herself wishing the woman would move so she could see how the denim flattered her backside. Don't stare. Aoi knew it was rude, but she was fascinated by the woman's light touch with makeup and big brown eyes. Long, dark brown hair with a slight curl at the ends spilled over her shoulders, some strands diverted around her shoulders like a boulder in a waterfall.

"You're staring, Aoi. I mean, he's cute, but have some decorum." Regan's whisper ended in a giggle.

"It's not him," Aoi said, shrugging.

"A cowboy and a lumberjack." Speed Racer said confidently as the pair walked past him. His last declaration was slightly too loud for Aoi's liking.

"If you can't tell that's a lumberjill, you're blind." Aoi corrected him in a firm voice, figuring if his comment was loud, her response should be, too. The new woman looked over, brushed back a stray strand of shiny dark brown hair, and flashed a brief smile that made Aoi's heart flutter. Aoi nodded and winked at the woman, then watched as she and the cowboy exited to the kitchen.

"That other cowpoke is Miles," Helena said.

"Who's she?" Aoi asked, the woman being far more important in her book.

"Her, that's Lena. That's Miles's best friend." Alfredo explained.

"Best friend, not girlfriend?"

"Them? No, they're more sibling-coded than romantic." Helena said. "My only issue with her is her name being so close to mine! Up for some cornhole, Alfredo?"

"I do need to get some revenge."

Aoi let the pair move away, then leaned in to Regan. "That woman?"

"Lena, yeah. What about her?" Regan raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do you think she's hot? I mean, she's pretty, but I don't know if I'm the one to commiserate with when you think a woman is attractive."

"If she's into girls, I'm going to marry that woman."

"Aoi..." Regan shook her head.

"I'm serious, Merrit. I remember a certain woman I told the day I met her was my best friend, and how did that work out?"

"Great, occasionally exhausting, but great."

"Some day, I may need you to repeat this story at our wedding." Aoi grinned and padded toward the kitchen to introduce herself to Lena.

Lena - A Little Earlier

"Shoulda worn a jacket," Lena muttered as they turned up the block from campus.

"I've got one that would go with the lumberjill outfit. We could turn around and stop by my dorm room."

"My time doesn't start until we get to the party, does it?"

"Nope. Sorry, that's the rule." Miles gave her a smug smirk.

"No, we're almost there. You promise, right? A half hour and we head home."

"Only if you want to. I'm not about to pull you out of there if you're having fun."

"Miles..."

"What? This is your first college party."

"Alfredo likes these guys, right? They feel safe?"

"I trust him, Lena." Miles sighed. "Even if he sexiles me a little too often."

"What? Jealous? At least you get to come hang out with Tessa and me."

"True. I promise, Lena, if you want to leave, we can go back and watch cheesy slasher movies and be antisocial."

Lena glared at him and shook her head.

"What? It's Halloween! If we're done with costumes, it's scary movie time. It's this or pumpkin spice everything!"

"Alright, I surrender, just bring the Halloween candy."

"Deal."

The party house was just a block off campus on an old, tree-lined block. Victorian-style houses lined the block. They looked nice, but college students had mostly taken over. It wasn't a quiet neighborhood. Miles and Lena passed another couple of house parties, but they weren't their target.

"This is ours, ma'am." Miles affected a western accent as he tipped his cowboy hat.

"No, Miles." Lena shook her head. His accent work wasn't one of his strengths.

"Had to try."

"Thanks for testing it on me and not a girl. I suppose it wouldn't hurt to play wingwoman a bit, would it?"

"That's the spirit."

"It's about time we get you laid."

"Lena!" Miles groaned, "I don't know who's worse, you or Alfredo."

"You know you had a sure thing if you didn't take me to prom, Miles."

"I regret nothing. I never do, Lena. You mean a lot to me." Regan squeezed her shoulders as they walked up the path, drenched in purple and orange light. Miles was family; he'd been closer than her siblings even before her parents cut her off.

"Thanks, Miles. Even if this is a terrible idea, I can't hide in my dorm room for four years."

"Nope." Miles stepped into the house first; as soon as he opened the door, a wall of bass and stale beer slammed into Lena like a battering ram. Her nose wrinkled, and Miles must have noticed. "Thirty minutes, Lena." He muttered low before she could retreat.

Across the room, Lena was relieved to see a couple of familiar faces. Alfredo and Helena often came and went from Miles's dorm room for one intramural sporting event or another. Helena was Alfredo's best friend's sister, but Lena thought she was reading too much into the two of them. They always seemed to be competing. Beside them stood a tall blonde, attractive, no doubt, but that wasn't Lena's type.

I can't check out girls at the party; it's not safe. Lena shook her head, then her eyes fell on the fourth in the little scrum, and her internal advice evaporated. The woman was petite, probably a full foot shorter than Lena. She had long, jet-black hair, only with a streak of red on one side of her face and blue on the other, almost looking like a Vocaloid that had somehow escaped containment.

The woman's outfit did nothing to dispel that belief. Primarily black, it featured a shiny white V from her shoulders down into her skirt, and a pink bow over an ample bosom. The frilly black skirt was almost scandalously short, showing off sculpted legs surprisingly long for the short girl. A tall pink heel, with black and white dominating the rest of the shoe, gave her a hint of extra height.

When Lena's visual excursion returned to the woman's face, intense brown eyes were wide, staring directly at her. Shit, I'm caught! Lena looked away, taking in the black cherry lip gloss. The whole package reminded her of brightly colored frogs in the Amazon, warning away potential predators with bright displays of color.

"Let's go check out the drink selection, and then you can worry about the timer," Miles said, breaking Lena out of her blush, heart still racing.

"Thirty minutes, Hoit." Lena reminded him.

"A cowboy and a lumberjack." A man in a blue top, white pants, and a red bandana tied around his neck slurred.

"If you can't tell that's a lumberjill, you're blind." The woman that Lena had been staring at said in a loud, clear voice. Lena couldn't help but look over and flash a smile at the woman. She was used to being misgendered occasionally when she dressed conservatively, usually as a direct sneer at her outfit. The drunken man didn't seem to have ill intent, but it was nice to be defended by someone other than Miles for once.

Even more dangerous, however, was the young woman's smile and wink from the loud pop of color. Lena wanted to say something, to thank her for the defense, but nothing came out as she tried to speak. She had to hide her attraction to a woman who likely wasn't even into girls.

"You know this isn't high school anymore, Lena," Miles whispered as they stepped into the kitchen. "I think that woman was into you."

"No way, Hoit. I've got to be careful."

"I get it, but there is a difference between careful and nonexistent. I think that woman was into you."

"Me?" Lena barked a single laugh. "Sorry, she's probably not into girls and definitely not in my league."

"And that league would be beautiful, intelligent girls? Rum and Coke?"

"Just one, Miles," Lena warned. Being careful meant not doing anything stupid because she had one too many.

"Of course," Miles nodded as he poured her a drink.

"Whiskey and Seven for you?" Lena couldn't just be served; she needed to be part of it.

"Yes, ma'am. Whoa! Not Kentucky Gentleman or Old Crow? This party might have some taste!"

"Doesn't seem too bad. Not a high density of dude-bros or frat guys."

"Think it might be about to get better." Miles motioned with an orange cup as he poured. It was almost impressive he didn't spill. Lena followed his subtle motion to see the tall blonde and otaku woman walking in together.

"Are you pouring?" The blonde asked Miles.

"I suppose I am. What can I get you?" Miles tried his western accent again. Lena shook her head and grinned.

"Vodka cranberry? Want something, Aoi?"

"Not a drink. I still have some whiskey. What I want is your name." Aoi grinned at Lena.

Does she really want my name? Lena blinked, frozen for a moment.

"Hi, I'm Miles. This woman you appear to have stupefied is Lena. You said your name is Aoi?"

"Yup, and this is Regan. What are you drinking, Lena?"

Aoi - Flirting with Lena

"Rum and Coke." Pink rose on Lena's cheeks. The woman smelled nice, something floral that Aoi couldn't quite place. It was delightful above the scent of spilled whiskey, burnt popcorn, and pressed bodies.

"So you're the infamous Miles and Lena, huh?" Aoi swirled her cup, the ice barely holding on.

"In... infamous?" Lena recoiled at the phrase.

"According to Alfredo, yeah." Aoi hadn't heard much about the pair, but leaning into familiarity with new acquaintances usually worked.

"What did my roommate say?" Miles shifted, closing off and moving toward Lena like her bodyguard.

"Not much, really, just you existed."

"How do you ladies know Alfredo?" Miles raised an eyebrow.

"Not like that!" Aoi snickered. Alfredo's reputation wasn't a secret. "Regan has a team sports class with him and Helena."

"Those two in the same class... Do they compete at everything?" Miles asked, handing Lena a cup.

"I don't know if it's worse if they are on the same team or opposing teams." Regan's eyes went wide as if she were staring into the middle distance. "It's a thing." She laughed.

"So what do you do for fun, Lena?" Aoi asked, hoping she was tamping down her enthusiasm just a hair. Not everyone could handle her at full buzz. Even Regan occasionally tired of her at full volume.

"It's mostly studying and work," Lena said, seemingly refusing to meet her gaze.

"Movies, dabbling in cosplay, stuff like that," Miles added.

"Cosplay? Like your axe? I like it."

"I didn't do it... It was Tessa."

"Tessa? Tessa Diaz?" Aoi asked.

"Wha... how do you know her?" Lena looked at her, blinking.

"Anime club. Come on, it looks a little obvious, right?" Aoi did a spin. She could feel Lena's eyes on her until she turned back around. Lena was watching her, but she looked away as soon as Aoi tried to catch her.

"I guess."

"I think we're going to go find Alfredo and Helena. It was nice to meet you." Miles nodded and waved his cup. He and Lena turned and left.

"Damn. My game must be off." Aoi sighed and set her drink down. If she was going to make any progress with the woman, she needed all her mental faculties.

"Maybe she's not into girls, Aoi." Regan shook her head.

"She was checking me out any time she got the opportunity! What about the cowboy? He was cute."

"He was. I... He was really cute, Aoi."

"Then we divide and conquer. Play my wingwoman."

"I don't know if I like that terminology. We're not conquering anyone, Aoi." Regan shook her head.

"Not with that attitude."

"Give her a minute, Aoi. You can be a lot, like trying to get into a cold pool. Once you get in, it's awesome, but it takes a minute."

"No awesomeness overdosing?"

"Something like that. Give me a few minutes; I'll talk to Fredo and Helena, see if she's even into girls."

"Argh! That seems too much like high school bullshit that I have no time for!"

"I never recall you playing that game, Aoi."

"Never needed to. I saw a boy I liked, and he knew it." Aoi sighed. "You might be right about Lena, though. I'll give you a minute."

"You've got it bad for her."

"I already told you I was going to marry that girl!" Aoi shook her head.

"Five minutes, Aoi. Go hang out for a few minutes, and I'll come back. It's different when pursuing a woman. Maybe she's worried about her safety."

"Safety? I'm not scary."

"You can be, but that's not what I mean. Perhaps you're right, and she's been checking you out. I... I think I saw the same, but... Not every woman has a family or friends who are perfectly comfortable with her sexuality."

"Oh... I hadn't thought about that." Aoi's stomach sank, and she tried to push down a blast of anger triggered by the disgust that followed. "Okay, five minutes."

Aoi tried to suppress her buzzing energy as Regan stepped out into the backyard. She knew if she followed, she'd probably only make things worse. She'd never met anyone who was scared of her before. Well, at least not on first impression. She could be fearsome if anyone made fun of friends or Sota, her baby brother, but people had to wrong her or them first for her to be scary.

As she stepped through the house, the party was filling the living room, but there was still plenty of room on the dance floor. Find a co-star in case Lena's not interested? Aoi considered it but wasn't very interested. Lena had subsumed her mind. In particular, that smile she got. Her mind raced, trying to find a way to get another smile like that. Maybe a little more open of a smile.

Craig the zombie had evidently found another target after Aoi discombobulated the man by merely ordering a drink. Not an approach that works with Lena. Aoi replayed the conversation with Lena in her head and thought she had a thread to pull. She needed to figure out where she'd set down her scepter. I must have done it when I got a drink. Aoi remembered bringing the prop with her but not what she'd done with it.

There it is. Aoi picked up the sculpted plastic and Styrofoam. It had looked too much like a dildo at certain points of the construction. Tessa had helped her shape it into something respectable. Not that waving around a dildo as part of a costume would faze her; it just wasn't right for her character. Too many ribbons on it. Black, pink, and white ribbons spilled from the prop's middle and end.

Thinking for a moment, Aoi decided to borrow one of each color to tie a ponytail. She used the microwave's reflection to make sure the ribbons were straight. Better.

"Have you just been hanging out in the kitchen all night?" Regan said, interrupting Aoi's primping.

"It's been like five minutes! Something you demanded. I even toured the house!" Aoi shook her head. "Like the ribbons? I was worried the colors clashing with my red and blue." She deflected for another moment, fearing that Regan might be bringing bad news.

"They look great, Aoi, but do you want to hear my report?"

"I don't know, do I?"

"I think so. Miles says, and don't go spreading this everywhere: Lena's a lesbian."

"She is?" Aoi tried to soften her smile, but doubted it would work. Giddy energy rushed through her, threatening to spill out in excited bounces.

"She is, but go slow. Things... They haven't worked out for her before. That's all Miles would tell me, and I tried my best interrogation techniques!"

"You should have tried flashing him! You could have gotten more information!"

"Aoi!"

"What!? It would've worked."

"Might have." Regan rolled her eyes and shook her head. "She's by the fire pit. Go talk to her, but go slow, Aoi."

"Normal people slow, or Aoi slow?"

"I'd recommend the former, but we know that's not the Aoi way."

"Nope, thanks, Regan."

"Go. I've done enough high school crap for one night. Good luck."

Nerves didn't typically bubble up in Aoi the way she heard Saori and Regan describe them. Sure, she occasionally felt prickles, but she never did the slow-get-into-cold-water thing. She gloriously cannonballed in, giggling against the bracing shock. She fought that urge, taking a deep breath as she walked back out to the fire pit. Lena sat, sipping her drink and watching the flames.

"Hey, anyone sitting here?" Aoi asked, waiting for a reply before flopping onto the nearby stump arranged around the fire as a seat.

"No." Lena shook her head and replied monosyllabically.

"Did I say something wrong?"

"No, it's not you, sorry." Lena sighed. "It's my first college party, and I guess I don't quite know what I'm doing."

"Oh, I can be your party sherpa if you'd like."

"Maybe in a few minutes. I just need to get my bearings."

"You said Tessa Diaz made your axe? It's nice work."

"Thanks, she's my roommate. If she hadn't let me borrow an axe, I wouldn't have had a costume."

"You make a very beautiful lumberjill, Lena." Hint, hint, hint. Aoi wanted to be a blunt instrument, but Regan was often right. Too much? "Tessa helped with this. Aoi held out her scepter. I wouldn't have a costume without her either."

"I didn't see her working on anything like this, may I?"

"Yeah, sure," Aoi said, but got an idea. "Trade the axe as collateral."

"Ah man, ruining my evil plan! I'd come to the party just to steal that very prop!" Lena smiled as she handed over the axe with both hands, the blade pointed toward her as if she were handling a real weapon. "I'll have to come up with a new scheme."

"Wow, this is light! It looks like real wood!" Aoi took the axe and then handed over her scepter.

"The things my roommate can do with foam are incredible. If I tried to make something like this turn out... It would probably end up a little phallic." Lena laughed as her cheeks went pink.

Aoi needed more of that laughter, even if it meant more pink. "That's actually why I needed Tessa's help in anime club. Everything I tried made it look like a dildo." Aoi shrugged.

"Oh, yeah, I could see that."

"I came over to see if I could do better than my first impression in the kitchen and to recruit you."

"Recruit me? This isn't another weird cult thing like the girl on my floor, or a sorority thing, is it?"

"Oh hell no! I'm a GDI for both."

"GDI?"

"God Damn Independent!" Aoi said with a chuckle. A brief burst of concern, wondering if Lena's caution came from a religious background.

"I prefer Tri-Fs."

"Tri-Fs?"

"Friends For Free!"

"Guess that works for both, too, doesn't it?"

"So, what are you trying to recruit me for?"

"Your best friend and my roommate... We need to hook them up!"

"Oh, good idea!"

"Come on, we can plot together!" Aoi offered Lena a hand up.

"Huh, looks like they're pretty chummy already." Lena pointed to Regan and Miles joining a game of cornhole with Helena and Alfredo.

"And I hear we're supposed to avoid those two competing. Care to take me up on the party sherpa thing? We can spy on them while I introduce you to your first college party."

"Lead away."

Aoi turned around, motioning for Lena to follow, hoping her smile wasn't too lecherous. "I believe you've already seen the activities in the backyard. They're good, but they could use a little more Halloween theming."

"Are party games in costumes the same as Halloween games?"

"Exactly! I will hand it to them; at least the beanbags are orange and black."

"On theme, but it makes the black a little hard to see in the dark."

"Drinking games in the backyard do limit the sour beer smell for the next little while. Looks like they are going into boat races now. They were playing flippy cup. Ever played a drinking game?"

"Just a round of 'Never Have I Ever.' I didn't get much of a buzz, though."

"Ah, you need more experiences then," Aoi said, holding the screen door open to the kitchen.

"It is college, isn't it?"

"That's the spirit. Usually, booze is bring-your-own, maybe a keg of light beer, but these guys go all out for Halloween. Middle shelf booze even."

"Rum wasn't bad." Lena nodded.

"Plenty of bathrooms, never discount that! Trust me, you don't want to spend your night waiting in line."

"Decorations are nice."

"Better themed than the backyard games, agreed. There's a terrible slasher flick showing in the first bedroom, but I want to draw your attention to the dance floor. They've done a much better job clearing things out and giving plenty of space. Are you a dancer, Lena?" Aoi asked as they stepped into the front room. Lena had told her to go slow, but she needed to take a chance.

"I've done a little."

"Would you like to dance with me? I love to dance."

"With... With you?" Lena's eyes darted around the room.

"Uh-huh."

"No. Sorry, I can't." Lena shook her head. "Sorry!" She drifted back, then turned and sped to the yard.

"Well, shit. I fucked that up." Aoi muttered. She flopped into a chair, mind racing over what she had done.

Lena - Moments Earlier

"Would you like to dance with me?" Aoi asked innocently, but Lena blinked. She could see a scared middle schooler asking her the same thing. "I love to dance."

"With..." Lena tried to talk, her throat suddenly thick.

Five years ago, she'd asked: "With me?" Lena could feel the repetition in her words. The dance itself had never been the problem back in eighth grade. It was what happened afterward.

"With you?" Lena looked around, trying to figure out who was watching them, who was judging. Who would disagree with two women dancing?

"Uh-huh." Aoi smiled, batting those dangerous brown eyes.

