Shadow-Farm-Dragon

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Persona Series, Persona 4

Relationship(s): Amagi Yukiko/Shirogane Naoto, Kujikawa Rise/Satonaka Chie

Character(s): Amagi Yukiko, Shirogane Naoto, Kujikawa Rise, Satonaka Chie

Additional Tag(s): Fluff, Feelings Realization, Set After The Main Story, Reunions

Language: English

Summary: Checking in her friends for the annual get-together of the Investigation Team, Yukiko feels something unexpected towards the group’s resident Detective Prince, Naoto.

Start Author’s Note: This story is part of the Femslash Gift Exchange 2026.

This is a gift for shusumire.

I thought for a while about this story and what pairing to use, and I decided to go with a bit of a rarepair (or really two rarepairs), so I hope you enjoy!

A Prince and A Priestess

-Yukiko-

Standing at the front desk of the Amagai Inn, Yukiko was feeling a myriad of emotions.

She was excited to see her friends, some of whom she hadn’t seen for an entire year.

True, she had seen Chie, Yosuke, Kanji, and Teddy just a few weeks prior for her own birthday celebration, but the rest of the Investigation Team had been too busy with work to be able to attend. This get-together was around the holidays, which is why everyone was able to get time off.

Yukiko was also anxious, as she was preparing herself for all of the changes in her friends’ lives that were sure to be discussed.

Not much had changed in terms of their professions. Yukiko herself continued to be the manager of the Amagi Inn. The only real change was that her parents were having her take on even more responsibilities as she grew older and gained more experience. Meanwhile, they began to take on more behind-the-scenes administrative roles.

Kanji had taken over Tatsumi Textiles from his mother in a similar way that Yukiko had taken over for her parents. He handled most of the creation process and deliveries, while his mother took orders.

Yosuke worked at Junes by supporting his father, who was still the branch manager of the local Junes store. Teddy helped (more or less) with stocking and deliveries.

Chie, Yu, and Naoto had all graduated from their police academy training, and had been working their way through the ranks. While Yu and Naoto had remained as detectives, Chie had sought a different path.

The last of their friends, Rise, had returned to her idol profession shortly after the Investigation Team had solved the murder case during their high school years. Some people had been thrilled at her return, and some had not. Other fans had nefarious intentions.

After a few close calls with these fans, Chie decided to step in and fend off these dangerous people herself by becoming Rise’s personal bodyguard. Rise had welcomed her with open arms, and no more incidents had occurred since.

Other than that, Yukiko did not know what else was going on in her friends’ lives. So, while she was excited to spend time with all of them again, she was anxious to learn how much their lives had changed since their last get-together. She hoped the more extroverted individuals would carry the conversation (like Rise and Teddy), as Yukiko sometimes struggled with social interactions, even with her close friends. If worst came to worst, she could always chat with her best friend and closest confidant, Chie.

A ringing phone broke Yukiko out of her thoughts. Taking a moment to compose herself, she picked up after the second ring.

“You’ve reached the Amagi Inn. This is Amagi Yukiko speaking,” she answered, glancing at the clock on the wall to check the time. It was almost 6:00pm, which was when her friends were all scheduled to arrive.

“Hey, Yukiko! How’s my best friend in the whole world doing?” a cheerful voice exclaimed on the other side of the call. The sound of her closest friend instantly made Yukiko smile.

“Chie! It’s good to hear from you.” Yukiko cradled the phone with her shoulder, looking up Chie’s reservation on the computer in front of her. “Have you picked up Rise-chan yet?”

“Yep! We’re on our way now! Should be there closer to seven than six though. Sorry about that.”

Yukiko laughed. “I’m not surprised. Neither of you have ever been known for your punctuality.”

Chie scoffed. “Rude!”

Yukiko was about to comment about her statement still being true, when another voice came over the phone, “Yukiko-senpai! I wanted to say hi too! And make sure that Chie isn’t distracted while she speeds over to your place.” Rise laughed as Yukiko heard Chie complain in the background.

“It’s nice to hear from you too, Rise-chan. How was your latest tour?” Yukiko quickly added a note to their reservation, marking the late arrival.

“Fantastic! I swear, the fans keep multiplying after every show, let alone every tour.” There was a muffled conversation before Rise continued, “I’m gonna put you on speaker so this one stops complaining.”

Yukiko shook her head at her friends’ antics. “Sounds good to me.”

After a few seconds of shuffling, Yukiko could hear the quiet sounds of car travel, as well as Rise’s singing voice. She realized that the two of them must be listening to her songs on the radio.

“So, is anyone else there yet? Probably Yosuke, Kanji-kun, and Teddy since they’re so close, right?” Chie asked.

“Mhm. You’d think so, but no one else has checked in yet.”

“Damn! Well, guess you’ll start seeing some of ‘em soon.”

“I hope you’re right. We only have so much time to spend together.”

The three women continued their small talk. All the while, Yukiko kept glancing at the clock, hoping that the rest of her friends would be here soon.

When the time read 5:55pm, the door to the inn swung open, the bell chiming lightly.

“Oh! Hold on one second you two, someone just walked in.” As the two women acknowledged what Yukiko said, the inn manager put them on hold and looked up to see who had arrived. “Welcome to the Amagi—Naoto-kun!”

Before Yukiko stood Shirogane Naoto, the “Detective Prince” as she had come to be known. Her signature cap was slightly askew on her head as she rushed up to the front desk. Her face brightened at the sound of her name from the other woman.

“Yukiko-senpai! It’s very nice to see you. How have you been?” Naoto rubbed her gloved hands together, warming them up now that she was inside a heated building.

“I’ve been great, Naoto-kun!” Yukiko smiled warmly. “I shouldn’t be surprised that you’re the first to arrive.”

“Am I?” Naoto chuckled. “I suppose that’s no great achievement, considering my competition.”

The two laughed as Yukiko checked her friend in. After telling her the room number, Yukiko suggested, “Why don’t you get situated in your room, and then you can come keep me company while we wait for the rest of our friends?” She handed Naoto’s room key over.

“That sounds excellent. It’ll be nice to warm up.” Naoto’s gloved hand brushed against Yukiko’s bare hand slightly, the temperature difference causing the inn manager to shiver slightly, as the detective pocketed the key.

Naoto gathered up her suitcase in one hand, tipping her cap towards Yukiko. “Until my return.” She walked towards her room, but paused after a few steps. Yukiko wondered what was wrong as she turned back to face her.

“Everything okay?” Yukiko asked, tilting her head slightly.

“Yes… just…” Naoto’s face, which was already a bit red from the cold, seemed to turn a little redder. “You’re looking beautiful as always, Yukiko-senpai. I… just wanted to mention that.” With that, Naoto quickly turned around and made her way towards the room. She turned the corner before Yukiko could even respond.

“B-Beautiful?” Yukiko could feel her face growing hot at the unexpected compliment.

Yukiko was shocked, not only by her friend’s comment, but also by the deeper meaning behind it. ‘As always’ implied that Naoto had felt this way about Yukiko’s appearance… for a while at the very least. But was it a clumsy compliment towards a good friend, as Naoto sometimes had trouble expressing herself verbally? Or was it… something more?

Yukiko’s eyes wandered back to the inn’s phone out of habit, and she noticed the hold light was blinking. Right! Chie and Rise were still waiting for her to get back to them. Maybe they could help her with this unusual situation?

Picking up the phone, she took the call off hold. “Hello? Are you two still there?”

“Yep!” Chie’s chipper voice responded. “So, who was there? Anyone we know?”

“Yes. It was Naoto-kun.”

“Of course she’d be the first one there!” Rise laughed.

Yukiko giggled. “That’s what I told her.”

“I’m sure. So, how is she? Did she seem happy to see you?” Chie asked.

Yukiko thought a bit. Naoto did seem delighted to see her, and her compliment further cemented that. This was a good opportunity to discuss what had just happened. She didn’t necessarily want to broadcast what Naoto was possibly feeling, and she wasn’t even exactly sure what she herself was feeling, but Yukiko wanted to figure out what was going on. Besides, everyone in the Investigation Team was close – she could trust them with important matters like these.

“She did. She seemed very happy to see me, actually.” Yukiko tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “She… um… even said that I was ‘beautiful as always’. S-So there’s that, I suppose.”

The two women on the other end of the phone made a surprised noise that sounded like a bird’s squawk.

“She did? Wow that’s crazy!” Chie sounded as surprised as Yukiko had been.

“Wow, that’s rude, Chie! Of course Yukiko-senpai is beautiful!” Rise chided.

“Hey! That’s not what I meant and you know it,” Chie retorted. “Just that… Naoto-kun putting the moves on Yukiko is not something you’d expect.”

‘Putting the moves on’? So Naoto was indicating interest in her? Or, at least, it was reasonable to assume that. “So Naoto-kun was flirting with me?”

“Duh! Have you ever heard her talk like that with anyone else in our group?” Chie asked.

Now that she mentioned it, Yukiko really couldn’t think of a time where the introverted detective had done so. Naoto liked all of them, of course, but she was much more logical and didn’t really spend time on emotions. Yukiko was sure Naoto could list reasons why she was friends with them, but she wasn’t likely to just come out and say why unprompted. Which made her sudden compliment even more unusual.

“Not that I can remember.”

“I’ll let you in on a little secret, Yukiko-senpai.” Rise lowered her voice, even though she really didn’t need to, all things considered. “Naoto-kun’s been asking us for advice on how to get your attention. She never explicitly said whether or not she wanted romantic attention from you, but based on what you just told us, I think we can assume that is the kind of attention she wants. Romantic, I mean.”

Yukiko spluttered. “W-Wait? S-So Naoto-kun…?”

“Likes you? Yeah, it sounds like it.” Chie had always known Yukiko’s mind almost as well as Yukiko herself did, so it wasn’t surprising that she finished her thought.

“For how long?” Yukiko couldn’t believe this! Naoto-kun had always been a good friend, but their interactions had been cordial at best. Both women were formal and a bit quiet, so feelings had never been the topic of discussion between them. But it sounded like she had discussed this topic with Chie and Rise.

“Hell if I know. She didn’t really tell us much,” Chie responded. “You know how Naoto-kun likes to keep things close to the vest. It was like pulling teeth getting her to admit what she did! I think the only reason she told us anything was because she was so desperate to get you to notice her.”

“She probably didn’t want us to tell Yukiko-senpai that, Chie.” Rise giggled.

“Oh. Yeah, probably not. Oops!”

Yukiko looked over her shoulder in the direction of the rooms, making sure that Naoto wasn’t back yet. She didn’t want the Detective Prince eavesdropping on this particular conversation. Seeing no one, she gave a quiet sigh of relief. “Anyway, what should I do now?”

“What do you mean?” Rise asked.

“I mean, should I acknowledge her feelings? Let her know how I feel?”

“Well, I wouldn’t just blurt it out to her as soon as she gets back,” Chie said. “Sounds like she was just putting out a subtle compliment, just to get you thinking about her. Besides, do you know how you feel about her?”

Ah. That was a good point. Yukiko had been so focused on figuring out what was going on, that she hadn’t stopped to think about her own emotions. Now that she had discussed the situation with her friends, she was no longer confused about Naoto’s actions. However, she was still confused about her own feelings towards what was happening.

Did she like Naoto in that way?

“Now that you mention it… not really,” Yukiko admitted.

“Hey, that’s okay, Yukiko! It would be surprising if you did given how sudden all of this is,” Chie replied in a comforting tone. “Stuff like this is hard, I know.”

The way Chie had phrased it seemed a bit strange to Yukiko. How would she know? “What do you mean? It’s not like you’ve ever confessed your feelings to someone, Chie.”

There was silence on the other end of the line.

Yukiko knew that she hadn’t lost the connection, because she could still hear the radio and the road noise. Still, her friends weren’t saying anything. “Hello?” she asked tentatively.

“Um, well… we were gonna tell everyone when we got there, but now’s as good a time as any, I guess.” Chie chuckled nervously. “We… Rise and I… we’re dating.”

What?

“What?” Yukiko asked weakly, not believing what she had just heard.

“Yeah. We’ve been a couple for three months now,” Rise added in a sheepish tone.

