Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

On their days off, Kita and Dia would usually want to spend as much time as possible with each other. Today was no exception.

Dia was sitting comfortably in Kita’s lap reading a book. She leaned down to rest her head on Kita’s shoulder, enjoying the feeling of cuddling with her girlfriend.

Kita leaned her face against Dia’s hair, occasionally glancing at what she was reading but then soon lost focus. Then Kita would start with Dia’s hair, twirling a strand of brown hair around her fingertip, stroking her head, kissing her ear and getting a soft giggle in return, or closing her eyes to enjoy the familiar scent of shampoo.

That peaceful moment continued, until…

Kita decided to put her hand on Dia’s waist and lightly pinched it. She squints her eyes with a cheerful smile and lets out a sigh of satisfaction. “Dia-chan is gaining weights right? Hugging you feels so nice, so soft and there's so much to hold."

The person in Kita’s arms immediately became stiff. Dia looked up at Kita in disbelief, as if she had just told her there were aliens outside the window.

“What did you just say?” Dia asked.

“Huh? Well….” Kita had a bad feeling when she saw Dia’s face darken, but she still chose to be honest with her actions."I said hugging Dia-chan feels so nice. You are so soft and there's so much to hold."

And so, Kita’s reward for being honest was nothing more than being banned from touching Dia for a whole week. No matter how much she begged and explained or looked at her with teary puppy eyes for an hour, she only received a glare from her sulking girlfriend and cold lonely nights (it was only a week but it was already so so so hard to bear).

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On the day Dia won the Kikuka Sho, the day she brought home her very first G1 victory and fulfilled the lifelong dream of the Satono family, was also the first time Kita ever saw her cry out loud like a child.

They had been together since they were little, and yet, in Kita’s eyes, and perhaps in the eyes of many others, Dia had always been a gentle person, carrying herself with elegance and grace, her gaze was unwavering and resolute.

She never once complained about the harsh training regimen. She didn’t cry when she had to part with other members of the Satono family who chose to give up. And when faced with both expectations and doubts about the Satono family's G1 dream, she would only smile and tell them she would make it come true.

Dia had always been strong, like a diamond that only shines brighter under immense pressure.

And Kita had always been drawn to her, always admired her from the closest, and perhaps, in some way, had come to lean on her kindness.

But now, in this very moment, that same girl was crying her heart out amidst thunderous cheers. Dia was weeping openly, letting her tears spill down her cheeks in an endless stream. Her voice blended with the crowd, resonating deep within the hearts of everyone present.

Kita, too, cried until her eyes turned red, her lips trembling into a smile as she watched Crown and her trainer rush over to embrace Dia, who was only just calming down.

And then, when their eyes finally met, Dia beamed at Kita. It wasn't the graceful, refined smile of a noble lady. It was a radiant, genuine smile, the smile of someone whose childhood dream has finally come true.

In that moment, Kita’s heart trembled. It pounded fiercely, sending warmth rushing through her body. She felt something stir within her at the sight of Dia like this. Even though Dia right now didn't look like the one she has always known, Kita found herself captivated by her all the same.

It was a strange feeling, something that might take a very long time for Kita to truly understand. But that was a thought for another day.

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In their relationship, Dia was often the one who took the initiative to show intimacy with Kita. There would be times when Dia lightly brushed her hand with Kita's. Kita then would immediately understand and intertwine their hands. When they were alone, she would lean against Kita. She would also giggle softly when she felt Kita adjust her position to make her sit more comfortably.

But the most special thing was the surprise kisses Dia would give Kita. When they first started dating, she could not predict when Dia would kiss her. And whenever it happened, she’d go red all over (which looked utterly adorable, as Dia said).

It wasn’t until much later that Kita realized the playful, teasing glint in Dia’s eyes right before she leaned in to steal an unexpected kiss. From then on, Kita would sometimes ‘pay back’ by holding her face first to kiss her.