"No." Lena heard herself say without thinking. "Sorry, I can't." Hot tears welled in her eyes. "Sorry!" She stepped backward, away from a stunned-looking beauty. She hadn't even gotten to compliment her ponytail and the tri-colored ribbons. Lena fled, as if running from this moment would prevent another like the one in the middle school hallway.

Lena ignored everyone in the kitchen, looking away as she waited for a couple coming through the door. She didn't need anyone to see the tears she could barely blink away. She scrambled across the backyard toward the cornhole game where Miles had been having a good time the last she saw him.

"Thirty minutes, right?" Lena tapped his sleeve when she found him lounging and enjoying a drink while Alfredo and Helena played.

"Hey. What happened? It looked like you and Aoi were having a good time." Miles met her in the backyard, still playing cornhole, or at least waiting for another turn.

"She asked me to dance."

"Sounds like that would be a good thing."

"It should be... But..."

"Middle school, right?"

"Yeah, Miles. Middle school. I know you were the one that got hurt."

"I'd do it again in a heartbeat, Lena."

"I know. That's why I can't let you."

"Stop. Deep breath, Lena." Miles put a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I'll drop everything and head back to the dorms with you if that's really what you want. A promise is a promise, but it looked like you and Aoi were having a good time."

"I don't even know if she's into girls."

"She's bisexual. You told me I could tell Regan you were into girls."

"I... yeah. What happened to her?"

"We got our butts kicked by those two, and she went to grab a water. Blamed the one drink on her loss." Miles laughed. "Personally, one drink puts me in the perfect zone. If I had another, though..."

"The dartboard incident?"

"Yeah... Lucky Megan finally forgave me for that one." Miles shook his head. "Only took replacing that phone with a better one. Took a chunk of my summer earnings." He stilled for a moment, watching the final throw of Helena and Alfredo's all-too-serious cornhole match.

"I win!" Helena held up her arms and cackled.

"Your foot was on the line!" Alfredo complained, his laugh doing a lot to sell how unconcerned he was.

"Bullshit!" Helena shook her head. "That's two of three."

"Want me to go get you another drink?"

"Nah, I had something else in mind." Helena flicked something out of a pocket, a little square foil packet. "I know you're Eli's best friend, but I've heard good things, and I'm curious."

"Okay."

"It's just I've heard you've got a good cock, and I need to know if it's true."

"I already said okay, Helena." Alfredo nodded. "No tough sell."

"Good." She smiled. "There's an empty bedroom, and I need to get fucked, Alfredo." Helena handed over the condom and pointed. "Last one there loses!"

"Wait! I don't know which bedroom!" Alfredo complained as he jogged after Helena.

"Somehow I think those two are going to turn sex into a competition." Miles shook his head.

"Probably. I almost feel bad for the bed!" Lena laughed. "You know hookups aren't such a bad thing, Miles."

"You keep saying that, but you know that real relationships aren't scary, either."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Someone will get hurt, and based on the universe's twisted sense of humor, it'll be my friends and not me." Lena sighed.

"You know, we get agency, too." Miles straightened his stance and frowned.

"What do you mean?"

"I'm always going to go to bat for you, Lena. That's unqualified. You're family. My family. You get the same treatment as my dad or my sisters. Whether you like it or not. You don't get to decide I can't stick up for you, that I can't confront a guy in the hallway."

"I... I can't watch you bleeding in the hallway again, Miles! I can't."

"Okay, so what's your plan? Are you going to shut yourself off from the world, occasionally have meaningless sex when you get the urge?"

"I... I haven't thought that far."

"Look, Lena. I don't want to sound like I'm getting angry, or want to take away how you feel about the absolute shit the world dumped on you. What your family did... fuck, it makes me angry! But don't think they are going to come back just because you don't have a relationship. What do you want, Lena? Honestly, what do you want? Forget all the bullshit and just ask what you want, Lena."

"I..." Lena closed her eyes, and Aoi in her cute costume danced in her arms. "I don't want to be alone, but I'm scared, Miles."

"We all are, and some of us don't have half the reasons to be scared as you do. I'm happy to take you home tonight, but it's time to get out of the cocoon. Maybe it's just joining us for trivia night or bowling. We are going to do things that aren't just meeting at one of our dorm rooms, okay?"

"Thanks, Miles. I need a swift kick to the hindquarters occasionally."

"Happy to help, but before we can go, you've got to do one thing first."

"It's been more than a half hour, Miles."

"It has." Miles nodded. "I just don't remember a lumberjack carrying a scepter. It doesn't quite fit. A magical girl, though..."

"Oh, oops!" Lena held up the scepter that really did look a little like a gussied-up dildo. Lena shook her head and giggled. "A magical girl with an axe, though..."

"I'd watch that terrible slasher movie." Miles nodded.

"I was thinking maybe she was the final girl, not the monster."

"Huh. Maybe you should talk to her when you take the scepter back. A final girl sounds like a good thing. I'm going to go talk to Regan while you decide."

"I'd hate to interfere with whatever you two have going."

"Mostly losing in cornhole so far, but I wouldn't hate getting another opportunity."

"Fine, one dance. That'll buy you a little time, brother." Lena hugged Miles.

"Alright! Go get that final girl, Lena. She really digs you."

Lena left Miles in the backyard, smiling and determined to get the dance she'd refused.

Aoi - After the No

"No... No?" Aoi sat down, axe across her lap, her mind racing. "How'd I fuck that up?" She muttered. She stared out at the happy people dancing and having fun. She wanted a tiny slice of that, but that seemed impossible now.

"What are you doing in here?" Regan plopped down in the folding chair beside her. "You might want to cross your legs. Everyone walking by can see your panties."

"Let them see the girl no one wants." Aoi sighed. "Sorry." She crossed her legs. "Fuck, I just about slid into the pity hole."

"No one calls your pussy that." Regan winked, then pulled her into a hug. "Though I sure hope you weren't going to do that at a party."

"Not my kind of crazy, Merrit."

"What happened?"

"I tried to go slow, I really did, Regan, but... I obviously fucked up."

"Being vague, Aoi, that's not like you. Need a drink."

"No... Maybe. If Lena leaves, I'll go back to plan A." Aoi looked around at the other partygoers, searching for worthy co-stars. Instead of feeling excited, she felt a little nauseous. "Though, that doesn't sound like half the fun it did earlier tonight."

"Aoi, I've never seen you get hung up on a single person like this."

"Tyson, sophomore year."

"Nah, I mean you pined for him for a while, but this is more intense."

"Do you believe that love at first sight is possible, Regan?"

"Personally, no. People are so much more complex than a single look. How can you learn anything from a single look? I need to know a guy, learn his personality. Don't get me wrong, lust at first sight is very real. I just think love is so much of a higher value."

"You know, I thought the same before tonight. Except it wasn't a look, I suppose. It was a smile. A real, honest, unguarded smile. Here I am setting random chaos fires ablaze around the party like an emotional arsonist, and Lena just smiles at one of my grenades, and I'm just completely thrown off."

"I don't know if correcting a couple of drunks is exactly a chaos grenade, Aoi."

"No, I guess not. I must be slipping."

"I don't think you should give up, but tell me exactly what happened."

"This is the first college party Lena has ever been to, so I gave her the grand tour."

"Did you cover the bathrooms? That must be why this is the party house!"

"I did indeed. We saw the drinking games, cornhole, the fire pit, the fine selection of liquors and beer."

"You told her that's not normal, right?"

"Basically. Then I showed her the dance floor and asked if she wanted to dance."

"How did she respond?"

"She told me no. Followed by an I'm sorry. Then she took off toward the backyard."

"So, you two were friendly until you got to the dance floor?"

"Yeah."

"Maybe it had to do with the activity. You could ask her to play cornhole or something."

"After she ran off like that? It was like I was suddenly scary." Aoi shook her head, movement out of the corner of her eye grabbing her notice.

"I'm going to beat you, Alfredo!" Helena zipped by, interrupting the talk for a moment.

"I don't know where we're going! Hard to win a race like that." Alfredo raced after the tall woman, a foil packet pinched between his thumb and forefinger catching the light and Aoi's attention.

"Sounds like an excuse!" Helena turned around laughing in a manner that would have suited a supervillain. She almost let Alfredo catch her before taking off again.

"What new challenge do those two have going?" Regan asked when the two hustled off down the hallway.

"Sex as a competition, that's a little weird, even for me." Aoi smiled. "Plus, her twin is Alfredo's best friend."

"Yeah, super weird." Regan shook her head and chuckled. "Important question, Aoi."

"Yeah?"

"Do you think she was saying no to you, or to dancing?"

"I..." Aoi remembered flirting with the beauty several times and getting smiles and laughs in return. "Maybe it was only the dancing."

"So, what do you want to do, Aoi? Are you looking for a woman like Lena or more meaningless sex?"

"I... I meant what I said to you earlier, even more now that I've gotten to know her a little."

"Then I suggest you go find out. She might want her axe back, though... It's a good look for a slightly goth magical girl."

"It does work, doesn't it?" Aoi smiled. "I will, but I need to know how it's going between you and the cowboy."

"Him?" Regan's cheeks went pink. "He's cute, isn't he?"

"Depends, are you into tall, built guys with those eyes?"

"I am." Regan nodded.

"Then don't let my pity party hold you up all night. Get you some cowboy!"

"I will, but go slow, Aoi. Don't scare her off."

"I'll try." Aoi stood, straightening her dress.

"You got this, Aoi." Regan gave her a hug.

Aoi didn't have to travel too far to find Lena. She'd just come into the house, brandishing the scepter. The colorful burst of ribbons didn't quite work for a lumberjill, but Lena could make it work if she chose to. Aoi showed off the axe, hoisting it with both hands as if she were about to go to war.

"It's a cute look, Aoi." Lena smiled. "Someone needs to do a slasher flick and a convention, and your costume would make the perfect final girl."

"I'd rather not be left alone." Aoi took a couple of steps forward, the loud activity of partygoers falling away.

"Convenient, I'd rather the final girl have some company." Lena blushed but didn't turn to flee this time. "Sorry about earlier, there are just some things involving dancing that I don't want to get into now."

"We can play some cornhole."

"No, or maybe later. This cute girl asked me to dance, and I think it's high time that I overwrite some bad memories."

"I think I could be persuaded to assist in that."

"Good, I don't intend to dance with anyone else tonight. Come on." Lena reached out and grabbed Aoi's hand. She choked up on the axe with her other hand, freeing it.

"Lead away." Aoi's cheeks burned as she smiled. A few minutes ago, she thought she'd ruined everything, and now this incredible woman wanted to dance with her. No one even blinked at a pair of women threading through the kitchen and back out to the dance floor.

"I don't think we need weapons on the dance floor." Lena set the scepter on a little end table.

"I don't know, Frankenstein's monster over there looks a little grabby."

"It only looks like the Bride of Frankenstein has anything to fear from him." Lena shrugged. "A fist might be slightly more effective than a foam axe, if warranted."

"Sold." Aoi set the axe atop the same table and took Lena's hand.

Dancing with Lena, swaying to an uptempo song, felt good, if a little off. It was as if both girls were feeling each other out, expecting the other to lead. It was like two people walking toward each other in the hallway, each trying to dodge the same direction. Each girl tried to take the lead just to surrender it moments later. I don't need to lead. Let her come to me. Aoi tried to be patient like her best friend suggested.

Nope, that doesn't work. Aoi looked up at Lena, who had frustration in her brown eyes. The song changed to something slower, and something clicked. Neither girl was leading, nor were they both subservient to the beat. Instead, they found their own groove, a middle ground as if they'd found a new center of gravity. "I'm Your Moon!" Aoi thought of a song her father loved when she was a kid. It was sweet, a little mournful, and utterly romantic.

Lena had caught Aoi's attention the moment she walked in, but now Aoi could feel how Incredible the woman was against her body. As if she were created for her. Even more effective was the smile that slowly spread across Lena's face. She was enjoying herself, and Aoi was the cause. Plenty of other bodies filled the dance floor, but the pair wove through with aplomb.

The moment was far more than Aoi's active imagination could conceive when she first asked Lena to dance. Aoi felt light and giddy on her heels, relishing Lena's floral scent. If that had been the extent of their time on the dance floor, Aoi would be ecstatic, but when the song changed, she was ill-prepared for the cannonball into the unknown. Lena leaned down, lips parting.

Aoi pushed up on her toes to close the distance. Lena was soft in a way that no man she had ever kissed had been. That didn't mean passion was lacking, far from it. Her world stopped, then shattered, consumed by the first kiss she'd ever shared with a woman. Her earlier conversation with Regan became tangible in a single motion.

Lena - A Little Earlier

Do I even remember how to dance? Lena tried to hide her worry as she stepped onto the old hardwood, generations of college students likely mistreating it, yet it was somehow resilient. She let her mind wander to how ancient beer must have created the odd patina, so she didn't panic with this phenomenal woman in her arms.

Aoi's smile was so genuine and pure, and the feeling of the petite woman in her arms obliterated any attempt to take her mind off the moment. Left, right, legs! You can do this! Lena begged her limbs to cooperate. You've seen plenty of dancing. You even liked doing it once upon a time.

Instead of feeling the beat, Lena tried to control it. She tried to take command, then attempted to let Aoi lead. Neither seemed to work. Everything, except the feel of Aoi against her, the woman's blazing brown eyes, and her black cherry lips, felt wrong, as if she were waiting for a bomb to explode. She was too busy worrying about something bad she was certain would happen, and her disobedient legs, that she couldn't stay in the moment.

Breathe, Lena. You wanted this moment. Embrace it. Lena closed her eyes for a mere second and listened to the beat. One more deep breath, and she let go, not worrying about who needed to lead and who needed to follow. Only the music, Aoi, and Lena remained. The rest of the party fell away, the scent of Aoi's fruity shampoo tickling the best places in her head.

When the song changed, Lena couldn't help herself. She leaned down; if Aoi wasn't feeling this, she could pull back. She didn't. Instead, she clutched at Lena's flannel, the kiss as inescapable as a black hole. Lena had kissed women before, but it was never really romantic. It was a precursor to sex, or a thank you for a good release, but this was making up for a lifetime of missing romance.

Aoi's lips were hungry, one kiss bleeding into another. Her arms wrapped around Lena's neck as Lena grabbed her hips and pulled the woman even closer. Her fear wasn't gone; Lena didn't think that would ever fully abate. However, right now, it was a tiny murmur in the cacophony of a raging symphony. Lena's gut untwisted, and she was finally, truly in the moment.

"Not bad." Aoi teased as she pulled away, mischief making her brown eyes dance in the dimmed dance-floor lights.

"That's all I rate?"

"Got to give you room to improve; might get me more kisses!" Aoi giggled.

"And how do you know it won't piss me off?" Lena raised her eyebrow.

"Because a kiss has never felt like that, and I know it's impossible I'm the only one feeling it."

"Imp!"

"Yup, the greatest one you've ever known." Aoi giggled. "Can I interest you in a refreshment?" She grabbed Lena's hand and led her off the dance floor.

"Sure," Lena whispered, following Aoi. If she spoke too loudly, perhaps the universe would see and punish her. Unconsciously, she held her breath. It wasn't the dance when Miles stepped in to defend her; it was after she left the floor. Instead of recriminations, though, all she saw was smiles. Her best friend was leaning against a wall, talking up Regan, but his nod was unmistakable.

"Soda? I don't want to dull my mind when I talk to a certain tall Latina." Aoi grabbed a can intended for mixers off an ice bed.

"Think I might need a kick of caffeine to keep up." Lena grabbed her own Coke off the ice.

"I'm worth it." Aoi giggled as she opened the can.

"I keep waiting for something bad to happen," Lena said, then sighed. "Sorry, last time I danced with a woman, it didn't turn out well for my friend." She shook her head. "That's a topic for another night, though. It might require something stronger."

"Is that a promise that there might be another time to dance?"

"Maybe. I haven't decided on you yet. It seems like you could be trouble."

"Every single day, but it's the best kind." Aoi winked. "Took a minute to get the moves down, but once we did..."

"It felt like we couldn't decide who got to lead."

"And then neither of us and both of us were leading at the same time."

"Absorbed by the beat."

"I..." Aoi blushed. "It reminded me of a song from when I was a kid."

"Oh?" Lena asked before taking a big gulp, the cold cola washing through her.

"My dad's an unrepentant geek and nerd."

"So you came by this honestly?"

"Hell yeah, I did. I combine the best parts of my dad's nerdiness and my mom's assertiveness in a tiny punch of dynamite."

"What song?"

"It's called 'I'm Your Moon,' by Jonathan Coulton. It's about Pluto and her moon Charon. Do you know what's different about them?"

"Pluto's not a planet?" Lena asked.

"It's half of what the song is about, but no, that wasn't what I was going for."

"Let's see... It's out much further?"

"Occasionally, it's closer than Neptune. No, I'm looking for something close enough in size that it's not Charon orbiting Pluto. Instead, they find their own point of gravity, as we found on the dance floor."

"Huh, neat."

"Charon is smaller than Pluto, and we know I'm short stuff. So, it fits even better." Aoi giggled. "More dancing?"

"Sure, the universe hasn't found a way to kick me yet. Might as well push my luck." Lena tossed her empty can in the recycling bin. Aoi soon joined her, and her hand found Lena's again.

Lena still braced for sneers or hard expressions, but friends and strangers alike smiled at her. Miles and Regan were swapping stories. By his gestures, Lena knew he was telling the story of how they'd somehow found a stretch of forest near their homes in Johnson County, Kansas, and gotten lost in it. Megan and Josie came to the rescue.

The pair made it back onto the dance floor just in time for another slow song. There was zero burst of awkwardness this time. It was replaced by that perfect, barely perceptible center of gravity between them. Aoi was the ideal complement to her: a small, lithe partner with a personality bigger than her petite frame.

The next song was quick, bouncy, and energetic. Somehow, Lena didn't have to worry about not knowing the steps to such a tune. It wasn't perfect, not for either of them, but it didn't matter; they smiled and laughed in the moment as one song bled into another. The guy DJing for the night wore something like a Daft Punk helmet as he wove one beat into the next.

"Too bad my roommate isn't going home with Miles." Aoi lamented after the next slow song.

Lena's heart galloped in her chest. Aoi had given her a way out, or an invitation to go deeper. "My roommate's home for the weekend. Do you want to go back to my dorm room?" Lena felt herself running headlong into the scary for the first time.

"Yes! Please take me home." Aoi leaped up and tossed her arms around Lena's shoulders, hitting her lips with a powerful, incinerating kiss. For once, the woman in her arms and the offer of romance, even at breakneck speed, enticed her to take the leap instead of standing back.

Aoi - A Few Heartbeats Later

Another heart-stilling kiss followed Lena's offer. "Take me home, Lena," Aoi whispered. This felt different, and she wanted to yell to everyone how excited she was about what the night was leading to, but she thought Lena wanted to keep it slightly under the radar.

