Poly Fics

The door to Calli’s studio opened allowing Ina, Kiara, and Ame to walk in.

"Hey Calli, what’s up?" Ame asked, sitting down next to Calli on her couch.

Once the detective was settled the priestess and the phoenix were quick to follow her steps as the former sat down at Calli’s other side, while the latter chose to grab the reaper’s desk chair to sit in front of them.

“Hey guys, sorry if any of you were doing something and I interrupted you by making you come here on such short notice.” 

Based on what they had discussed early that morning Calli knew neither of the girls there seemed to have a particular plan for the day, aside from Gura, who was currently out of the house but since many hours had gone by since they had spoken, perhaps some of their plans had changed.

To her relief, it seemed like she hadn't interrupted anything important as Kiara and Ina told her they were watching a movie together while Ame was back at her office sorting some files, which she reassured her was a task she could do later.

“Now that we have clarified that, the reason why I called you here it's because I need your help.” 

“What do you need our help with?” Ina asked.

“Well, you know that lately Gura and I have been rather busy, so we don't get to hang out that often just the two of us, and I was thinking that-” Calli trailed off unsure of whether or not she should continue speaking but since the other were already there, it was only fair for her to be honest.

“I want to do something for Gura and well myself too, maybe plan a date and I was wondering if you could help me set everything up.”

Now that she had said what she intended to, she avoided looking at any of the girls as she felt actually kind of embarrassed for asking them something like that.

Needless to say, there wasn't anything Calli should feel embarrassed about and if she had been looking at any of her companions, she would have seen them spotting matching smiles on their faces as their hearts melted now that they knew the reason why they had been called over.

“Calli, that it's actually really sweet, were you thinking about doing something like this for a while now? And if so, why didn't you ask for our help earlier, we would have gladly helped you out,” Kiara said, leaning forward in her chair so she could place her hand atop Calli's knee. 

“I recently started to think about this and if I didn't ask for help earlier was because I thought that maybe you would have felt excluded if asked you to help me to spend some alone time with Gura, without any of you being there too.”

Calli was aware there wasn't truly a reason for her to have entertained that thought but she couldn't help but think that maybe the other girls would think she cared less about them just because she thought about doing something for Gura alone. 

Hearing their girlfriend, the girls could understand why she would believe that, and even though they would never think something like that, they knew that sometimes Calli has a tendency to think too hard about certain stuff but they also knew she did it out of care and despite seeming like she had overcome that initial thought, they still felt the need to reassure her they were totally okay with what she had proposed. 

“We appreciate your consideration Calli but there was nothing to be worried about and if any of us have a problem with what you told us, we can just talk about it,” Kiara confidently said.

“Kiara it's right, if there is a problem we will just talk and despite the five of us being in a relationship, we won't always do everything as five, or four, or three, sometimes it will be just two of us and that it's okay," Ame quickly added.

“We are all different people with different availabilities, likes, and so on, and sometimes we just want to do things with someone in particular without all of us being involved but we don't love each other any less because of that, we just understand this and we enjoy the time we get to spend together, regardless of how many people are taking part on it,” Ina finished it off, and by how coordinated all of them had spoken, it was clear they all shared the same stance on the matter. 

“Thank you guys, I knew you wouldn't exactly be mad but my mind still decided to play some tricks on me.”

“That it's okay Calli.”

“We understand.”

Ame and Ina respectively said before both leaned close to her and gave her a kiss on each cheek.

“Hey, I want a kiss too,” Kiara cutely demanded making the detective and priestess roll their eyes before they stood up to give the phoenix her kisses. 

Calli also kissed her but unlike Ina and Ame, she didn't stand up as she opted to grab Kiara’s hand that was still resting on her knee to kiss the back of it.

“Now that we know what you need our help for, what did you have in mind?” Ina asked once she and Ame returned to their seats.

“I have a vague idea of what I want to do but maybe you can give me your own input too, I was thinking that…

xxxx~~~~~xxxx

“Why it's everything so quiet?” Gura wondered as soon as she set foot inside her house. 

She had just come back from running some errands and was met with what seemed to be an empty house, the lights were all turned off and she couldn't hear any noises coming from within the house, which made her think she was completely alone.

Admittedly, it was kind of weird to come back to no one being there, more so because she didn't get any messages or calls from the girls telling her they were going out but despite how deserted the house seemed to be, the shark still decided to search the whole place just to make sure that there was truly no one in there besides her. 