“’Three months’?” Yukiko repeated, shocked. “So you’ve been dating for that long and didn’t tell me? Not even when we got together to celebrate my birthday earlier this month?”

“W-Well it had only been two months then, and I didn’t want to take away from your birthday celebration,” Chie said. “Plus, I wanted to announce it with both of us present.”

That made sense. But still, this was a lot to process! Naoto had feelings for her, and her best friend and Rise were dating? Yukiko knew that her friends’ lives had changed in the year or so that they had been apart, but this was something else.

Regardless, this was fantastic news, and Yukiko wanted to express that. “Wow you two! That’s really amazing. Congratulations!”

She heard the two of them laugh, their embarrassment evident.

“Thanks, Yukiko-senpai. That really means a lot, coming from Chie’s best friend,” Rise said.

“Yeah, thanks, Yukiko. You’ve always got my back,” Chie said in a sincere tone.

The three of them were quiet for a moment, appreciating the emotions resulting from this momentous occasion.

“Anyway, back to you and Naoto-kun,” Chie finally said. “Seeing as we are the experts in love, Rise and I will do anything we can to help you!”

“Experts?” Yukiko giggled. “You’ve only been dating for three months.”

“Still more experience than you!” Chie retorted.

“I think we’re getting off topic,” Rise interjected. “Yukiko-senpai, what we’re saying is, think about how you feel about Naoto-kun. She’s made her feelings known. All you have to do is figure out how you feel, and respond accordingly. I know it’s not a simple thing, but Naoto-kun is one of the most patient people I know. You can take your time to understand your own feelings, now that everything is out there. Either way, the two of you will still be friends.”

“You’re right, Rise-chan,” Yukiko replied. “Thank you both for your insight. I’ll think about everything you’ve said.”

“Sounds like a plan!” Chie exclaimed. “We’ll hang up for now. Give you and Naoto-kun some alone time.” She made kissing noises.

“Chie!”

There was laughter on the other end before the line went dead.

“That Chie… Yukiko muttered, hanging up the phone.

“What has Chie-senpai done now?” A sudden voice sounded.

“Oh!” Yukiko spun around, seeing Naoto standing a few feet away. “Naoto-kun! Chie was just being ridiculous about something silly, that’s all.”

“I see.” Naoto walked over to stand directly in front of Yukiko’s desk. The two looked at each other, not saying anything.

Now that Yukiko had talked with her friends about a possible romantic connection with Naoto, the inn manager was a bit nervous. What should she say? She hadn’t had a chance to think about her feelings, but she didn’t want things to get awkward by letting the silence linger.

“I…” Naoto cleared her throat. “I’ve missed you, Yukiko-senpai. It really has been too long.”

Her sincerity warmed Yukiko’s heart. The smile that came to Yukiko’s face was automatic. “I’ve missed you too, Naoto-kun. It’s really nice to see you again.” Thinking that maybe she should try out a compliment and see how it made her feel, she added, “And you’re looking quite dapper this evening, if you don’t mind me saying so.”

Naoto’s eyes widened, and a blush spread across her cheeks. Gripping the tip of her cap, she pulled it down to hide her eyes. “Th-Thank you, Yukiko-senpai. I went to great lengths to impress –” Naoto cut herself off. “Impress the Investigation Team. I am a full-fledged detective, after all, so I need to look the part.”

Yukiko’s smile melted into a smirk – she had known what Naoto had stopped herself from saying. Plus, the detective’s reaction to her compliment had been extremely adorable, and had made her heart flutter. Huh. Maybe she did feel something towards Naoto that was beyond friendship.

“What was that hesitation for, Naoto-kun?” Yukiko asked, curious to see how she would respond.

“Wh-What hesitation?” Naoto stuttered.

Time to take a bolder approach it seemed.

Reaching out, Yukiko took hold of Naoto’s free hand. She had removed her gloves since her arrival, so she could feel her body heat directly. “It would really mean a lot if you had… dressed to impress… me.” She squeezed her hand, feeling her own face grow hot from the admission.

Naoto seemed to squeeze her hand back instinctively, perhaps a bit in shock. “Really?” she squeaked. Clearing her throat again, Naoto continued in a normal tone, “Well then I suppose I should admit that it was for you. I’m… pleased that it means so much to you.”

There was a moment of silence. Yukiko watched as Naoto slowly removed her hand from her cap, showing the inn manager her face – her blush had not died down in the slightest. Yukiko’s heart started to beat a little bit faster at the tender expression that the detective was giving her.

“Can I be honest with you, Naoto-kun?”

“Of course, Yukiko-senpai.”

“D-Do you… have feelings for me?”

Naoto’s eyes widened again. She grasped the edge of her cap, but instead of covering her face, which is what Yukiko had been expecting, she removed it entirely and held it to her chest. “I… I do.” She gave a nervous smile. “It may seem… abrupt, but I assure you that I have had these feelings for quite some time. You have always captivated my interest, Yukiko-senpai. Ever since our high school years, I have admired your elegance and your kindness. I didn’t understand it back then, but within the past year or so, I realized that my feelings of admiration were… not just friendly ones. I respected you as a senpai, but you were not just an ideal. You also had a bit of an awkward side, one that I found, and still do find… adorable.”

Wow.

Yukiko had thought that Naoto would merely admit that she liked her. She hadn’t expected a heartfelt speech. Throughout it, Yukiko had felt giddy, and extremely flattered. She had never really thought of her strange quirks as aspects that someone could find adorable, but Naoto felt that they were, evidently. “Naoto-kun…”

“I… how to phrase this?” Naoto placed her cap back on her head. “I spent some time talking with Chie-senpai and Rise-chan a few months ago. I wanted to be able to express how I felt in a way that would be… romantic. I hope that you don’t mind, but, during the course of our discussions, they explained to me in detail how your Shadow had… desired a prince.”

It was true that the Investigation Team had talked about their own experiences with their Shadows, but only those who had witnessed the events themselves could truly grasp what had occurred. Yukiko was a bit embarrassed that her deepest feelings had been a topic of discussion, but she supposed it was only fair given what Naoto herself was confessing to. “I-I see.”

Naoto grasped Yukiko’s hand with both of hers. “The reason I bring this up is because… I would like to be that for you. Your ‘prince’ if you will.” She smiled. “I always thought that the ‘Detective Prince’ moniker was a bit ridiculous, but it seems as though it was an apt description of me after all.” She looked deeply into Yukiko’s eyes. “If you’re amenable, please allow me the honor of being the prince to your princess. Or well, priestess, as it were. Though I may struggle to express myself, I promise that what I feel for you is true. I will do my best every single day to show you how much I care for you. Would you… allow me that honor?”

Yukiko was speechless. Naoto had topped her previous speech! She was pretty sure this was the most she had ever heard the other woman speak, and every word, every syllable, had been uttered with complete adoration. She spoke with such devotion and chivalry, just like the ideal prince Yukiko had desired when she was younger. Back then, the concept had been a somewhat childish dream, but now, it was a description of qualities that she wanted a partner of hers to have. She no longer wished to have a prince rescue her from her fate – rather, she wished to have someone by her side who would share in life’s ups and downs, and would take care of her while she took care of them as well.

Perhaps one day, she would be able to articulate all of this to Naoto. Right now, she wanted to let the other woman know her answer as soon as possible. Lifting up her other hand and squeezing back tightly, Yukiko responded, “Yes, Naoto-kun! I didn’t know you felt so strongly about me, but now that I do, I realize… that I feel strongly about you too.” She smiled. “Please take good care of me.”

Naoto’s face lit up with a breathtaking smile as she nodded. “I-I will! P-Please take good care of me as well.” The two let go.

“Now, I know that the lives we lead are quite different, so we may not be able to spend as much time together as we would like. However, I will do my utmost to make time for you.” Leaning in a bit, Naoto continued in a conspiratorial tone, “And between you and me, I have heard whispers of a detective position opening up in Inaba within the next few months, so I may be able to request a transfer.”

Yukiko tilted her head. “But don’t you want to solve mysteries in the city? Other than our investigation from high school, not much happens out here.”

“That is true. This position would allow me to essentially be a liaison between Inaba and the city,” Naoto explained. “What it means, ultimately, is that my base of operations would be here, and I would travel to the city every so often to solve crimes there. It’s not set in stone – I would need to talk with Dojima-san to iron out the details – but it’s a real possibility. I just hope that you don’t mind waiting. In the meantime, I’ll call and write to you, as well as visit as often as I am able.”

“Of course I wouldn’t mind waiting for you, Naoto-kun,” Yukiko said in a reassuring tone. “We both have our professional lives to consider. We’ll make it work.”

Yukiko wanted to continue discussing their new relationship, but it was at that moment that the door to the Amagi Inn opened. It looked like some of their friends had arrived.

Oh well. Now that it was mutual, Yukiko and Naoto had all the time in the world to discuss what came next.

And, if Naoto was okay with it, they could announce their relationship to the rest of the Investigation Team as well.

End Author’s Note: This was an interesting story to write. I usually see the Yukiko/Chie and Naoto/Rise ships here and in the fandom in general, so I decided to try something a little different and switch up the ships.

It kind of makes sense, in my opinion. Like the story mentioned, Yukiko desired a ‘prince’, and Naoto’s nickname is the ‘Detective Prince’. For Chie and Rise, I think they both have similar extroverted personalities that would work well together. Add in the fact that they spend a lot of time with each other, and I think it makes sense that they would start to date.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Final Fantasy Series, Final Fantasy FFXIV

Relationship(s): Original Sphene/Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)

Character(s): Original Sphene (Final Fantasy XIV), Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Meteor is spending some quiet time gazing at the beautiful starry sky in Shaaloani. Sphene joins her and the two share a quiet and meaningful moment together.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 31 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Free Day.

For this story, I have chosen to take two of the Alternative Day prompts from the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge: Royalty and Starry Night.

To avoid story spoilers, I would recommend being current with FFXIV MSQ – so, in case you are reading this story in the future, I would make sure to have completed patch 7.4: Into the Mist.

My standard disclaimer for any story with the Female WoL: For the purposes of appearance, I will go with the default WoL FFXIV uses in promotional material (with the name Meteor), just as a female version. So, that means she would appear as a female Midlander Hyur with black hair and blue eyes, and would be using the flagship weapon of the expansion. Of course, you can imagine her to look exactly like your WoL if you prefer (in fact, my own WoL is not Hyur herself), but I just use the default to make her more recognizable since everyone knows what the default WoL looks like.

I hope you enjoy!

A Confession Under the Starry Sky – Day Thirty-One: Free Day

-Meteor-

“May I join you?”

Meteor turned her head to see Sphene standing to her right, looking down at her, dressed in the modern garb that the Scions and Oblivion had given to her.

The Warrior of Light nodded her head and gestured next to herself. “Please.”

Sphene’s expression turned unsure. “You are certain? I do not wish to disturb you if you were looking to have a moment to yourself.”

“Not particularly. I was just getting away from all the noise and light of Solution Nine.” Realizing that the Queen of Alexandria may take offense to someone describing her city negatively, Meteor added, “Er, no offense.”

Sphene shook her head, sitting down next to the warrior. “None taken. It can get a bit… overwhelming sometimes. It’s very different from the Alexandria of my time.” She sighed. “I admit that I still… miss it sometimes.”

Meteor remained silent, not quite knowing what to say. Instead of talking, she merely let Sphene have some time to think, and turned her own gaze back to the heavens. It was a cold night, given that the desert of Shaaloani didn’t retain the blazing heat of the day once the sun went down, but it wasn’t freezing like the mountains of Urqopacha.

In truth, the real beauty of tonight was the stars. Meteor always enjoyed looking at them, and whenever she was in Solution Nine, they couldn’t be seen. It was even difficult to view them outside of the city in Heritage Found due to the amount of lighting that constantly surged across the sky, no matter the time of day.

Right now, the only weather was the slight breeze that blew by, ruffling Meteor’s hair and clothes. The only light was the soft glow of the moon and the stars. It was… peaceful, which was something that Meteor always desired when her life as the Warrior of Light became a bit too demanding.

“What are you looking at?”

Meteor turned her gaze to the woman next to her, who seemed more pensive than melancholy now. That was good.

Answering her question, Meteor replied, “The stars. They’re so pretty tonight.”