"Sounds like fun." Lena smiled and grabbed Aoi's hand, and they wove through the dance floor. "I just need to tell Miles I'm leaving." Lena picked up her axe as they stepped out of the density of costumed partiers. Aoi took the chance to grab her scepter from the same little table, where a smattering of props lay discarded for the dance floor.

"I think he knows," Aoi said, suppressing a giggle. She pointed at Regan and Miles, who leaned against the rail and smiled. When Lena and Aoi looked their way, the pair gave thumbs-ups and toasted their festive plastic cups. Aoi winked after a shrug.

"Do you think those two..." Lena trailed off as they stepped out. The cool autumn air was more refreshing than bracing.

"I sure hope so." Aoi giggled. She couldn't resist any more.

"They're cute together."

"Kind of like us."

"I... I guess everyone knows I'm a lesbian now..."

"Not everyone, only a few dozen people saw that kiss." Aoi teased, then recoiled slightly, wondering if her sharp tongue would ruin things.

"Start small and go from there, huh?" Lena's smirk looked forced. "Oh, uh, you didn't bring a jacket or anything? I live clear across campus."

"We'll have to rely on body heat if we get too cold."

"Love a gal that's always ready to improvise." Lena hip-checked her before they emerged from the street a couple of blocks off campus to an overlook of Redfield State University.

Aoi had lived in Kansas her whole life and heard the jabs and barbs that her home state was flat and boring. They mostly came flying from friends in Missouri or Nebraska. The ones from Nebraska always made her laugh as if they had any room to talk about boring. Redfield State sat on a cliffside overlooking the Missouri River.

The off-campus houses and apartments meant an uphill walk before you hit the ridge and the vast view of the river and stars beyond. Aoi and Regan had the grades to go anywhere, but Regan wanted to go to a state school. One visit was enough for Aoi to decide this was her destination. She visited Washburn, Emporia State, and KU, but none of them tugged at her like this campus. Smart decision.

"Where we going?" Aoi asked as they paused at a crosswalk across the busy five-lane dividing the town from the campus. Even near midnight, cars still flowed steadily.

"Morse Hall."

"Oh..." Aoi trailed off, now straining to think whether Lena could be a floormate. That's stupid. There are nine floors and two wings. It's not a likely outcome. Few knew Aoi's chaos relied on analyzing everything. Some thought her outbursts were flimsy and thoughtless, but they almost always involved thought, complete but high-speed. "Which floor?"

"Five, Northeast."

"Huh, seven, same tower."

"How have we not run into each other in the elevator?" Lena asked as they hustled across the street.

"I'm a stairs girl." Aoi shrugged.

"Explains the toned legs."

"Nah, that's swimming. I'm just impatient."

"Even when you moved in? Or laundry day?"

"Took the elevator to move in, but laundry day goes by stairs. I'm not crazy enough to move in via the stairs." Aoi was relishing Lena still holding her hand on campus.

"I was going to worry about you a bit."

The rest of the walk was in companionable silence past the sculptures dotting the main cross-campus sidewalk. All of them were from Redfield State art alumni, and this semester they were decorated in red and cream, the university's colors. They passed other couples enjoying the cool night air. Most were in their own little world, but Aoi smiled and nodded to a few.

"No stairs in these heels," Aoi said as they entered the brightly lit lobby that sat between the two towers. The pair at the front desk seemed much more concerned with each other than the students entering the building. A tap of a keycard on Aoi's phone let them in, so they didn't need to be too vigilant.

"Yeah, these clomping boots aren't great at navigating stairs."

As soon as the elevator doors closed, Aoi grabbed Lena's collar with the same hand holding her scepter and pulled her down to kiss her. Lena didn't fight her, more passion burning without an audience. As the doors opened, fear gripped Aoi and slowed her steps. She wanted what was promised to come next, but she had no experience with a woman. Everything was pure theory.

Aoi almost missed Lena stopping at a door. "Wait... 524? No fucking way!"

"Let me guess, 724?"

"Uh-huh." Aoi nodded as Lena tapped her phone to the door. "You were underneath me this whole time, and I had no idea."

"Oh, you'll know the next time I'm underneath you." Lena smiled, stole a kiss, then turned on the light.

Morse Hall was the most popular dorm on campus for a reason. It opened just after the pandemic, and the rooms were larger than those in the other two dormitories on campus. Two beds were built into the opposite wall, leaving space for a pair of desks under the windows to Aoi's left. One desk was neatly organized, with not a scrap of paper out of place, while the other was strewn with fabric scraps.

"The far one is Tessa's desk," Aoi said, skipping into the space and trying to hide a growing apprehension.

"How'd you guess?" Lena said with a wry smile, setting her axe reverently on the desktop.

"Had a fifty-fifty shot." Aoi shrugged. "Got a little lucky. Psych major?" Aoi perused the books neatly stacked on Lena's desk.

"Yup."

"So, you're trying to profile me?"

"Nope, haven't gotten to Abnormal Psychology yet." Lena winked.

"Hey! I was aiming for that joke!"

"I saw the cogs moving in your head."

"Future psychologist!"

"I have like half a semester of classes!"

"Dunning-Kruger is a bitch!" Aoi chuckled.

"Can be, but I try to stay humble. Can't promise the same from my classmates." Lena stepped forward, hands on Aoi's hips, and kissed Aoi behind the ear. "Listen, if you just want to watch a movie or something, I'm fine with that, too."

Did she feel my anxiety? Aoi paused for a moment. Chaos over fear. "Maybe. Turn around for me for a minute."

"Okay..." Lena smiled and turned around.

"No peeking!" Aoi declared, setting her scepter beside Lena's axe.

Point of no return. Aoi pulled up her skirt and slowly, quietly worked her panties down her legs. She had to maneuver a little to thread them off without taking off her heels; she needed the boost around her tall partner. How the costume should have been all along. Aoi wrapped her panties around her wrist, a technique she used to keep from losing them that Regan called the Aoi method.

Blood rushed through her ears as Aoi took a deep breath. Doing something crazy calmed her, as there was no going back. Things were already in motion, so she no longer had the luxury of fear. She just had to roll with the consequences as the pieces fell where they may.

"Okay, you can turn around!" Aoi leaned into a chipper tone, waiting for her lumberjill's eyes to fall upon her. Aoi spun through the space, her skirt rising as air passed over bared skin. Lena's eyes widened as she stopped spinning, giggling.

"My god..." Lena blinked, jaw dropped.

Lena - Moments Earlier

Lena felt like she was nothing more than flotsam swept into the Missouri in a spring storm. Aoi was a force who took her from wanting to barely stay at a party, a promise for a scant half hour, to dancing half the night. If the woman had lost her nerve when they got back to Lena's dorm room, so be it. But Aoi needed Lena to turn around, and Lena hoped for more.

"Okay, you can turn around!" Aoi shouted, voice calm and cheery.

Wasting no time, Lena turned, desperately trying to figure out what the surprise was. Aoi twirled from the door toward the desks, her skirt rising with centripetal force. More and more of her long, tanned legs appeared, like a movie premiere curtain rising.

The first hint of what Aoi had done hit Lena like a hammer to the chest. Her full, round booty was completely uncovered. Lena's jaw dropped at the toned perfection on display, but the spin wasn't finished. A thin line of groomed dark pubic hair left no doubt that Aoi had spent her time removing her panties. Lena had caught peeks of Aoi's panties during the party; Aoi hadn't been discreet, but now the black and pink fabric decorated her wrist.

"My god..." Lena trailed off as Aoi finished her spin and giggled.

"Like what you see?" Aoi asked, hand on her hip, panties displayed like a waving flag declaring her sexuality.

"Take it you don't just want to watch a movie."

"Had other things on my mind." Aoi laughed again and then started another spin. "Magical Girl Transformation!" The woman yelled, gripping the hem of her dress as she twirled; the garment rose, then it flew across the room. Lena didn't see where it landed, far too transfixed by the beauty in front of her. Aoi managed to get her bra off with the dress in such a flourish that Lena wondered if she'd practiced it.

Placing her hands on her hips, stance tall, feet still in heels, shoulder-width apart, Aoi wasn't asking Lena to look. No, she was demanding Lena's full attention. I'd hate to disappoint. Everything about Aoi was lean and toned. Asking about her exercise routine probably needed to wait until later.

A thin silver necklace with a single diamond pendant hung over her clavicle, drawing Lena's gaze down, away from the proud smile on black cherry lips. Aoi's breasts had seemed outsized in her dress, but here they fit the petite woman with utter perfection. They were unfairly perky with a shape reminiscent of ski slopes. Her areolae were dark brownish-pink and the size of dimes, barely larger than Aoi's thick nipples. Lena needed a taste.

While Aoi didn't have abs, her tummy was flat and toned, not needing the white V of her costume to point Lena to her pronounced mound. A pencil-thin line of black pubic hair marked the top of her womanhood, but everything else was neatly shorn. Her thighs glimmered with excitement.

"Aren't Magical Girl Transformations supposed to put girls into their heroic outfit?" Lena asked as she stepped forward, not letting Aoi answer before the kiss cut off her rebuttal.

"This is how I'm my most magical!" Aoi shrugged, then grew oddly quiet, eyes darting into the far corner. This was close to the expression that made Lena question if Aoi just wanted to watch a movie.

"Too much?" Lena took a step back.

"No." Aoi shook her head, closed the distance, and pulled Lena back down for a kiss. "I've just never done this before."

"Never been with a woman?"

"No, but it's more than that. I've never... no guy ever..."

"What?" Lena kept her voice soft, hoping to coax whatever worried Aoi out.

"No one has ever gone down on me! I've not even been fingered by anyone other than myself! Had sex, though."

"Poor girl, I'd be honored to introduce you to the subject," Lena smirked.

"Glad I found a woman with some experience."

"Perhaps less than you're expecting." Lena sighed. "I've only had sex a handful of times, with two different women. I think we're going to have to learn together."

"Could be fun." Aoi stood a little taller, her brown eyes meeting Lena's. "Teach me." That blazing confidence was back.

"More formal lessons will have to wait until I show you the thrill of oral sex." Lena hoisted Aoi into her arms and spun them toward her bed, laying Aoi down so her rump was at the edge of the mattress.

Lena leaned over Aoi, hands on either side, and rained kisses on those black-cherry-stained lips.

"Mmm..." Aoi gasped as Lena nuzzled into her neck, breathing in a heady mixture of Aoi, shampoo, and fruity body wash. A little salty sweat from their dancing made the kisses savory and sweet. She kissed down the line of Aoi's little pendant, which must have meant something to her, since it couldn't be seen in costume.

Unlike her other encounters, Lena was compelled to come back to meet her woman's lips when she ventured too far away. Each kiss seemed warmer.

Kissing around the swell of each breast, Lena took her time, watching Aoi's eyes follow every movement. Pressure marks from Aoi's bra made Lena appreciate the transformation even more. Under her tongue, Lena relished how Aoi's nipples hardened even further than they had been.

"Please tell me guys have at least played with these two." Lena swirled around one nub with her fingers and the other with her tongue, keeping eye contact as she awaited a response that was more than a moan or a sigh.

"Never... never like that!" Aoi gasped. "Always more of a twisting motion, or just honking the hooters!"

"Honk!" Lena couldn't resist a light honk, followed by a throaty laugh. Something about being around Aoi was boosting both her confidence and her attempts at humor.

"Not like that!" Aoi shook her head, giggling. Lena needed so much more of that in her world. She tried not to dwell on how quiet things had gotten around her. Trying to shut off her heart never worked.

It's a one-night dalliance. Lena lied to herself, acting as if this was anything like when she had sex with the two other women. No one had ever looked at her the way Aoi did. The challenging, impish woman wouldn't let Lena ignore her. She was that final girl with an axe in her hand, facing any monster without once running.

In zero hurry, Lena flicked her tongue against one nipple and then the next, exploring how Aoi's eyes seemed to dilate, or a moan would be summoned as if Lena were playing an instrument. Aoi closed her eyes and turned her head to moan when Lena brought her secret weapon in on things, sliding fingers across the woman's vulva. Aoi was so unbelievably wet. Lena restrained herself from tasting her, not yet.

After one more visit to those sweet lips, Lena toured further south. Aoi's flat tummy was more of a wonder to visit and touch than to see in motion. Lena paused to kiss each hip as she slid a single finger into Aoi's pussy. Her lover gave an enthusiastic nod, then fixed those glowing red-brown eyes on Lena.

"I keep wanting to compliment every part of you, Aoi, but it scares me."

"Oh... does it?" Aoi's question stumbled, in pleasant concert with the curling of Lena's finger against her vaginal walls.

"Yeah, I fear two dangerous outcomes." Lena came up to meet those dark lips without lessening her pressure below Aoi's waist.

"Oh?" A short outburst, paired with Aoi's eyes, was a plea for information.

"First, I'm scared that I'd get stuck in a loop. We'd be up all night lobbing compliments, when I could be doing so much more." To punctuate that, Lena slid a second finger into Aoi's pussy, luxuriating in the way she clenched down on her digits.

"Not... so bad! If you keep doing that."

"I have so much more planned."

"What's two?" Aoi whined.

"See, I know Aoi's power of confidence in one night, and if I bolstered it any more... I fear its effect on space-time!"

"A real risk." Aoi nodded.

Lena kissed each inner thigh in turn, taking a deep whiff of Aoi's musk, tinged with excitement and her tropical body wash. She planted a kiss on Aoi's mound on the stripe of fur. Aoi's pussy was a flower in bloom, her inner labia curling out like a pair of delicate petals. The only part of Aoi that seemed shy at all was her clit hiding in its hood, but Lena was going to ensure that got in on the fun, too.

What she lacked in knowledge, Lena used the contact high she got from Aoi's confidence to great effect. Her first taste of Aoi was a delicacy that she would dream of forever. Every woman tasted subtly different, and where Aoi was typically boisterous, her flavor was faint, but unmissable. She plunged her tongue into Aoi's pussy, the woman's fingers tangling in Lena's hair.

"OHH!" Aoi curled up, screaming toward the door on the far wall.

"I'm just getting started." Lena winked, then came up for a kiss.

"Kisses with Aoi seasoning... Gah!"

"What's that?" Lena paused her fingers for a moment, taunting. It felt like something her lover would do.

"Delightful, they're delightful." Aoi's smile looked drunken.

"That's more like it." Lena pecked the woman's lips one more time before crouching, taking her to Aoi's womanhood. She built Aoi with agonizing speed. Flicking, kissing, licking, and then moving on, only barely bringing Aoi's clit into the fun. "Did the guys know this gal existed?"

"Know, maybe, I had to get her in on the fun!"

"Changing that." Lena smiled, then wrapped her lips around Aoi's pearl, caressing it with her tongue. Aoi's grip on her hair strengthened, jamming Lena into her. Got ya. Lena wanted to maintain eye contact, but had to break it to concentrate. She used Aoi's grip and escalating moans to guide her.

Sucking lightly, Lena modulated her pace to something far too intense for some women and just barely enough for others. Aoi's grip and moans told her all she needed to know. This feels like cheating. Sex was never like this; it was like she was linked telepathically with Aoi, borrowing a bit of her confidence to bring her bliss. Don't think she minds. Lena grinned as she worked.

Aoi's hips bucked against Lena, legs pushing against her ear. Lena knew she was close, and instead of backing off and building her more, she started the cascade. Everyone awake on the floor had to hear Aoi wail. "Yes! Fuck! Fuck! Fuck! YYESSSSS!!!"

Lena stood, keeping her fingers working as Aoi's hands left Lena's hair to grip the sheets as she screamed and writhed. The feeling of Aoi's vagina pulsing against Lena's fingers might have been bringing her more bliss than Aoi, even if that had every look of impossibility. Aoi's back arched and legs shook as she screamed and went silent in cycles that seemed perfectly timed with clenches of her vagina.

"Good..." Aoi's eyes went wild for a moment before softening, almost inebriated. "God..." Her chest rose and fell.

"So that's oral sex with a woman," Lena smirked before kissing Aoi.

"How is there not a line out the door for this ride?"

"You're getting in on the ground floor."

"Lucky me." Aoi leaned in for a kiss before Lena pretended to clean her fingers by sucking on each one. "Holy fuck, Lena! I can't get any more turned on! Unless..."

"Oh!? Unless?"

"Well, this isn't quite fair. Why are you still clothed?" Aoi grinned.

"Me? You want to see me naked?" Lena's confidence flagged for a moment. There was no way that Aoi wanted to see her naked as much as Lena had. Confidence, Lena.

"Lena, if I haven't made it abundantly clear that I'm deliriously attracted to you, consider this the hammer to get the point across."

"Oh, okay." Lena stepped back and unbuttoned her flannel shirt.

"Let me help." Aoi sat up and tugged at Lena's belt. Soon her pants were falling down her legs. Aoi smiling. "You're a goddess, Lena. It's well past time for you to know that."

Lena had never seen herself as all that sexy. Sure she had curves, but she was too sturdy for most. But Aoi's eyes held no deceit. The smile pushed Lena to shed her shirt and undershirt and kick off her boots, leaving her in a decidedly unsexy bra and panty set. She hadn't been planning on going out tonight.

"You're gorgeous, Lena." Aoi stood and walked around Lena, reaching up to unhook her bra. "Doesn't that feel better?" She cooed.

"It does." Lena nodded as she felt Aoi loop her fingers in Lena's panties. She dropped to her knees and pulled them down in one smooth motion.

"Perfection," Aoi's eyes traipsed up and down Lena, smile widening. "Now I need you to teach me how to please you." She turned Lena around and pushed her onto the bed, then followed with an avalanche of kisses.

Aoi - A Little Earlier

As Aoi stood, a pleasant shudder of bliss shot through her again, making her legs wobble slightly. She did her best to hide it, staying calm and composed as she helped Lena disrobe. Every revealed millimeter of skin was revving Aoi's libido higher. Lena had an incredible natural toastiness to her complexion. She wasn't fat; no one could accuse her of it, but she was sturdy.

Thick, toned arms had held her so well when she picked Aoi up and laid her on the bed. She needed more of that kind of attention from Lena. Soon, Aoi had Lena in only a beige pair of panties and a slightly lighter bra. They were unadorned by lace, smooth, utilitarian, and beautiful. The color was several shades lighter than her smooth skin. Aoi couldn't believe she'd been able to free the woman's bosom with shaking hands.

Lena's chest sagged slightly, but that was just gravity and inescapable physics. The woman was stacked. Dark brown nipples with areolae the size of half dollars pointed slightly down from the horizon. Aoi wanted to take a bite out of the woman's round, toned booty, but settled for grabbing the waist of her panties and pulling them down so Lena could step out of them.

"Perfection." Aoi gasped as she saw the goddess fully revealed. Lena's legs were robust, but shapely. Aoi turned the woman around, her eyes roving up and down her body. Lena had a cute wedge of dark brown at the top of her womanhood, neatly trimmed and proudly on display. She didn't fight it as Aoi pushed her onto the bed and climbed on top of her. The added warmth of skin on skin threatened to distract Aoi.