First, she started with the girls' rooms. Ame and Kiara's offices, Calli's studio, and Ina's art room but there were no signs of them there, then she checked the common spaces, kitchen, and so on but the end result was the same, no sign of the girls anywhere.

At that point, Gura had started to worry, since not knowing where the girls had gone made her think that something bad might have happened but before she could start thinking about the million scenarios that would explain why the girls weren't there, she decided to at least check the remaining two places she hadn't gone to check yet, her own room and their shared bedroom. 

But before she could even get the chance to make her way to either of the rooms, she was unexpectedly startled as someone spoke from behind her.

“Are you looking for something?”

Fastly turning around she found Ina who was innocently looking at her despite just having given her the scare of her life.

“What the hell Ina, you scared the shit out of me,” Gura managed to say, bringing one hand to her chest where she could feel her now rapidly beating heart.

Ina’s flaps flattened on her head once she realized she had accidentally scared Gura, ”I'm sorry, it wasn't my intention to scare you, I was waiting for you in our room but since you were taking so long I came to find you.”

“It's alright I know you didn't mean to scare me but for future reference, please make some noise, I don't think my heart can't handle another time,” Gura said once she had calmed down, “By the way, are you the only one here? and if so where are the others?”

“Yes I'm the only one here, the others are somewhere else.”

That answer didn't exactly provide Gura the information she sought but before she could even think of asking something else, Ina shot down any attempt at doing so.

“Enough questions, we can talk in a minute but for now let's go to our room," That's all Ina said before she turned around and started walking away, and as Gura saw her leaving she had no other choice but to catch up to her.

Soon enough they reached their bedroom and once Ina stepped inside she continued walking towards their bathroom while Gura remained at the doorstep, following her movements with her eyes not knowing whether she should go after her or wait in her place but she didn't even have the time to consider doing either before Ina returned to the room.

"I prepared you a bath not long ago and I just went to check in if the water was still warm and it is, so you can get in."

What Ina had said was simple, and yet, Gura had looked at her as if she had spoken a foreign language.

"Don't worry too much about the bath, I just wanted to make something nice for you," Her words were sincere despite not being completely truthful since there was a reason behind her actions but Gura didn't need to know that yet.

"Alright, if you say so." The shark wasn't completely convinced but instead of saying anything, she decided to take what was offered to her. 

Despite how weird the whole situation was, Gura had to admit she was quite enjoying the bath as she could feel her sore body relaxing now that it was submerged in warm water but despite the relief, her mind remained agitated thanks to the questions roaming through it, regarding whatever was going on with Ina and the absence of her girlfriends.

Her train of thought was interrupted by a soft knock on the door followed by Ina's voice.

"Gura, can I come in?"

"Sure."

The door opened but instead of stepping inside Ina just snuck her head in “Do you want me to wash your hair?”

“Yes please,” Gura eagerly said as there was no way she would let an opportunity like that pass.

Happy to know the shark wanted her to wash her hair, Ina came in and grabbed a stall located in the far corner of the bathroom which she placed behind the bathtub.

As soon as she sat down Gura tilted her head back to allow the priestess to work comfortably and once her finger started to gently massage her scalp, she closed her eyes wanting to enjoy the pampering to the fullest.

Unfortunately, the bliss didn't last long as without her wanting to her mind started bothering her once more, bringing a frown to her face that didn't go unnoticed by the priestess.

“It’s everything okay?”

“Yeah, everything is okay.” The lie was quite blatant so much so that Ina stilled her movements once she heard her.

The priestess wasn't saying anything but her silence was enough for Gura to know she was waiting for her to say something, so even if she would rather avoid the conversation that was going to occur in mere moments, she had no other choice but to speak.

"You might think I'm stupid," Gura said, opening her eyes to meet Ina's concerned gaze.

"I would never think that."

Gura had no doubts that was true as Ina was always willing to listen and never judge, so even if she had been reluctant at first, she ended up saying what was on her mind.

"It's just, I was really worried before. When I came back and found the house empty, I tried not to think of the worst but the more I searched for you and didn't find you the more my worry grow."

"Countless scenarios started crossing my mind about what could have happened, each one worse than the other, and even though now I know there was nothing I should have been worried about, for a moment I felt-" not being able to continue Gura had to avert Ina's gaze before she could utter the next word "helpless"

Ina's heart clenched at hearing Gura sounding so small and in that moment, she became aware that something that hadn't been done out of malice had ended up hurting her.

"Gura I'm so sorry, if I had known you would have felt that way, I would have never made you wait so long to go find you."

