The Innocent First years

Dia was speechless.

She felt so much confusion and utter amazement that words simply couldn't form on the young girl's lips. Standing next to her, Kanan was in a similar state, the only difference being that unlike Dia, the blunette's jaw wasn't hanging open like she was trying to catch flies.

Across from them, standing on the threshold to the Kurosawa residence, was Mari. That in itself wasn't a shock. No, the shock factor came from her baggage for their sleepover, obviously the first she had ever attended. This baggage consisted of: two large duffel bags slung around her neck, a massive rolling suitcase pulled in one hand, an expensive-looking purse slung under a wrist, and a veritable mountain of over a dozen bags and cases piled behind her by the small army of servants she'd first arrived with. Every single one of her effects bore the Ohara family crest.

And naturally, they were all pink.

To top it all off, she was wearing a Pikachu pajama suit, and there was a pineapple plopped in her free hand.

"Thank you for inviting me into your home," greeted the blonde with a clueless smile. She extended the pineapple towards Dia. "Please accept this fruit as a small token of my gratitude."

Blinking twice, Kanan recovered first, not-so-subtly elbowing Dia in the ribs to snap her back to reality. "Of course!" sputtered Dia, wrapping her hands around the prickly pineapple with a grimace. "Please... come in."

Later...

"So what do you need all these bags for?" asked Kanan as she stacked the last bag on top of the pyramid they'd managed to erect.

"It's for the sleepover," replied Mari, as if those words explained everything. They didn't, but before anyone could question her, she reached out and grabbed a cup of tea from Dia, inhaling the steamy aroma before taking a large sip. "Mmm! The tea is delicious!" she complimented. "Truly you are a connoisseur of teas."

"...Thank you," accepted Dia. "But, would you mind explaining exactly what you brought for the sleepover?"

"Oh? Are you letting me take the lead on our sleepover then?" asked Mari excitedly, practically bouncing in place.

Kanan and Dia exchanged glances. "If that's okay with you," replied Kanan in bemusement.

Mari nodded happily, and her hands reached towards the pyramid. "I'll absolutely take the lead! I'm totally the best at sleepovers and I totally know all the coolest things to do!" Her hands plunged into the nearest suitcase.

"In here, we have... fancy dress up and roleplay!" exclaimed Mari, holding up a tuxedo in one hand and a wedding dress in the other.

"Just what are we roleplaying?!" cried Dia.

"Minigolf!" continued Mari, golf clubs in each hand.

"I don't think we have enough room..." trailed Kanan.

"Dungeons and Dragons!" declared Mari, hefting over two dozen splatbooks and supplements.

"How long do you think our sleepover is?!" exclaimed Dia.

"Foreign movies!"

"What's 'The Blair Witch Project'?" wondered Kanan.

"Tasting European pastries!" The blonde pulled out a smorgasbord of sugary treats.

"But our diet...!" protested Dia.

"Decorating the neighborhood!"

"How do you decorate with nothing but rolls of toilet paper?" asked Kanan in confusion.

"Starting a rave!" enthused Mari as she held a DJ's soundboard over her head.

"Please stop this at once!" shouted Dia, holding her fists to her chin as she stared at the surprised blonde. "Th-Thank you for thinking of us, b-but... I-I don't want to do any of those things!" Mari flinched, looking like she'd just been slapped. "I just want to spend some quiet time with you and Kanan!"

The blonde looked down, slowly letting the tarpaulin hot air balloon slide from her fingers to the wooden floor. "...oh," she said. She slowly turned to look at the mess of stuff she'd pulled out and left on Dia's floor, blinking at it wistfully in hopes that it would disappear. When she turned back, she said, "I guess I'll put all this away then."

Dia and Kanan exchanged glances as the blonde grabbed the golf clubs and tried sorting them into a piece of luggage, struggling all the while. Wordlessly, the duo walked over to help, the three of them managing to pack the golf clubs away. They continued on like this, Dia and Kanan helping Mari with cleanup, the blonde's face as blank and blue as a cloudless sky until the last piece was stowed away.

The blonde sniffed to herself in melancholy. "I'm sorry," she muttered.

Kanan patted Mari's back. "It's okay," she comforted. "Everyone gets a little too excited sometimes." Dia nodded in agreement.

"I know," managed Mari. "It's just... I don't know how to have friends," she admitted, "I don't know how to make friends either. I just want you both to like me..." The next thing she knew, she was being enveloped in a hug.