Sphene turned to look towards the sky. “Indeed. During the Storm Surge, we never had time to simply look at the sky and admire its beauty, not that we would see much even if we did. The lightning was ever-present after all.”

So it was similar to the weather that Heritage Found had, even to this day. It made sense, but it was still heartbreaking to hear that the citizens of that time couldn’t even find a sense of serenity in the night sky. It almost reminded Meteor of the Final Days – a constant fear of death with no reprieve.

Meteor laid her hand on top of Sphene’s, hoping she wasn’t overstepping. “It must have been difficult. I’m sorry you had to lead a nation during a tumultuous time like that.”

“It wasn’t all bad, I promise.” Sphene thought for a moment. “There were times of merriment, though I will admit that they were few and far between. And being able to help my people in any way that I could gave me the strength to carry on. It still does, even now.”

“You know, I really admire that you care about your people so, but it’s okay set down the mantle of leadership for a few moments.” Meteor squeezed her hand. “It’s just the two of us here. You can relax and simply just be… Sphene. You don’t have to be the Queen of Alexandria for now. As much as you love helping your people, I don’t want you to do so at the cost of neglecting your own wants and needs.”

Meteor watched as Sphene looked to her. It was hard to tell with the lack of light, but she thought she saw a shimmering in her eyes that indicated tears. “You… I’m sorry. I do not mean to turn this evening into one of sadness and regret.”

Meteor immediately scooted closer, wrapping a comforting arm around the royal’s shoulders. “That’s not what I meant! You’re allowed to feel whatever you need to feel. I just… want you to feel your emotions, not the emotions that a leader of a nation needs to feel.”

Sphene leaned a bit into the embrace. “Hm. I understand, and I thank you for it, truly. But I would like to spend time with you that is joyous. I… want to share the good times with you in addition to the bad times.”

Meteor blushed a bit at her sincerity. “Well… um, thank you.” Not wanting to read too much into her words, Meteor tried to put a bit of emotional distance between them, despite their closeness physically that she had initiated on instinct to comfort the other woman. “I’ll always be here for Her Majesty.”

Sphene giggled. “Were you not just saying that I am Sphene at the moment, and not the Queen of Alexandria?” She nuzzled her head into Meteor’s shoulder. “I would like to spend some quality time with you, not as a liaison between Alexandria and Tuliyollal or as a fellow warrior, but simply as one woman wanting to get to know another woman.” She stopped her movements and lifted her head abruptly, looking into Meteor’s eyes with a look of concern. “Unless of course… that is all that you would like to be? I… just assumed with your words and actions… but if I had the wrong idea…”

Meteor had never seen the other woman so tongue-tied. It was a little adorable, to be honest. But she didn’t want Sphene to think she had done anything wrong for a moment longer. “You definitely don’t have the wrong idea, Sphene.” The Warrior of Light gently bonked her head against the royal’s. “I’d like to get to know you better as well. I just didn’t want to… overstep. I wasn’t sure if you felt the same.”

Even in the dark, Meteor could see the dazzling brilliance of Sphene’s smile in response to her words. Laying her head back down on Meteor’s shoulder, she responded, “I do feel the same! Oh, I’m so glad you do too. You’re so kind, and thoughtful, and brave – I dared not hope for anything more than your friendship.”

Meteor was over the moon, if one could excuse the pun. But she wanted to bring back the adorable awkwardness that Sphene had been displaying earlier, so she decided to tease her a bit. “Oh I see. So you didn’t happen to stumble across my person – you were actively looking for me to confess, huh?”

To her surprise, Sphene didn’t splutter or get flustered as she had expected. Instead, she lifted her head once more and looked into Meteor’s eyes with her own, a teasing glint in them. “Well of course! Wasn’t that obvious? Why else would I brave the cold of night, my dear?”

Meteor’s eyes widened at the term of endearment. “’D-Dear’?”

Sphene giggled. “Yes, dear?”

“Y-You…!”

Sphene’s giggles turned into outright laughter as Meteor withdrew the arm around her shoulders and turned her head away to hide her reddening cheeks. “What’s the matter? Are you embarrassed that your attempts to fluster me backfired so spectacularly?”

As embarrassed as Meteor was, Sphene being able to read her emotions so easily was something that really endeared her to the warrior. But that wasn’t something she could say now! In fact, she wasn’t sure she could say anything now, given how her voice wasn’t cooperating.

“It’s alright. We care about each other, and that’s all that matters for now.” Sphene wrapped her arm around Meteor’s waist and gave her a peck on the cheek. “Besides, this shy side of you is even more adorable than your usual gallant and heroic one!”

Meteor spluttered at the kiss and the compliment.

End Author’s Note: Hope you enjoyed!

Since this is the last story for my Fluffuary 2026 series, I wanted to make sure to thank everyone who read, gave kudos, and commented on these stories on Ao3, as well as those who reblogged and liked these stories on Tumblr. It really means a lot to see that so many people enjoyed my stories!

Thank you as well to those who organized this event: Fluffuary 2026 on Ao3 and Fluffuary 2026 on Tumblr!

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 5

Relationship(s): Lucy/Priscilla (Rune Factory)

Character(s): Lucy (Rune Factory), Priscilla (Rune Factory)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Lucy has a busy day at work. Priscilla cooks her a meal. The two spend a quiet evening together.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 30 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Domestic.

This story assumes that, when asked, the RF5 protagonist directs Lucy to work at Serendipity and directs Priscilla to work at Sweet Hearth.

I hope you enjoy!

A Quiet Evening – Day Thirty: Domestic

-Lucy-

“Phew! What a day.” Lucy exhaled loudly as she collapsed onto the family room sofa.

“Long day at Serendipity, huh?” A voice asked from the kitchen.

Lucy closed her eyes. “Like you wouldn’t believe! I swear, the entire town of Rigbarth ran out of flour, oil, and curry powder all at once today. Misasagi even had me leave the store at one point to catch more fish because we ran out of stock around lunch!” She sighed. “It’s a good thing I’m the best there is!”

There was a giggle from the kitchen. Opening her eyes, Lucy saw that Priscilla was standing at the entrance to the family room, drying her hands on a towel and looking at Lucy with a smile. “I’m sure it was a welcome distraction from the chaos of the store.”

Lucy laughed. “You know me too well! But you know, I did go back, and we made it through. To be honest, it was pretty fun dealing with all of the customers as quickly as possible. We probably had record sales, and it made the day go by fast.”

“I’ll bet.” Priscilla turned and went back into the kitchen. “Now come and eat dinner before it gets cold. We’ll have a good hearty meal and relax tonight.”

Lucy sniffed the air. “Mm. It does smell good. Almost like… curry?” She jumped up and ran to the kitchen to see the table set up with two plates of curry rice. Priscilla was already sitting and patiently waiting for her before she began to eat. “But we sold out of curry powder today!”

“Well, it’s a good thing I like to plan ahead then, isn’t it? I made sure to buy plenty last time I was at Serendipity in case you ran out.” Priscilla watched as Lucy sat down in front the other plate of food. “It’s been getting colder recently, so I figured curry powder would be in demand sooner or later.”

Lucy laughed. “Well, you were definitely right!” She picked up her spoon and looked down at the curry rice, which was still piping hot if the steam was any indication. “Man, I’m practically drooling here. Let’s dig in!” She began to eat furiously, practically inhaling her food with gusto.

Once she finished, Lucy looked up to see that Priscilla wasn’t even half done. She blushed a bit in embarrassment. She was always trying to make an effort to be more ladylike, but her attempts usually didn’t turn out all that well. “S-Sorry for eating so fast. I was just really hungry…”

Priscilla shook her head. “Please, Lucy, it’s not a problem. You know I love it when you enjoy my cooking.”

Lucy smiled. Priscilla was always so accepting. She really didn’t deserve her. “Well you know that I love you. I’ve gotten to eat your cooking every day since we got married!”

Her wife giggled. “Is that the only reason you love me? For my skills in the kitchen?”

The other woman shook her head, laughing. “You know it’s not. You’re also the sweetest, most understanding person in the whole world. You accept me for who I am, even when I don’t act all that feminine.”

“You know that you don’t have to be feminine, Lucy. I meant what I said in our marriage vows. I love you for who you are.” Priscilla reached out and placed her hand, still warm from cooking, on top of Lucy’s. “You’re adventurous and brave, and you’ve always taken care of me. You’re my best friend, and I want to do my best to make you feel loved and cared for.”

Lucy could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes. “H-Hey now. No fair, getting all sappy like that.” She sniffled. “Besides, you always took care of me even before we started dating.”

Priscilla squeezed her hand. “I suppose we took care of each other.”

“Mhm.”

Priscilla gave Lucy one more comforting smile before letting go of her hand and continuing to eat. Lucy watched as she did so, admiring how her wife was so graceful with everything she did. Even the way she held her cutlery was refined.

The two engaged in some small talk as Priscilla ate, with the baker telling Lucy how her day at Sweet Hearth had went. It seemed like her day had been much less chaotic, which made sense given that all the foot traffic had ended up at Serendipity.

Once Priscilla had finished, Lucy stood up and collected the dishes. “Please, let me handle this, Darling. You go and rest on the sofa, and I’ll join you once I’m done.” Balancing the plates in her hands, she leaned down and gave Priscilla a kiss on the top of her head.

Priscilla giggled. “Okay, Honey. Thank you.”

As the pink-haired woman made her way to the family room, Lucy took the dishes to the sink and began to wash them. She cleaned them quickly, but she also made sure that they were spotless before she dried them and placed them back in their cupboards and drawers.

Giving the kitchen a once-over, Lucy nodded in satisfaction. The house was always well-maintained, mostly thanks to Priscilla. Lucy knew even before marriage that Priscilla enjoyed keeping a spotless home, and she had said to Lucy at one point that she felt she owed it to Palmo to keep the house he had built for them at a discounted rate as a wedding present as clean as possible.

Hoping that she hadn’t kept Priscilla waiting too long, Lucy ran over to the family room. When she saw her wife, she giggled quietly to herself.

Priscilla had made herself comfortable, and was laying on the sofa. But, in the time it had taken Lucy to finish the dishes, she had fallen asleep.

Lucy smiled at the adorable sight.

Wanting to make Priscilla comfortable, Lucy took some of the firewood that they had placed inside the house and set it into the fireplace. Working for a few minutes, she lit a small fire and tended to it until it became large enough to emit enough heat to suitably warm the room.

She then took a blanket that had been hanging over the couch and placed it over Priscilla, making sure it covered her completely – except for her head of course.

Lucy wasn’t usually one for quiet evenings, but she did enjoy them occasionally, especially if it meant she could spend quality time with her wife.

All of her ministrations must have disrupted Priscilla’s sleep, as the woman opened her eyes blearily and blinked up at Lucy. “Honey?”

Lucy smiled at her. “Hey, Darling. Go back to sleep.”

Priscilla pouted. “No. I wanted to keep talking with you.”

Lucy leaned down and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “That’s okay. We can always talk later. Get some rest now.”

The kiss and the kind words seemed to mollify the other woman, as Priscilla nodded. Yawning, she closed her eyes. “Goodnight, Honey. I love you.”

Lucy brushed some hair away from Priscilla’s face and tucked it gently behind her ear. “Love you too, Darling.”

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Stardew Valley (Video Game)

Relationship(s): Penny/Player (Stardew Valley), Penny/Female Player (Stardew Valley)

Character(s): Penny (Stardew Valley), Player (Stardew Valley), Female Player (Stardew Valley)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Five times where the new farmer made a friend. And one time where she made a girlfriend.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 29 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is 5 + 1 Things.

I hope you enjoy!

Friends and a Girlfriend – Day Twenty-Nine: 5 + 1 Things

-Female Farmer-

Abigail was her friend. She frequently joined the farmer when she went on one of her adventures down into the mines. It was nice to have the backup, but it was also nice to just have someone to talk to on those long journeys. When they weren’t fighting monsters IRL, they were fighting them in video games on the console in Abigail’s room. Spending time with Abigail was always fun.

Emily was her friend. Whenever the farmer was stressed with adjusting to her new life, Emily was there to help her through it. The two would meditate together, or the seamstress would create an article of comfortable clothing that looked fabulous on the farmer. When Emily was working at the Stardrop Saloon, the farmer would visit and help make her shift more enjoyable. Spending time with Emily was always fun.