Shaking her head Gura looked at Ina once more, giving her what she hoped was a reassuring smile, "There is nothing to feel sorry for, I know it was just a misunderstanding”

"Misunderstatement or not it still affected you," Ina said before she leaned down to peck Gura's forehead, "Will you forgive me?"

"I don't know, I think I need some more convincing." 

By the shark's tone, it was clear what that convincing was, and much as Ina was not amused, she still leaned down once more to peck her cheek.

"Is this convincing enough?"

"No."

Ina then pecked her other cheek "Now?"

"No."

Then her nose but instead of asking the same thing again she kissed her lips which was a mistake as she had fallen right into Gura's trap who was quick to put her hand behind her head preventing her from moving back.

Now that she had the priestess where she wanted, Gura deepened the kiss which was not an easy feat considering their uncomfortable position but when she attempted to move to better kiss Ina, she took the chance to break free from her grasp.

"We shouldn't get carried away," Ina was a woman on a mission, so she couldn't allow Gura to distract her, no matter how cute she looked pouting at her.

"Inaaa," Gura whined but the priestess paid her no mind.

"Now now, allow me to finish washing your hair." 

Was Gura happy? No, did she still allow Ina to continue with her task? Yes.

Once the priestess was done she left the bathroom but not before telling Gura she would be waiting for her outside and once she finished bathing, she wrapped a robe around herself before she returned to their room.

Back in their bedroom, Ina was sitting on their bed, so once Gura saw her she approached her and sat down by her side. 

A few seconds of silence passed before Gura decided to speak up “So, will you tell me what's happening?”

The bath and all was lovely but it was evident Ina was hiding something and Gura had no doubt it had to do with their girlfriends' absence.

“I will tell you some things but I can't tell you everything as doing so would ruin the surprise.”

“A surprise?” 

“Yes, a surprise that it's not here and my task is to prepare you to go where the surprise is,” Ina was still keeping things vague but she had at least revealed something.

“Where do I-” Gura was cut off as Ina pressed one finger to her lips.

“You ask too many questions, tell me, do you trust me,” Ina asked before moving her hand away to let Gura answer.

“With my life,” She said without missing a beat. 

“Then allow me to help you get ready, I promise all the secrecy will be worth it in the end.” 

Gura didn't want to concede so easily but she also knew that arguing would be pointless, so despite having her reservations, she choose to allow Ina to do what she needed to.

It turns out that when Ina had said she would help her get ready she had meant it as not only had she helped her get into her clothes –which Gura soon found out was a white sleeveless summer dress– she also took care of styling Gura’s hair and doing her makeup.

As the whole ordeal happened Gura just stayed put, allowing Ina to do as she pleased and despite the circumstances, the shark had to admit she wasn't disliking the whole process as it wasn't every day she got the chance to receive such special treatment.

“How do I look?” Gura asked once Ina was done with her.

“Why don't you go see for yourself?” Ina said nodding toward the full-body mirror in the room. 

Gura did as instructed and once she was in front of the mirror she took a few minutes to appreciate her appearance. Her look was by all means simple but Gura liked how the white dress plus her hair styled up in a ponytail and the light makeup compliment each other.

“And, what do you think? do you like it?” Ina asked approaching her from behind and resting her chin on her shoulder. 

“I do, thank you Ina,” The shark sincerely smiled at the priestess who returned the smile before she moved back, not without kissing her bare shoulder first. 

“You are welcome, you look lovely Gura.”

After Ina complimented Gura a familiar ringtone resonated all over the room which the priestess recognized as her own, so she quickly went to grab her phone to see who was contacting her. 

Not knowing who was getting in touch with Ina, Gura could just watch as the priestess presumably read a message and once she was done, she put her phone away before she approached her again. 

“It seems your ride it's here."

"My what now?" Gura dumbfoundedly asked but she didn't receive a response as Ina did what she had previously done and walked away forcing her to follow her.

Once she caught up to her, the shark attempted to continue interrogating her but this time it was clear Ina wasn't willing to offer her any more information as she chose to remain quiet, and seeing that, Gura had no other choice but to conform with walking alongside her as they moved through the halls till they reached the entrance, and only when they stopped in front of the door did Ina spoke to her again.

"What did I tell you my task was?"

"To prepare me for a surprise?"

"That is right and since I said you must go somewhere, it's only fair for you to have a ride that will take you where you need to go."

Gura couldn't really argue with that as Ina was exposing a fair point.

"I guess you are right."

"I am, unfortunately here it's when we part ways since my job it's done. Don't forget to enjoy yourself Gura and believe me when I say I'm sure you will love your surprise."

