Every Second

EARLY RELEASE FOR HIGHER-PLEDGING PATRONS!

Yet another Dianakko fic... But this one is going to be mainly Years Later drabbles specifically, probably in no particular order!

The idea behind this first chapter doesn't necessarily HAVE to be Years Later (for those who don't know of it), but you can totally read it that way! Diana and Akko are dating and only get to stay together a few nights a month (the AU belongs to theneonflower, so you can check their tumblr for more info!)

If you choose to read this as a Years Later chapter, then it's earlier during their relationship, when they are still students (though a year or so older than they are in the show), and all of this takes place before Diana gets seriously injured/scarred by the sorcerer. Basically, this takes place during simpler times ahaha

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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													Every Second

												   	 Chapter 1.

"Di-a-naaaa..."

"I will only be a few moments longer."

"That's what you said half an hour agooo..."

With a pout puffing up her cheeks, Akko sits in the bed of their secret suite. Her eyes follow Diana as she walks around the room, looking over a stack of papers in her hand while heading toward several open books laid out on the lamplit tables.

Akko's been dressed in her pajamas and ready for bed since the sun went down. After all, it isn't often she gets to be alone with her girlfriend like this – only a few nights a month, in fact. She's been dying for weeks to cuddle up next to Diana.

But her girlfriend is especially absorbed in her work this evening.

Akko considers it a miracle that she managed to convince Diana to change into her nightgown so she could feel a bit cozier while doing her work. Her hopes had been that Diana would be too comfortable to keep working.

But even half an hour later, she's still pacing about the room, barely finishing one thing before her thoughts take her down another tangent.

Akko's getting a headache just watching her. She knows Diana has a lot of work to do right now, but she can't help but feel a little envious of the attention Diana is giving to her papers.

Akko reaches her hands out and grabs at the air, as though doing so might pull her workaholic girlfriend closer to her somehow.

"Dianaaaa, pleeease. I've been dying to be with you all month. Please stop working and take a break. It's time for bed."

Diana stops her pacing and turns a guilty expression upon the brunette in the bed.

"My apologies," she sighs. "You know I have been anticipating this just as badly as you have, Akko. However, I will not rest easily if I know there is still work that needs to be done. But I truly am almost finished."

She picks up a book from the nearby table, scans the open page, and then retreats to the shelves where she keeps some of her most favored tomes. Akko crosses her arms and glares at the floor.

/Why does she have to have all this work right now? It's not fair.../

Akko holds her tongue for a moment longer, hoping that if Diana can do what she needs to get done, she'll finally feel unburdened enough to come to bed.

Akko watches her pick out another book, then scurry back to the desk to take down a few notes. Akko whines in the back of her throat like an ignored puppy.

/I know her work's important. And I know she'd rather get it done sooner and not later. But every second I get with her is so precious. Our time for tonight is already running out.../

She glances at the clock to find it's almost midnight.

Akko's about to explode. She has half a mind to throw the blankets off herself, storm over, take Diana by the hand, and lead her back to bed without hearing her protests.

She's seriously considering doing just that when Diana finally lets out an accomplished sigh.

"There. That should be all."

She taps the lamp, and the little sprite inside extinguishes its light. Standing from her chair, Diana closes the book she'd been reading, glances over the stack of papers one last time, and then turns her full attention to Akko. She can practically envision a tail wagging behind her.

Akko perks up immediately, her face brightening despite the lack of light as she reaches her hands out impatiently. Diana can't help but chuckle at the childish gesture.

"I apologize if I made you feel neglected," she says.

Akko can hear the genuine regret in her voice as clearly as she can see it in her downcast eyes. Diana makes her way to the bedside, now just inches shy of Akko's fingers.

"It's okay, it's okay~" Akko smiles. "I know you have a lot of important stuff to do. Preparing notes, studying spells, writing reports-"

"Oh! I'd nearly forgotten."

Diana had been so close to touching the bed. She'd literally been at Akko's fingertips.

But now, she quickly turns away as she remembers an unfinished report.