Haley was her friend. Though they didn’t start off on the friendliest of terms, the farmer had made efforts to spend time with her, and the two eventually hit it off. Haley would give the farmer beauty and makeup tips, and the farmer would grow her sunflowers and would accompany the other woman to eye-catching locations where they would take pictures together. Spending time with Haley was always fun.

Leah was her friend. The artist would pass through the farm on her way into town, and the two would talk when she did so. They both loved the outdoors, and they appreciated the countryside so much more than the city. Leah would craft sculptures every now and then to commemorate their friendship, and the farmer would gift her goat cheese fresh from her farm in return. Spending time with Leah was always fun.

Maru was her friend. The farmer was admittedly slightly intimated by the other woman’s intellect, but upon interacting with her, she discovered that Maru was as friendly as she was brilliant. Whenever the farmer stopped by the clinic to purchase medication, or to simply receive treatment for an injury she had obtained from her farming, she would talk with Maru when she was there. The two also spent warm nights looking through Maru’s telescope, appreciating the dazzling stars that made up the constellations. Spending time with Maru was always fun.

Penny was… well, she was her friend, but she was also… more. When the two had met initially, the farmer had noticed how quiet and reserved the other woman was. Penny was smart like Maru, but she wasn’t quite as outgoing. She appreciated the outdoors like Leah, but was more focused on the educational aspects of it rather than the artistic ones. She was beautiful and obviously spent time on her makeup and clothes like Haley and Emily, but she didn’t flaunt her style to the world. Penny wasn’t adventurous like Abigail, but she enjoyed reading about tales of adventure in her novels.

The farmer noticed all of these qualities, and they drew her to Penny. Sure, everyone else had aspects that she admired, but Penny encompassed all of them in a way that was extremely enticing. Whenever the two spent time together, the farmer was truly happy.

With her friends, when the time for hanging out came to an end, they would go their separate ways rather easily, knowing that they would spend time together in the future.

With Penny, the farmer never wanted to separate. Even though they too would see each other again, the farmer didn’t want to be apart from her.

When the farmer made these thoughts known to the shy bookworm, Penny was shocked. Once the idea had settled into her mind, however, she had enthusiastically reciprocated, and the two began dating. The farmer couldn’t be happier.

Spending time with Penny was always… amazing.

End Author’s Note: For this story, I listed the bachelorettes in alphabetical order. It worked out well that the bachelorette I wanted to focus on was also last alphabetically!

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory: Guardians of Azuma (Video Game)

Relationship(s): Clarice/Kaguya (Rune Factory)

Character(s): Clarice (Rune Factory), Kaguya (Rune Factory)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Kaguya and Clarice encounter a creature on one of their daily patrols. An extremely cute and cuddly creature.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 28 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Adopting A Pet.

This story will involve a romance with Clarice. While she is a known bachelorette of this game, other details about her character are spoilers. I would recommend beating the main storyline, just in case.

I hope you enjoy!

A Fluffy King – Day Twenty-Eight: Adopting A Pet

-Kaguya-

The Earth Dancer and the former heir to the Sechs Empire were on their daily patrol around the villages. Currently, they were finishing up in the land around Winter Village.

Kaguya had to admit that she usually scanned the area quicker here than in the other villages, as she was not a fan of the cold. However, it was her responsibility to ensure the safety of the villagers, so she always took it seriously and never skipped a day. Plus, it gave her a reason to snuggle up to her adorable girlfriend, who was usually hesitant about public displays of affection.

The two were walking hand in hand when she saw it. She almost missed it at first, as its white wool blended in with the surrounding snow and ice. It was a Wooly, but one several times larger than normal. She’d seen similar ones in her travels, albeit rarely. It had a moniker that described it perfectly:

King Wooly.

“Hold on a second, Honey.” Kaguya gave a light tug on her hand, indicating that they should stop.

“Hm? What’s the matter, Liebling?” Clarice looked over to Kaguya curiously.

Kaguya pointed towards the creature. “Look. Over there.”

Clarice’s eyes followed the direction of her finger, and for a moment, she said nothing, focusing. But Kaguya could tell when she locked onto the King Wooly – her eyes brightened, just as the Earth Dancer knew they would. Her girlfriend had a particular fondness for cute and fluffy things, and nothing fit that description more than this creature. “Liebling, what is that? It’s like a Wooly… but huge!”

Kaguya smiled. “It’s called a King Wooly. I’ve seen them sometimes, but usually when I’m travelling in the skies of Azuma. I’m not sure how it got here.”

The two women watched as it lumbered around, occasionally sniffing the air or kicking up some snow with its feet. It appeared docile, but one could never be too careful, especially with creatures of that size.

“Perhaps we should approach? Just to make sure it’s okay, of course.” Clarice gazed at the creature with a sparkle in her eyes.

Kaguya held back a giggle. “Sure. But let’s be cautious. It can lash out if it feels like it’s in danger.”

Clarice looked back over to her girlfriend. Her expression turned more serious, and she gave a curt nod. Regardless of her interest, Clarice was always respectful of creatures, and did her best to make sure that they were comfortable and treated well. “Of course.”

The two slowly approached. The King Wooly noticed them when they were mere feet away, and it looked as if it was about ready to attack.

Kaguya prepared herself. She would rather not have to fight with such an adorable creature, especially with her girlfriend watching. Clarice was no stranger to violence, but she had told Kaguya that she held no love for it, and only engaged in it if necessary. Attacking something fluffy like this was also likely to upset her, and that was the last thing Kaguya wanted.

Before any fighting began, however, Clarice took a step forward, still keeping hold of Kaguya’s hand. She held her free hand up, indicating that she was unarmed. “Please, be at ease, King Wooly. We have no desire to harm you. We simply want to make sure that you’re okay.”

The King Wooly tilted its head, seemingly listening. However, it still appeared tense, and it was certainly not lowering its guard.

Kaguya gave a squeeze to Clarice’s hand, giving her girlfriend unspoken support. She didn’t want to disrupt the calm atmosphere that Clarice was creating.

Clarice squeezed her hand back before continuing, “Are you okay?” She took a hesitant step forward. “May I… pet you?”

The King Wooly didn’t move away as she came towards it.

Clarice gave Kaguya’s hand one last squeeze before letting go as she continued to slowly walk forward. She raised her other hand up, indicating that she was empty-handed. “That’s good… you’re a good Wooly…”

Kaguya’s heart thumped as she watched her girlfriend inch closer to a potentially dangerous creature. She didn’t want to reach for her weapon, but it was getting increasingly difficult to suppress her protective instincts.

Finally, Clarice was close enough that she could place her hand on the creature, which she did with extreme care. Since it was so tall, she couldn’t reach its head, but she could reach its side, which she began to slowly pet. Her eyes brightened as she made contact. Even with her gloves on, Kaguya knew that Clarice always loved holding and petting fluffy things. “You’re such an adorable creature,” Clarice said in a quiet voice. Kaguya could tell that it was taking her girlfriend considerable effort to not start immediately gushing and talking to it in a baby voice.

The King Wooly’s eyes brightened. Its mouth also seemed to curve up into a smile.

Kaguya let go of a breath she didn’t even know she’d been holding. It seemed like everything was going to be okay.

The King Wooly made a happy noise as it moved its head down so that Clarice could reach.

“Oh, you’re such a good Wooly!” Clarice couldn’t hold back any longer, as she reached up and began furiously scratching its head. The force of her petting caused its ears to flap around, and Kaguya couldn’t help but smile at the adorable sight.

Clarice sighed. “So fluffy…” she murmured. She lifted up her other hand and started scratching behind its ears.

Kaguya let the two interact for a few minutes before gently cutting in. “It looks like you’ve made a new friend.”

Clarice looked back to her girlfriend, not stopping with her pets. “Indeed! It seems to be a gentle soul.”

Since it appeared as though it wasn’t in distress, Kaguya was content to move on. She was about to voice this when Clarice suddenly exclaimed, “Liebling! We should tame it. You have room in your barns, yes?”

Kaguya blinked. “Huh?”

Clarice stopped with her movements. With her hands no longer occupied, she clasped them in front of her and gave Kaguya a pleading look. “Please? Like you said, it’s not normally in this location, so it’s probably displaced, and it’s so good-natured. It would do well in any of the villages.”

“Well…” Kaguya looked to the King Wooly, who seemed to be pleading as well. Its big round eyes twinkled in a way that ensured that Kaguya couldn’t say no to Clarice’s request.

Kaguya sighed in defeat. “Okay. We can tame it.” She smiled as Clarice gave a small cheer. “Besides, the more the merrier, right?”

“Oh, thank you, Liebling!” Clarice stepped towards Kaguya and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Kaguya blushed. “Of course.” Turning towards the King Wooly, she said, “Welcome to our community! We’re happy to have you with us.”

The King Wooly wiggled its ears in delight.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Persona Series, Persona 5

Relationship(s): Niijima Makoto/Okumura Haru

Character(s): Niijima Makoto, Okumura Haru

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff, Alternate Universe – Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor

Language: English

Summary: A new customer walks into Haru’s flower shop, and she finds her quite intriguing.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 27 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Tattoo Parlor/Flower Shop. This will be an AU, so Makoto and Haru won’t know each other, and they won’t have their Personas.

I hope you enjoy!

The Queen and The Rose – Day Twenty-Seven: Tattoo Parlor/Flower Shop

-Haru-

The owner of La Fleur Noir looked up at the sound of the bell – someone had just entered her flower shop.

“Welcome to La Fleur Noir! How can I help you today?” Haru said her typical greeting, though she delivered it with such enthusiasm that it never sounded forced.

The woman who had entered the shop jumped a bit at the sound of Haru’s voice, which she could understand. Some people liked to quietly peruse her stock and didn’t want to speak with her until they made their purchase. Regardless, Haru made sure to greet everyone if she wasn’t busy in order to make a good impression. Once she got a read on their personality, she would dial it back if necessary. This newest customer seemed to be on the shyer end of the spectrum.

The customer made eye contact with Haru and gave her a nervous smile. Haru smiled back politely, hoping to put her at ease. “Feel free to take your time. And let me know if you have any questions!”

The other woman nodded.

Seeing as she was Haru’s only customer at the moment, the owner was able to subtly observe her while going about her usual business.

The woman looked to be about her own age, with short brown hair and eyes that seemed to have a scarlet tint to them. Her appearance was striking – different from most of the other customers that would frequent the shop.

She also appeared to be physically fit, as she had a straight posture and moved with fluidity. Perhaps she was an athlete of some sort?

What was most interesting was the tattoo on her left forearm. Haru hadn’t seen it at first glance, but as she looked at her, she saw flashes of it as she picked up and looked at some flowers before putting them back. It appeared to be a panda of some sort. It looked fairly cute, which seemed to be at odds with the seriousness she seemed to exude.

Haru wondered if she had any other tattoos. If she did, they were in places that were not immediately obvious, as she couldn’t see any additional ones.

After a while, the customer seemed to find what she was looking for. Haru noted the tell-tale glint of happiness that customers would exhibit when they found the perfect bouquet. Haru busied herself with some of her business papers, not wanting her customer to feel uncomfortable about being watched.

“Excuse me,” a hesitant voice said. Haru looked back up to see the slightly taller woman holding out the bouquet, her tattoo-covered arm currently raised as she scratched at the back of her head. “I’d like to purchase these, please.”

“Of course!” Haru chirped. Taking the bouquet, she scanned the barcode on the bottom, ringing up the price. “Would you like anything else today?”

The woman shook her head.

Haru nodded and told the customer how much the bouquet would be. While the other woman fumbled with her wallet, Haru turned back to the shelf behind her, which had an assortment of items, some of which were different colors of tissue paper that were used to wrap up gift bouquets. “What color paper would you like these wrapped up in?”

“Oh! Um… which color do you think would go well with that assortment?”

Haru looked more closely at the flowers. She saw that they were a mixture of roses, with red ones being the predominant color. “Perhaps a light, spring-colored green?” she suggested. “It’s a great contrast to the red roses, which will help them stand out that much more.” She turned around to see if the customer was in agreement.