With those last reassuring words, Ina opened the door, and even though Gura didn't want to leave so suddenly, it was clear there was nothing else she could do there, so after saying her goodbyes she walked out.

She didn't know what she was going to encounter outside but as her eyes scanned her surroundings she soon spotted one of their cars parked in the street, not only that but resting against the driver's door was someone she thought she recognized but wasn't sure of and she only became aware of who it was once she started approaching the car.

“Kiara?”

“Hello Gura.”

In normal circumstances, Gura would have noticed that the person waiting for her was Kiara but the only reason she had been so confused as to who she was, had to do with the clothes she was wearing.

The phoenix was dressed in an unlike fashion, she was wearing black dress pants and a button-up white shirt with a black tie around her neck. The fit wasn't something Kiara would usually wear, so Gura couldn't help but scan her form from head to toe, and once her gaze met Kiara's, the cheeky smirk she had on her face made her blush as she knew she had been caught staring.

"Do you like what I'm wearing?" Kiara asked already knowing the answer.

"Yeah, you look…great, yeah great" Gura stuttered, barely managing to get the words out.

"Thank you, you look great too." 

Unlike Gura, Kiara had no problem with blatantly checking her out as she even winked at her once she was done which only managed to fluster her more.

"So what brings you here? I mean I think I know, you are my ride, right? I mean not the ride, the car is, you are just the driver" Gura cutesy rambled bringing a smile to Kiara's face.

“That is right, I'm your chauffeur for the night, are you ready to leave?" 

"I think so."

Normally when someone was being driven around by a chauffeur as Kiara had put it that person would sit in the backseat but Gura preferred to go in the front seat. The phoenix had no complaints about that and after kindly opening the door for Gura, she went around the car to get on her own seat but before starting the engine she glanced at her companion who was now subtly fidgeting with her seatbelt.

"Are you nervous, Gura?"

"A little, I know nothing bad it's going to happen but I guess the anticipation of what I'm going to encounter it's making me feel this way." 

"I understand how you feel, not knowing what it's happening can be nerve-wracking but I promise you whatever it's waiting for you will be worth all the secrecy, it's okay to feel nervous but there is nothing to worry about."

Kiara’s words managed to provide Gura the reassurance she needed, making her stop fidgeting with the seatbelt and once the phoenix saw she seemed to be more at ease only then did she feel ready to leave.

The first few minutes of the ride were spent in silence as they just focused on the road ahead of them but things quickly changed once Kiara turned on the radio, allowing music to resonate inside the car.

After a few seconds where only the music was heard, Kiara started to hum to then full-on sing whatever song was on, and as Gura saw her singing she couldn't help but join her too before both started to loudly sing and jam to the music.

Some songs they would sing together, others they would take turns but regardless of who sang it was clear both were truly relishing the moment, especially Gura whose nervousness had completely faded and before she noticed they had reached their destination.

Once Kiara stopped the car Gura went out and started looking around trying to figure out if she knew where they were.

The first thing that became evident was that they were in a secluded place outside the city as there were no buildings or houses near, not even people as all that surrounded them were different types of vegetation and if Gura hadn't known better, she would have assumed they were by some woods but thanks to her sharp senses, she could identify a familiar scent on the air which proved they were somewhere else.

"We are close to the sea, aren't we?" Gura asked as she turned to face Kiara who had gotten out of the car and was now comfortably resting against it. 

"Yes, we are," Kiara simply said.

"If I ask you more questions about our whereabouts you won't answer me, right?"

Kiara nodded "My only job was to be your driver anything else you find out won't be because of me."

"Alright, so what do I do now then?"

"See that path over there," Kiara pointed behind Gura, "You just have to follow it."

"Where does it lead to?" Gura asked after getting a good look at the indicated path.

"Somewhere."

"Of course," She should have expected that answer. "What are you going to do now?" 

"I have my own plans," Kiara said, moving away from the car to get close to Gura, "Don't worry about me just focus on you"

"Okay, I will try to do that. I guess here is where we separate."

"Yes but before you leave…"

Kiara trailed off before she started leaning down and as Gura saw her getting closer, she instinctively closed her eyes expecting her to kiss her which she did but not where Gura thought she would, as the phoenix lightly kissed her on the cheek.

"Okay, you are free to go now," Kiara said once she moved back but she didn't manage to put much distance between them as Gura grabbed her arm.

"What was that?"

"A kiss?" Kiara confusedly asked.

"I know it was a kiss but why didn't you kiss me on the lips," Gura said sounding slightly offended.

