Smile (ch12)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $10+ PATRONS!

Another request from Antiqua, continuing on from her previous request from last month of the Akko/Diana/Sucy ot3. This one will focus a little more on Diana's and Sucy's component of the 3-way relationship, since they aren't exactly known/shown in canon to be very close.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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														Chapter 12.

Akko recovers from her winter cold rather quickly thanks to the care and support of her girlfriends. Before she knows it, she's back at classes with them and the rest of her friends.

Diana is visibly relieved to have her back, and though Sucy is less blatant about her content, those closest to her are still able to spot it.

It's now that Akko has recovered when Diana comes to the decision that she wants to focus a bit more on the other participant in their relationship. She and Sucy have never been terribly close, and for the most part, Akko had been what brought them together in the first place. Diana longs to deepen her relationship with Sucy, grow closer to her, and perhaps one day be as close to her as she is to Akko.

She's never been the best at showing affection, but she'd learned from Akko that beginning with kind gestures and gifts was a good start.

Therefore, one day after class as Diana is enjoying a break from her patrols, she heads to the library. She searches quietly for nearly half an hour, seeking a book that might appeal to Sucy's interests.

In the end, she finds one dealing entirely with rare and potentially dangerous plants, some of which even Diana herself has never heard of. Content with her choice, she checks out the book and exits the library to resume her patrol.

Near the end of her shift, she begins imagining how she might present the book to Sucy, and ends up getting lost in thought. That's when a loud voice comes from behind her to startle Diana out of her wits.

"Hi, Diana!"

"A-Akko!" Diana whirls around, clutching the book to her chest. Akko is beaming back at her.

"I knew I'd find you here! Your patrol's almost over, right? Wanna come join Sucy and me for supper?"

Diana ponders for a moment. Perhaps she can have Akko assist her with the presentation of the book.

"Very well. However, before that, I would like your help with something, Akko."

The brunette perks up.

"Really? Like what?"

Diana coyly holds out the book for her to see.

"I intend to give it to Sucy as somewhat of a... gift. Do you presume she'd like it?"

Akko grins, and she isn't sure if it's more at the concept of Diana giving Sucy a gift, or because of how Diana's started to blush and fidget at the idea.

"You got something for Sucy? That's great, Diana! She'll love it!" Akko wants to help more than anything. Her mind is already working to formulate a plan. "I've got an idea! I'll help you surprise her with it! Follow me back to the mess hall and just hide outside. I'll get Sucy talking about her favorite weird plants and stuff. She always gets frustrated that she can't find this or that information on them. And then you can come out and give her the book! She'll be thrilled! Er, well... as thrilled as Sucy can get, I guess..."

Diana hears her out. It's not a majorly elaborate or extensive plan, as Akko's ideas typically are, but it's just extravagant enough to make the presentation a little special. Diana agrees.

"Very well. Just allow me to report back to the Headmistress for my patrol and I'll meet you there."

Akko is already bubbling with excitement.

"Okay!" With this she bolts off down the hallway toward the cafeteria, Diana's warning not to run going in one ear and out the other.

Akko hurries back to her table where Sucy has just settled and is waiting for her. Lotte is nearby with Hannah and Barbara at another table, chatting about Nightfall. Akko grabs some food and hurries over to Sucy, who is already digging into her mushroom salad.

"What took you?" she grunts.

Akko sits down innocently across from her.

"Aw, y'know, just getting scolded for running in the hallway." She eats a bit of her food and starts thinking of a tangent to get into so Diana can make her entrance once she arrives. "Sooo," she hums. "What kind of uh, experiments and stuff are you working on now? Any more potions like that drink you gave me when I was sick?"

Sucy looks up at her with her one half-lidded eye.

"What gives? You never ask me about my work."

"Geh! I-I mean, maybe I should change that, right? I should probably start being a little more interested in what you're doing, since you are my girlfriend and all. And then also maybe I can expect when you'll try to use me as a guinea pig for something..."

"Hmm... then maybe since we're dating I should stop using you as my guinea pig."

"Really?!"

"Nope."

"Uwaaah, Suuuucyyy!"

Sucy snickers and Akko pouts, then realizes she's lost track of what she wanted to do. She looks up to the doors now and can see the ends of a skirt and a blue ribbon around the corner. Diana is here now and she's waiting for Akko's cue. Akko focuses on her task.

"Hey, Sucy-"

"By the way," Sucy says at the same time. "Is Diana around? Haven't seen my favorite stingy witch in a couple hours."