She was standing there with her wallet open, cash in hand. When she made eye contact with Haru, she smiled. “That sounds lovely. I’ll go with the expert’s judgement.”

Haru giggled. Even though the other woman seemed a bit quiet and awkward, she appreciated the fact that she was smooth with compliments. “Why thank you. Let me just get that ready for you.”

Once Haru finished wrapping up the bouquet, she turned back and exchanged it for the payment. Handing back her change, she thanked the customer when she placed it in the tip jar next to the register.

Haru assumed that was the end of the interaction. This newest customer seemed interesting enough, if a bit quiet. The owner would typically engage in some small talk before her customers left, as she liked to get to know them. However, she didn’t want to make this woman uncomfortable. Instead, she said simply, “Thank you for your business! I hope you have a good rest of your day.”

The woman nodded. “Thanks. You too.” She turned around and made her way to the exit. But before she got to the door, she turned back around. Haru tilted her head questioningly. Perhaps she wanted to purchase something else?

“Yes?” she asked.

The woman walked back up to the counter. Clearing her throat, she said, “My name’s Makoto, by the way. Niijima Makoto.”

“What a nice name! My name’s Okumura Haru.” Haru smiled. It seemed like the other woman might want to engage in small talk after all. It would just be up to Haru to continue the conversation. “This is your first time in my shop, isn’t it? Where did you hear about La Fleur Noir?”

“I’ve actually walked past this shop several times on my way to work.”

“Oh? Where do you work, if you don’t mind me asking?”

Makoto pointed over her shoulder with her thumb. “At The Queen’s Tattoo Parlor across the street. I’ve only been working there for a few weeks, but my coworkers told me they’d all bought flowers from here and that I should visit.”

The Queen’s Tattoo Parlor. Haru had walked by the place a few times herself, and had met several of the tattoo artists that worked there. She’d thought about getting a tattoo, perhaps some sort of flower, but she hadn’t done so yet. She wanted to be sure of what she wanted before she had an image tattooed on her permanently.

That explained the tattoo on Makoto’s arm. Though, it didn’t explain the cuteness of it. “Forgive me if I’m making assumptions, but don’t most tattoo artists have multiple tattoos? And aren’t they usually a bit more… menacing?”

Makoto chuckled at that. “You’re right that most artists usually have more than one, but in terms of subject matter, it can range from a simple one like this to complex sleeves. It all really depends on the person.”

“I see. I’ve thought about getting one myself, but I could never decide on what.”

Makoto turned thoughtful. “Hm. It’s true that you want to think long and hard about what you want to get. Some people do just go with the flow, but for me personally, I like to really make sure it’s what I want before I go for it. Just my personality I suppose.”

“I don’t see anything wrong with that.”

Makoto smiled. “Thanks.”

“Of course.” Haru tilted her head. “May I ask what the tattoo on your arm is? It looks like a cartoon panda.”

Makoto’s eyes brightened. “It is! It’s a character called Buchimaru-kun. Have you heard of him?”

Haru was surprised. Makoto had been fairly quiet for their entire interaction thus far, but at the mention of this Buchimaru-kun, she exuded an energetic, almost childlike glee. “I haven’t. But he looks adorable.”

“Isn’t he?” Seeming to realize her excitement, she cleared her throat, blushing slightly. “A-Anyway. Thank you for the compliment.” Makoto pulled out her cellphone with her free hand and looked at its screen. “Oh! I’ve got to get back to work. My break’s almost over. But maybe… we can continue this conversation later?”

Haru nodded. “Of course! Feel free to stop by whenever you’d like.”

“Thank you.” Makoto’s blush deepened. “A-Also. I’m not sure if I said this before, and please let me know if this is out-of-line, but you are very beautiful.”

Haru blushed herself. Someone as adorably awkward as Makoto found her beautiful? That was definitely a confidence booster. “Well, thank you.”

She nodded. “Of course! Um… if it’s not too much trouble, would you accept these?” Makoto held out the bouquet of roses.

“Oh?” Haru took hold of the flowers that she had just wrapped. “Was this your plan from the start?”

Makoto chuckled nervously. “Guilty as charged. I’ve been wanting to talk with you ever since I noticed you in here. You’re obviously stunning, but from what I’ve seen and from what my coworkers have said about you, you’re also extremely kind and understanding.” She rubbed the back of her neck, exposing the Buchimaru-kun tattoo once again. “S-So, if you’re interested, maybe we could… spend some time together? Outside of business hours?”

Haru had to admit that she had felt a spark of attraction towards Makoto as soon as she had seen her walk through the door, and her conversation with her proved to the owner that she was also a genuinely kind-hearted person. She could definitely see them being friends, and maybe even more if things worked out that way.

“That sounds lovely, Mako-chan! I’d like that.”

“M-Mako-chan?”

“Oh, I’m sorry. Was that too informal?” Haru apologized. “You’re just so cute that I couldn’t help myself!”

Makoto eyes widened. “R-Really? Oh, well… okay then! That’s fine!” Looking at her shyly, she added, “I’ll talk to you later than, Haru-chan.”

Haru smiled. “I look forward to it.”

Makoto turned around and left the shop this time. Haru giggled to herself as she looked at the flowers. Even though she ran a flower shop, it wasn’t often that she received flowers as a gift.

Perhaps she would get a tattoo after all. A rose would be a suitable one.

And maybe she could have Makoto as her tattoo artist.

End Author’s Note: A nice Okujima story! You could probably tell, but I based their shop names on their personas. Haru’s flower shop roughly translates as “The Black Flower” in English.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Origins

Relationship(s): Leliana/Warden (Dragon Age), Leliana/Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair & Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair & Female Warden (Dragon Age)

Character(s): Leliana (Dragon Age), Warden (Dragon Age), Female Warden (Dragon Age), Alistair (Dragon Age), Morrigan (Dragon Age), Zevran Arainai

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Alistair notices the Warden and Leliana are stealing glances at each other. He decides to tease them both about it.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 26 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Mutual Pining.

Some spoilers for dialogue/banter between Leliana and Alistair.

I hope you enjoy!

Stealing Glances – Day Twenty-Six: Mutual Pining

-Alistair-

He noticed it when the group was cleaning up their campsite, preparing to make their way to their next destination.

Alistair happened to glance over at his fellow Grey Warden, and he saw her looking over towards Leliana. Innocent enough, he supposed. Their leader always made sure to check on everyone each morning to make sure that they would be ready for any potential combat.

He continued to pack away his tent, when he chanced a glance at her again. Sure, it was a little strange for him to keep looking at her, but there had been something in her expression as she’d gazed at Leliana that had struck him as odd. So, he wanted to see if he could pinpoint it this time.

At present, their leader was again staring at Leliana. Okay, looking at the bard a second time was cause for suspicion. Alistair looked over at the other woman, to see if she was reciprocating this look.

Leliana was currently sharpening her daggers, having finished with her tent a while ago. A view that was vaguely intimidating, as Alistair had seen firsthand how deadly accurate she was with them. But certainly, no need for continuous observation.

As he turned back to the Warden, he saw that she now had a slight flush to her cheeks. Did that mean…?

Alistair racked his brain. Were the two of them a couple? They were definitely close, but so were the two Grey Wardens, and Alistair had no romantic feelings towards her.

Thinking harder, he remembered that the two women seemed to have night watch shifts together, more often than not. Alistair was typically exhausted at the end of the day, plus he had to be ready for his shift, so he didn’t usually eavesdrop on what the two of them said to each other.

In battle, Leliana always seemed to have the Warden covered. Whether it was with a well-placed arrow or with one of those daggers she was currently sharpening, the bard always seemed to protect the Warden’s blind spots.

Huh. Maybe they were. Or maybe they were both unaware of the other’s feelings and were just pining for each other? That seemed the more likely answer. Alistair had to admit that he found it difficult to get a read on Leliana’s emotions, but the Warden was like an open book to him. The two always seemed to be on the same wavelength. Sure, they were both Grey Wardens, but they also seemed to be similar in terms of personality and morals. They teased each other as much as they had serious conversations, and he knew that they each wanted the best for the other. Alistair could honestly say he had never had a closer friend and ally.

Once he finished packing away his tent, Alistair came to a decision. He would talk with each of them separately, and see if he could deduce what was happening. Despite what Morrigan said, he could be discreet when he needed to.

Probably best to talk with the Warden first.

Alistair made his way over to her, mentally preparing for the conversation. Upon hearing his footsteps, she looked up. Seeing it was him, she smiled. “What can I help you with, Alistair?”

He nodded to her. “Not much. I just couldn’t help but notice that you kept stealing glances at Leliana this morning? Everything okay between the two of you?”

As he predicted, she became a bit flustered. “O-Of course! I was just ensuring that she had everything she needed for today.”

“Mhm.” Alistair said nothing more, hoping that his silence would make her feel as though she needed to elaborate.

The Warden chuckled nervously. “Wh-What?”

Damn. Not as forthcoming as he had hoped. “Oh nothing. Anyway, we should be ready to head out in a few minutes.” Knowing that pushing the matter further would raise suspicions, he left. He figured this conversation alone would have her thinking about her future interactions with Leliana. Maybe they would move on from mutual pining to a mutual relationship?

One could only hope he had decent matchmaking skills.

For now, he would have to give the other half of this potential couple a push.

-A Few Hours Later-

The group was on the move, making their way towards their next destination. Alistair noticed that while the Warden was looking at their map, Leliana was stealing furtive little glances at her. Interesting.

He waited until Zevran asked the Warden a question, ensuring she wouldn’t be able to eavesdrop on Alistair, before slowing his pace to match Leliana’s. She looked at him questioningly.

“So… this thing you and her have going? Doesn’t that violate your vows?”

Leliana spluttered. “What? What kind of question is that to just blurt out? What do we ‘have going’?”

Alistair smirked. Her reaction seemed to confirm his suspicions. “Yes, I’m that blind. I so totally did not see you ogling each other before.”

She blushed. “She was not ogling me. Was she? Was she really ogling me?”

It took everything he had to keep from laughing at her behavior. She was supposed to be a secretive bard, yet she was being completely obvious about her feelings towards the Warden. He decided to have a little fun with her. “Now that you say it, I’m not sure. Maybe she wasn’t ogling you. I don’t know… I could always ask her…”

Leliana blinked. “You can’t do that!” she exclaimed. In a quieter voice, she said, “Could you? You couldn’t do that…”

Alistair snorted. “I could. But I won’t. Next thing you’ll have me pulling her hair and passing her love letters.”

She pursed her lips, clearly annoyed with his antics. “I… just mind your own business. How inappropriate!”

He couldn’t help it. He gave a booming laugh, enough to draw the attention of the rest of the group. Morrigan looked at him with the usual irritation in her gaze, and Zevran smirked. Whether or not the assassin knew what the two of them had been talking about, Alistair couldn’t say. He was sure Zevran was just finding amusement in the situation.

The Warden, meanwhile, looked between Alistair and Leliana, confused. But she seemed to realize what was happening, and turned away, but not before Alistair caught a blush on her cheeks.

Unfortunately, Leliana had been embarrassed by their conversation, and had been looking away, so she hadn’t seen the Warden’s expression.

Ah, well. It was clear that the two of them had feelings for each other. Alistair wasn’t going to push the matter further. They were each at least thinking about the possibility of it being mutual. What they did with that information was up to them.

Alistair walked back up to the Warden and clapped a hand on her back. She turned to look at him, face still a bit flushed.

Okay, maybe one more push.

He gave her a wink.

She spluttered before rolling her eyes at him and looking away. He chuckled.

Alistair couldn’t wait to see how this relationship would develop.

End Author’s Note: I wanted to make a Female!Warden/Leliana version of Alistair’s conversation with Leliana. As far as I could tell, this conversation uses “he” and “him” regardless of your gender, so I made some changes!

Also, this dialogue happens once you are more than just “pining” for Leliana, but I changed the context a bit to match the prompt better (plus I thought it was cuter this way).

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Harvest Moon and Story of Seasons Series (Video Games), Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town (Video Game 2020)

Relationship(s): Elli | Elly/Female Farmer | Naomi (Harvest Moon)

Character(s): Elli | Elly (Harvest Moon), Female Farmer | Naomi (Mineral Town)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Naomi gets sick after overexerting herself on the farm. As her wife and the town’s nurse, Elly is determined to make her feel better.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 25 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Sickfic.