Akko feels like punching herself in the head for bringing it up. Her smile falls like a childhood dream shot out of the sky by adulthood's arrow of responsibility.

"D-Diana-!"

"This is the last thing I have to do. Truthfully."

Diana begins to head to the desk once again.

But Akko won't allow it. Not this time.

She lunges forward to the edge of the bed and grabs her girlfriend by the wrist.

"Nope!"

With this defiant declaration, Akko pulls Diana down onto the bed. Diana yelps as she falls backward, but lands softly on the mattress.

"A-Akko-"

"Nope!"

Stubbornly, the brunette pulls Diana completely onto the bed, then makes quick work of climbing over her. With her hands and knees planted on either side of Diana's body, she straddles her girlfriend and glares down at her with her cheeks puffed up like a chipmunk's.

"No more work tonight, Diana! Girlfriend's orders!"

"Akko, I assure you-"

But Akko doesn't give her a chance to finish. Without mercy, she flops down directly on top of Diana and hugs her into a deadlock position. She feels the breath fly from Diana's chest at the impact, but Akko refuses to loosen her grip.

"You're staying here! You're going to bed! Right noooww!"

"A-Akko-"

"Nope! I won't let you do more work tonight! You work too much as it is, Diana! You always have! All throughout our first semester, I don't think you ever slept more than two hours a night! You're always doing something or thinking about something! The only times you slept decent hours were once we started seeing each other, and that's only a few nights a month! I'm not gonna let you start losing sleep on those nights, too! So that's it! No more work! You're done!"

"I... meant to consent to your terms..." Diana rasps over her shoulder.

Surprised, Akko lifts her face from Diana's chest to look down into her eyes.

"Eh? R-Really? I thought you were gonna fight me on it."

"I will consent to your terms..." Diana repeats. "B-But I am finding it... somewhat difficult to breathe, Akko."

"Hah? Oh, s-sorry!" Akko loosens her grip on Diana's sides, but still refuses to let her up. She sinks down on top of her a little more gently this time. "I'm still not letting you leave, though."

"You have made yourself very clear on that point," Diana sighs. "Very well. I suppose the report can be finished in the morning."

Akko nods, satisfied with the answer.

"Yeah. But right now, it's time for bed."

"At the very least, would you mind terribly if I were to make the request that you move yourself?"

"Mmm nope! Sorry, no can do. Not tonight, Diana. I think that report is a bit too tempting for you."

Akko snuggles closer into her collar. Diana rolls her eyes.

"You truly have so little faith in me? You can be quite stubborn yourself, sometimes."

"Not as stubborn as you~"

Diana can't find a comeback for that. So she admits defeat and lets thoughts of the report fall away into the unimportant parts of her mind where she may revisit them in the morning.

However, being crushed to the bed with her arms pinned to her sides as she is, Diana can hardly envision herself sleeping soundly in this position. Therefore, with a bit of effort, she slips her arms free of Akko's immobilizing embrace and brings them up to rest across her back and shoulders instead.

Akko has to admit this feels nicer for her as well. Diana starts threading through her hair, stroking up and down Akko's back gingerly.

Akko's missed this so much.

She savors the feeling, knowing it will have to last long enough to hold her over for another month until she can feel it again.

"Aaaahh~ Dianaaaa~" Sighing, she closes her eyes and all but melts against her. "Mmn, this is your plan, isn't it? To... catch me off guard... make me fall asleep, then sneak back to your reports..."

"Of course not," Diana murmurs. "You make it sound as though I am having an affair."

"Sometimes it feels like you might be... Cheating on me with paperwork..."

Though it's meant mainly as a joke, Diana feels a slight pang in her chest at the comment. She squeezes Akko around the small of her back.

"I apologize for making you feel that way. It was never my intention."

"Mmm no, no... I'm sorry, too." Akko lifts herself up a little and gazes down into her pretty blue eyes. "I didn't mean to make you feel bad about it."

"But I am glad you expressed your true feelings on the matter. Thank you for allowing me to know how you feel. I will do my best not to upset you like this again." Diana slips one hand up Akko's side, to her shoulder, then around to cup the side of her face. "I truly do treasure my time with you. Every moment. Every second, Akko. You understand that, do you not?"