"I didn't want to ruin your makeup."

"Bullshit, kiss me properly."

It was clear Gura wasn't happy with her reason, and as Kiara saw her unamused expression she could only shake her head before she decided to comply with the shark orders.

"So demanding," she said before she started leaning down once more.

"You know you love it," Gura managed to whisper right before their lips met.

Admittedly, Gura just wanted a kiss but if things quickly took a turn and she ended up sitting above the hood of the car with Kiara standing between her legs as they passionately made out, well, she wouldn't exactly complain.

But as much as both enjoyed the moment they eventually had to separate and once Gura made sure her clothes were in order and she looked presentable –instead of seeming like she had just been making out– only then did she start making her way through the mysterious path.

Walking alone at night in a place you didn't know could be something scary for many but for Gura, she wouldn't say she felt scared, on the contrary, she felt quite at peace.

That night the sky was devoid of any clouds, the stars brightly shone and the full moon provided the path some natural illumination. 

There was also a subtle breeze that gently ruffled the leaves and the deeper Gura delved into the path, the stronger the scent of the sea became.

The shark was so engrossed in appreciating the atmosphere around her that she practically stopped paying attention to her immediate surroundings and because of this, she failed to notice she was about to go past someone but since they noticed her distraction, they were quick to make themselves known.

"Enjoying the view?" Gura looked towards the source of that voice only to meet another familiar face.

"Ame."

"The one and only," Ame said, stepping close to Gura.

Even though the shark had recognized her, she hadn't truly taken in the detective's appearance but now that she was close, Gura felt herself growing breathless.

Ame was wearing something similar to what Kiara was wearing, the only difference was that she was also wearing a black vest over her white shirt but that detail wasn't what Gura was truly focusing on, as her gaze was firmly trained on her face since the detective had decided to tie her hair up which made her look outstandingly handsome.

"Earth to shark, are you still here?" Ame amusedly asked, shaking her hand in front of Gura who looked like a deer caught in headlights.

Gura coughed trying to recover from seeing the detective before she was able to speak again. "Yeah I'm still here but what are you doing here?"

“I was waiting for you, the path you are following doesn't lead to where you need to go, so I must escort you."

Gura exchanged glances between the aforementioned path and Ame, and even though she had her questions, she had the hunch that if she asked anything she would have the same luck she had with Kiara and Ina, so in the end, she just chose to follow her.

Hooking her arm with Gura, Ame started leading the way as both stepped away from the main path to venture into a smaller, less concurred path hiding between the trees.

The track was narrow and barely defined, the vegetation was denser and the already low illumination one would get from the moon was practically nonexistent, as the light wasn't able to properly sneak through the trees.

Despite all this, the girls were able to move around without major trouble, at least at the start but the farther they ventured, the darker and narrower the path got till they weren't able to walk side by side anymore, and just when it seemed like they were going to meet a dead end, out of nowhere, a clearing opened before them.

"I'm not going to lie, I was starting to think we were lost," Gura said, coming to a halt in the middle of the clearing.

"It's easy to think that since it seems you aren't getting anywhere but if you happen to keep on moving forward, you realize the path actually leads somewhere." 

And it did lead somewhere, not only to the clearing but if Gura looked ahead, she could also see a clear path opening again and if the ground changing from dirt to sand and the lack of trees was anything to go by, the shark could certainly assume they would emerge to a beach.

A feeling of anticipation settled within Gura at knowing she was just a few steps away from the sea, so not wanting to stale anymore, she was quick to grab Ame’s hand to tug her along as she started making her way ahead. With hurried steps, they reached the end of the path in no time and as they stepped away from the woods and into the sand, a new scenery came into view.

For a moment, Gura forgave any thoughts of why she was at that place in favor of admiring the landscape she had wanted to see since she had been driven there by Kiara. The pristine white sand devoid of any sort of human contamination and the calm sea whose crystalline waters reflected the light of the moon were everything Gura could have hoped for and more.

Once her initial awe over the beautiful view faded, the shark was able to better analyze her surroundings and as she did she was able to tell that the beach they were at was probably a private one, which explained its impeccable state and reduced size. 

Continuing her visual exploration, Gura's eyes eventually encountered what looked like a tent not that far away from where they were. How she hadn't noticed it was there before was truly a mystery but now that she had become conscious of its presence she couldn't simply ignore it.

Turning to Ame, the shark intended to inquire about the tent but she didn't need to do so, as the look she received from the detective was enough to know what her next step would be.

"I need to go to that tent don't I?" 