"It's okay, Mari," murmured Dia softly, "We do like you, and we want to be your friend too."

"Yeah," added Kanan as she hugged Mari from behind. "You don't have to use fancy clothes or exotic foreign things to impress us. Just be yourself!"

The blonde smiled happily as she returned Dia's embrace. "Thank you," she said softly. And somehow, she knew in her heart that this was the start of a wonderful friendship.

"...So did you actually want to do any of those things you brought over?" asked Kanan once they'd all let go of each other.

"I wouldn't mind trying out a couple of them," admitted Mari.

The two turned to Dia, silently asking for permission. The ravenette fidgeted, but didn't refuse. "I suppose we could try some of the tamer activities," she acquiesced.

"Shiny~!" cheered Mari as she broke out the minigolf once more. She grabbed a club and prepared to strike a ball.

Dia's emerald eyes widened in alarm. "Wait a minute-!"

"FORE!"

The ball went sailing across the room before smashing a hole through the glass window and landing somewhere outside in the koi pond. Kanan and Mari looked at the broken window in shocked silence while Dia only sighed.

It was going to be a long night.

The Mature Third Years

Riko sighed for the umpteenth time as she waited, shaking her head impatiently before refocusing her eyes on the school idol website she had open on her phone. Another minute passed before she realized she was just mindlessly scrolling, so Riko put her phone away and stood, pacing around the ground floor of the Watanabe house.

Earlier in the week, You had invited both her and Chika over for a sleepover, and of course Riko had said yes. When she arrived, everything had gone smoothly, the way a sleepover should have. Chika and You invited her in, they had dinner, played around a little, and had fun. They could even be as loud as they wanted, as You's mother had some overnight business to attend to. As it got later though, Chika and You had slipped upstairs, telling her to wait.

So here she was, left to her own devices, the only clue to what awaited her being a pair of identically cryptic smiles.

At this point in time, she'd already run the emotional gamut from dreaded anticipation to resigned acceptance of whatever it was her friends had planned for her. Interestingly enough, she was reminded of their very first meeting, when Chika and You had practically dragged her into becoming a school idol.

Soft footfalls came from the stairs to the second floor, and Riko turned to see Chika coming back down with a smile. The redhead raised a questioning eyebrow at the brunette's absence. "Where's You?"

"You's just doing some last minute cleaning in her room. But since we're pretty much done, I thought I'd come get you," said Chika easily. "Come on up."

Riko gave her a suspicious stare, but readily complied. "What have the two of you been preparing anyway?"

The ginger replied with a giggle. "Let's find out," she said mysteriously.

Stopping at the door to You's room, Riko turned the handle and pushed.

The redhead's jaw dropped as she stepped into the room, overwhelmed with what she found. Instead of the simple and reserved decorative style she'd remembered from prior visits to You's house, she was confronted with something far more intimate.

Dozens of scented candles were scattered around the room, emanating a soft and inviting warmth, with even the shadows they cast offering comfort. Rose petals covered the floor liberally, the aromas of lavender and jasmine filling the air with a gentle sweetness that could only be described as romantic.

You lay draped across the bed in nothing but a one piece teddy, her blue eyes gazing up lovingly at Riko while a finger toyed coyly with a lock of brunette hair. The redhead's eyes however, were more drawn to You's long and slender legs, bare as they could be. Chika slipped into the room behind her, quietly closing the door. Riko heard the soft rustle of fabric as Chika discarded her shirt and shorts, the ginger reaching over to the nearby dresser to tap on her phone.

Riko's golden eyes widened when those glorious legs they focused so intently on began to move, You gracefully standing before she sauntered her way over.

Then a set of speakers started to put out erotic jazz music.

Her face flushed scarlet when You closed in, and a hand reached up to teasingly play with the collar of her shirt just as a pair of arms wrapped around her stomach and a head settled on her shoulder, a pair of breasts pressing against her back as Chika hugged from behind.

"Riko," they chorused sensually in unison, "Won't you accept our feelings?"

And Riko fainted.

Later...

"We're sorry Riko!" chorused Chika and You, hands pressed together in supplication as they knelt before their girlfriend.

"Please don't be upset!" added Chika.

After Riko fainted, Chika had brought her to rest on You's bed as they cleaned up their romantic atmosphere. The candles were put out, replaced with the brighter but harsher glow of lamp light, and the rose petals were swept into a large pile at the corner of You's bed. There was no more sexy jazz playing either.