Akko nearly chokes on her food.

"Sucy!" Dismayed, she looks up to the doors again. She sees the person on the other side moving for a second before they disappear. Sucy shrugs in nonchalance.

"What? I'm only telling the truth."

"You're being a jerk!" Akko jumps up from her seat and rushes to the doors, but Diana is gone. The book she'd wanted to give to Sucy is lying on the floor. Akko's heart sinks as she bends down to pick it up. Sucy slinks over behind her.

"Hey, what's your problem?"

Akko pouts and whips around to show her the book.

"This, Su! Diana was gonna give this to you! She wanted to get a little closer to you and try to make you happy, but then you went and called her stingy!"

"Hey, calm done. It's not like I knew that. And besides, you used to say that sorta thing about her all the time."

"But not now when we're dating!" Akko thrusts the book into Sucy's hands, grabs her teammate by the shoulders, and gives her a push. "Go find her! Go apologize, you dummy!"

"All right fine, sheesh."

"Su, I'm serious! You really hurt her just now!" Akko crosses her arms and gives Sucy a stern glare. Sucy heaves a sigh.

"Fine. I get it. I'm going, okay?" She doesn't really show it, but knowing that she's both accidentally hurt Diana and made Akko upset causes her stomach to twist.

Sucy slinks down the hall a little faster than she normally would have in search of Diana. She glances down at the book in her hands now and her eye widens in surprise. She's heard of this tome before, but never gotten around to searching for it. It's one she's actually been interested in for a while. Now she feels even worse.

"Crap..."

She scuttles onward, scanning the hallways one by one until she catches a glimpse of wavy white hair. She finds Diana sitting on a bench by one of the windows, staring up at the moon. Sucy pauses a good distance away.

"Um..."

Diana looks up at her, and for a moment both witches are trapped in an awkward silence; Sucy for knowing she'd hurt her, and Diana for trying to act like she hadn't been at the scene to have gotten hurt in the first place. Diana tries out a smile, but it's faint.

"Sucy. What brings you-"

"Save it," Sucy mumbles. "You know why I'm here. I came to apologize."

For a moment, Diana looks as if she's about to feign innocence again, but the look Sucy gives her tells her she can spare it. Diana sighs.

Sucy inclines her head, grunting a request. Diana makes room for her on the bench, and Sucy sits beside her.

Diana instantly notices the book in her lap. She looks up at Sucy with inquiring eyes. Sucy rolls hers.

"Akko told me."

"Of course she did."

Both of them smile a little bit. Sucy continues.

"She told me you found this book for me. That you wanted to get on better terms with me and stuff. And then I called you stingy. Pretty awful of me, huh?"

"You didn't know I was there."

"Doesn't matter. I shouldn't have said it. Sorry about that."

Diana feels a soft twinge in her heart, followed by a small swell of emotion. She's never known Sucy to apologize for anything before, and she can tell it's genuine now.

"Thank you," Diana replies.

Sucy grunts again and looks down at the book.

"I wasn't really lying about the one part though..."

"I beg your pardon?"

Sucy slouches back against the bench.

"Y'know... the part about you being my favorite..."

Diana feels her heart flutter again.

"Sucy... you-"

"I mean, you're a lot quieter than Akko, and you know a hell of a lot more about these herbs I'm studying. I guess what I mean is I wouldn't mind having you around more." Sucy lifts her head and actually flashes a smile – not a smirk.

Diana isn't sure what to say. In fact, she's rendered speechless. Being around Akko for so long has let her pick up on some other habits though, and now she wordlessly reaches her arms out.

Sucy would've wrinkled her nose at just about any other witch on the planet. But for Diana, she relents to the hug.

It's soft and loose and brief, mostly because they're both still getting used to seeing one another in this light.

But there is one more reason, too; they can both hear her squealing quietly to herself from around the corner.

Both Diana and Sucy heave a mutual sigh.

"Akko-"

"Come on out."

And without wasting a second, Akko comes stampeding toward them both with her arms outstretched.

"Uwaaah, you guys I'm so happyyy!"

"Akko-!"

"Hey-!"

But before either of them can stop her, Akko throws herself at both of her girlfriends full-force. The bench topples over, and all three witches crash down with it in a tangle of robes and hair.

Sucy scolds her for almost ruining the book, and Diana scolds her for almost ruining school property. But in the end, all three of them end up laughing.

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A/N: Glad to be able to write a little more LWA here and there! I miss my witches.