Trying to imitate Lena's movements, Aoi affected more confidence than she felt as she kissed down the woman's body. Her first stop was the nipples that she couldn't get out of her head. Aoi was fascinated by the way the sharp peaks hardened under her tongue.

"Enh! Careful there, Aoi. Those two are very sensitive!" Lena cautioned. "More than most girls, perhaps."

"No playing with your tits?" Aoi couldn't help whining. It felt like someone was taking away her new favorite toy.

"Did I say that?"

"Sort of..."

"I need them in on the fun. You've just got to be gentle with those two."

"Gentle? Like this?" Aoi switched techniques, gliding her fingertips around Lena's areolae with each hand.

"Ohh! Perfect. You can suck on them, but softly."

Aoi toyed and teased for a few minutes, eyes locked on Lena's, studying every twitch and movement as she found the line and tried to toe it, but never cross it. Pleasure, Aoi, hers, not mine. She came up to meet Lena's subtly glossed lips.

After a barrage of kisses fell upon Lena, Aoi shifted, moving down her lover's body. She visited and nibbled on Lena's clavicle, played on her ribs like a xylophone, only slightly more tender. She wanted to push away her fear of being inadequate for a moment. She needed more time with Lena, and without experience, she needed to find a way to make the woman feel even a fraction of the ecstasy she had summoned from Aoi.

Skipping past Lena's womanhood, Aoi kissed down her long legs, clear to her spread ankle, before moving to the opposite limb. She deliberately slowed, not wanting to pounce before she'd left Lena stewing in anticipation.

Lena's pussy shared some of her personality traits, a little reserved, but undeniably beautiful. Until she spread her legs to give Aoi entrance, it had been tightly closed, but with her legs wide, it bloomed like a delicate pink rose. No inner labia curled outside its boundaries. The pink interior was slick and shiny with excitement, sending Aoi into an endorphin buzz. She was the reason the nectar was steeping in her flower's gentle petals.

A sharp inhale drowned Aoi's senses in floral perfume and Lena's musk. It was an invigorating combination.

"Beautiful!" Aoi smiled before she took her first taste. Whatever tinge of worry that she wasn't going to like the taste of pussy was incinerated into ash. Aoi had tasted herself more than once, and Lena was a very different experience. It was robust and delicious on her lips. "Tasty!"

"Gourmet." Lena grinned.

Resisting the urge to just dive in, Aoi took to heart the lesson Lena taught when Aoi overzealously played with her tits. "I'm a novice, Lena. I think I spent all my mental bandwidth experiencing, not observing. Guide me, or I can go get some toys."

"No cheating on me yet." Lena pushed up, resting on her elbows. "Allow me to be your guide."

"Please. I'm just staring like this is the greatest candy store ever made."

"Explore to your heart's content with your tongue. It can do no wrong with me."

"I don't know, you haven't heard all the things she can say!"

"That required more than a tongue. Explore a minute, and then I'll show you how to get fingers in on the fun."

Aoi needed no further prodding to lean in and roam over Lena's silky labia. They were warm and soft, but best of all, when she did it right, she got a moan out of Lena. The more of the woman's dewy honey Aoi lapped up, the more she produced. Oh, this is too much fun. A smile would be plastered on her all weekend, and they'd only just begun.

At the apex of Lena's womanhood, Aoi was careful to take slow laps of Lena's clitoral hood. She may be a novice, but she had done a little research since she discovered her attraction to girls went beyond thinking a woman was cute or pretty. Practical theory wasn't readily converting to direct implementation, but she knew that clits were all sensitive. She also knew that some gals liked more stimulation than others.

Cautious, Aoi still wasn't going to miss this opportunity. She tucked in for a meal, driving her tongue deep into Lena's folds. The harder the woman gripped the mattress beside Aoi, the more she assumed she liked it, in lieu of complete sentences. She added a little suction on either inner lip, one at a time. That got little twitches along with the moans, further calcifying new lessons.

"Fingers?" Aoi asked as she circled Lena's vulva with her fingertips, not daring to venture deeper without instruction from her comely instructor.

"Give me your hand." Lena leaned up, smoothing her dark brown hair back over her shoulders. She'd moved around the mattress so much that static made it poof out most adorably. Aoi offered Lena her right hand. "Sorry, gotta make sure the fingernails are well groomed. That's very important to the type of lesbian sex I like. Yours are painted, short, and smooth, perfect in my reckoning."

It took her some time to come up with the pattern. Three colors didn't divide evenly among the fingers, so she went with pink on the thumb, middle finger, and pinky. White went on the pointer fingers and black on the ring fingers. Aoi finally figured out why she'd been getting a manicure weekly. This morning, she'd gone to get the paint that went with her costume. Not such a frivolous indulgence.

"For me, and every woman is different, I like two fingers, moving like this." Lena curled her fingers as if begging Aoi to come closer. She took that as a sign that her woman needed a kiss.

"That's why you started with one?" Aoi looked down into those deep brown eyes, and Lena nodded. "Sorry if questions take some sexy out of this."

"Never apologize for being inquisitive." Lena shook her head, then leaned in for a smooch. "Only effective way to learn."

"Sure you're not an education major? Because I'd love to be your student."

"I tutor, but no, I don't think so." Lena looked over at her desk. "Nope, still all psychology books."

"Sexy nerd."

"Says the otaku princess," Lena smirked.

"Queen. I've had a coronation. It was a big deal at the manga shop. Surprised you didn't hear about it."

"Then why no crown tonight?"

"I didn't want to seem too ostentatious." Aoi came in for one more kiss before going back to work.

Sliding one finger into Lena's pussy, Aoi savored the silky embrace. More honey flowed, so Aoi did her best to lap it up. It was the only reasonable way to keep Lena's sheets clean. At least that's the reasoning that almost caused her to giggle. A second finger pressed in, and Aoi explored the beauty's vaginal walls, listening for changes in sighs.

Better than that feedback was Lena's legs gently closing around her ears and her hips pushing off the bed toward Aoi's face. "Guide me, teach."

"No need! Just... be you!" Lena gasped.

Aoi took the instruction to heart, exploring and listening as her fingers got slicker. Even though Lena was so tight against her, ample lubrication meant she could move the digits at speed. She varied the technique, gliding in and out of Lena's pussy and then curling her fingers. Her thumb flared against Lena's clit and the woman lurched forward.

"Oh! Advanced skill!"

"Too much?"

"Uh-uh!" Lena shook her head. "Easier with your mouth, though."

Wrapping her lips over Lena's clit, Aoi continued to work with her fingers. She jabbed the captive pearl with her tongue, then flicked at it. Lena shifted on the mattress below her. Lena seemed to react best when Aoi used the learned technique on a perfect rough spot at the top of her tunnel, coupled with the flickers.

"Suck on my clit! You won't hurt me!" Lena begged a moment later. "I need this!"

Aoi obeyed; there was no point in teasing anymore. It was time to finish the job. Even though Lena told her she wouldn't hurt her, Aoi started slowly, building the power of her suction as her fingers moved faster. This was entirely too much fun and all too addictive. This wasn't, no, it couldn't be a one-night thing.

"Like that! Like that!" Lena begged, toying with her own nipples as Aoi looked up, wanting to take notes, but there was too much to do in the moment. Though she didn't think she'd have an issue recalling this night later. Flashbulb memory. Aoi would have to ask her lover more about that since it was her field of study.

When Lena climaxed, it wasn't with a cacophonous roar. Instead, she got quiet, everything stilling except her vagina clutching at Aoi's fingers as she gulped down breaths. Aoi kept her tongue and fingers going until the convulsions stopped.

"Tongue's... too... much." Lena gasped.

"Oh! Sorry, that's too much fun."

"You should try it from this side." Lena's eyelids were heavily hooded.

"I could be persuaded."

"Need to catch... my breath... wow!" Lena rolled so she was parallel to the mattress, instead of her legs hanging over the side. "Come, lie with me a minute."

"Yes, ma'am." Aoi kicked off her heels and snuggled close. They wound down for a few minutes, limbs tangled together. The room was perfectly peaceful, the tension she'd felt before her spin fully behind her.

"So, that's lesbian sex?" Aoi asked a few minutes later.

"Just the tip of the iceberg. We have so much more to learn."

"Yeah, like each other's last names."

"Huh, yeah, would be nice. Since you're royalty, I suppose it's like three miles long."

"Nah, first of my name so I didn't need a ton of extra names."

"Still not telling me."

"Aoi Keiko Kwan, Queen of Okatu." Aoi raised a finger. "Before you ask, yes, Kwan is Korean, and I'm giving off very Japanese vibes."

"The otaku was a hell of a hint."

"A paternal grandmother a few greats back fucked a Korean man." Aoi shrugged, enjoying how Lena's eyebrows shot up. "A few times at least; they had five kids by the time they moved to America. Married and in love, all that stuff, too."

"Aoi..." Lena shook her head, chuckling.

"Your turn."

"If you tell anyone my whole first name, I will disavow it. Not even Miles knows it!"

"Miles doesn't know?"

"Nope. Magdelena Sophie Martinez, don't have any fancy titles."

"Not yet! Give me time. I'll knight you if you prove your worth."

"Knighthood in exchange for sexual favors?"

"Sure, why not! Your queen demands it."

"How about we just learn some more things together?" Lena leaned in for kisses. "Climax was important to get my head straight, but now is time to explore." She kissed down Aoi's body, the night only just beginning. Aoi was hoping it was the first of many.

Lena - The Morning After

Everything was gauzy and hazy in the best way as Lena woke to light drifting through the blinds over her desk. Lena stirred for a moment before a missing Aoi had her sitting up, covers falling off her still naked form. Was it a dream? Lena hoped not. Aoi was beautiful and challenging in the best way. I wouldn't sleep naked by myself. She tried to orient herself in the barely breaking dawn of an early Saturday.

Her pillow still had the perfume of Aoi's fruity shampoo, calming Lena's heart rate a little. She took her bearings, fumbling for the reading light built into the headboard that separated her bed from Tessa's. Her costume, bra, and panties were scattered near the bed. Aoi's dress was slumped over a chair where it landed during her special transformation. Where are Aoi and her shoes?

Bathroom? Morse Hall didn't have an even longer waiting list because each floor had only communal bathrooms. The other dorm across campus had in-room bathrooms, but they were older and required three roommates. A slice of quiet mattered more than a slightly more private lavatory. Four girls to one bath would remind her far too much of home.

Before Lena could get out of bed and find her robe, her door cracked open, and Aoi, still naked, stepped in. Instead of last night's heels, Aoi wore pink-and-black trainers that matched her color choices.

"Morning! Did I wake you? I tried sneaking out quietly." Aoi spun around after she shut the door.

"No, the sun woke me up, and then I was confused and worried that I dreamed up this incredible woman who spent the night with me." Lena sat up, unperturbed by being unclothed. Usually, nudity was a fleeting necessity for Lena, but for some reason she felt comfortable with Aoi.

"Nah, I'm much better than what can be imagined." Aoi giggled and did a little alluring shimmy; her giggle only slightly negated its powers.

"Where have you been in that outfit?"

"Had to tinkle." Aoi shrugged.

"I don't recall having tennis shoes in our bathroom."

"Okay, I had to tinkle on my floor and get some better shoes. Heels aren't great for sneaking."

"You wore that up to the seventh floor?" Lena blinked, only now realizing the extent of the chaos she'd made love to last night.

"I also had to see if my roomy either went home with that cute cowboy or had brought him home to our open dorm room. She was sadly alone. Cowboy seems like a good guy."

"My best friend since... I think the oldest photo I saw of us was from when I was a week old and he was a month old," Lena said. "Again, you roamed up two floors in nothing but heels to go tinkle?"

"I'm not crazy. I carried the shoes." Aoi smirked as if that explained everything.

"I... brave girl. Maybe slightly crazy." Lena held her fingers together.

"Okay, fair. I thought you weren't going to psychoanalyze me." Aoi kicked off her shoes and scampered over to the bed.

"Yeah, not before I take Abnormal Psych!" Lena accepted a kiss from the wonderful petite woman. "No fair! You already brushed."

"Who's scared of a little dragon breath?" Aoi came in for another smooch. "Besides, it was before dawn on the closest Saturday to Halloween. How many college kids were going to be taking the stairs before dawn? My chaos has bounds." She hopped on the bed and encouraged Lena to lie down beside her.

"So, it's not just crazy?"

"Shit, now you and Regan both know it has limits!" Aoi leaned in for one more kiss. "Oh well, we're dating now." It wasn't a question, just a pronouncement.

"Aoi, I don't know if that's a good idea," Lena sighed. It sounded wonderful and exactly what her heart wanted. Her brain couldn't ignore her mental wound.

"Why not?" Aoi shrugged. "You're fucking hot, and we have really great sex. It's not like we were exactly covert last night. People already know, Lena!"

"I suppose we didn't sneak. Unlike some mad woman this morning."

"I might be a bit of a nudist, but I swear today was the first time I did that at the dorms!"

"Sure, might have to interview your roommate about that."

"Okay! Fine, first time outside of my dorm room." Aoi giggled again. It had a melodious sound that Lena needed more of.

No, I already went too far last night. Lena wasn't intending to date anyone at RSU. More sex, sure, but not dating. It wouldn't work out for her. Lena sighed.

"Why isn't it a good idea, Lena?"

"I... fine. You deserve the truth. I'm a lesbian, Aoi."

"You made that very clear last night."

"When people find out, things don't go well. Do your parents know?"

"That I'm bisexual, yes. Then again, I may be a bit of an oversharer."

"And how'd it go when you told them?"

"They were happy for me. Though I don't know if they fully believed me. Saori does. Older sister, she loves me, and we share a lot, even if she doesn't understand my otaku-ness."

"Well... that's great, but... it didn't go well for me, Aoi."

"Didn't go well how?" Aoi sat up, concern wrinkling her forehead.

"This summer started out amazing. I was the first one in my family going to college, and on a full-ride scholarship." Lena sat up, pulling her knees into her chest. "Worked for the parks department all summer so I could afford to fix up an old Cobalt that Miles's father found for me. It was work and the car with Miles all summer. My family was proud of me." She tried to brush away a tear, but she wasn't very good at hiding it.

Aoi handed her a tissue, hopping up and grabbing one mid-story. "I have a feeling there is one hell of a but coming."

"Yeah. A week before college started, I worked up my courage. I told my mom and dad that I was into girls, that I was a lesbian. I always imagined screaming and crying, maybe some anger, but what happened was worse."

"Oh god... what happened?"

"It was like they became emotionless robots as they kicked me out of the house. They told me not to come back. That... that wasn't my family, Aoi. I have a big, loud, boisterous family; there was laughter, tears, anger, but always emotion. This... this was cold..."

"I'm sorry, Lena." Aoi put her arm around Lena as Lena tried to burrow into her knees.

"I'm the fifth of seven kids in my family, and they just cut the mooring line and left me adrift."

"What did you do?"

"Called Miles. The Hoits had a bed set up for me before I could drive over, still in shock."

"His family?"

"Yeah, his dad and two sisters. I don't think I slept all night; I just stared at the ceiling. I thought maybe if I gave them some space... maybe they'd come around, except..." Lena trailed off. This was too much for a girl she met last night.

"Except? You're not going to go quiet on me, Lena." Aoi rubbed her back. "If you don't want to date me, it's fine. I want to know why, though." She looked at Lena with those big brown eyes. "I'm inquisitive like that. It can be annoying and endearing."

"You're dangerous, Aoi." Lena couldn't help a brief smile that didn't drive back the tears.

"Been called worse."

"I went to work the next day, and when I got home, my stuff, all my childhood possessions and keepsakes, were piled on the Hoits' front lawn. It was thorough, but a little rough. I mean... I knew from their initial reaction that something was really wrong, but it felt like they excised me from their lives in a single day. Like I was a rotten tooth." Lena sniffed back more tears. She'd already shed enough tears on this and didn't want to spill any more.

"Miles, Mr. Hoit, and his sisters just saw the mess on the front lawn as they got home from their jobs and helped move me in, declaring that the guest room was now mine. They all hugged me and told me welcome home. Not that big of a deal from Miles and Mr. Hoit, but Josie and Megan... It was new."

"Do you not get along with them?"

"There was never any animosity, but we just never really got along. They were girly-girls, and I'm... well, I'm not. When I needed help, though, they were there. Can't say the same for any of my actual siblings. They cut me off, too. So, Aoi, I'm a bit too broken to date."

"Nope." Aoi shook her head, then squeezed her close.

"I'm wounded, Aoi."

"You are, but thank God for the Hoits."

"Yeah, but... I don't know, what if I start rubbing this in their face and they might."

"Do you really believe that, Lena?"

"No. But I don't want to lose any more."

"Don't take this the wrong way, but what do you have to lose?" Aoi's eyes softened. "Sorry if that comes out rude. I don't have Regan here to translate. Is your plan just not to date? Is that going to make you happy?"

"What? No... Maybe? I came out as a lesbian and lost everything, Aoi."

"Did you? Don't get me wrong, I'm pissed at your parents, but what about the Hoits?"

"I... well, that gets to the second reason. Every time I come out, someone gets hurt."

"Is that all there is to that, or are you going to explain? Please."

"When you asked me to dance last night, that wasn't the first time I danced with a girl, but it's been since middle school." Lena leaned away from her knees. It didn't seem like Aoi was going anywhere.

"What happened?"

"I tried to be myself, and someone didn't like it."

"Yeah, but how was the dance?"

"Nice, a little too far apart, you know, middle school." Lena chuckled again.

"So, what happened?"

"A guy who had a crush on her didn't like it and confronted me in the hall afterward. Miles... Miles stepped in. They shouted, then it turned into a scuffle. Miles fell into the trophy case and onto a '94 Cross Country trophy. Had to get twelve stitches and was suspended for a week. He got hurt because of me. Mr. Hoit was angry until..."

"Until?"

"I told him why Miles got in a fight. He was the second person I really came out to."

"Doesn't seem like something bad happened that second time."

"No, I guess not."

"What happened to the asshat boy from the dance?"

"He got suspended for a week, too." Lena furrowed her brow. "And actually, he grew up by the end of high school. Mike became an ally. He and Miles are friends now, too."

"See, not everyone stays ignorant forever."

"No, you have a point."

"Is dating me going to scare off Miles or Tessa, or would they rather see you happy?"

"Happy."

"Then, we're dating. Until you get bored of me."

"You know, I think that's the one thing I never have to worry about."

"Nope. So, we're dating." Aoi flipped off the lamp. "Now, snuggles before we go get brunch at the dining hall."

"We're going to have to get you clothes at some point."

"Something for future Aoi to worry about. Snuggles and nap time." Aoi lay down and wiggled her rump. "Need a big spoon or my butt is going to get cold."

"Can't have that." Lena lay down beside Aoi and pulled her close, breathing in her intoxicating fruity shampoo again. It didn't take long to drift back to sleep with a smile. Aoi would be a challenge, but one she was ready to face.