The redhead sighed. "I'm not upset, I'm just... a little overwhelmed. But why go through all this?"

"We just thought it was a good time for us to consummate our love," explained You, still looking down. Unlike earlier, she now wore a blue bathrobe to cover herself, Chika wearing a similar one in orange. "I guess we really overdid it, huh?"

"What did we do wrong?" Chika asked despairingly.

Riko blushed. She didn't really want to think about making her charming girlfriends any more alluring, but since they asked... "It would definitely help if you started with more clothing on," she said with a small look towards You, "And I guess... try classical music instead?"

"Really? Darn! I was so sure that music would work too!" declared Chika with a pout.

"I suppose it's a nice instrumental piece, but why?"

"It's the number one track from this album," answered the ginger, handing the redhead a CD case.

Riko looked over the package and read it aloud. "'The Soundtrack of Sex; Guaranteed to get you laid or your money back.'" She looked at the picture on the front, blankly staring at an upright saxophone with a bra hanging from the mouthpiece, unable to say anything as she processed that.

"I guess you can at least get a refund," remarked You. Chika hummed in the affirmative as she nodded.

Softly exhaling, Riko handed the CD case back to Chika before speaking again. "I'm flattered, really, but... I just don't think I'm ready for that yet."

"It's okay. If you're not ready, you're not ready," said You understandingly, Chika nodding in agreement beside her. "Besides, this was still a good learning experience for us all the same."

"I think you two did fine," supported Riko.

The brunette shrugged. "Maybe, but that could just be beginner's luck."

"Yeah," chimed in Chika, "This is the first time either of us have tried seducing anyone after all."

That was certainly unexpected news to Riko. She blinked, her mind pondering the implications of that statement. "What? So... does that mean the two of you haven't...?" She pointed to each of them, face growing slightly more pink as her mind couldn't help but conjure an image of Chika and You being intimate together.

Chika shook her head vigorously. "Nope! We both wanted to wait for you."

"Guess that explains our over-eagerness..." chuckled You with a grin.

"So then... you put your relationship on hold? For me?!" asked Riko incredulously. ("Our relationship," corrected Chika and You.) "Why?! I just left! I didn't even know if I'd ever come back!"

"We knew your dad was going to move here for work eventually, so we figured we'd just wait," explained Chika.

"What if my family didn't have to move here until after high school was over?"

"Well, if you didn't come back by the last month of school, then we would've gone after you," answered You as if it were the simplest thing in the world.

"But how would you know where to find me? I don't think I've ever told you my Tokyo address, or even where I went to middle school."

"Easy. We would have broken into Uranohoshi's student records to check where you transferred to," said Chika with a sunny smile.

"What?!" Riko couldn't believe her ears. These two idiots were willing to commit a misdemeanor just to see her again?!

A pleasant laugh played from You's lips. "Did you think I became student council president just because I wanted to?"

"But... I don't think that would have helped," remarked the redhead, "I mean... I didn't have to tell Uranohoshi where I was transferring to."

"Eh?! So I became student council president for nothing?!"

"I wouldn't say nothing. It did let us transfer into Riko's class," said Chika, finding the bright side. She giggled. "And we do get to use the student council room as our love nest whenever we want..."

You grinned. "I guess that really is a nice perk."

The redhead sighed. "Oh, you two... Come here," she said, wrapping both of them in a hug. "I love you both so much."

"We love you too," chorused Chika and You.

The three of them stayed like that for a while longer, before eventually deciding to move their sleepover back downstairs.

"You know, it's actually really weird how supportive my mom was of all this," remarked You as the three of them sipped hot chocolate around You's floor table.

"Oh really?"

You nodded. "Yep."

*Flashback*

"Oh my darling little girl is going to blossom into a beautiful young woman!" gushed Mrs. Watanabe as she ran around the house, cleaning every speck of dust she could find.

"Mom!" exclaimed You in exasperation, "There's no guarantee of anything happening tonight! If Riko says no, then that's it!"

"But how could she say no to my precious little seashell?" cooed the older woman as she started scrubbing the bathroom tiles with a soapy sponge.

"Mom, this isn't something to get so worked up over. Why are you treating this like it's something to be celebrated?"

"Because this is absolutely something to be celebrated!" answered Mrs. Watanabe as if it were the most obvious thing in the entire world. The older woman halted her scrubbing and looked off into the distance wistfully as she sighed. "Oh I wish your father was here for this!"