This story will be based on the Story of Seasons: Friends of Mineral Town remake, so the names might be slightly different than the original.

I hope you enjoy!

Nursed Back to Health – Day Twenty-Five: Sickfic

-Elly-

“I’m really sorry about this, Elly.”

“Nonsense. You can’t control when you get sick.”

Naomi coughed. The farmer was currently sitting in the bed the married couple shared, a glass of water on their nightstand.

Naomi had been working the fields and taking care of her animals during a typhoon. Normally, she would never leave the house during that kind of weather, but Naomi had neglected to watch the weather report the day before, so she had been caught off guard.

She’d had to provide fodder to her animals, and since she was outside already, she figured she would harvest what crops she could before they became damaged or were blown away entirely.

Elly had agreed with feeding the animals, but had warned her against harvesting crops in the dangerous weather. Naomi had appreciated the concern, but had assured her wife that she would be fine.

Well.

Elly knew that something was wrong when she awoke before Naomi and heard the other woman sniffling and coughing in her sleep. Sure enough, when the nurse took her temperature, she saw that she had a high fever. Elly knew that she must be really sick because all of her fussing hadn’t woken Naomi up, when the farmer tended to be a light sleeper.

Once her wife had woken up, she had groaned in discomfort. Instead of scolding her for getting herself in this predicament, Elly had gently soothed her and prepared supplies to be used to take care of her for the day. She had let Doctor know that she wouldn’t be in today, and she was able to have Rick and Popuri take care of the crops and animals. It didn’t take much convincing on either front. Elly hadn’t missed a day of work in years, and Naomi had taken care of the chickens for the siblings many times when they were unable to. It made Elly happy to hear from the others that they deserved to have a day off.

As Naomi’s coughing fit ended, Elly handed her the glass of water, which she drank from eagerly. Handing it back to the nurse, Naomi rasped, “I should’ve listened to the medical professional, huh?”

Elly placed the now empty glass back on the nightstand. “It doesn’t matter now. All that matters is making sure that you get better.”

Naomi smiled. “Thanks. I’m sure I’ll be all better by tomorrow, with the best nurse in Mineral Town taking good care of me.”

Even though the two had been married for several months now, Elly couldn’t help but blush at her wife’s flirtatious comment. “Oh you.” She giggled.

Letting Naomi get some rest, Elly went to their kitchen and made some stew for her to eat later. True, it was the middle of the summer, but Naomi loved stew, and it was beneficial to have a hearty and healthy meal to eat to help recover energy. Besides, it wasn’t like Naomi was going to be running around exerting herself on the farm today.

By the time the stew was finished and Elly had ladled some into a bowl, Naomi had fallen asleep. Elly giggled at her snoozing expression, setting the dish down on the nightstand to serve to her later. It probably needed to cool down anyway.

Elly sat down on the chair she had pulled up to the bed and looked over her wife. Her face was flushed, which meant that she obviously still had at least a little bit of a fever. Her hair was plastered to her sweaty forehead, so Elly gently smoothed it away.

“Mm… Elly…” Naomi murmured.

“Hm? Yes? What is it?” Elly stopped her ministrations, focusing on her wife’s voice.

“Love you…”

Elly smiled, another blush forming on her cheeks. “I love you too. So much…” She leaned down and gave Naomi a kiss on her forehead.

Naomi’s face scrunched up. “Don’t… don’t want you to get sick…”

Elly giggled. “I’ll be fine. I’m a nurse after all.” Thinking for a moment, she added, “And even if I do get sick, I have the best wife in the world to take care of me.”

Naomi opened her eyes and looked deeply into Elly’s. “You stole my line.” She pouted.

“Even so, it’s still true.”

“Touché.”

Turning towards the bowl, Elly asked, “Now then. Would you like me to feed you some stew? It’ll help you get better that much faster.”

Naomi nodded.

Elly fed her wife the entire meal, spoonful by spoonful. By the end, Naomi had started to drift off yet again.

Before she fell asleep entirely, Elly made sure to tell her once more:

“I love you.”

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Baldur’s Gate (Video Games)

Relationship(s): Shadowheart/Tav (Baldur’s Gate)

Character(s): Shadowheart (Baldur’s Gate), Tav (Baldur’s Gate)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Shadowheart has another pain in her hand. Tav notices and decides to do something about it.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 24 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Holding Hands.

There will be some spoilers about Shadowheart’s past, her romance route, and a main plot point of Act 1, so I would make sure you’ve completed at least this first Act to avoid spoilers.

I hope you enjoy!

A Comforting Hand – Day Twenty-Four: Holding Hands

-Shadowheart-

“Did your hand pain you just now?”

Shadowheart jumped a bit at the voice. She had clenched her hand, and of course there was the typical purple glow that accompanied it, but everyone around the campfire had been talking and laughing so jovially that she had assumed no one had seen her reaction.

Clearly she had been wrong.

“Just a bit,” she said simply, not wanting to bring any more attention to it.

Suddenly, a warmth encompassed her hand.

She looked down and saw that Tav was covering it with hers. The leader of their little band of misfits had a hand that was rough with calluses, yet also surprisingly smooth and comforting. She had experienced its touch a few nights prior, when the group had been celebrating their victory after defending the Emerald Grove. Shadowheart had offered a drink to Tav, and the two women had spent the night drinking and getting closer, both emotionally and physically.

Shadowheart knew that Tav was attracted to her. She’d seen the glances, noticed how she would always find reasons to stand near Shadowheart, would set up her tent to be close to hers. Her tone when she talked to Shadowheart was also softer than when she talked with the others.

At first, Shadowheart hadn’t wanted to reciprocate. She didn’t feel the same way for one thing, but she also didn’t want to entertain any relationships that would distract her from Lady Shar’s mission.

But as their journey progressed, Shadowheart’s feelings began to change. Tav would go out of her way to help those in need, which, truthfully, was sometimes irritating, but would also make Shadowheart feel warm. She’d grown up with acts of kindness only being used as a means to an end, and even then, she usually only saw acts of cruelty.

With Tav, there were no ulterior motives, at least, not usually. Tav genuinely wanted to help others, and this was a foreign concept that intrigued Shadowheart as much as it endeared her to their leader.

This eventually led to a bond of trust, where Shadowheart had told Tav about her worship of Lady Shar, and about the mission that she had been sent on. Tav admitted that she had always been curious about her past, but she had respected Shadowheart’s desire for secrecy. That had been when Shadowheart had truly started to fall for her.

After having seen her leadership and heroics at the Emerald Grove, Shadowheart knew that she wanted to make her interest known. That night had been gentle and loving, and Shadowheart wanted to experience more times like these, not that she would admit it out loud.

Presently, Shadowheart had been thinking about the next morning, when the two had shared a passionate kiss, when her hand had begun to pain her. Shadowheart had wished for more feelings of acceptance, ones that Tav gave freely. She wondered why Shar – Lady Shar, almost never seemed to accept her.

Apparently, a thought like that was much too blasphemous for the goddess to tolerate.

“Does this help?” Tav’s voice broke through Shadowheart’s musings and brought her back to the present. Her hand was slowly massaging Shadowheart’s own, and even now, the pain that had flared up was dying away.

“It does.” Shadowheart turned her hand so that her palm faced upwards, and interlocked her fingers with Tav’s to better hold onto her hand.

Tav smiled. “I’m glad.” Shadowheart smiled as well.

The two women turned their attention back to the group’s conversation, and the little moment between them was over. Shadowheart appreciated Tav’s concern, but she also appreciated the fact that she didn’t make a big deal out of it and cause a scene in front of the others.

The rest of the night was spent around the campfire, listening to the tales of adventure and petty arguments that her comrades shared.

And all the while, Tav never let go of her hand.

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: If | Fire Emblem: Fates

Relationship(s): Kazahana | Hana/Sakura

Character(s): Kazahana | Hana, Sakura (Fire Emblem)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff, Mentions of scars

Language: English

Summary: My version of a possible S support between Hana and Sakura.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 23 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Soulmates.

Since Fire Emblem: Fates has support conversations to develop bonds between characters, I decided to continue that. When reading this, you can imagine it as the next level (S) of supports between Sakura and Hana, which means it would be their romantic support.

I hope you enjoy!

Sakura and Hana S Support – Day Twenty-Three: Soulmates

Sakura: Hana. Are you available to talk again?

Hana: Of course, Sakura. What would you like to discuss today?

Sakura: Well, I wasn’t completely forthright with you during our last conversation.

Hana: What do you mean?

Sakura: When I brought up your scars, I wasn’t completely honest about why discussing them made me uncomfortable.

Hana: …

Sakura: You see, ever since you received your first scar, I noticed that a similar one appeared on me a few days later.

Hana: What?

Sakura: I thought it was strange, but then I thought maybe I had sustained it in the same instance that you had been protecting me. I hadn’t felt any pain, but perhaps it was the adrenaline from the harrowing situation.

Hana: But it sounds like there’s more to it than that?

Sakura: Yes. Every time you suffered an injury where you received a scar, I always developed one soon after.

Hana: That’s… unusual.

Sakura: It is! So I went to see Orochi because I figured she could divine what was happening.

Hana: And did she?

Sakura: Um, yes. Th-That’s what I wanted to talk about with you now. I tried to bring it up before, but I got too scared.

Hana: Sakura. You can tell me anything. You know that right? Whatever it is, I’ll support you as best as I can.

Sakura: I know. You always do.

Hana: So?

Sakura: S-So. Orochi said that what was happening was something that her fortunes described as a “soulmate situation”.

Hana: Soulmate?

Sakura: Y-Yes. She explained that when two people are soulmates, one of the ways that this can manifest is through shared markings. In our case, it was scars.

Hana: So every time I got a scar…

Sakura: I received one in turn. There was no pain, but the mark would still appear.

Hana: But I can account for every one that I have! Why don’t I have any that just… appeared?

Sakura: Because you always protect me, remember? I never received a scar myself because I was never injured enough to ever develop one.

Hana: Huh… I guess that makes sense. But does that mean that you and I are soulmates?

Sakura: According to Orochi, yes.

Hana: And does this mean in a romantic way?

Sakura: She said that it doesn’t necessarily mean that. All this proves is that our souls are connected. What that connection entails is up to us.

Hana: So… would you like it to mean romantically, Sakura?

Sakura: I’ve thought about this for years. I knew that I cared for you, and that you would always be my best friend. But lately, I’ve been thinking that we could be… more than that. I do like you, Hana. I-In that way.

Hana: Sakura…

Sakura: But if this makes you uncomfortable, then please don’t feel pressured to accept! I just wanted to make my feelings known. I wanted to be brave like you.

Hana: Sakura. I may be brave when it comes to the battlefield, but when it comes to sharing feelings… you’re so much braver than I could ever be.

Sakura: What do you mean?

Hana: I’ve liked you in a romantic sense for years. Sure, you’re my best friend, but there’s a reason I was so devoted to you. You’re the kindest person I’ve ever met, not to mention beautiful. I know that I can be stubborn, but you care about me anyway. And I even love it when you tease me!

Sakura: L-Love?

Hana: Ah. Well. We don’t have to be at that stage yet. But I do care for you. So, what do you say? Sakura, would you like to begin a courtship with me?

Sakura: I would love to! Thank you, Hana!

End Author’s Note: This was a very different format than what I’m used to, but it was fun to experiment with something that wasn’t just straight narrative prose. Not that any of this was straight!

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): My Time at Sandrock (Video Game)

Relationship(s): Amirah/Builder (My Time At Sandrock), Amirah/Female Builder (My Time at Sandrock

Character(s): Amirah (My Time At Sandrock), Builder (My Time At Sandrock), Female Builder (My Time At Sandrock)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Lucy wants to get more serious with Amirah. But before they can commit to a relationship, they each need to make a promise.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 22 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Promises.

It’s been a hot minute since I played this game, but I remember how I felt when I got the scene that’s referenced in this story. I watched it again for reference, so hopefully there are no inconsistencies.

I used the default female Builder name of “Lucy”, but feel free to substitute any other name in there!

I hope you enjoy!

Being the Best – Day Twenty-Two: Promises

-Lucy-

It was in the fading light of the last firework that Lucy had confessed to Amirah that she had romantic feelings for her.