Kita didn’t truly crave any kind of physical closeness, yet she loved every second of simply being with Dia. The reason she went along with Dia's every wish was simply because she wanted her to be happy.

Kita loved seeing Dia smile, loved seeing her cheeks blush, loved the way she looked at her so affectionately, and loved being her special person.

Kita loved when everything about Dia said that she loved her. And Kita would do everything to make Dia feel her love too.

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Their first kiss ended as quickly as it had begun. It was hard for Kita and Dia to explain how it happened to anyone else. Even themselves didn’t realize when their feelings for each other had begun to change.

It all happened on a bustling festival evening. The two of them sat close together on a wooden bench away from the crowd. Their shoulders lightly touched, their warmth gently intertwined, their voices and laughter softly echoed together.

Then bursts of fireworks bloomed across the sky in every color. Their glow washed over the beautiful face of the girl gazing upward. In that moment, Kita felt as though her heart had been stolen, and all she wanted was to draw even closer to Dia.

Dia felt the weight of Kita’s body leaning against her shoulder and turned around, only to see the other’s face close by. She looked deeply into hers, the crimson red of her eyes flickering in the dim light of fireworks. And in it, Dia saw her reflection.

Dia's face heated up, her heart pounding. Her childhood friend was closer than ever. She could feel Kita's breathing.

Dia knew she probably should push Kita away. But her eyes didn't listen to her and closed on itself as if waiting for something to happen.

And just like that, they shared their first kiss before any words of love were spoken.

The moment she felt the softness on Dia's lips, Kita was a little dazed. But then she realized what she was doing and jerked back, flusteredly apologizing.

Dia only touched her lips lightly, then bowed her head and blushed.

Everything happened so unexpectedly for both of them, but with the bond and feelings they had for each other, everything would definitely be fine.

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Cross my heart and hope to die. Together forever, you and I.

When they were just kids, they had made a pinky promise to be together forever. Now looking back, Dia wondered did they know how long forever was? Or that life would be much more complicated than when they were kids?

Dia had thought about it often. Though she had never once doubted her own feelings, nor Kita’s, she understood well the impermanence of this world. Perhaps one day, separation would come, born of forces far beyond either of their control.

What if Kita was no longer a part of her life, Dia honestly couldn't imagine.

Dia had always been like that, always worrying about things beyond her control. Perhaps it was because the Satono family's jinx made her crave control over those things that couldn't be grasped. And then she hurt herself countless times in trying the impossible.

There was a time when Dia’s outstretched hand could only reach empty space. Unable to hold back the one who had left. Unable to dispel the jinx that had always fallen upon the Satono. Unable to achieve the G1 dream.

“Dia-chan.” However, whenever was with Kita, Dia’s hand would always be held. She would always able to touch something, or someone. Kita was now holding her hand, smiling sweetly and asking. “What are you thinking about?”

Dia felt her heart skip a beat at that smile. Kita was like a radiant sun, or perhaps a summer night ablaze with festivity. Wherever she appeared, every gaze was drawn to her, and Dia was no exception.

Dia felt drawn to Kita. And feeling her close made her restless heart finally calm down.

A gentle wind blew past them, bringing with it the cold and scent of autumn. Not knowing where the other students had gone, the two of them sat on the wooden bench near the fountain. And perhaps it was for the best.

“I was just thinking how good it is that Kita-chan is here.” Dia replied. She leaned her head on Kita’s shoulder, closing her eyes

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Kita was very popular at Tracen Academy. In her second year there, she was always surrounded by her juniors. She giggled as she told Dia how happy she was to be called "Kita-senpai."

Dia understood why Kita was so happy. Because even after all this time, even though she no longer ran in professional races, Kita still aspired to be like her ideal role model, Teio. She still wanted to pass on her passion and dreams to future generations of uma musume.

As for Dia, ever since winning the G1 and breaking the Satono family curse, she had only been racing for herself, for her own goals, no longer racing for her family's expectations.