"Mom, no!" wailed You as she buried her face in her hands, mortified at the thought. Her face burned bright red, and she moaned softly to herself. "Chika, Riko," she muttered to herself, "If I die of embarrassment before either of you get here, please know that I love you..."

*End Flashback*

"That's pretty bad," agreed Riko, sipping her mug.

"I know right?"

Chika clicked her tongue and shook her head in disagreement. "I had it worse."

*Flashback*

"I'm leaving!" called Chika as she pulled on her shoes.

"Chika, hold on a minute," said Chika's mother as she strolled up to her youngest, clad in her usual sandals and yukata. "I'd like to have a special talk with you before you leave."

The ginger blinked. "Um, mom... I've already had that talk with Shima and Mito, and the internet kinda filled in the rest of the details."

"I'm sure you have, but your mother has some very important things to say to you, and I expect you to listen."

"But You's expecting me!"

"Now, now," said her mother dismissively. "The two of you have waited years for this. Surely you can both wait another five minutes."

Chika could only sigh in defeat. She looked at her mother, gesturing her to continue.

"That's my girl. Now then..." Her mother cleared her throat. "It's clear to everyone that the three of you are very much in love, and that what you have planned tonight is something that all couples, or rather all those in relationships, go through at some point in their lives."

"Tonight might not be the night," muttered Chika under her breath.

"That said however, it is also very important that you remember to practice safe sex. Make sure everyone's teeth are brushed, trim all fingernails and toenails, always sterilize your toys before and after using them..."

"Oh my god...!" moaned Chika through her dual facepalm of mortification.

"And of course," said Chika's mother, taking her daughter's hand, "Use these." She then dropped several packets of condoms into Chika's hand. "Have fun!" she said cheerfully, turning around to leave.

"MOM!"

"What?" she replied, looking over her shoulder. "It's not as if either of your sisters are using them!"

*End Flashback*

Wordlessly, You and Riko pulled Chika in for a hug, sandwiching her between them in an attempt to purge the bad memories.

The Flailing Second Years

Inhale... Exhale... Inhale... Exhale...

...Yeah, this wasn't doing it for her.

Sighing softly on the floor of the dark, moonlit apartment, Ruby opened her eyes and blinked, trying to coax herself to sleep with the vain hope that continuous eye movement would exhaust her. After the fiftieth or so blink, she gave up and just started tossing and turning in her futon. She wasn't the quietest at fidgeting, and the noise would have been quite rude to the room's other occupants had they not either been deep in slumber or just as awake as the redhead.

It was understandable that Ruby couldn't sleep, especially as alone as she felt at the moment. Family vacations had always seen Ruby fall asleep while cuddling her little sister in her arms, and sleepovers always used to be between her and Hanamaru, so they would always lie next to each other. But here in the cramped confines of Yoshiko's 10th floor apartment, floor space was at a premium. In fact, Yoshiko was currently suspended above Ruby, bundled up in a giant plush shark hammock while Hanamaru lay sound asleep in the bed, the brunette's light snores filling the room.

Although Ruby knew better, a small part of her couldn't help but feel that Hanamaru was mocking her for her inability to fall asleep.

But that was probably just jealousy. Hanamaru had fallen asleep in Yoshiko's bed in mere seconds. Ruby didn't feel anywhere near comfortable enough to do that...

Above her, Yoshiko was stewing in her own thoughts. This was the first time she'd had anyone over to her home in, well, ever. She wanted to make sure her two friends had a good time, and would be amenable to coming back someday. Even though it was a relatively new experience for her, the blunette found she liked having company. And really, let it never be said that a fallen angel wasn't a good hostess.

Yoshiko thought back over the past several hours, fondly remembering the smiles and laughs they had all shared. She remembered Hanamaru's various exclamations over simple modern appliances and applications. She remembered Ruby's delighted awe as she sifted through the various gothic lolita outfits Yoshiko's closet. She remembered her own happiness as she spent time with these two precious girls that had walked into her life and roped her into their posse.

She was grateful, she realized. Grateful for their friendship, and companionship, and acceptance. And she wanted to tell them.

A heavier-than-usual snore came from the bed, and the blunette knew telling Hanamaru now would be a waste, though she was certain the brunette already knew. But given all the fidgeting she heard coming from below, perhaps now was a good time to tell Ruby.

"...Ruby?" inquired Yoshiko hesitantly, her normally loud voice sounding both small yet massive amidst the quiet ambiance of the night.