Amirah had been hesitant, but had eventually admitted that she felt similarly. However, she wasn’t yet ready for a relationship. She felt it would be unfair to the both of them to start one that she couldn’t fully commit to while worrying about expanding Ceramic Gate.

Lucy understood. She herself wanted her workshop to be the best ever, and she was nearly at the number one spot. She had voiced this to Amirah, who had understood and had admitted that that was something she really admired about Lucy.

In the end, the two had promised to advance their prospective careers before pursuing a relationship. Lucy had to admit that she had been a little disappointed, but once she had given it some thought, she realized that she really appreciated Amirah’s stance. She was really taking Lucy’s confession seriously, and the two would be equal partners in this relationship. And Lucy knew that it was going to happen – there was no uncertainty here.

She began taking on as many commissions as was possible, and she fulfilled them at breakneck speed. The builder had been outfitting her workshop with more and more machinery to fulfill demands, and she was putting every single one of them to the test.

She would sprint out of her house into town, snatch up commissions big and small, and then run back to her workshop and get started. What materials she had were processed, and those that she didn’t have, she would spend hours obtaining. Mining, harvesting… she did it all. Her clothes ended up covered in mud and dust more often than not, and she had to admit that she probably looked a little disheveled to the townsfolk.

When Lucy did have a free moment, she would wash up and go visit Amirah. The artisan had said that the two of them should go out at least once a week to maintain the “spark”, so to speak. So, Lucy would meet Amirah at her house after work and would suggest different outings, the most regular of which was having dinner at the Blue Moon Saloon.

They would order their meals and spend time talking about their days. Amirah would discuss inspiration that had led to her newest creations, while Lucy would talk about particularly grueling commissions. They were both people who created things for a living, and their similarities became more apparent as they spent more time together.

It was a comfortable dynamic. The two women were able to discuss their interests in their work and in each other without the pressure of acting like a couple. They were able to become closer, but could still leave separately at the end of the meal and travel to their own homes, where they would each finish up some last minute work before concluding their days.

When Lucy finally attained the coveted number one workshop ranking at the end of the season, she wanted to run over to Amirah’s house right then and there to share the good news. But then, she thought that it would be better for Amirah to control the pace of this. Lucy didn’t want to smother her - she wanted Amirah to be comfortable and feel no pressure to advance their relationship. She was a quiet and introverted person, and Lucy wanted to respect that.

Luckily, she didn’t have to wait long.

The next day, Amirah showed up at her house and told Lucy that she had seen her workshop ranking. The builder had kept her promise, just like she had said she would.

Since Amirah’s pottery shop was also doing well, she said that she finally felt ready to begin dating. Lucy couldn’t accept fast enough.

The two kissed, and Lucy felt so incredibly jubilant that she could sing.

They made a new promise after that: To love and cherish each other, and to always be there for one another.

It was a promise that Lucy knew she would have no trouble keeping.

End Author’s Note: I remember having already attained the number one workshop rank when I had this scene with Amirah, so that was kind of funny!

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Persona Series, Persona 4

Relationship(s): Amagi Yukiko/Satonaka Chie

Character(s): Amagi Yukiko, Satonaka Chie

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Chie reflects on the first and last times she hugged and kissed Yukiko as a friend.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 21 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Firsts And Lasts.

I hope you enjoy!

Hugs and Kisses – Day Twenty-One: Firsts And Lasts

-Chie-

The first time Chie had hugged Yukiko, it had only been a few weeks after they had become friends. It was a spur of the moment action, which Chie attributed to her spontaneous personality.

Knowing that her friend was reserved, Chie had let go a few seconds later and had apologized. Thankfully, Yukiko hadn’t seemed to mind, as she had then initiated another hug.

The first time the two had kissed, it was a chaste thing. Chie had helped Yukiko with some long-forgotten chore at the Amagi Inn, and Yukiko had given her a quick peck on the cheek in thanks. Yukiko had blushed a bit and fretted that she had been too forward, but Chie had assured her that it was fine, and even gave her one back to demonstrate she meant what she said.

Those were the first times they had done those things.

When Yukiko confessed that she had romantic feelings for Chie, the kung-fu enthusiast had been at a loss for words. Sure, the two had been the best of friends since they had been young, but this level of attachment was a bit of a shock.

While Chie floundered as she tried to figure out a response, Yukiko immediately looked to the ground and murmured an apology.

What? Could Yukiko possibly be taking Chie’s reaction as… a rejection?

No!

Before she even realized it, Chie had wrapped her arms around her best friend, wanting to offer comfort instinctively.

She had rubbed her hands up and down her back gently, wanting to make sure that Yukiko knew that Chie hadn’t been offended or put-off by what she had said. She gave Yukiko a kiss to her temple to try and soothe her further.

And it was as Yukiko sniffled into her shoulder that Chie discovered… she cared about her in that way too. Maybe she had for longer than she had thought.

Chie realized that the hug and kiss that they shared were the last times she wanted them to be done as friends. She wanted to be Yukiko’s girlfriend as much as Yukiko wanted to be hers.

So, to cement this fact, Chie pulled back a bit from their embrace, and gave Yukiko a tender kiss on the lips. Yukiko made a noise of shock. Chie couldn’t blame her – an admission of feelings didn’t necessarily lead to an immediate kiss. But Chie was never one to shy away from showing Yukiko how she felt – especially so after their experiences with their shadows.

Soon enough, Yukiko returned the kiss. Chie hummed happily, wrapping her arms tighter around her girlfriend. Huh. Girlfriend. She really liked how that sounded.

As they pulled away and smiled at each other, Chie thought that, from now on, their hugs, kisses, and everything in between would no longer be as friends.

They would be as girlfriends.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): Gen

Fandom(s): KPop Demon Hunters (2025)

Relationship(s): Mira & Rumi & Zoey (KPop Demon Hunters)

Character(s): Mira (KPop Demon Hunters), Rumi (KPop Demon Hunters), Zoey (KPop Demon Hunters)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Just another sleepover for the girls of Huntrix.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 20 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Sharing A Bed.

There will be spoilers in this story, so I would make sure to have watched the entire movie before reading.

I hope you enjoy!

Sleepover – Day Twenty: Sharing A Bed

-Rumi-

“Hey, girls. It’s two o’clock in the morning. We should probably call it a night.”

Rumi looked to her right and saw Mira asleep next to her, snoring slightly. To her left slept Zoey, who was murmuring incomprehensibly.

The leader of Huntrix rolled her eyes at her friends, and quickly turned off the show that they had been watching. It was a new Korean drama that Zoey had been talking about non-stop for the past week, and the other two members had agreed to watch it with her. The first three episodes had just aired, and they had been in the middle of the last one when Rumi had noticed the time.

“We’re probably gonna have to watch the last episode again,” she murmured to herself, remembering that they had all been awake for at least the first two episodes. Zoey had been theorizing about the plot for most of the viewing, and Mira had been laughing at the cheesy moments that seemed to be prominent throughout.

All of that energy was nowhere to found now, as the two girls were currently dozing on either side of Rumi. She couldn’t blame them, though. They had just finished up another tour, and they were always exhausted afterwards.

They had had sleepovers in the past, but this one was different. Whereas before, Rumi would wear long sleeves even in the middle of summer, she now wore a more comfortable tank top and shorts, revealing her demon markings.

She had obviously been terrified to reveal her demon half to her friends, but after the conflict, they had accepted Rumi for who she was. They all ultimately had parts of themselves that they would rather keep hidden, but they had worked through it and had become even closer as a result.

Zoey had worried about being too energetic and too eager to please others, while Mira had worried about her blunt and snarky tendencies driving others away. Ultimately, all of these qualities made them who they were, and they loved each other because of these differences, not in spite of them.

Before she settled down and fell asleep herself, Rumi gave each girl a kiss on the top of their heads. “Love you dorks,” she whispered affectionately.

There was some assorted mumbling that Rumi chose to hear as “Love you too.” She smiled as she laid down, the three of them snuggling up together as Rumi drifted off to sleep.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings Apply

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Rune Factory (Video Games), Rune Factory 4

Relationship(s): Forte/Frey (Rune Factory)

Character(s): Forte (Rune Factory), Frey (Rune Factory)

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: Forte wants to make Frey’s first memory of snow unforgettable.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 19 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is First Snow.

I hope you enjoy!

Snow Day – Day Nineteen: First Snow

-Forte-

Forte had been on her usual daily patrol when she encountered Frey. The farmer/princess was standing in the town square outside of her quarters, holding her hands out in front of herself and staring at them.

The knight was worried that something was wrong based on the woman’s bewildered expression, so she rushed over to investigate.

“Frey! Is everything okay?” Forte stopped in front of her, hand resting on the hilt of her sword instinctively.

Frey blinked slowly a few times before looking up at Forte. Still looking confused, she replied, “I’m fine, Forte. Just wondering what exactly this weather is.”

Forte tilted her head. “It’s… snow?”

“Oh! So this is snow?” Frey smiled. “I’d heard about it from Venti, but I’ve never seen it myself.” Her expression melted into a troubled one. “Well maybe I have, but I can’t remember if so.”

Oh. Right. It still took some getting used to that Frey was an amnesiac and couldn’t remember anything about her life before arriving at Selphia. Forte couldn’t imagine forgetting all of her memories. They helped her stay connected with her parents. Even though her mother and father had passed, she still had fond memories of playing in the snow with them, and later, with her brother Kiel when he had been old enough to run around with her.

But Frey had none of these childhood memories. The princess had no idea if she even had a family to forget.

Very well then. It was up to Forte to help her create new memories of the snow. And she knew just how to do it.

“Why don’t we spend some time together in the snow?” she suggested. “We could build a snowman, have a snowball fight, maybe even make some snow angels?”

Just as Forte had hoped, Frey’s expression lit up to its usual bright happiness. “Really? Do you have time for that?”

Even if she didn’t, Forte couldn’t just leave Frey. She didn’t want to see her sad if she could help it. Luckily, since it was snowing, Forte’s patrol was going to be limited in its scope. Depending on how much they got, it would be difficult to leave or enter the town. With less travelers, Forte didn’t have to spend as much time making sure the area outside of town was secure, so she really only had to patrol the town itself. In all honesty, she had been planning on playing in the snow later today anyway, not that she would admit it. So it wouldn’t really matter if she moved spending time in the snow up in her schedule.

But Frey didn’t need to know all that. So, Forte simply replied with, “I do.”

Frey smiled. “Great!”

The farmer made a move to run out of the square, but Forte grabbed her shoulder before she got too far. “Hold on. You’re going to need to be more bundled up than that if you’re going to be spending more than a few minutes out in this weather.”

Frey looked at herself. “Really?”

Forte rolled her eyes playfully. “Yes, really. The whole town knows that you’re plenty tough, but the low temperature and the snow are no joke. You could catch hypothermia if you’re not careful.”

The other woman pouted. “Fine,” she whined. Turning on her heel, she ran back into her quarters, shouting, “I’ll be back in a few!”

Forte chuckled to herself. She waited patiently, watching the snow fall down around her. The town itself was fairly quiet. Not many people liked being outside when it was actively snowing. It was when the snow had settled that the citizens liked to go outside and play. For now, most people were probably stockpiling their firewood, making sure they would have enough to last until they could collect some more.

After a few more minutes, Frey came bursting out into the town square, this time dressed much more suitably for the weather. Gesturing forward, she said, “After you.”

Forte nodded and began the journey to Dragon Lake on the western edge of town. The two walked side by side, with Forte noting how Frey would bump her arm every so often. Whether or not that was on purpose, Forte wasn’t sure.

When they arrived, the two spent the better part of the day playing and frolicking in the snow, though if asked, Forte would say that it was training. Frey laughed the entire time, and Forte took more than one snowball to the face due to her distraction. The princess was so much fun to be around, and Forte was proud to be able to help contribute to her happiness.

The fun, however, had to come to an end, and Forte eventually told Frey that she had to get back to her regular patrol. Frey was sad, but she understood.

Forte offered to escort Frey back to her farm, since it was on the route anyway. The other woman had accepted, smiling.