Aoi - Monday, Late Morning

The sun spilled into Lena's dorm room, warming the space on a cold late October day. It was hard to believe that this time last week it felt like autumn was ignoring them, but it was barely above freezing outside. It was so cold but bright and sunny, a bit of a trip, but it was nice and warm on Lena's bed.

Lena was smartly dressed in a blue blouse and long black skirt. Her heels and jacket sat on the desk chair, waiting for her departure in a couple of hours. Both girls had already gone to morning classes, and Aoi had gotten in her daily swim. Lena studied a Developmental Psychology text, highlighter in hand, leaning against the headboard and using it to balance the book. Evidently, she'd taken AP Psychology in high school and already had the basics down.

Aoi used her girlfriend's lap as a pillow, lying along the length of her girlfriend's bed atop the comforter. She read a case study for her Introduction to Prelaw class. Unlike Lena, Aoi wasn't sure what she wanted out of college yet. This semester, she was juggling premed and prelaw. She'd ruled out engineering because she hated calculus in high school, but she still didn't quite know her path.

"Dinner tonight?" Aoi asked between passes through the case study.

"Depends on if Charlene's still sick. I might have to stay around a while if we're swamped."

"Then you text me, and I'll treat us to some sandwiches. No way am I letting my girlfriend starve!"

"Thank you, Aoi, but you don't have to." Lena leaned down for a kiss. "I don't want to be a leech, though."

"You can pay me in sexual favors."

"Aoi!" Lena laughed, shaking her head. "I will not pay in sexual favors!" She leaned in for another kiss. "Those come for free."

"Lucky me." Even more impressive than the sudden swing into fall was how quickly it just felt comfortable with Lena. Dating Henry certainly never felt like this. Lena neither laughed nor reciprocated when Aoi dropped an 'I love you' on Saturday, far too soon for any sensible relationship. The thing was, she meant it. She felt big emotions, but this was different.

"You might want to get dressed, babe." Lena squeezed Aoi's left breast to highlight Aoi's nudity. "I like you like this, but it might be a shock for Tessa."

"We've got time." Aoi shrugged.

"Oh, do you have my roommate's schedule down already?" Lena cocked an eyebrow.

"No, it's simple logic. Did you have braces?"

"No, I got lucky."

"So did I. I love your smile." Aoi leaned up to meet Lena's lips again.

"Distracted. Explain."

"Forbidden foods! When you get your braces off, you've got to go to lunch and indulge in corn on the cob and sticky foods you weren't allowed for several years. Lunch and the drive back? We've got two hours until the danger zone." Aoi tapped her notebook. "You and Regan are the only ones who know my chaos has logic to it!"

After a swim, Aoi met Lena back at her room to study for a bit. Lena had her work study this afternoon, where she was going to tutor in Intro to Psych and Writing Composition. Her girl had a full-ride scholarship but still needed spending money because her family had cut her off. She didn't want to bury herself in debt.

Aoi's clothes smelled like chlorine, and she didn't want to sacrifice any of her Lena time for a shower, so getting naked for study time was purely logical. Or mostly logical. She'd already admitted her tendency toward nudism. Lena didn't seem bothered by it at all over the weekend. Aoi was still a novice when it came to lesbian sex, but it was now her favorite subject, one that she was going to spend the afternoon doing independent study on.

"How goes the case study?" Lena asked a few minutes later, flipping her textbook back to the start of the chapter.

"Incredible. Little guy versus a big corporation, and the little guy won!" Aoi threw her hands up in victory, imagining herself arguing in the courtroom.

"You know Tessa's dad is a prosecutor."

"Really? It hasn't come up in anime club."

"Yup. You might want to talk to her sometime, if case studies interest you."

"Might have to."

Studying was punctuated by occasional lazy kisses that still made Aoi's heart flutter in the best way. Kisses should always involve soft lips. Aoi's bisexuality was more than affirmed in a weekend. It felt like an obvious facet of herself she hadn't indulged before.

Living halfway down a long hallway, with other girls going in and out of their rooms, Aoi had gotten used to the sound of doors opening and closing. Tessa's entrance didn't register until it was too late.

"I'm back! Oh! Oops!" Tessa's cheeks went pink before she turned around. "Sorry! Good for you, Lena! Aoi!"

Aoi leaped off the bed and scrambled to her clothes, regretting that they were a little too close to where Tessa now stood. Aoi didn't bother to take the panties off her wrist as she pulled on yoga pants and threw on her T-shirt.

"Sorry! Sorry!" Aoi croaked, her heart careening into her ribs as she panicked and flew from the room, leaving her books behind but thankfully cognizant enough to grab her phone.

"You do exist!" Regan laughed as Aoi ran into her dorm room.

"Think I might have fucked up!" Aoi said after catching her breath. She'd only touched about half the stairs on the way up.

"With Lena? I like her." Regan sighed. She was reclined in her bed, her laptop on her legs with a reality show droning on the TV.

"Her roommate."

"What'd you do, Aoi?"

"I was kind of naked when she got home." Aoi held up her wrist to show off her panties.

"Oops," Regan said, then laughed. "Crashed by your own chaos again!"

"I... yeah." Aoi joined in the laughter.

"Was she angry?"

"I don't know; I kind of just ran. Left my books."

"Aoi!"

"I know! I know!"

A knock that Aoi already recognized issued from the door. Aoi wanted to hide. People thought she was unperturbable, but she was good at hiding it, or at least battling through her discomfort. But she recognized the knock was from her girlfriend, and she wasn't going to hide from her, ever. Lena held Aoi's book bag as Aoi opened the door.

"Forgot something." Lena gave her an amused smile, and Aoi's heart rate finally fell.

"Sorry. I should have listened to you."

"Probably," Lena said, chuckling. "You can move when motivated." Lena leaned in for a kiss. "Hi, Regan!" She waved at Aoi's roommate.

"Come in, you're always welcome here, Lena." Regan motioned for her to come in. Aoi loved how welcoming her bestie already was with her girlfriend.

"Thanks, only got a few minutes if I want to get to work."

"You don't happen to be good in calc, do you?" Regan looked up from her textbook. "Just trying to plan ahead for next semester."

The invocation of calc made Aoi wince, but Lena didn't blink. "English and Psychology are my primaries, but we can both try to puzzle something out if you bring it to the study clinic. If you want help with calc, though, I know a guy."

"Do you?"

"You looked pretty friendly with him on Friday."

"Miles is good at calc?"

"Anything he needs for mechanical engineering, yeah. I can give you his number."

"I... I already have it." Regan blushed. "We're going dancing on Friday."

"Alright Regan!" Aoi cheered. "Double date sometime."

"It's just dancing with some of his friends." Regan played it off.

"Figure if I get to work early, maybe they won't want me to stay for dinner."

"Shit, it's almost noon, isn't it? I'm going to be late!" Regan threw her laptop in her bag.

"It's a twelve thirty class, Regan!" Aoi shook her head. Her bestie felt late if she wasn't the first one waiting at the door for class.

"Business building? I'll walk with you." Lena volunteered, then leaned in to Aoi. "Might be a good opportunity to make nice with your roomie."

Is that a hint? Aoi wondered, giving her girlfriend a goodbye kiss. "Need to take a shower anyway."

"As much as I like your bracelet, maybe it's not the accessory you're looking for." Regan winked as she left.

Aoi tried to go talk to Tessa as soon as Regan and Lena hopped in the elevator, but she wasn't there. She settled for more case studies before her early afternoon composition class. She'd already written her essay due next week, but despite her chaos, she didn't skip classes. Instead, she ran through her head what she needed to say to Tessa. Getting some alone time with Lena was important, but she didn't want to alienate the woman whose space she was invading.

Another stop at Lena and Tessa's room yielded nothing; no one answered the knock. She hated letting anything fester, but when Lena texted, dinner at the dining hall took precedence.

Only the next morning, when Aoi knew Lena was in class, did Tessa answer the door. "Aoi? Lena's not here."

"I know. I wanted to talk to you and apologize."

"Oh? For what?"

"Surprise nudity. I thought I'd have more time before you got home."

"Had an afternoon class I didn't want to miss. My orthodontist gave me the earliest appointment." Tessa explained, motioning for Aoi to come in.

"Please tell me you at least had some time for forbidden foods! That's the best part of getting your braces off." Aoi sat on Lena's neatly made bed. It felt like the only space in the room where she could. She'd smooth it out once she left.

"Breakfast and a bag of Starbursts, pre-peeled so I could eat and drive."

"Good woman, how's it feel?"

"Glorious, not a fan of the retainer, but I only have to wear it at night." Tessa tapped a container on her desk.

"Been three years and I still wear mine, at least when I'm sleeping in my own bed." Aoi giggled. "It didn't get used all weekend."

"You and Lena are cute together. I'm glad Lena's not still trying to be stoic when it comes to love."

"Again, sorry for the surprise nudity."

"Really? I don't care. I have seen plenty of naked women in cosplay changing rooms. I was just surprised. Lena's never had a visitor other than Miles, but they have full sibling energy."

"You don't mind if I'm naked?"

"As long as it's not for sexy time with your girlfriend, no."

"You hit the other item I wanted to discuss. What's the sock-on-the-door procedure?"

"You haven't discussed this with Lena?" Tessa turned around in her desk chair and sat down.

"Didn't seem fair for me to use an intermediary. I'm kind of direct, except, apparently, when caught in the buff with my girlfriend."

"We haven't needed a code so far. I... I haven't had..." Tessa's cheeks went pink.

"You're a virgin like my roommate?" Aoi raised an eyebrow. New project.

"I... I've done a lot of other stuff with guys, but yeah."

"We all take our own time, Tessa."

"I know. I don't know why it embarrasses me to admit. Think past boyfriends were intimidated by my three brothers." Tessa laughed. "So, system? Perhaps more subtle than a sock."

"Dry-erase board doodle?"

"That could work. Just don't sexile me all the time."

"We'll make sure to sexile Regan as often as you."

"Fair, once I meet my next boyfriend, we'll come up with something for me, too." Tessa grinned.

"Deal."

"So, your scepter and my axe played a part in getting you and Lena together."

"Yeah, it did. Thanks, Tessa. It turned out great."

"You and Lena just clearly owe me your firstborn." Tessa shrugged. "Little-known cosplay fine print."

"I don't remember signing anything."

"Drat! Stupid of me not to include the EULA! I'll just have to be happy for you two. Can I see the scepter?"

"Oh, sure! Let me run and grab it." Aoi hopped off the bed. Her awkward moment passed, and she felt closer to Lena's roommate. Always face the awkward. Aoi reminded herself as she ascended the stairs, a smile on her face.

Lena - The Night of the Halloween Party, One Year Later

"You nervous about tomorrow?" Tessa asked, brushing foundation onto Lena's face. She was returning the favor. She looked spectacular in her Steampunk Princess attire.

"I am. I know I shouldn't be, but I am." Lena answered, glancing at the couch piled with cosplay and costume debris from preparing these costumes. It was supposed to be Aoi's bed when the three girls got an off-campus apartment for their sophomore year. They had only pulled it out when Saori and her boyfriend stayed over. "It went well with her sister."

"Yeah, I think Saori likes me." Lena smiled. Impressing Aoi's family was vital. It had taken Lena until spring break to return Aoi's 'I love you,' but when she finally admitted it, the words felt as natural as breathing.

"That's two of five, and I hear that Sota is a pushover." Tessa winked. Sota was Aoi's nine-year-old brother. He was ten years younger than Aoi, which explained her little sister energy.

"Heard that from Saori, too. It's the other two that I worry about."

"I don't think you have anything to be anxious about. Regan says the Kwans are sweethearts. Very supportive of their little girl."

"I know, Aoi says the same thing, but..."

"Yeah." Tessa gulped and looked down for a second. "I still can't believe what they did this summer."

"At least I can stop worrying about them coming around." Lena let out a breath. She had tried to reconnect this summer, stopping by when there were cars in the driveway, on her mother's birthday.

Lena knocked and waited. She could hear voices inside. So she knocked again. A minute later. Alberto, her oldest sister's husband, stepped out of the backyard gate. He told Lena she wasn't welcome and that they'd call the police if she didn't leave. She tried to leave her mother's favorite flowers at the door, at least, and he made a show of throwing them in the garbage, saying they didn't need her litter.

"I really thought that Aoi was going to go over and give them a piece of her mind."

"She wanted to, but I asked her not to do it. I don't think they'd go so far as to make her life miserable, but... I never thought they'd cut off all contact or my siblings would all side with them."

"Plus, you know Aoi might go after them like a Rottweiler." Tessa tapped the foundation brush to clean off some of the color before layering on more of a different tone.

"They haven't earned that type of energy. They don't deserve it."

"Nope. What about the Hoits? What do they think of Aoi?"

"That she's perfect for me." Lena smiled. "Mr. Hoit did give my parents a piece of his mind when they came by his shop. They are not allowed to have service done without apologizing to me."

"Knew I liked Miles for a reason. Oops, robe on! Robe on!" Tessa quickly concealed Lena's showing armor as Aoi walked into the front room, wearing a similar outfit to the first time that Tessa had met Aoi in the dorm room.

"Regan here yet? I thought I heard a knock." Aoi looked around, stark naked. That wasn't rare in the apartment, but her missing pubic hair was new.

"Just me tapping on the jar with the brush." Tessa demonstrated. "Get a little busy with a razor?"

"Oh, yeah. Needed it for my costume." Aoi grinned.

"Do I want to know what kind of costume requires removal of pubic hair?" Lena asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Yes, you do." Aoi winked as a knock issued from the door.

"Damn, she's right." Lena shook her head.

"You've got the hots for your girlfriend," Tessa said in a sing-song voice.

"It's why I have to keep surprising her," Aoi giggled before opening the door.

"Aoi!" Regan squeaked as she stepped into the apartment and quickly shut the door behind her. "What if Jason was with me?" She was wearing a slightly sexy witch costume. Her blonde hair spilled out from her pointy black hat.

"Then your boyfriend would see me naked!" Aoi shrugged. "Help me with my costume?"

"Yeah, sure." Regan followed Aoi back toward the primary bedroom that Aoi and Lena shared.

"We've got twenty minutes until Eli and Miles are supposed to meet us. Let's make sure that nothing's out of place so you can knock your girlfriend for a loop." Tessa helped Lena to her feet, careful not to let pieces of her battle skirt get stuck.

"So, Eli?" Lena stood with a grin, shucking off her robe and leaving her in a deliberately revealing knight outfit from one of Aoi's favorite anime.

"Cute, smart, but taken." Tessa shrugged.

"I was just asking what you thought of his addition to the group."

"Spending too much time with your girlfriend." Tessa shook her head. "I'm still personally against this boob armor, but..."

"It's going to knock Aoi on her ass?"

"Precisely."

"I've never gone sexy with a Halloween costume." Lena admired her image in a mirror on Tessa's makeup vanity.

"That's not what Aoi says about last year."

"I was trying to hide, and Aoi wouldn't let me."

"You could leave in a half hour, right?" Tessa teased. Miles offer to get Lena to the party last year was just part of their group's lore now.

"Not once Aoi corrected those two drunk guys."

"A lumberjill! This is better, Lena. Even if it's the dreaded boob armor! Had to teach you to make it so it doesn't break my promise."

"Thank you, Tessa, for everything." Lena hugged her once-roommate by chance and now one of her closest friends.

"Eh, had to get you two into a little yearly cosplay or you might not let me monopolize the living room so often."

A knock rang out from the kitchen.

"It's open!" Lena yelled, grabbing her sword and shield from the wall.

"Lena! Wow! That's amazing! The Silver Aegis?" Miles smiled. He wore a distinctive vintage baseball uniform, complete with vintage cleats and a bat slung over his shoulder.

"Think she'll like it?"

"Don't think that's a strong enough word. Your girlfriend is going to love it!" Miles grinned.

"I hope so. It's been hard to keep it secret."

"Mind if I grab a photo for Josie?"

"Go for it." Even if she and Josie weren't each other's favorites, they were starting to share more things in common. Josie was in Tessa's cosplay club, and Tessa's enthusiasm was inspiring Lena's new appreciation for the craft. She'd also been inspired by Lena to come out to her family, though Lena would've thought her story more of a cautionary tale. The Hoits embraced her, and now the high school senior was living her truth. "Get Tessa, too."

"Oh, I planned on it."

Eli showed up just a little later, with his girlfriend, Tiffany. He wore an adventurer costume that looked like it came out of an old pulp story. Tiffany looked like a sorceress in a purple dress, leaning on a crooked wooden staff. They looked cute together, even if the group thought the tabletop game master would look cuter with the steampunk princess.

Twenty minutes of laughs passed as the group waited for Aoi and Regan, including a lively debate about the latest anime season. Lena laughed that her group was still talking about anime even without their otaku representative. A year ago, Lena had only Tessa and Miles. She'd expected to keep her head down, and now she was surrounded by friends. She smiled, feeling warmth in her found family.

"Ready?" Regan stepped out to the front room.

"Whenever Aoi is." Lena nodded, picking up her sword and shield again.

"She's ready, but I'm not sure that you are." Regan smiled and stepped aside as Aoi emerged from the bedroom she shared with Lena. Instantly, Lena saw Regan was right; her jaw dropped when she saw Aoi in her costumed glory.

Aoi - A Little Earlier

"I really should be used to you being naked by now." Regan chuckled as they stepped into Aoi and Lena's bedroom.

"You could join us." What had started as just Aoi being the

"Nah, I'm not so much a social nudist."

"Didn't seem to mind last summer."

"Yeah, that was on my home turf. If you three want to come over and join me in my apartment, it would be different."

"Pass, boring!" Aoi laughed.

"How is it different than your apartment?" Regan shook her head. Aoi's bestie was rarely thrown by Aoi's shenanigans anymore. It only inspired Aoi to try harder, while still maintaining her promise that none of this was ever for evil. Mischief, yes; evil, no.

"It doesn't have to make sense! That's part of my charm."

"Charm? That's what you call it?"

"Yeah."

"I'd call it something else, but let's go with charm." Regan stuck out her tongue. "It's kind of your and Lena's first anniversary. Got anything fun planned?" She followed Aoi into the en suite bathroom.

"Same thing I did last year with a twist or two." Aoi tugged at her costume. The steam from her shower had done an admirable job of removing the wrinkles from the suit she'd special-ordered. Next year she would borrow Tessa's skills for a costume, but Lena had already tied up the cosplayer's skills enough.

"That would be?"

"Go to the party, seduce Lena, then take her home and have my way with her." Aoi grinned at Regan's reflection in the mirror.

"Hmm... Think you two seduced each other last year."

"True. Plus this year I know how to go down on a woman!"

"I'd hope so. You were always a bright student."

"Favorite subject. I've got to have something to study other than David versus Goliath court cases." Aoi pulled a pouch out of her makeup bag; her costume required pasties.

