>>75372763This continues for the entire climb, with Aqua growing increasingly exhausted between constantly hurrying "out of sight" and not being quite fit enough to keep up with Pekora's brisk pace.
Nearing the top, she just canot keep up and loses sight of Pekora for what seems like an eternity. She stupidly attempts to take a shortcut throught the woods but she ends up tripping on a treacherous branch and falling flat on her face.
Her cute clothes covered in dirt, she's beating herself up internally and regretting every decision that led her there. Anger then gives way to despair as she slowly realizes that she has no idea which way she came from; she's lost. And alone.
Panicked, overwhelmed, she curls up in a ball, buries her face in her arms, and begins to cry profusely, drowning the woods around her in stupid Aqua noises.
And then she feels it. A hand grabbing hers. Her heart almost jumps out of her chest but she jerks her head up instantly before terror has any time to set in.
It's Pekora, wearing an exasperated smile but warm smile.
"Mou, Aqua-senpai. Nani shiteruno? I've been waiting forever for you to catch up."
Aqua jumps up and throws her weight in Peko's arms, almost knocking her down in turn. She's still sobbing uncontrollably and Pekora can do nothing but awkwardly hug her back. The smell of Aqua's sweat is overwhelming.
They stay like this for what feels like an eternity before Aqua eventually manages to sob out a confused bunch of questions. Pekora answers the only one that she manages to make sense of:
"Of course, I knew you were there, dummy, you weren't subtle at all. I just didn't know how to tell you..."
Aqua's sobbing is slowing down now. The smell of her sweat seems to be gone. Or rather, it's still there, but it's not so bad now, almost... pleasant.
A moment passes. The embrace has lost none of its suffocating warmth but Aqua's grip has relaxed now to the point where it feels soft. The points where Aqua's clothes and hair touch the rabbit's exposed skin start to tickle a bit.
Another moment passes. Shorter this time. And then, before she can ravise herself, Pekora moves on instinct. Placing a peck on Aqua's forehead, through her ruffled pink hair.
"Let's go senpai, we have to get back down before it gets dark."
She wrestles free of her grip and turns to walk towards the trail (which is no more than a few meters away).
*clap*
A hand grabbing hers from behind, wet from wiping tears a second before. She's pulled around and...
Kissed. On the lips. Aqua's face feels like a fire hovering an inch away from her face. Her lips taste salty like tears.
She abandons herself to it.
What happens next... Is not my story to tell. That moment is between the two girls and only them.