Perhaps that's why she isn't as famous as Kita, who has won seven G1 races, is good-looking and kind-hearted, always helping others but also quite dense (which only makes her more lovable).

As soon as school ended, Kita was called away to help someone, and now she's probably surrounded by a bunch of girls.

Thinking of this, Dia couldn't help but sigh. Because unfortunately for her, she had fallen in love with a girl-killer like Kita.

"Dia-chan, what's wrong?" However, what Dia didn't expect was Kita suddenly appearing behind her, startling her.

"Kita-chan? Why are you here? Didn't that girl just ask you to do something?" Dia asked.

"Yeah, but I did my best to finish quickly." Kita smiled brightly and took Dia's hand. "Because I want to go home with Dia-chan."

Seeing that warm, radiant smile, Dia's heart skipped a beat.

It wasn't fair at all. A Kita who was loved by so many people would never belong only to Dia, yet every day she made her fall deeper in love.

Perhaps Kita wouldn't reciprocate her feelings, but at least for now, she could enjoy being special to her.

"Yeah, let's go home." Dia smiled, gently intertwining their fingers.

"Yeah!" Kita nodded, excitedly pulling Dia out of the classroom.

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Dia never expressed love easily or casually. For her, love was something very special. If it was about an object or a thing, she had to be sure that she really loved it, that she seriously wanted to pursue it and have it. If she loved a person, she wanted that person to be her life partner.

However, unlike Dia, Kita seemed to be able to say "I love you" easily to anything. Dia could listen to Kita talk all day about how much she loved running, how much she loved everyone in Spica, how much she loved the people in town who always supported her.

Love always overflowed within Kita, and when she loved this world sincerely and simply, the world loved her back.

That was what Dia envied about Kita. She couldn't love easily; while love was like an instinct for Kita.

Perhaps that was also the reason... why she loved Kita.

Always radiant, like the sun attracting everyone's gaze. Kita was so free. Dia, on the other hand, was always bound by the jinx and her family's expectations.

But if one day she too could be free, when she achieved her dream, becoming a seedling sprouting from the dark ground, she too would want to touch the sunlight.

One day…

But for now, she would continue to stay by Kita's side, by that sun that was both so close yet so far.

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There was one thing Kita found quite unfair in their relationship: how calm Dia always appeared whenever they were together.

Ever since they became lovers, Kita felt her heart racing whenever they embraced, and it would want to jump out of her chest when they kissed.

Dia, on the other hand, was completely the opposite. She always giggled at Kita's awkwardness, then unexpectedly takes the initiative and leads the way, leaving Kita at a loss.

Kita wondered what she needed to do to make Dia blushed. That thought kept circling in her head, to the point that she didn't realize she had been silent for over ten minutes.

Right now, they were both sitting on Kita's bed, with Dia sitting in her lap. "Kita-chan?" Dia turned her head back to ask.

When facing Dia, Kita's mind went blank for a moment. All other thoughts disappeared, leaving only the one thing she had been thinking about all day.

Kita leaned down and kissed Dia on the lips.

"....!?" Dia was slightly startled, but quickly realized that it didn't stop there.

Kita leaned in to kiss her a second time, then a third. Dia was pushed further and further back until Kita pinned her down on the bed.

"Kita-chan!" Only then did Dia use all her strength to hit Kita's shoulder, pulling her back to reality.

"Ah...!! D-Dia-chan, huh, why did you... Wait, I–" Kita was stunned, her face flushing bright red as she stammered. But immediately after, she fell silent when she saw that Dia's face was just as red as hers.

Ah, this was exactly what she wanted to see. So cute.

Dia felt Kita's intense gaze on her and shyly turned her face away. But Kita leaned in closer, clearly wanting more.

Again? At least wait until she's mentally prepared! Dia silently cried inside, and yet her arms wrapped around Kita's neck.