"Still not sure how you can turn that into a career, Aoi. Those cases seem rare."

"Think you said something similar when a certain lumberjill crossed my path last year."

"Did I?" Regan leaned against the vanity, arching an eyebrow.

"Something about checking to make sure my bisexuality wasn't just an experiment."

"I..." Regan winced. "Happy to be wrong, Aoi. What else do you have planned for the anniversary?"

"Other than this?" Aoi pulled the strap-on she'd been hiding in her makeup bag. "New toy for my woman says happy anniversary, right?"

"Oh, wow. For you or her?"

"Yes." Aoi giggled. "We'll take turns, but I've been practicing."

"I don't know if I'd classify a strap-on as a good surprise, Aoi."

"It's not a complete surprise! She very much enjoys my skills with a dildo, and now I'll have free hands! My practice with it will be thorough. I can really move the hips now." Aoi demonstrated with a finger over her crotch to simulate the new toy.

"Do I want to know how you've been practicing?"

"Our bedding is very sexually satisfied!"

"So, is Lena ready for tomorrow?" Regan asked, switching subjects.

"Emotionally? She's still freaking out a little. I keep telling her my parents are going to love her, but..."

"Yeah, hard to get over getting blindsided as she did."

"You sure I can't go egg their house? Or, you know, them?"

"Is it what Lena would want?"

"No. But it would feel good."

"For a bit, probably, but..."

"I know, I know, chaotic, not crazy, Regan." Aoi sighed. "Saori loved her! I have no doubt that she's told Mom and Dad all about Lena. How could anyone not love her?" Aoi pulled the tan colored pasties from their packaging.

"I have no idea, Aoi. She's kind of perfect for you. Your chaos needs a spritz of order. Pasties?"

"All I'm wearing under the pilot's suit. There's a gusset that should prevent cameltoe. Any undies would show!"

"Not arguing, just a little surprised that the pasties are a concern of yours."

"Nips don't show through clothes! It's a rule! They are either out or fully hidden."

"You've got to write a book of your rules someday, Aoi." Regan shook her head, smiling.

"So, how are things going with the boyfriend?"

"Good, pretty good. He's a great guy, but..."

"He's not that exciting."

"Accounting majors seldom are." Regan sighed.

"I know a certain engineering major that's more your speed."

"I fucked that up..." Regan looked down, twiddling her thumbs.

"Nah, you got a little scared, but now you've gotten the first out of the way."

"Boyfriend's a good guy; I can't leave him for someone else." Regan stood and looked at the mech pilot suit on the wall. It looked a little like DVa's from Overwatch, only in Aoi's preferred black, white, and pink. The main panels were white with black details, pink along the seams, as if the pink were a bodysuit under armored panels. Aoi wanted to sculpt a few of the panels out of foam, but ran out of time.

"Nah, you can't, can you?"

"Nope. So, a year, Aoi, I'm still a little flabbergasted."

"So am I. But forever can be a surprise, can't it?"

"You weren't blowing smoke when you told me you were going to marry her, were you?"

"Does my chaos ever involve lying?" Aoi asked as she pulled the mech pilot's suit off the hanger.

"Lying, no. Misdirection? Occasionally."

"Vastly different," Aoi said, stepping into the body suit's legs.

"Sure are." Regan rolled her eyes, a wry smirk on her face. "I thought you were going to go wild at the Halloween party, Aoi. I was prepared to step in."

"I was, Regan. Henry... His cheating did a number on me. I had a plan. Zip me up?"

"Is this why you needed me?" Regan ran the long zipper all the way up Aoi's back, pushing her hair aside so it wouldn't interfere with the high collar.

"It's also why I'm not drinking tonight. Limit the bathroom trips."

"How were you planning on going wild, Aoi?"

"Public sex." Aoi shrugged, her cheeks burning. "I spent the first hour of the party looking for a co-star."

"I would have stopped you."

"No. I had a plan to distract you until I was already having sex on the couch beside the dance floor."

"What was that?"

"Can't give away all my secrets." Aoi winked. "I was going to do it, and I was going to show everyone how desirable I was, rub Henry's dumb face in my sexiness."

"Aoi, that would've..."

"Been a terrible idea, yeah. My worst mistake." Aoi looked down and blushed. Regan and Lena were the only ones who knew about the original plan now. "Thank the heavens Lena showed up, and my plan suddenly disappeared. I just needed to figure out how to get closer to that lumberjill."

"Wow! Does it feel like you even have anything on?"

"Nope." Aoi grinned. "Think Lena will like it?"

"Might break her brain."

"That's what I'm aiming for! Boots and gloves are on the bed. Help me with my makeup?"

"Of course."

It took twenty minutes to get her makeup just right. Last year's lip gloss was dark and brooding; tonight's was far brighter and sunnier. Aoi couldn't help wanting to be a better woman for her girlfriend. It took another couple of minutes to put her hair in a perfect bun. She wasn't going to put on the mech pilot's helmet. Her finger had hovered over getting a custom one, too, but it was just too much. Me thinking something is too much. Aoi stifled a laugh.

"Ready to knock your girlfriend out?" Regan asked, holding up the matching gloves for Aoi's costume.

"Yeah. You make a pretty damn good witch, Regan."

"Thank you. Let me make sure everyone's here so you can make an entrance."

"Awesome, Regan." Aoi gave her bestie and frequent partner in crime a quick hug.

Regan winked at her, then stepped out of the bedroom. "Ready?" She asked the assembled friends in the living room.

"Whenever Aoi is." Lena's voice carried in from the living room, stirring the butterflies in her stomach. She was sure Lena would love the outfit, but that didn't mean she wasn't anxious to see how much she would.

"She's ready, but I'm not sure that you are." Regan motioned for Aoi to join her in the hallway.

Aoi strode out, head up with utter confidence. That only lasted for a moment when she saw Lena in her full Silver Aegis regalia. Her girlfriend in a lumberjill costume had broken Aoi last year. This was beyond broken; Aoi was utterly shattered.

Lena rarely dressed for pure sex appeal. Her girlfriend was typically buttoned down, at least in public, but there was no denying she was aiming for a knockout reveal tonight. Lena's long, yoga-toned legs were nearly fully on display, spilling out from under her battle skirt. A silver bodice barely contained Lena's ample cleavage, bare shoulders and arms showing her dream woman's strength. Her girlfriend had chosen the perfect outfit.

The only thing that wasn't a complete picture of grace was Lena's jaw, dropped. A sword and shield went from full display to hanging limp at her side. Tessa's touch was obvious in the armor and in Lena's immaculate makeup.

"How long do you think they're going to stare at each other?" Miles asked Tessa in a stage whisper.

"As long as we let them."

"Come on, you two, we're already late for the party!" Regan herded the group out the door.

Aoi threw her purse and phone into a mech-pilot-worthy backpack as she headed through the kitchen, happy to see Lena hanging back with her. After locking the door, Lena grabbed her hand. There was zero hesitation in showing she was proudly a lesbian anymore. The little things truly warmed Aoi's heart. Her woman had made Aoi a better person, so it was amazing to see Aoi have a similar effect on her.

"Are you wearing anything under that?" Lena whispered when they stepped outside into the cool night air. The wind felt like it was caressing every millimeter of Aoi's body, and she paused for a moment, indulging in it before she could answer.

"You'll have to get me home to find out." Aoi winked and then giggled. She loved Lena's momentary stupification before the pair moved to catch up with their friends.

"Can I have that thirty-minute rule at tonight's party?"

Lena - Night of the Halloween Party, Junior Year

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" Aoi groaned through clenched teeth, then covered her mouth with a hand. The other arm was braced against the vanity, leaving a palm print on the slightly fogged mirror.

"Cum for me, Aoi." Lena leaned in to whisper, then pressed her lips to the perfect spot, turning her to putty. She kept her fingers circling Aoi's clit as her hips worked the strap-on in and out of Aoi's frothy pussy.

"GGgggghhhh!" Aoi's eyes went wide as she screamed into her hand. They snapped shut as her legs pinched close on Lena's hips, shaking as Aoi thrashed on the bathroom counter. Lena's love had introduced the toy last Halloween, and now it was a frequent spice in their lovemaking. It took Lena a while to get her hips moving right, but when she wrecked Aoi like this, every practice thrust was worth it.

"I..." Aoi gasped for breath. Lena pulled out and unbuckled her apparatus. She knew this was the type of orgasm that ended an encounter, not built further. "I thought sex was supposed to get boring after a while." She leaned up to meet Lena's lips, the flavor of Lena's pussy still soaking on Aoi.

"This is why I insisted on dating a chaos elemental." Lena winked, then washed the fake phallus. Aoi would need to wear it later tonight, and proper toy care was vital before putting it away.

"Smart woman. Weren't you just supposed to need some moisturizer on your tattoo?"

"Yeah, a quick shower and some moisturizer was the plan until someone decided to join me." Lena laughed, finally taking the towel that she'd wrapped around her hair after the shower. The memory of Aoi pressing her against the wall and devouring Lena's pussy kept pulsing in her memory like welcome afterimages.

"I needed a snack before I put on the costume." Aoi grinned as she hopped off the countertop, finally grabbing the bottle of moisturizer that had been the catalyst for fevered anniversary sex. "I couldn't hold out until after the party!" She shrugged.

After the Halloween party, Tessa was going to stay the night with her boyfriend, so Aoi wouldn't have to stifle her screams. Lena had no doubt Aoi was her forever. They fit together better than anything in Lena's life. Which said something loud, as Miles and the Hoits had always been there for her. Aoi was simply more.

"I think we can reveal these tonight!" Aoi cheered as she rubbed lotion into Lena's left shoulder blade. Aoi had gotten their group of friends to get tattooed together for Tessa's twenty-first birthday. It was another example of Aoi's chaotic good nature, as Tessa needed a bump of courage to finally get inked. Regan got her belly button pierced instead, but that was yet another thing that one of them had always wanted.

Aoi represented the group's courage. My courage. Lena knew that without her, she might still be hiding in a dorm room, eyes down, but deeply unhappy. Instead, Lena knew that wherever her life went from this point, Aoi would be there.

"The pink really came out!" Aoi cheered. On Lena's left shoulder blade, a tattoo of a neat stack of books in black ink now appeared; only the middle one was askew and vibrant pink. Sakura petals swirled from the spine of the askew book. Aoi brought color and life to Lena's stagnant order. The dash of chaos to make her complete. Lena thought it was far more sentimental than a tattoo with Aoi's name.

"I like it!" Lena glanced in the mirror, making out only part of the tattoo. Tonight, it would be on display for the first time.

"So do I! Your turn!" Aoi squirted more than an ample amount of lotion into Lena's hand.

"Gotta turn around, babe." Lena shook her head. "Not going to go through my girlfriend to get to her tattoo." She reached out and spread lotion over Aoi's newly shaved groin. We have odd Halloween traditions. Lena smiled before kissing Aoi.

"Kissing makes it hard for me to turn!" Aoi giggled, then finally spun on her heel, doing a full two-and-a-half spins before her back faced her girlfriend. Lena's mind rocketed back to two years earlier, when Aoi showed her how to push through worry with blasts of courage.

Aoi got her tattoo on the left shoulder blade, too. On a star-filled, inky-black field, two celestial objects with chibi, smiling expressions had motion lines. Pluto and Charon didn't so much orbit each other as dance around their own center of gravity. To Aoi, Lena brought balance and order to her life instead of letting her fly out of the solar system on her own.

Her father had sung Johnathon Coulton songs to her as a little girl, and Aoi told Lena she couldn't get "I'm Your Moon" out of her head when she thought of them. It was a regular on their shared playlist, where her girlfriend explained it was their story. They were each other's moons, destined to dance around their own point in space. Lena loved it, but was glad they weren't truly out in space, alone.

The pair might miss Lena's family, but they had friends, the Hoits and the Kwans, in their corner. It was far warmer than the "ice and silence and dark skies" the song implied, but Lena loved how it reminded her that Aoi would always be with her.

"It came out perfect, Aoi!" Lena rubbed lotion into it before kissing the red Pluto first, then the blue Charon. Aoi, Tessa, and the talented tattoo artist she chose made the final image together.

"If anything befouls this canvas, it has to be perfect." Aoi smiled.

"Made it better, and I didn't think it was possible." Lena took Aoi's hand and squeezed it before opening the door.

Just as they stepped out of the bathroom, a joyful knock pealed out the bedroom door. "Are you two decent?"

"We're still naked, but we're done having sex!" Aoi yelled back.

"Good enough!" Tessa opened the door and stepped in, wearing only thigh-high stockings and what looked like combat boots. "I needed to show this off!" Tessa pointed at the small, intricate tattoo on her hip. It was the Crimson Seraph's crest, hand-drawn by Tessa and enhanced by the tattoo artist. It was the first cosplay Tessa ever competed in, and she was fixated on getting it right by the next con season. "It's finally healed!"

"The boyfriend seen it yet?" Aoi asked, leaning forward to examine the tattoo.

"Nope, he'll see it when he takes me home tonight!" Tessa only blushed slightly. Her boyfriend was a nice enough guy, but Lena was a little sad that she and Eli hadn't quite figured things out between them yet.

Their tight-knit group's resident male nerd and Tessa just got tongue-tied around each other. Aoi wanted to make getting them together her personal mission, but she wasn't about to break anyone up. Not after Henry, even though it worked out well for Aoi in the long run.

"Great, how did I know you three would be naked!?" Regan shook her head, leaning against the doorway.

"Just showing off the tattoos." Lena shrugged.

"Mine's not ready for prime time yet," Regan grumbled in her Wonder Woman costume. "Had to go with the longer mid-riff. I brought your costume with me, Aoi." She held up something in an opaque bag hanging from her hand.

"Mind if we borrow the bathroom?" Aoi asked.

"Go ahead, I'll let Tessa get dressed, and then we'll monopolize the front room, no peeking!"

"The tattoos do look great, you three." Regan took a gander at each as she stepped through the room.

"Give me five minutes, and we'll prepare this year's sneak attack." Tessa patted Lena's shoulder, then shuffled toward her room. It was odd how quickly being naked in their own apartment stopped being weird in the least.

Before putting on her costume, hanging in Tessa's cosplay in the front room, Lena locked and latched the front door. Regan had a key, but Lena didn't particularly need any of the guys to walk in on her nudity. This year was a tiny bit of a cross between the freshman year and last year. She was a Viking warrior woman in a faux-fur strapless top, quick braids, and the axe she'd once borrowed, now with added runic symbols.

Over the last few weeks, Lena had bounced between fierce and sexy as the primary theme of her female berserker. Tessa convinced her to do both. Her whole aim was to get another breathless wow from her girlfriend. Her skirt flared, showing the tone that two more years of yoga and swimming had put in her legs. Lena had never thought she was sexy until she saw Aoi light up when she saw her in a dress.

"Sit, we need face paint!" Tessa snapped, pointing at the stool in front of her vanity. "Blue or red?" Her urban fantasy battle dress, red and black, looked like it would turn her boyfriend's head to mush, at least for a little bit. Tessa seemed much more confident and daring in her cosplay.

"I feel like showing a touch of school spirit."

"Oh! Excellent choice!" It's going to go great with your eyes.

Twenty minutes later, the guys started showing up. Miles was first, his date in tow. She was a nice enough woman, but everyone in the group knew that Regan and Miles belonged together. Well, everyone except Miles and Regan, who hadn't figured that out yet. Alfredo, Eli, and Helena showed up next. The resident jocks decided a football-and-basketball uniform was enough for a costume. Eli made a cute, if overly tall, high-fantasy dwarf.

This year, Lena didn't wait for Aoi to declare she was ready; instead, she did what her character would and sought her out, axe over her shoulder. "Ready for your grand entrance?" Lena asked, knocking on the bedroom door.

Aoi threw the door open, the pair staring, eyes wide. She'd looked like she was going to make a joke, but Lena's appearance stopped her. This year, Aoi wore a space pirate queen outfit, a more subdued take on her trademark black, white, and pink. She'd no doubt shed the black leather jacket once they got to the house party, so she could show off her ink. A black tricorn with a pink liner and a white plumed feather looked dapper.

Black heels and a toy blaster at her hip made her look anachronistic. Aoi's top barely contained her breasts, and her short skirt made her legs look long for a petite woman.

"Are you going to kidnap me and take me home?" Aoi gave her an innocent flutter of her eyes.

"What if I just don't let you leave?"

"I could go for that, but I promised Saori a group photo at the party. Thirty-minute rule?"

"As long as I get to dance with my pirate captain." Lena clutched Aoi's hand and paraded her out to the front room to gather their friends and show her off.

"Strapless so everyone can see your tattoo?"

"Everyone needs to see your influence on me." Lena paused, collecting a kiss from her girlfriend in the hallway. The one that had her not hiding, but showing off.

Aoi - Senior Year, Halloween Party Night

"Oh, fuck!" Lena roared in the shower, Aoi relishing the feeling of her woman's vagina pulsing rhythmically around her fingers. Aoi had to hold her steady, her strong arms gripping the shower ledge to keep her upright as she came. They didn't have the apartment to themselves for long, so they were taking advantage.

"Stress relief," Aoi said before kissing Lena, still stuporous while coming down from orgasm.

"Weren't we supposed... to be waiting until tonight?" Lena gave her a lopsided grin as she stepped around Aoi into the warm stream of water, finally getting in her post-swim shower. The space was tiny, but somehow the pair made it work.

"You know I suck at delaying gratification. Though I'm more of a one cookie now and two cookies later gal." Aoi lathered her woman's strong back.

"You know that's not how the study worked." Lena shook her head. "Besides, it was marshmallow, not cookies."

"I prefer my version!"

"So do I. Someday, we get a shower that's big enough for both of us to be in the water at the same time."

"One with plenty of room for activities!"

"That too." Lena spun around for another kiss. "We still have so much to do before the party."

"M'eh, not like our friends haven't seen this place slightly messy." Aoi shrugged, trying to hide how much she needed tonight to be perfect. Halloween might have been a low-romance, high-lust holiday for everyone else, but Aoi couldn't think of a better time to ask Lena to be her forever.

After they finished in the shower, Lena threw on a loose T-shirt and shorts. Aoi stayed naked. It had taken a while to get used to having a fourth and fifth roommate, but Angie, Eli's grey-and-white kitty, wasn't much of a factor in that. A while was all of two weeks before Aoi said fuck it and just walked out of her bedroom stark naked while Eli and Tessa were home. He was used to it by now and occasionally joined in, even if his eyes were only on Tessa.

Wearing clothes while they were home alone would seem out of the ordinary for Aoi, and she didn't want to give away any hints before she proposed. It needed to be the perfect sneak attack. She already knew the answer. Lena was her future. Next weekend, they were going to Boston to figure out where they would go to graduate school.

No one was surprised when Lena scored mind-bogglingly high on the GRE. The woman amazed Aoi with how she faced adversity and still maintained an unblemished college record. Lena told her that high school was a bit of a struggle the first couple of years. It had honed a bright woman who actually knew how to study.