There was silence for several seconds, and Yoshiko started to give up before another hesitant voice piped up, "Yes?"

"...The thought occurs to me that I never thanked you," stated the blunette as loudly as she dared with a slumbering Hanamaru in the room.

"Eh? For what?"

"For being my friend."

"You don't need to thank me for being your friend, Yoshiko. Friendship isn't something you give in return for something. It's a mutual thing. I'm your friend because I like you," said Ruby maturely. Her voice shrunk as she continued, "And I'd like to think you're my friend because you like me too."

"Of course I like you," affirmed Yoshiko. "But I still wanted to at least say thanks. I mean, I'm pretty weird," she said, wearing a lopsided grin that Ruby knew was there but couldn't see.

"I don't think you're... that weird," defended Ruby.

"The first time you saw me, I was dressed in gothic lolita clothes and shouting at the ocean," the blunette replied deadpan. "That's pretty weird."

Ruby didn't have a comeback for that one.

"But that's okay. I acknowledge my weirdness. Hell, I embrace it and flaunt it every chance I get," she chuckled. Then her tone turned somber. "As you might imagine, my weirdness hasn't exactly endeared myself to many people. I never really learned how to make friends. Zuramaru and I bonded when we were in kindergarten, and even though we haven't seen each other in years, we never really stopped being friends somehow. And that's special. But you're the first friend I've made since, and that's also really special."

Yoshiko paused to think. "I guess what I'm getting at is that you're both really important to me, and I just wanted to say it aloud. I know Zuramaru knows in her own way, and I guess I just wanted to make sure you know that too."

Silence reigned for quite some time, before it was softly broken by the sound of Ruby's sniffles.

"Eh?! Ruby? Are you okay?"

"Yes, Yoshiko, I'm fine. I just... sometimes I think I'm just being a third wheel for the two of you, you know? That I can't compete with what the two of you share... I'm really happy to hear that's not true."

"Ruby..." breathed Yoshiko softly. Squirming around in her sleeping bag, she managed to extricate one of her arms with a grunt, and reached down from her shark hammock to the redhead below her. "Hey," she said, "Let's make a pact: no one gets left behind, yeah?"

Ruby smiled and reached up to grab the proffered hand. "Yeah!" The two clasped hands and shook, sealing the bonds between them.

SNAP!

Then suddenly, the world turned upside-down for Yoshiko as the supports of the shark hammock broke entirely, twisting her around to face the floor before sending the terrified blunette screaming down to the terrified redhead shrieking below her. Her unfortunate landing was marked with a jolt and a breathless grunt of pain from Ruby.

As the proverbial dust settled, Yoshiko slowly opened her eyes, having shut them midway through her fall. Her trembling, twin violet orbs met with a stunned set of emerald irises, and the two stared at each other in shocked silence, neither noticing the cessation of snoring.

"...Are you okay?" breathed Yoshiko.

Ruby gulped and nodded slowly. "Yes," she replied, "You're not that heavy, so..."

"Good," remarked Yoshiko, "That's good."

They blinked at each other again. "You know," murmured Ruby, "If you had landed a little closer, we might have..." Her gaze fell on Yoshiko's lips, and the blunette's eyes likewise fell on Ruby's mouth, each feeling a pull between them.

They closed their eyes, and slowly started to bring their faces together, each awaiting the sensation of the other's lips upon their own. Somehow, they knew this was right, that this was meant to be, that only happiness could result from their tender coupling.

Then Hanamaru jumped on top of them.

"YOSHIKO!" shouted the brunette, "A SHARK IS TRYING TO EAT RUBY! GET HELP!"

"AHH! ZURAMARU!" exclaimed Yoshiko.

"WAH! MARU, STOP!" shrieked Ruby as the two girls above her started bucking wildly.

"Get your soft and fluffy fins off my friend!" shouted Hanamaru as she held on to the sleeping bag's dorsal fin. Her other arm was raised and poised to take action against this perceived threat, and she curled her free hand up into a fist before pounding on the shark's nose.

Of course, the sleeping bag didn't have any weak or sensitive spots for Hanamaru to abuse, so she ended up whacking the next best thing.

"Zuramaru! Stop punching my head!"

AN: A second chapter for a Love Live story?! I think I'm doing something right! :D

But hey, season 2 is coming out in about a week, so maybe I'll get more inspiration? Here's hoping!