"That you do."

"Are you coming with me?

Ame shook her head, "I just needed to make sure you wouldn't get lost but now that you have safely arrived here, I will return."

"Will you be okay going back alone?" Gura asked, looking back at the nightmarish path.

"Of course, I had to travel through that route quite a few times now so there will be no risk of me getting lost or injured," Ame said, dismissing Gura's worries as she knew she would be fine on her own.

"You might have gotten used to it but you should still be careful."

"I will." 

With nothing else to add, Ame lifted Gura’s hand to place a kiss on her knuckles before she started making her way back and once the shark couldn't see her anymore she turned towards the tent. 

Very slowly so she started to approach it and with each step she took she could feel her heartbeat increasing. She was so close to finding out the truth of her so-called surprise and yet she came to a sudden halt just when she was about to round the tent to see what was on the inside.

Despite having stopped, the shark was able to make out a few things, like how there seemed to be lights inside the tent, judging by the subtle yellow hue that shone through the fabric as well as noticing a few shadows she couldn't truly decipher, beside one that clearly resembled a person’s silhouette.

Noticing there was someone inside –which if Gura thought about it wasn't really a surprise as she should have known there would be someone waiting for her– she found enough resolve to finish taking the steps that would show her what was waiting for her and once she rounded the tent, her eyes immediately took in all the details.

Garlands of lights were adorning the tent, which was more spacious than what I looked like on the outside. A blanket had been laid on the sand, and atop it, there were a few cushions, another folded blanket, and two picnic baskets.

Encountering that sight was unexpected but what had truly caught Gura's eyes the most and made her heart suddenly stop wasn't the decorations or how the place looked on the inside but rather, the person standing right before her.  

Knowing what had happened throughout the night and how she had encountered almost all her girlfriends at different times, the shark should have already assumed that whoever was inside the tent would be her remaining girlfriend and yet she hadn't been prepared to be face to face with her beloved reaper.

Just like it had happened with everyone besides Ina, Calli was also dressed up but unlike Kiara and Ame, she had forgone any kind of white as she was instead wearing a black shirt with no tie, black pants and to top it all her beautiful long pink hair was tied up in a high ponytail.

It was unfair how good she looked, how all of them did. Gura had been struggling all night having to deal with her girlfriends' attractiveness and even though she had been able to recover from the sight of them –or at least pretend she did– Calli had made sure to deal the final blow to her already weakened heart.

"What is with all of you looking hot? I can only handle too much," Without her wanting to, the words just left her mouth.

"Huh?" Not knowing what had brought Gura to say that Calli could only confusedly stare at her.

"Forget it, are you my surprise or is there something else going on?" They could talk about clothes after, now it was time to focus on more present matters like the thing that had brought Gura to that place. 

"I think so?, Why don't you come in and sit down so we can talk."

Gura did as Calli suggested and once both were sitting inside the tent she stared at the reaper, clearly expecting her to begin talking. 

"I'm sure you have many questions."

"That I do, first and foremost, I need you to explain to me what is going on."

"I will do so but before I say anything I must ask, what do you know so far?" Calli was going to give Gura all the answers she wanted but it was wise to ask about her knowledge of the whole situation so she would know from where she should start.

"Not much, apparently there is some sort of surprise for me, and if my encounters with Ina Kiara, Ame and now you indicate anything, is that you four are clearly involved with said surprise."

"Well you are right but despite the others' participation, the surprise it's actually from me to you, they were just kind enough to help me pull it through."

"Okay, so they were helpers, and now that we have clarified that, can I finally know what kind of surprise you have prepared for me?"

Gura could be slow sometimes but she wasn't an idiot, she had no clue of what was happening before she made it to the tent but now that she was inside it and knew who and what was waiting for her there she had sort of figure out what was going on or at least, she believed she did.

Still, despite any kind of assumptions she would make, she needed Calli to tell her what surprise she had prepared for her just to be sure that what she believed was indeed what was happening, instead of just being a product of her imagination.

"Lately you and I have been quite busy and because of it we rarely see each other," Calli smiled sadly at the mention of their lack of shared time, "We have responsibilities we must take care of and while I understand this, that doesn't mean I can't start feeling the weight of your absence."

"I was missing you and I know that if I had asked you, we would have been able to figure out a way to arrange our schedules to spend more time together but I wanted to do something a bit more special than that." 

"Of course, despite my plans, my own lack of free time prevented me from being able to carry on with anything I had in mind, that is why I had to ask Ina, Ame, and Kiara for some help and with their aid, I was able to pull this thought," when speaking about "this" Calli gestured all around them.