Everyone else was surprised Aoi got a perfect LSAT score. Only Lena really knew how hard Aoi worked to achieve that. Once Aoi found her path, she pursued it relentlessly. Lena stayed by her side at every step. They narrowed it down to two schools for each, though they had to make sure they weren't splitting between the east and west coasts. They were a pair no matter what the future brought.

"Wow, I didn't realize how much Tessa and Eli already did!" Lena smiled as she stepped into the front room. Cosplay was usually strewn about the apartment, but Tessa had recently devoted most of her energy to helping Aoi perfect the costume she'd wear for the proposal. That was a secret project to knock out her woman.

"I guess we were distracted when we got back from our swim." Aoi shrugged as she got out the paper and plasticware for the party. The guys who rented the house for the annual party had graduated, and the inheritors of the domicile were too much of dude-bros for the group. That suited Aoi just fine, as she only needed her closest friends present for the proposal.

"Someone has that frequent effect on me." Lena patted Aoi's rump as she walked by, pulling party supplies off the top of the refrigerator.

"I tried to warn you when we started dating."

"Did you? I don't remember that. I do remember a certain woman who wouldn't take no for an answer when she declared us dating." Lena paused for a kiss. "And the woman who told me she loved me that same weekend."

"Do you believe me now?" Aoi arched an eyebrow.

"Starting to. Need more years to be sure, though."

"My prudent and logical love." Aoi gave her a hip check. "No drinks by table edges!" She turned and wagged a finger at a prowling Angie, who responded with an innocent meow.

"It's a good thing she's cute like you, or I'd complain about the mischief."

"The chaos wouldn't work if it weren't wrapped in a pretty package," Aoi winked. Her attention shifted to the sound of a key sliding in the lock. Although she remained outwardly calm, there was always a little spike of adrenaline before she was caught naked.

"Every Halloween!" Regan shook her head as she and Miles stepped into the apartment and swiftly shut the door behind them. Her cheerleader costume must have had Miles enamored. It was tight and fitted, showing off her long legs. Where Regan used to dress in baggy clothes, she now dressed to impress Miles.

"You should be used to it by now." Miles shook his head; he was showing off just as much as his girlfriend, shirtless, with a whistle around his neck, red swim trunks, sandals, and a smear of thick white sunscreen on his nose. His lifeguard costume fit him well, a nod to Regan teaching him to swim over the summer, when they fell in love.

"Should be, but it's Aoi! I can't be prepared for everything."

"Help me with my costume?" Aoi asked innocently. She needed her co-conspirator's help to make sure the plan was set.

"Of course." Regan hung back for a second to kiss Miles, who was momentarily distracted, saying hi to Angie.

"Didn't go with the mechanic outfit?" Aoi asked once they were in her and Lena's bedroom. In exchange for swim lessons, Miles taught Regan how to work on cars, so Aoi had assumed a reciprocal costume.

"Left the coveralls in KC. I had to punt." Regan shrugged.

"Don't think Miles minds. Did you get the scepter?"

"Please. Do you think I'm going to forget on my bestie's big night?" Regan pulled out a new version of the scepter Aoi had carried on their first Halloween at RSU. This one was much more intricate, and Aoi had worked on it in secret for months. It also held an important hidden chamber.

Aoi took the device and lifted one ribbon just enough to trigger the pommel jewel, which swung away on a hinge. The small compartment was perfectly sized to let a ring fall out. Aoi shuffled a pile of strategically placed panties to fish out a small silk pouch. It held a ring with a single modest diamond and a sapphire, with a ruby set so it looked like it was orbiting the diamond. Lena deserved more, but that could come in time.

The next few years in graduate school might be a little lean. They didn't want to take on too much debt as they started their lives together, but Aoi splurged a little on a custom ring that echoed her tattoo, "I'm your moon," inscribed around the band.

"It's gorgeous, Aoi, like you and your future bride."

"I need it to be perfect, Regan."

"You know she's saying yes."

"Yeah, but she deserves that one perfect moment."

"Aoi, no matter how this goes, it'll be perfect for her because it involves you and Lena." Regan tried to soothe her.

"I know, logically, but my heart is beating so fast!"

"Let's go over the plan one more time. It'll calm you."

"Right." Aoi unzipped the hanging bag in her closet. "First, the costume." It, like her scepter, was a throwback to that one special Halloween. Only Aoi had spent so long on it this time. The fabrics all had a luster and texture that the store-bought costume lacked. Tessa had helped Aoi disassemble the original to make patterns.

Regan helped her sew; she'd learned upholstery this summer and could handle Tessa's sewing machine. So they didn't have to rely so heavily on Aoi's talented roommate. Tessa was happy to teach and spread her love of costumes and cosplay. Aoi slipped into her favorite lingerie before stepping into the costume.

"Wow, Aoi! Lena isn't going to stand a chance."

"That's the idea." Aoi grinned. "At the same time we shared our first dance, you're going to start the song we danced to, and I'll ask Lena to dance." She wondered if Regan could see her heart slamming against her chest as Aoi worked the ribbon into her hair. Black, pink, and white had to be tied in the right order. Am I remembering the order right? Aoi's brain buzzed with arcing, short-circuiting electricity.

"You two's first song and then 'I'm Your Moon,' right?"

"Uh-huh, and mid-song, you hand me the scepter." Aoi nodded after a deep breath.

"You hit a knee, and Lena says yes." Regan grinned.

"If everything goes as planned, but maybe my hand shakes and the ring bounces out a window we have open because the house is hot. Chaos can work both ways, Regan!" Aoi put on the bracelets that matched the rest of the outfit. She didn't have them the first time around, and the characters she based her original character on all had them.

"Like you getting caught by Tessa when you two first started dating? I think that worked out pretty well. If anything happens, it'll make a fun story, Aoi. It won't derail you and Lena's lives."

"Yeah. Thank you, Regan! You've always been there when I needed you, even when I didn't think I did."

"You're never boring, Aoi."

"Us petite girls have to keep the giants around me on their toes." Aoi winked at the tall best friend.

"Oh, so that's what the chaos was about?"

"Pretty much. Help me with my makeup?"

"Of course!"

The pair talked about anything but the proposal. Classes for the semester and Aoi liking Angie, though she was more into a puppy once she and Lena got settled, made for great conversation. Aoi teased Miles and Regan about their living arrangement, switching apartments every Friday. She told her bestie to just move into one or the other, but each had signed a lease for the entire senior year before they started dating.

"So, is your heart more into Boston or the Bay Area?" Regan asked as they were putting the finishing touches on Aoi's makeup.

"I like seasons, so Boston, but it's going to be tougher to get into... Won't be going to the same school, either, but they're close enough to live together on one of the campuses. They both have grad student housing, because without it..."

"Yeah, expensive as hell either direction."

"Yup, but if I get my JD and she gets her doctorate from either place... we can go wherever we want to, together." Aoi could feel herself talking faster about her future.

"Breathe, Aoi. I'm going to sneak out, see if everyone is here, then distract them and hide the scepter, okay? Don't need anyone playing with it and finding the ring before the big reveal."

"Or me to nervously fidget with it and... bang! Ring out the window!"

"I'll be back in a minute, and we can start with step one: leave Lena speechless for a minute."

Aoi watched her bestie leave and looked at her outfit in the mirror. It was almost perfect, but it could use a little improvement. Do what I wanted to do the first night? Aoi gave herself a wink before working her panties down her legs and onto her wrist. The bracelets would somewhat conceal the new addition. If this party wasn't at her apartment with her closest friends, perhaps it would be too much, but now it would be a fun surprise for Lena.

"Everyone but Tessa, Miles, and Lena are here. Do you want to meet her out there or wait?" Regan asked.

"Out there. I can't have her seeing me coming out of our bedroom. It might get boring!"

"Never with you, Aoi."

"True, but let's keep her guessing."

Eli had finished decorating the apartment perfectly while Helena, Alfredo, and their dates set up the food in the kitchen. Their dates were the only ones not in the tight circle of friends, but Aoi understood that Helena and Alfredo were only ever going to be fuck buddies. It'd be far too convenient if we all paired up.

Music was already playing, so Aoi ran over to make sure that her and Lena's song wouldn't play too early. She needed to build up to the big moment. Everything is ready. Aoi took a deep breath, turned around, and stopped dead in her tracks.

Lena was dressed as a Valkyrie, as if she'd found a way to combine her knight, lumberjill, and Viking warrior into a single package that far exceeded anything before. Her armor gleamed silver, and she even had a pair of wings behind her, with silver and alabaster feathers. It was enough for Aoi to stand and stare, taking in every intricate detail her girlfriend must have worked on for months, but seeing Lena on one knee stopped her.

Aoi couldn't help but bounce with excitement. She knew what this meant. Lena's eyes widened for a second, clearly noticing Aoi's lack of panties. Aoi bit her lower lip and nodded to Lena. You saw what you thought you saw. To emphasize, Aoi shook her wrist, making her panties more obvious.

"Aoi Keiko Kwan, will you marry me?" Lena kept it simple, direct, perfect. A white-gold ring with a central diamond and tiny pink jewels, like sakura petals in motion, made her heart race.

"YES!" Aoi didn't care about missing her proposal. All that mattered was that Lena wanted her, and she tackled her fiancée to the ground with a powerful kiss.

Lena - A Little Earlier

Lena did her best to assist in the kitchen as butterflies danced in her stomach. Miles had volunteered to make pizza tonight, but Lena didn't want her best friend cooking when she needed a little support. Instead, catering was coming in a few minutes.

"Got the drinks!" Eli said as he and Tessa carried in a cooler between them. It crunched with fresh ice as they set it down in the kitchen corner.

"Ready, Tessa?" Miles asked, nodding toward the door as if a loud gesture would somehow let Aoi hear.

"Need any help, Eli?" Tessa asked, eyes darting around.

"I got this, babe." Eli put his hands on Tessa's hips and leaned down slightly for a kiss. "Go, Lena!" He gave Lena a thumbs-up before finally giving Angie a little attention.

"It's time, Lena." Tessa motioned for Lena to follow. Miles's apartment was just across the parking lot, the perfect place to hide an intricate costume. That meant she'd had to come over and work on the costume in secret for most of the semester, but ever since the final design came to her, Lena knew she had to finish it.

"Got the ring?" Lena asked once they were in Miles's apartment. Surprising her girl wasn't easy, so Lena wasn't taking any chances.

"Please. Who do you think your best friend is?" Miles pulled the ring from the cabinets above the fridge, too high for Aoi to reach easily when she was over here hanging out with Regan.

"I don't know, you've been a little distracted since you started dating Merrit." Lena winked at her best friend.

"In the best way." Miles grinned.

"Thank you, both of you, for this. I have a feeling we are going to have to strike early." Lena took off her T-shirt and shorts, folded them casually, and stacked them on the island. It was still a little odd that nudity was so casual after the summer, but Aoi had a way of breaking down barriers between them.

First came the corset, cinching in a little, but not nearly as much as it would have three years ago, before Aoi. Adding a daily swim to her yoga was just an outward sign of how much her girlfriend had improved her life.

"Still want to go home after a half hour?" Miles asked.

"Depends. Is Aoi going with me?"

"I think we all know she is." Tessa handed over a pair of silver panties that matched her costume.

"Then yes! I won't, but I'll want to. Thanks for prying me out of the dorm that night, well, both of you." Lena often thought about that night and her pledge to not be in a relationship in college. Instead, she found the love of her life, and everything changed at a single Halloween party.

"Do you think she's going to try her own proposal?" Miles asked.

"I'd count on it. No big plan, just a costume and a question." Lena put on her skirt, each pleat covered in foam painted silver to look like gleaming armor. She'd considered a helmet; it would suit the Valkyrie, but she didn't want to hide her face at all.

Tessa cinched on the top, cut once again to show off the tattoo that Lena had used as inspiration for the ring. Pretty much every dollar she'd earned during her paid internship this summer went into the custom ring. Her tutoring work-study covered her day-to-day expenses.

"This is incredible, Lena. Aoi is going to love it!" Miles opened the red velvet box, revealing the white gold band, modest central diamond, and pink spinels that looked like petals in an unseen wind.

"You did good, Lena." Tessa nodded as she applied Lena's makeup.

"Where's the wings?"

"On your bed since you and Regan don't use it much." Lena pointed.

"Every other week!" Miles shook his head. "And how often has Aoi ever used her bed?" Lena knew he meant the pullout couch.

"Once for half an evening." Lena smiled. Aoi had once gotten the flu and tried to spare Lena by sleeping on the pull-out bed, but Lena knew she'd be more comfortable in their bed, so she carried her in to help her sleep better. Catching the flu herself was worth it.

"Not like Eli has a leg to stand on." Tessa shrugged. Eli technically had a bedroom in the apartment he shared with Alfredo, but Lena thought he'd only stayed there all weekend once when Tessa went home, because he had a project due. Even Angie, his rescue kitty, now lived with Tessa.

"College has been good to us," Lena said, trying to keep happy tears from smudging her makeup.

"It has been. Ready to cap off your college Halloweens with one more happy memory?" Miles asked as he helped put on the wings.

"Just need my axe." Lena tucked the ring box into a pocket on the skirt that she'd insisted on including. Costumes need pockets.

Tessa gave a little curtsey as she handed over the axe flat in both hands. The axe was a bit of a Ship of Theseus, getting pieces replaced and upgraded each Halloween.

Tessa went ahead so she could quickly duck into a casual version of her favorite Crimson Seraph cosplay. She insisted on something subdued even when the girls had asked her to show off the costume that won her People's Choice in Denver the night she and Eli finally got together. The pair had pretended not to be in a relationship for the annual lake trip, but later confessed they had been together longer than that.

"I'm so happy for you, Lena." Miles gave her a careful hug so as not to disturb the wings.

"I sound like a broken record, but thank you. Do... do you think your dad would walk me down the aisle?"

"I know he'd be honored."

A few minutes later, Tessa texted Miles to get things moving, and for the first time tonight, Lena felt the nerves kick in full force.

"She's going to say yes, Lena."

"I'm 99.99% certain, but that last 0.01% is a little bitch." Lena grimaced.

"Then it's time to pull an Aoi."

"Run straight at the thing that makes you nervous?"

"It's what your love would do."

"She would, but no actual running in these boots!"

The apartment was at capacity when Miles and Lena arrived. The house party on the other Halloweens had been bigger, but something small and intimate, with all their friends, seemed perfect. Lena got nods and smiles as she stepped in, but no one said anything; Tessa had primed them for her entrance.

Aoi was looking at something in the far corner of the room, back to the group. A playlist? Lena wondered, but decided it was time to take advantage of Aoi's distraction. She put a finger to her lips as she met each of her friends' eyes. Dropping to one knee was difficult without breaking the wings. The words played through her mind like a mantra as she waited for Aoi to turn.

Her future wife looked resplendent in a new rendition of the costume Lena had first seen her in. It had a new sheen, with textures on every panel. It was also cut to hug Aoi's curves perfectly. It wasn't the same fabric, but a perfected form, more powerful than nostalgia for the first Halloween.

Aoi turned around and paused, eyes taking Lena in before fixating on the ring. Those eyes, which meant everything to Lena, lit up as a wide smile showed off her perfect, braces-straightened teeth. Time seemed to slow, for just a moment, the same way it had when Aoi told two guys at a party, "If she's not clearly a lumberjill, you're blind." Then Aoi winked at her.

Her girlfriend repeated the wink, with every ounce of the power it held three years ago. That led to a happy bounce, Aoi's skirt flaring out just enough to catch a glimpse of her waxed pussy. Lena shifted her gaze to Aoi's wrist, noticing black, pink, and white fabric poking out of the colorful metal. Aoi nodded subtly, as if to confirm, raising an eyebrow.

"Aoi Keiko Kwan, will you marry me?" Lena managed to get out without her tongue tying her.

"YES!" Aoi tackled her in a hug, knocking the ring box from Lena's hand, and squished the wings on Lena's back. The ring bounced out of the box and pinged off the nearby closed window. "Oops! Who closed the window?"

Regan raised her hand.

"Saved the day!" Aoi scrabbled over to grab the ring. "Do the honors! Do the honors!" She bounced in front of Lena again.

Lena didn't hesitate, sliding the ring onto her fiancée's finger. She gave Aoi a moment to squeal and show off the ring before standing, embracing her, and landing a powerful, soul-shaking kiss. Aoi giggled. Lena spun her around in jubilation. "Oops! I think all our friends just saw your bum!" Lena's cheeks pinkened.

"Not like they haven't seen it." Aoi pulled the skirt up and mooned the party in case any of them had missed it.

"You're marrying that one?" Helena asked with a playful grin.

"Hell yes I am! Have you seen her booty?"

"As a matter of fact..." Regan trailed off into laughter that spread through the room.

Everyone wanted to see the ring, and Aoi proudly held it up to Lena's tattoo. Lena smiled so hard her cheeks hurt. This apartment felt so warm, filled with friends who had become family.

"Mind if we call Saori? I want to show off!" Aoi bounced again, as if the ring had filled her with so much energy she needed to let it out somewhere.

"Of course." Lena bent down to kiss Aoi, her fiancée, power still buzzing between them.

"Did she say yes!?" Saori answered on the first ring.

"I did!" Aoi showed off her new jewelry, bouncing in a manner that Lena thought might make Saori a little ill.

"What!? But you—"

"Lena beat me to the punch." Aoi winked at her again.

"Alright! Perfect future daughter!" Aoi's mom cheered.

"Sorry, I'm at home. Well, near home. Going out to dinner."

"My sister's getting married!?" Sota hopped into view, waving his hand wildly. "Hi, Lena!"

"Hey, Sota! Yes, your sister is now my fiancée."

"So, I'll be your brother?"

"You sure will be, buddy."

They talked for a few more minutes. Lena felt love flow through the screen. The Kwans had to hang up after a few minutes because someone called their name and their table was ready. Lena was told they expected her and Aoi to come home in two weekends so they could celebrate.

"Someone else wants to say congratulations." Miles raised his phone as soon as the other video call ended.

"Lena? I understand you had some news?" Joe Hoit, with his fiancée, Anne, waved back at the lens.

"Aoi and I are getting married!"

"Guess you're marrying into one more daughter, Anne." Joe grinned widely and proudly. He'd proposed to the woman he'd been dating for four years only a month ago. "Of course, someone had already come by seeking my approval for a proposal. You got some gal there, Lena."

"She certainly does." Aoi chuckled, then kissed Lena on the cheek.

Lena couldn't stop the happy tears. Her friends and family wanted her and were so happy with who she chose to spend her life with. "Thank you, Mr. Hoit, Anne!" Tessa handed her a tissue to dab at her eyes.

"You deserve it, Lena! Go dance with your girl, save me a dance at your wedding."

"Always, Mr. Hoit, as long as you save one for me at yours." Lena waved as they disconnected.

