Rising Shards

I felt a bit stunned, Pippi kissing me after I got her off. I had never had that kind of reaction for my romantic advances before. This really was different than anyone I’d been with before.

”That was...so good, oh my god,” Pippi said. ”Thank you...ugh, it’s so cringey to say after that I know, and all that stuff I said during, but wow.”

”Heh, I don’t mind,” I said. ”I was voted second most cringey teacher at the last Wildfire Hearts popularity poll.”

”Who got first?” Pippi asked. ”Also, screw that poll? You’re awesome, not cringey.”

”Uh, he didn’t make the jump to Rising Shards, but it was Professor Potato Chip Von Edgelord, who changed his name to that because he said he wants to be the most badass teacher of all time,” Alix said. ”Went as well as you’d expect with students, And it was an honor really, it meant that many students and teachers and faculty and staff voted for me!”

”Well. I don’t know if I like that, but...” Pippi trailed off. ”Anyways.” She hugged me close. ”I’ve never felt that open with anyone before. Sorry to dump all my body image issues on you.”

”No, it’s great,” I said. ”I mean, not the body image issues, you’re so hot, you really shouldn’t have those...”

”You really think so?” Pippi asked.

”Uh huh, you’re very, very sexy,” I said. I gave her a list of my top fifteen body parts of hers I thought were sexy and why I thought so, something I wrote in my diary but didn’t plan on sharing with her, as I did try that with Kitty after one of our sessions, and she ripped the paper up. This one I could recite by memory, though.

”Wow...” Pippi said. ”Alix, I know it’s soon, and sudden, but I just feel so good right now. Like I opened up my internal windows or whatever, and you came blowing in with the wind.”

”Well, more fingers than blowing this time,” I said.

”You know what I mean,” Pippi said. ”Or maybe not, who knows with all this weird shit I’m saying. I’m telling you stuff I’ve never told anyone before, ever.”

”I get it,” I said. ”It’s like with you, I feel like I can say anything I want, even stuff I keep real locked down, if you catch my drift.”

”I let out like twelve traumas I hadn’t talked about before,” Pippi said. ”Alix...” She suddenly took my hands in hers, locking eyes with me.

”Y-yes?” I said.

”You don’t have to say yes right away, and I know we’ve basically already been doing this, but I want to ask more formally,” Pippi said. My heart pounded, and I think hers was pounding too. ”Will you go out with me?”

Would it have been better to wait? To think it over? I don’t think so, my answer would have been the same then as it would be if I waited a hundred years.

”Totally!” I said. It was the first time anyone had asked me out romantically, and not in a secret way where they were too embarrassed to be around me in public, so to keep my cool at that I told myself I probably shouldn’t say that out loud. ”This is the first time anyone ever asked me out romantically, and not in a secret way where they’re too embarrassed to be around me in public.”

”Well, I’m glad to be the first,” Pippi said. She hugged me close. ”Oh, Alix...” I had never felt so cared for than in that moment, which was strange after our date had some rocky moments. Maybe those made us stronger though, because now it felt like we were wrapped up together in a warm blanket of love. ”We’ll talk more about it, and figure out boundaries and stuff too, and the whole poly thing, but right now...” She leaned in and whispered into my ear, ”Right now, I get to return the favor.” Her hands slipped lower, and I had a feeling I’d very much enjoy this returned favor.