In all honesty, the reaper explanation wasn't what Gura was expecting to hear. She had correctly assumed that the surprise was in fact a date but she hadn't anticipated the motives that had sprung the planning of said date as she had just thought Calli wanted to do something nice for her and while that was indeed the case, she now knew it was more than that.

While she found the gesture incredibly sweet, not only because of Calli's thoughtfulness but also because of the girls’ kindness, she couldn't help but feel conflicted.

Calli had been missing her and even though her feelings could be attributed to their respective busyness, Gura still felt like she had somehow neglected her, not only by not making more of an effort to spend more time with her but also, by failing to notice how she was feeling.

As Gura dealt with her inner turmoil her silence had begun to make Calli nervous since she didn't know what to make of her lack of words and sensing she wouldn't get a response anytime soon, she felt forced to say something herself.

"I can't tell whether you like this or not."

Since Gura was lost in her thoughts she didn't properly register Calli's words but once her eyes settled on the reaper who was now averting her gaze, her brain quickly caught up to what was said.

"Of course I like this Calli, more than that, I love it, this is truly beautiful and it warms my heart that you and the girls made all this happen," Gura was fast to clarify as the last thing she wanted was for Calli to believe she was unhappy with this surprise date.

"Do you really like it?" Calli unsurely asked, still refusing to meet Gura's eyes.

"Calli," Gura gently grasped her chin to make her look at her, "I mean it when I say I love it, it's just that…I wish I could have noticed how you have been feeling"

Calli reached for Gura's hand that was still grabbing her chin so she could hold it instead "I'm happy to know you like the surprise and for the record, I didn't expect you to know how I was feeling, it would be hard for you to do so with me not saying anything, so don't worry about that"

Gura could have argued that even if Calli hadn't said anything she could have still noticed something was wrong but doing so would only keep on prolonging a discussion that was unnecessary at this point.

"Okay, I won't feel bad then, it sucks to eat when you are upset, so I will let it go for the sake of the food," Gura jokingly said, squeezing Calli's hand before letting it go.

Now that they had moved past the initial questions and respective answers of what had brought Gura there, they could properly start their date.

Conversation easily flowed between them and as they enjoyed the food, which Gura discovered had been prepared by Ina and Kiara, she also found out how exactly each of them had contributed to the preparation of the date. While the phoenix and priestess took care of the food, Ame helped Calli to pitch up the tent. 

Then she had also learned that the four of them had been in charge of picking an outfit for both and once clothes were mentioned, Gura decided to take the chance to ask a question she had been wanting to make since she had seen both Kiara and Ame.

“Speaking of clothes, why did Kiara and Ame decide to dress up? I mean I don't complain but I'm just curious.”

“Wasn’t Ina also wearing something she wouldn't usually wear?” Calli confusedly asked once she finished taking a sip of her drink.

“No, she wasn't, was she supposed to?” 

“I don't know, to be fair, they never mentioned anything about wanting to dress a certain way, I only found out about their clothes a few hours ago when they unexpectedly showed up already changed but when I asked them about it they dismissed my question, so I didn’t continue prodding.”

That was weird, if Calli didn't know about it and by the looks of it neither did Ina, why would Kiara and Ame have dressed up?

Slowly, the gears started turning in the shark's head as she began analyzing the situation. 

Kiara and Ame had dressed up without Calli’s and presumably Ina’s knowledge. Kiara had been ominous about what she was going to do later and she never got the chance to ask Ame anything but Gura had the hunch they would be doing something together. Calli had plans with her and when it came to Ina she seemed to be the only one without an immediate future plan.

Could it be that…

"Do you think they are planning to do something for Ina?"

"That is…" Calli was about to say she didn't believe that was the case when she stopped mid-sentence to properly think about what Gura was exposing.

A few moments of silent contemplation went by before Calli seemed to have made up her mind and as her gaze met Gura's, she didn't get the chance to say anything before both started to laugh.

"Well, it seems I won't be the only one that will receive a surprise tonight," Gura said once her laughter died down.

Calli could only agree and now that both had gotten over their laughing fit, their gazes drifted ahead to the seemingly endless sea.

"Do you want to get in?"

The question surprised Gura who could only pull her gaze away from the sea to stare at Calli and as her eyes settled on her, she found the reaper giving her a knowing look.

"It's pretty obvious isn't it?"

Calli smiled, "Since the moment we encountered each other your gaze has been drifting to the sea more times than I think you realize."