"Of course I do." Akko dips her head down, brushing her nose against Diana's. Her bangs tickle her girlfriend's brow, and Diana blows up at them playfully.

Soundlessly, Akko covers Diana's lips with her own, drinking her in, knowing she'll never be able to do this enough times. If she could spend every second of the rest of her life kissing Diana, she feels it still wouldn't be enough.

Diana kisses back quietly, but with a subtle fervor that demonstrates how she's been longing for this just as eagerly as Akko has.

Their mouths move together - softly - pushing and pulling as they continuously deepen the contact and then let it become lighter.

After a moment, Akko pulls back, her eyes shimmering with a fondness only Diana will ever see. Akko nuzzles into her fluffy white hair, burying her face in her shoulder. She inhales deeply, letting Diana's familiar scent fill her lungs: ink, feather pens, and a bit of pixie dust.

Diana takes the moment to breathe her in as well. While Diana smells more of paperwork and indoor tasks, Akko smells of earth, fresh air, and freedom.

Diana loops her arms around Akko's back and spreads out her fingers, pressing Akko as close to herself as possible

"Every moment..." she whispers. "I truly do mean it, Akko. Every moment, every breath, every heartbeat... When you are not with me, they all seem rather unimportant - of lesser value. Only when I am with you do they all truly seem to have meaning."

Akko nods into her shoulder and lets out a long sigh.

"Yeah... I feel the same way, Diana..."

It's true. Only at times like these does time matter to them the most. They cherish the time they have together, and yet are painfully aware that it is constantly dwindling, running out, that before much longer, they will have to be apart once again.

But breathing comes easier when she can feel Diana breathing with her. Her heart only feels content when Diana's is thrumming up against it.

Akko relishes those feelings now, for absolutely all they are worth.

She stays as still as possible for a while, slowing her own breathing so she may feel every part of Diana. Lying on top of her as she is, Akko enjoys the rise and fall of a ride she gets with every breath Diana takes in and releases. Beneath her chest, she can feel Diana's pulse thumping, its steady pace slowing bit by bit as Diana allows herself to relax.

This is how Akko can tell Diana's truly stopped thinking about all the work she still has to do tomorrow. Her mind stops racing, her breathing slows, and her pulse drops, until she's simply enjoying the present.

Diana's hands continue to trace lazy patterns all over Akko's back and sides, combing down through her hair. Akko kisses her cheek, then her lips once more.

"Diana?" She nuzzles her girlfriend's nose, peeking down at her as Diana opens one eye. "Are you okay? Should I move?"

Diana smiles and reaches one hand behind Akko's head, pulling her down for another soft kiss.

"I am fine as I am."

There's something comforting about having Akko pressed close to her like this. Her weight is a gentle, grounding pressure, somewhere between a blanket and a shield. Nights like these are some of the few when Diana feels safe.

Akko holds a kiss to Diana's brow.

"Okay."

She brushes her cheek against Diana's and settles her head over her shoulder, nestling close. Diana holds her so she won't slip off, grabbing one of the covers and pulling it up over Akko as much as possible.

Akko snuggles closer to her girlfriend, savoring the way their bodies naturally fit together. The blanket Diana pulls onto her back is appreciated, but all the warmth Akko will ever need is coming from the girl holding her so tenderly tonight.

Akko lets her ear rest at the junction between Diana's neck and shoulder, where she can hear her pulse beating strongest.

Diana lets out the last of her deep sighs for tonight. As her chest deflates, Akko sinks down with her, wiggling a bit before finally lying still.

Diana pets through her hair for a while longer, rubbing little circles over her back. At last, she kisses Akko's cheek before closing her eyes.

"Goodnight, Akko. I love you."

"Mm, night, Diana... Love you, too."

Quietly, sleep covers them with its combers.

Morning will mean they'll have to part ways.

But from then on, time will only be counting down until they can be together once more.

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A/N: So this is going to be where I'll put all my Years Later oneshots and drabbles from now on! Hope you enjoyed!