Next came dinner, a bad horror movie, and then dancing. Lena shed her wings after they took a few costume photos so they could reminisce about this party someday. She felt they'd host a Halloween party every year. The holiday meant too much to be forgotten. They also discussed a wedding next year, but neither girl wanted to wait; they wanted to be married before starting graduate school.

After a few songs, Lena paused to grab a drink, watching Aoi interact with all their friends, a beaming smile never leaving her face. Lena got a little worried when Aoi started whispering something to Regan. Mischief is afoot. Lena waited for whatever the pair were planning to wash over her like a wave. She didn't have to wait long. Soon the first song they danced to came over the speakers.

"Dance with me?" Aoi held out a hand, a scepter in her opposite.

"Shouldn't I say no once? That seemed to work out well last time."

"Nah, not this time." Aoi curled her fingers in a come-hither manner.

Powerless against the maneuver, Lena clutched Aoi's hand as everyone else cleared the living room dance space. After two verses, Aoi knelt. "Magdelena Sophia Martinez, will you marry me?" Aoi triggered something on her scepter; a gold ring fell out into her hand. It had a beautiful ruby-and-sapphire setting, and the stones looked like they were orbiting the central diamond.

"Shit, now everyone knows my first name!" Lena threw up her arms, then stooped and wrapped them around Aoi. "Of course I will, babe!"

"I spent so much time planning and conniving; I had to do it."

"Almost doesn't seem fair..." Lena leaned in for a kiss. "You already knew my answer."

"Like you didn't." Aoi winked. "I got it engraved." She held it up for Lena to see the engraving. "I'm your moon!"

"You're my moon." Lena kissed her again. When their lips separated, she let Aoi put the ring on her finger and just stood for a moment, basking in the pair of perfect rings. "Same idea, huh?"

"One good idea deserves another. Hey everybody, we're getting married!" Aoi held out her ring, and Lena did the same. Their friends cheered, but not quite as enthusiastically as the first time. "I think you cheated by going first." Aoi signed, her nose scrunching into a giggle.

"I'm Your Moon" started playing over the speakers, and Regan winked at Aoi. The pair sang along to the slightly sad but somehow uplifting, romantic song. They only changed the line "Because you don't have pretty rings" to "Now we both have pretty rings." It was the second most important dance of Lena's life, and she hoped there would be many more to come. But come what may, they would be each other's moon, dancing together for eternity.

Aoi - Fifteen Years Later

"Gotta take advantage of an empty house!" Aoi giggled, shedding her hoodie and sweatpants as soon as she stepped out of the garage.

"Not complaining, just appreciating." Lena smiled and closed the door behind them. She didn't look fully ready, barely turning around before Aoi barrelled into her to steal a kiss. Her wife smelled like chlorine from their morning ritual swim. In the summer, they had their own pool, but by late autumn, they had to drive or walk to the rec center. Today, they drove, as they had so much to get done.

"And joining?" Aoi bounced with a hopeful grin.

"Why'd I have to marry such a persuasive woman?" Lena shook her head, but pulled off her jacket, T-shirt, and bra.

"Because she's your soulmate?" Aoi grabbed the edges of Lena's bottoms and pushed them down her legs, managing to get the panties, too, in one smooth motion. Lena was still waxed, more than fifteen years after Aoi convinced her four friends to go get waxed together. She'd only eschewed the look briefly while pregnant and after she gave birth to Juniper, their youngest daughter.

"There's that, and you're right; how often do we have the house to ourselves?" Lena kicked her clothes toward the washer. The mudroom-and-laundry combo was a convenient place to strip.

"Just the right amount of time." Aoi took Lena's hand. "Time to ourselves, and we get to see our girls enjoy the party!"

"Let's get this place decorated and then I'm taking you to a long, hot, soapy shower with time to spare." Lena urged Aoi to spin back into her, and Aoi readily complied, meeting her wife's lips.

"I like that plan."

"Thought I might persuade you. Just don't wander too close to the windows!"

The annual Halloween party was the event of the season for their found and real families. The five they celebrated in New England didn't have the same punch as when they got back to the Kansas City area with Emi in tow.

"I'll do my best when I let Luna out." Aoi squealed, tickled Lena, and ran into the front room, where Luna was sleeping upside down in her crate, her tail coming to life before the rest of her. Emi had named the rescue lab mix, with long, fluffy black hair, Luna. That idea probably came to their bright, affable little girl from how often Aoi and Lena played "I'm Your Moon."

"Outside, Luna!" Lena herded the pup out to the backyard. She positioned herself carefully so she could open the back door without anyone peeking. That was all but an impossibility as long as the ADU was unoccupied. Their property abutted a rising stone cliff. "Still think her name is too close to Lena!" Her wife shook her head as she started picking up the living room.

The entire first floor was open concept, with only a couple of load-bearing columns breaking up the expanse. Juniper and Emi had done a serviceable job putting away their toys before their grandparents took them to Kansas City Thursday night. They were on fall break for conferences, and Grandpa and Grandma Kwan felt they needed to reward a great start to the school year.

The girls would be back home in time for the Halloween party, along with squads of cousins by blood, adoption, and found family. The Hoits never officially adopted Lena; she was already eighteen, but PopPop and GramGram took their grandparenting seriously. Where an annual lake trip was for friends, the Halloween party was for everyone. This was the first year they were hosting it back in Redfield.

"Sheets and air mattresses ready to roll out?" Lena tapped a pen against a handwritten list.

"With the batteries charged. I still don't know if we'll have more staying than can be accommodated by the guest room and ADU."

"It would be nice if we had enough stay for brunch tomorrow." Lena flashed a hopeful smile. They hadn't seen their friend group as much since moving from Kansas City to Redfield. The grandparents, though, had to schedule around each other so they could stay in the ADU when it was open.

When Aoi and Lena built their house overlooking Redfield State and the Missouri River beyond, they built a one-bedroom apartment in the backyard so the grandparents had no excuse not to visit as often as possible. Emi and Juniper were blessed to have both sets in their lives, though Emi had recently wondered about Lena's blood relatives. It was hard to explain that Lena's family had chosen to turn their backs on her.

"Javier's coming, right?"

"With Racheal." Lena nodded with a little smile. She hoped Racheal would soon be her little brother's fiancée. Of her six siblings, only Javier had any contact with Lena. When Lena and Aoi moved back from Boston, her youngest brother got in touch, and sadly got cut off from the family for not pretending Lena didn't exist. He chose Lena and Aoi, and they made sure he always felt welcome in their home.

"About time for him to settle down."

"Less time on the road."

"Emi and Juniper could use more cousins."

"Could they? The house is already going to be bursting at the seams!"

"Always." Aoi hustled around the first floor, injecting a little orange and black into every corner. Fake cobwebs were stretched into convincing spots, mostly hung by her taller wife. Aoi stretched some between the myriad photos on the wall. Emi and Juniper had been busy little girls, already visiting half the states on family vacations in their short lives, and their trips left smiling photos cluttering the walls with delight.

The wedding photo cluster always brought a jolt of joy as Aoi remembered the day. One image had Lena in her white dress, Joe Hoit smiling proudly as he walked his third daughter down the aisle. When Lena asked him to give her away, his only demand was that it wouldn't be about a single night; it was him signing on to be in her life from then on.

Daughter four would join when Miles married Regan, and five would come when Josie married Dani. They finally got grandchildren from that pairing when Josie and Dani adopted a baby girl last spring. They were great moms and were hoping to adopt another in a year or so. Saori and her husband had a son. Sota and his girlfriend would be at the party, too.

Aoi's favorite wedding photo was the largest. Both girls in their white dresses, sharing a sweet kiss after reading their vows and saying I do. The dresses were simpler than some, but some people wanted a showy wedding, with a loving marriage ranking oddly low on their importance scale. They would celebrate their fifteenth anniversary in eight months.

"Don't forget these." Lena handed Aoi a box of framed photos from each Halloween party. Aoi thanked Regan and Miles regularly for the photos from the first party, taken as the pair danced for the first time. They weren't concerned about preserving that night in images at the time.

The newer photos added first Emi and then Juniper. Aoi and Lena took their time selecting donors, and with more than a little luck, their girls looked like each other and like their mothers. They surprised more than one teacher on meet-the-teacher night when Dr. and Mrs. Kwan turned out to be a lesbian couple. The teachers could swear that the little girls shared the same mother and father.

Aoi arranged the photos and got out the drinks for the party. Stringing up lights would wait until another tall person arrived to help Lena better. She let Luna in, her tail wagging as she sniffed the decorations. They'd spent more time cleaning up her toys than their daughters.

"I think everything's ready enough." Lena swept in and kissed Aoi. "There is only so much longer we can be as loud as we'd like." She grabbed Aoi's hand.

"Shower time?"

"Yup."

"With the strap-on?"

"Oh, that sounds like fun." Lena led her up the stairs; the big window overlooking Redfield State reflected the outside, so she and Lena could indulge in moments like this without being seen by peepers. The house they built felt right, like this was exactly where they belonged. Professor Lena and Aoi the lawyer could afford this paradise and still provide their girls with the best possible future.

Lena - A Little Later

"Welcome! How were they?" Lena held the front door open for Juniper and Emi to hug her and Aoi before running off to let Luna in from the backyard, where she was barking with excitement. She loved her tiny humans as much as they loved her.

"Great! Juniper fought sleep a bit last night, but we had experience with a girl like that to guide us." Mrs. Kwan winked at Aoi. She looked like a blend of her two daughters, only a few inches shorter. She was proud of her silver hair. She said she'd earned every strand by raising her three kids.

"If all kids were as well-behaved as those two angels, perhaps we wouldn't have waited a decade before having Sota!" Mr. Kwan smiled innocently at Aoi.

"Nah, it was that there was no awesomeness to spare for a decade." Aoi gave her parents a hug. "Where'd you two spoil them rotten this time?"

"The zoo and Science City yesterday. We took them by the sculpture garden this morning." Aoi's mom explained, hugging both the ladies.

"Tell me Grandpa took lots of photos," Lena said as the girls and Luna ran into the foyer, all three filled with bouncy energy. Emi was already close to Grandma Kwan's height, and Aoi lamented that her whole family would soon tower over her.

"Please, Lena." The man didn't seem quite ready to surrender to his receding hairline. "Who do you think you're talking to? I'll have them edited and in the family photo album in no time!"

Sota, Aoi's younger brother, had set up a private server so the whole family could share photos without exposing the junior Kwans to social media. Lena didn't know if he'd thought through what he was getting into, as the family grew to include friends and the Hoits. Sota didn't seem put out when he added another connection.

"Are you going to stay? See Sota before you go, or just head home?" Aoi asked her parents. "Sorry, the cosplayers caused dibs on the ADU for the weekend."

"We'll say hi to Sota and Maandeeq before we head home." Mr. Kwan said. Sota was working on his master's in engineering at RSU. He'd met Maandeeq during his undergraduate studies at K-State, and they'd decided to go to master's school together at Redfield State. Sota hadn't popped the question yet, but Lena knew he had bought a ring and was waiting for their Thanksgiving drive up to see her family in Wisconsin.

"You could still stay for the party."

"We've ignored the pups all day, and we don't need a muttiny when we get home." Mr. Kwan shook his head.

"Last thing we need is a dog uprising!" Mrs. Kwan threw up her hands. "Are you going to be in KC on Monday, Aoi?"

"Yeah, I need to meet new clients. Why?" Aoi only went to KCK a few days a week because her firm let her do much of her work from home. Lena's wife was at research, but her application of underestimation, when people saw the petite lawyer and her brand of chaos, made her an undeniable heavyweight in the courtroom.

"Juniper left her elephant stuffie, and Emi couldn't bring her art project home because it was still drying."

"She let you drive up here without Mr. Snuffles?" Lena blinked in disbelief. Mr. Snuffles was Juni's favorite of the menagerie of stuffed animals the girl had.

"They asked to borrow him!" Juniper yelled, looking up from petting her pup.

"We did. Your grandpa needs him for an adventure." Mr. Kwan stooped to hug both of his granddaughters. Lena had no doubt that the man would pose Mr. Snuffles for a few photos as proof of the stuffie's adventures.

"Thank you both so much." Lena hugged both the elder Kwans.

"We get the ADU in two weeks, right?"

"Yes, ma'am. My family will be here next weekend, but not the weekend after." Lena couldn't remember when she started calling Joe and Anne Hoit her family, but it felt right. Joe was mostly retired now, traveling the country with Anne and visiting his grandchildren regularly. Miles and Regan had the advantage of living on the Kansas side of KC, but Redfield and Wichita weren't that long of a drive.

"Bye, girls, I expect photos of your costumes, okay?"

"We will, Grandma." Emi nodded with a serious glare. She'd been given an assignment, and she'd see it through. She took after Mama Lena in many ways. Oddly, Emi's personality was closer to Lena's, while Juniper took after Mama Aoi. Neither was nearly as chaotic as their shorter mother, but each had a hint of it. Their mothers were lucky that they strayed even closer to the good side of chaotic good.

Once the girls were home, the house was a second whirl of activity. Both girls had insisted on being adventurers from their favorite anime, and Luna didn't seem too put out to get dressed in her own costume, looking like the adventurers' loyal steed.

Aoi dressed in something more subdued than her old college costumes, playing the kindly innkeeper from the series, hiding her larger role. The twist was that Aoi's garb was in the black, pink, and white of her signature Halloween costumes. The costumes combined store-bought components with cloaks Lena made for each, with Tessa's input over webcam.

Lena played the mysterious swordswoman who helped the adventurers without revealing too much of herself yet. Aoi was insistent that in the manga the show was based on, Lena's character was a much bigger deal. The anime would need a few seasons to get there. Lena didn't care how big a deal her character was; her daughters thought she looked cool.

"Thanks for sewing these, babe." Aoi kissed her on the cheek before the party arrived. This was their first time hosting since moving back to Redfield. They'd been back last year, but the house was still under construction. Regan and Miles hosted it for a year, but this was Aoi and Lena's party to host.

Even for the five years Aoi and Lena lived in Massachusetts, they hosted a Halloween party. It was a shame the friends they made in grad school didn't make it to the Midwest that often. The Kwan family had visited where Emi was born a few times, though; a road trip was an important part of every summer. The girls had already been to thirty-five states at their young age.

Sota and Maandeeq arrived first in costumes, though they were a little slapdash, if Lena was being honest. She wouldn't complain; it was always great to see her brother-in-law, and everyone who knew the pair hoped Maandeeq would say yes. "I promise, no IT questions this week!" Lena told Sota as they let him in.

"I've heard that before. Where are my nieces?" Sota asked. He looked so much like his father, just a few inches taller, with a full head of hair.

"Aoi's getting a few photos with them and Luna out back."

"You ever think your dog's name is a little too close to yours?" Maandeeq asked with a wry grin. She was tall, thin, and undeniably beautiful, with rich, warm, deep-brown skin. Her witchy costume was a black dress Lena had seen her wear before, but she had added a tall, pointy hat.

"One letter off!" Lena shook her head. "Teach us to throw the moon motif around the house. A nerd, Sota? Isn't that a little too on the nose?"

"Hey! It's an eighties nerd! When's the last time you saw a pocket protector?"

"Other than Professor Dotson when they get all the professors together?"

"Where do you think Sota found it?" Maandeeq pulled her boyfriend close, her arm around his shoulder. Neither seemed bothered that she was a couple of inches taller than Sota.

This was Lena's third year as a professor at Redfield State. When they moved back from Boston, Lena had her doctorate. She spent seven years as a therapist, specializing in young adults with challenging home lives. She liked the work, but when she got the chance to first teach at Johnson County Community College, she found her true calling.

Aoi suggested they move back to Redfield and build their dream home after Lena spent a year commuting. It took Lena some convincing; she didn't want to inconvenience Aoi's career too much, but her wife was persuasive.

"Holy shit! This place is amazing!" Helena and her husband walked up as Lena greeted the others. "Oops, language." She blushed when Emi, Juniper, and Luna came running up.

"Swear jar, Aunt Helena!" Juniper raised a finger.

"You heard the lady." Helena's husband chuckled.

"Really thought that a high school teacher would be better than that."

"CAITLYN!" Emi rushed past them out to greet Eli and Tessa's SUV. Caitlyn was Emi's best friend, even if they didn't see each other as much since moving to Redfield State. Aoi and Lena had a playful bet on which twin, Caitlyn or Tyler, Emi would end up marrying. They were still too young to worry about anything like that, but if the Park family tied up with the Kwans, no one would complain.

Having one of the best cosplayers as a mother, Caityln and Tyler's costumes were always incredible. The ten-year-old twins were already helping their mother, passing cosplay to the next generation. Tonight, the twins wore foam armor and swords, leaning into their favorite video game characters.

"How was the drive?" Aoi asked as she helped bring in a few crockpots for the party potluck.

"Great! I love the new asphalt." Eli said, wearing a more subdued outfit; neither he nor Tessa appeared to want to overshadow their children. Tessa's needlework was still exquisite in the simpler outfits.

"Redfield finally refinished it." Lena shrugged. "It was a mess this time last year, but it's good to be done."

"REGAN!" Aoi sped out of the house just like her daughter. Lena couldn't help but laugh. Sometimes Emi seemed so much calmer, and other times like this.

"I see where I rank." Miles shook his head as he pulled their youngest out of her booster seat. The boys were already running off on some adventure with Juniper; the oldest was her age, and his brother followed him like a shadow.

Lena's house felt full to bursting, but that's just how she liked it on Halloween. Aoi flitted between groups of friends and family, bubbling with effervescent energy. She was a little sad that Saori wasn't going to make it this year, but her family was on a cruise this week. She'd invited the Kwan crew, but the semester was in full swing, so Lena couldn't go. Her mentor was grooming her to be the eventual dean of the psychology department.

Alfredo and his bride showed up a little late. No doubt he, Helena, and their spouses would be staying in the same hotel room tonight. It was an odd relationship, but the friend group no longer ribbed them about it. It was just part of their solar system.

Javier and Racheal were late, but present. Lena hated that getting close to her ostracized him from the Martinez family, too, but accepted his agency in making that decision. He was always welcome in the Kwan home.

Tessa's cosplaying friends brought their kids, too. It was great to see everyone happy and healthy. Aoi and Lena danced together when someone put on "I'm Your Moon," but the song no longer fit them completely. Yes, they still danced around each other, finding their own point to orbit, but there was no longer any loneliness.

Lena's life first stabilized when she met Aoi. The woman who wouldn't let her hide in a dorm room or deny that she needed a connection and romance in her life. With that, the pair found a steady orbit around the group's twin suns, Regan and Miles.

The solar system analogy no longer quite fit; each group seemed to have its own little solar system. They were more like the Local Cluster, many solar systems pirouetting around a central point of gravity. Somewhere along the way, Aoi and Lena became that focal point, and as Lena danced with her bride, she couldn't wait to see where their endless dance took them. Wherever they went, they would be together.