That comment only helped to embarrass Gura, "I hope me doing that doesn't make you think I haven't been having a good time with you."

"Not at all, I have no doubts that you have been enjoying our time together but I also know that you are dying to get into the water, so if you want to go for a swim feel free to do so, after all, we are here to have fun."

Well if she had Calli's approval then there was no reason for Gura to not do what she wanted but she wasn't thinking of doing it alone.

"Why don't you join me?" She asked, giving Calli her best puppy eyes so she wouldn't refuse.

"Okay, I will join you."

Gura did a small cheer at that which made Calli roll her eyes before a fond smile appeared on her face.

Since they were in a rather private area it would be unlikely for someone to appear out of nowhere, so they had no qualms with getting rid of their clothes to be more comfortable. Once they stripped down, Gura grabbed Calli's hand and together they started walking toward the water.

The shark couldn't contain the happy sigh that left her lips the moment her feet made contact with the sea. She had been waiting for that moment all night and now that she was experiencing it, she could only rejoice.

They continued moving forward until Gura was submerged up to her chin while the water only reached Calli's shoulders.

"You can dive in if you want, I prefer to remain on the surface,'' Calli said as they let go of each other.

The shark just nodded and after promising to not take too long, she disappeared underwater.

The first thing she did once her body was completely submerged was to take a deep breath through her gills, which she was glad were not restricted by any kind of clothing as it allowed her to breathe comfortably and once she felt satisfied, she started swimming around.

Thanks to the waters not being revolted, she didn't need to make much of an effort to move around as her tail easily oscillated from left to right without encountering any kind of resistance. Despite this being a positive thing, the shark had to admit those waters wouldn't usually be of her preference as they were neither deep nor had any kind of lifeform since she hadn't seen fishes or crustaceans around but overall, she was having a good time.

After minutes of being underwater Gura was ready to resurface to reunite with Calli but as her eyes drifted towards where the reaper was, a mischievous idea crossed her mind.

Back on the surface, Calli had barely moved from her place, she had been entrained in watching Gura swimming underwater until she lost sight of her but instead of going to find her, she chose to stay where she was, basking in the calming surroundings while she waited for Gura to eventually come back.

It would be hard to say how much time passed before Calli started to notice some oddness around her, the serene water had acquired a slight waviness, as if something was moving underneath, and if she paid close attention she could get glimpses of what seemed to be some sort of "creature" circling her

Said creature was no other than Gura who was swimming around her in a patron that clearly remained her of a predator ready to hunt a potential prey which only intrigued Calli who wanted to figure out what she was planning to do.

The reaper tried to follow her movements but thanks to the speed in which the shark was moving she would lose sight of her for a few instants before she would be able to spot her again and that sort of dance continued for a while, until Gura suddenly came to a halt a few feet away from her.

Their gazes quickly found each other and Calli could swear she saw Gura smirking before she fastly rushed towards her.

With how quickly everything happened Calli had no time to react before she was momentarily lifted from the water as Gura wrapped her arms around her midsection, easily picking her up.

"Gotcha," Gura said, sounding pleased with her catch.

Calli laughed before putting her hands atop Gura's shoulders, "That was easy, I didn't put much of a fight."

"It's fine, sometimes I like it when my prey doesn't struggle," There was a sinister glint in her eyes as she said that.

"I will keep that in mind, did you have fun swimming?"

"I did, it was relaxing."

"Good to know, do you want to stay here some more or should we get out and eat dessert?"

Gura took the time to consider both options before giving an answer.

"Dessert sounds nice but I want to hold you a while longer."

Calli didn't say anything to that but the subtle blush that now adorned her cheeks was enough proof that she didn't dislike that idea.

Since they weren't going to go out yet, Gura tightened her hold on Calli, pulling her even closer, and in return, the reaper moved her hands away from her shoulder to the back of her neck where she started gently scratching the base of her head.

Gura briefly closed her eyes letting out a contempt sigh before she opened them again and stared at Calli.

"Hey Calli."

"Mmh," Calli hummed, continuing her ministrations while she waited for Gura to speak again.

"I love you."

Her hands did still this time not having expected the sudden proclamation of love but once the initial surprise faded, she wasted no time on returning the sentiment.

"I love you too Gura."

Their eyes reflected the love they had professed for each and almost as if their minds were working in sync, they started slowly leaning into each other, meeting halfway.

Once upon a time, Calli would have struggled, not only to express her love but also to accept the sentiment. Loving and being loved was something she still had some difficulty dealing with but it was in moments like this, where she could feel it becoming easier.