As they made their way back, Forte noticed that the snow had piled up significantly since they had left earlier that day. Her patrol was likely going to be more difficult, but she could honestly say that she did not regret putting it off to spend quality time with Frey.

“Thanks for today, Forte. I really had a lot of fun.” Frey stopped at the bulletin board and turned to face the knight.

“Of course. I’m glad you were able to make some happy memories of your first snow day.” Forte gasped slightly as Frey closed the distance between them and gave her a tight hug. Frey didn’t usually hug Forte, and she had never hugged her with this much enthusiasm. Still, she didn’t hate it, so Forte returned it with just as much vigor.

“I’m glad I made them with you,” Frey whispered into her ear. The sincerity in her tone made Forte blush, and that blush only grew when Frey pressed a quick kiss to her cheek before pulling away.

“See you later!” Frey hopped back, an exuberant smile on her face as she made her way back to her quarters.

Forte stood there for a moment, not quite believing what had just happened. Sure, her friendship with Frey was a close one, but did she feel… that way about her?

She wasn’t sure, but it was definitely something to think about.

After nodding to herself, Forte took a step back and continued her patrol. Throughout it, she thought long and hard about her relationship with Frey. She ultimately wanted the other woman to be happy, and she wanted to be the one to ensure that happiness.

Huh. Perhaps she did care about Frey in a more-than-friendly way. The only way to make sure was to spend more time with her. And that was something easily accomplished.

She couldn’t wait.

End Author’s Note: I’m not sure if part of the amnesia the Rune Factory 4 protagonist suffers would make them unaware of what snow is, but I decided it would for this story.

Rating: General Audiences

Archive Warning(s): No Archive Warnings

Category(ies): F/F

Fandom(s): Final Fantasy Series, Final Fantasy XIV

Relationship(s): Warrior of Light/Wuk Lamat

Character(s): Warrior of Light (Final Fantasy XIV), Wuk Lamat

Additional Tag(s): Fluffuary, Fluffuary 2026, Fluff

Language: English

Summary: The Warrior of Light and Wuk Lamat spend some quality time together cooking a delicious meal.

Start Author’s Note: Welcome to Day 18 of the Fluffuary 2026 Challenge (Ao3) and (Tumblr)! Today, the topic is Cooking Together.

If you are reading this story, I would make sure to have at least finished the main story of the Dawntrail expansion to avoid spoilers.

My standard disclaimer for any story with the Female WoL: For the purposes of appearance, I will go with the default WoL FFXIV uses in promotional material (with the name Meteor), just as a female version. So, that means she would appear as a female Midlander Hyur with black hair and blue eyes, and would be using the flagship weapon of the expansion. Of course, you can imagine her to look exactly like your WoL if you prefer (in fact, my own WoL is not Hyur herself), but I just use the default to make her more recognizable since everyone knows what the default WoL looks like.

I hope you enjoy!

Delicious – Day Eighteen: Cooking Together

-Meteor-

“Should the Vow of Resolve really be spending her precious free time cooking with a mere traveler from Eorzea?”

“Stop being ridiculous. You know that my time is best spent helping the people, regardless of the size of the task. And you’re not just some random traveler – you’re my best friend who helped me during the Rite of Succession!”

Meteor and Wuk Lamat were currently in the kitchens of Tuliyollal’s palace. The two had been discussing one of their favorite topics: food. Wuk Lamat was always up for a good meal, and Meteor happened to specialize in the culinarian arts. Their love of food helped them form a close bond during their time together, and especially when it came to the Feat of Repast. Xibruq Pibil was a dish that was as culturally significant as it was delicious, and seeing the look of happiness on the Third Promise’s face made Meteor pleased as well. She had promised Wuk Lamat that she would make meals in the future for her, and the two had been reminded of that promise in this most recent conversation.

The Vow of Resolve had led Meteor to the kitchens, and had identified an area where they could prepare the meal without getting in the way of the kitchen staff. Always wanting to be helpful, Wuk Lamat offered her services, and, despite her joking protests, Meteor was happy to spend more time with her.

As the two washed their hands, Wuk Lamat asked, “So! What dish are we making today?”

Meteor smiled. “I was thinking some Tacos de Carne Asada. I know how much you love your tacos, and I’ve been perfecting this recipe lately, so I’d like to hear your thoughts.”

Wuk Lamat grabbed a nearby towel and dried her hands off before passing it to Meteor. “Sounds delicious!”

Drying her hands as well, Meteor replied, “I’m glad you think so!” Leaning in closer to her friend, she added conspiratorially, “And since we’re making it ourselves, we can stuff them full of as many meats and vegetables as we want.”

Wuk Lamat laughed. “You really know the way to my heart, don’t you?”

Blushing a bit, Meteor pulled away and gave a nervous chuckle. “W-Well of course I do! We’re best friends as you said.”

The two women moved over to the larder and picked up what they needed. Returning to their prep table, they spread out the ingredients.

Looking over their items, Meteor nodded. “Okay. I was thinking I’ll start preparing the tortillas while you can slice up the rroneek chuck.”

Wuk Lamat flexed. “Leave it to me! I can slice up anything!”

Meteor smirked. “Just not with your axe, okay?”

The other woman huffed good-naturedly. “I would never! I’ve got a knife right here.”

The two set about their work. Having made this meal hundreds of times for Rhodina at the Nexus Arcade for various rewards, Meteor could cook this in her sleep. So she opted to watch Wuk Lamat when she could. She wanted to make sure she wasn’t struggling, but she also wanted to watch her in action.

Wuk Lamat always gave 110%, no matter the task. At the same time, she was humble and kind to others. She was a born leader, yet she also had a goofy and unserious side that Meteor found adorable. With all of this, Meteor couldn’t help but develop a bit of a crush on her friend.

As she prepped the tortillas, Meteor glanced over at Wuk Lamat to see how she was faring. The woman was slowly slicing up the rroneek chuck, and Meteor had to hold back a laugh at how uneven and large the chunks were.

“May I offer a suggestion, Lamaty’i?” Meteor moved over and gently took the knife from her hands. “You’ll want to make sure to cut out all of the fat and gristle so that the meat itself is tender.” She carefully sliced off the tough parts.

“I see!” Wuk Lamat watched her. “I thought that the meat was already prepared enough to just start cutting it up for tacos.”

“It’s definitely prepped enough to be usable. This will just make the end product more delicious.” Finishing up, she handed the knife back to Wuk Lamat. “You’ll want to make sure that the pieces are slices rather than chunks, so that it will marinate and cook more evenly.”

The Vow of Resolve nodded. “Alright. I’ll work on that. Thanks for your help, Meteor!”

Meteor nodded in return. She made sure to wash her hands after touching the raw meat before returning to her original task.

By the time Wuk Lamat had finished slicing up the rroneek chuck, Meteor had finished creating and cooking up the tortillas, and was almost finished the marinade as well. She looked over to her friend to see that she had much improved, and all of the meat was of a uniform size and thickness.

“Great job, Lamaty’i!” Meteor clapped Wuk Lamat on the back. “It looks as good as any professional chef’s work.”

Wuk Lamat gave a bright smile. “You flatter me. I’m just following your direction.”

“Regardless, you really have improved. Now then,” Meteor put the last finishing touches on the marinade, “put those in a bowl and I’ll pour this on top. We’ll have to let it sit for a few hours, and then we can grill and assemble.”

“Got it.” The Vow of Resolve placed the slices into a container, and Meteor poured the marinade on top. Placing the lid on the bowl, she placed it in the ice crystal box to stay cold.

“And now we wait.”

A sudden growling rang in the air. Realizing what it was, Meteor added, “Don’t worry. It shouldn’t be too long.”

Wuk Lamat chuckled sheepishly. “I understand that, but I don’t think my stomach is willing to wait any longer!”

-A Few Hours Later-

“And here were are!” Meteor pulled out the bowl and lifted the lid off of it, and saw that the meat had turned a darker shade of brown, obviously absorbing the marinade.

“So now we grill it, right?” Wuk Lamat hovered over her shoulder, watching with sparkling eyes.

“Yes. And when that’s done, we can add on these roasted peppers and onions that I just finished up with.” Meteor turned towards the prep table and picked up the bowl of vegetables that were currently sitting there.

“Aha! I was wondering why you went back to the kitchen a few minutes early.” Wuk Lamat ruffled her hair. “I was having so much fun hanging out with you that I got lonely when you left.”

Meteor blushed. “I like spending time with you too.” Clearing her throat, she made her way over to the grill with the marinated meat in hand, Wuk Lamat following behind her. “Now, would you like to grill while I supervise?”

Wuk Lamat nodded. “Of course! I can’t wait to smell it once it hits the grill.”

Meteor picked up some tongs and placed the meat on the heated surface. She could tell just by picking it up that the meat was going to be juicy and tender. She also noticed how much they had sliced.

“We may have gone overboard on the amount of rroneek chuck we prepared.”

Wuk Lamat laughed, taking the tongs from her. “We’ll just have to stuff the tacos to the brim! And if there really is too much, we can always hand some out to the palace staff. I’m sure they’ll love eating something that they didn’t have to prepare themselves.”

There it was again. Wuk Lamat’s kindness for others. “Agreed. And I’m sure it would be an honor to taste something prepared by the Vow of Resolve herself.”

Wuk Lamat laughed, a booming sound that made Meteor’s heat skip a beat with how joyous it was.

The meat cooked for a few minutes, a delectable aroma wafting into the air. Under Meteor’s careful instruction, Wuk Lamat flipped the meat after a few minutes, ensuring that it was cooked but not overdone.

By the time it was finished, even Meteor had to admit that she was ready to devour these tacos. She couldn’t imagine how much Wuk Lamat was holding back.

“Now we’ll just have to let the meat rest for a bit, and then we can assemble the tacos.”

Wuk Lamat groaned. “More waiting?”

Meteor laughed. “Only for a few minutes. It’ll be a lot juicier that way.”

Once the time had passed, Meteor started to assemble her tacos, letting Wuk Lamat assemble her own.

“That’s one of the things I love about cooking,” Meteor explained as they worked. “You can make a dish just to your liking. It’s an art of self-expression that you can eat afterwards.”

“I see what you mean.” Meteor looked over to see Wuk Lamat stuffing her tacos with as much meat and vegetables as the tortillas would allow. She held in a chuckle at that.

Before long, the tacos were complete. Wuk Lamat suggested eating them at the ledge overlooking Tuliyollal, and Meteor agreed.

By the time the two women made their way there, the tacos had cooled down enough to eat. Sitting down with their legs hanging off the edge, they took their first bites.

“Mm! This… is… DELICIOUS!” Wuk Lamat exclaimed. She took a few more large bites. “So tender. So juicy. So flavorful!” She continued to compliment the dish in between mouthfuls.

Meteor laughed at her friend’s obvious enjoyment. Her first few bites had been delicious as well, but she had to admit, she was more delighted watching Wuk Lamat’s reaction.

“That’s something else that I love about cooking.” Meteor looked out over the landscape of the city below, a slight breeze blowing by. “Making something and sharing it with people you care about. It just… makes you feel so happy.”

Wuk Lamat made a noise of understanding, continuing to devour her tacos.

Once the two had finished, Meteor turned to look towards her temporary sleeping quarters at the For’ard Cabins. “Well, this was fun, Lamaty’i. I’m going to head back and get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Meteor flinched as a delicate thumb came in contact with the corner of her lips. She turned to face Wuk Lamat as the latter smiled at her. “Lamaty’i?”

“You had some food leftover. We can’t let it go to waste now, can we?” The Vow of Resolve brought her thumb to her mouth, licking off the excess. “Delicious.”

Meteor was at a loss for words. Did she just…?

Wuk Lamat stood up. “Don’t let me keep you. I’ll see you tomorrow, right?” She offered a hand to the other woman.

Meteor took it, pulling herself up. “R-Right.” The two looked at each other for a few moments, not saying anything.

“Well, see you tomorrow!” Wuk Lamat suddenly exclaimed. She leaned over and gave Meteor a quick peck on the cheek before pulling back blushing. Before the Warrior of Light could respond, Wuk Lamat turned on her heel and quickly made her way back to the palace.

Smiling to herself and placing a hand on her cheek, Meteor murmured, “See you tomorrow.” She made her way down the stairs, her smile staying on her face for hours afterward.