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Few hours later.
The pair are lying on the old-but-comfy couch, leaning on each other as the end credits of Elemental roll. Now mostly dry as well, they've changed position a few times but certainly have been very close since leaving the shower.
An empty box of donuts on the coffee table in front of them attests to spending some of the movie runtime just feeding each other treats, as well.
"...I didn't think I would... cry that much", Cindi notes as she wipes her eyes with a paw: "I shall blame the puppy in me."
Akari sniffles loudly, "Th-then how do you explain my tears, huh?" Still, she reaches her hoof around to snug Cindi closer to comfort her (and just because it feels nice~)
Cindi leans into the embrace... again, anyway. She turns to look at Akari: "Mm, probably the dragon part." She kisses the deer-dragon softly on the lips. Again, anyway.
Akari giggles, kissing back, "The dragon part of me is pretty emotional, it's true. Unlike the strong, brave doe part."
Cindi giggles, leaning more onto Akari, kind of pushing her more horizontal on the couch: "Mm, very strong and brave. I like those parts~."
Akari blushes, but doesn't resist as Cindi pushes her backwards, just letting Cindi take charge. "You do, hm? Is there a part you like best?"
Cindi hums, pretending to think. She then boops Akari's nose: "Yes."
Akari crosses her eyes to stare at Cindi's paw, squeaking quietly at the boop. "The snoot?"
Cindi blushes: "Well really I wanted to say 'boobs', but that sounds so crass."
Akari blushes, "F-feels so weird to think about them still... though, kinda in a good way now? And especially if you wanna boop them."
Cindi blushes as well even as she leans onto Akari: "Y-yeah, I'm... am I overcompensating now? Jeez."
Akari shrugs, "If you are... I am too. It's not so bad, right? Feels so cozy like this. As me. With you."
Cindi glances aside: "F-feels like I shouldn't entirely throw myself to... just Cindi, though, if that makes sense." She smiles: "It's wonderful, but I fear the crash when we gotta undo the spell."
Akari hums quietly, "I don't wanna think about that... Ahh, but you're right. It'll be con blues all over again."
Cindi hums, her paws touching Akari's sides: "...on the other hand, or paw... I guess that's exactly what we promised we would sort out. Not just be in a relationship in-fur, but also out of it." She swallows, then leans for a soft kiss: "I'd like to think we can do it."
Akari giggles in response to the kiss, but smiles at Cindi, "You mean... go out during the week? On a date? Just... Rowan and Jac'?"
Cindi smiles: "If it's not too bold of us... I think I'd like to. I mean, we've done it before, eaten outside together... just not called it 'dating'." She blushes a bit, today's revelations feeling just a bit overwhelming by this point.
Akari grins, "Y-yeah... guess it's nothing new, but it still feels like uncharted territory." She squeezes Cindi in close for comfort, "But I wanna do it."
Cindi squeezes back: "Me too." She considers a moment, then interrupts her own train of thought with a yawn. "Oh. Oop."
Akari peers up at Cindi, "All that planning can wait for now though... how late is it?"
Cindi cranes her neck to look at an old clock up on the wall behind the couch: "Mm, midnight soon. So not late late, but kinda sorta soon late."
Akari nods, smiling softly, "Maybe too late to worry about the future... but you know this won't be easy, right?"
Cindi nods as she leans on Akari: "Yep... yeah, I do." She smiles, her snout just above the doe-dragon's: "Probably pretty hard. But... seems like a project worth striving for."
Akari leans her head up to peck Cindi's snout, giggling, "It certainly is worth all that and more to me."
Cindi hums: "Well then, we can worry about things when we get there. For right now... I think we are way overdue that snuggle-sleep you mentioned wanting."
Akari blinks, then grins wide, "I'll wager we sleep so much better than we did in the hotel. For... just so many reasons~"
Cindi grins, gives Akari's snout a soft kiss and gets up from on top of her: "Be that as it may, and hopefully so, probably better if we don't doze off here but actually get to my bed instead~."
Akari blushes, despite it all she had still somehow not anticipated such an invitation. "If... if that's alright with you, then of course!"
Cindi gets up to sitting, blushing slightly as she offers her hand: "Well I couldn't just... leave you sleeping elsewhere after all that's been tonight, could I?"
Akari takes Cindi's paw and pulls up off the couch and into an embrace, "I just wasn't sure... of... I don't know? It doesn't make much sense when I think on it."
Cindi hugs: "Yeah, if we stop to think about this, this is either stupid fast rushing into things, or long overdue. I think we can settle for something in between and go snuggle into sleep instead."
Akari hugs Cindi back, "Well... I'm okay with not stopping to think for the moment. Let's do it~"
Cindi lets go of the hug, though keeps a grip of Akari's hand in hers. She uses her other to turn the TV off, then leads Akari towards the stairs: "My bed should be big enough for us both. And... well, suppose we don't need that much cushions, like this."
Akari squeezes Cindi's hand, then follows down the stairs, feeling a bit shy, but her heart is beating faster in excitement, despite them just snuggling up on the couch. "We're plenty cushiony ourselves, huh?"
Cindi giggles: "We are, yeah... I certainly am plenty more than usual." She leads the way into the old master bedroom, all hers now, with one decently sized bed. She frowns. "Er... might be a bit of a tight fight fit, but..." She shrugs.
Akari blushes, leaning on Cindi, "We might just have to get closer to one another then, r-right?"
Cindi giggles again: "That might be our unfortunate fate." She leads the way to the bed, not bothering to even put the lights on in the room. "We've deserved a good long snooze."
Akari climbs into the bed alongside Cindi, giggling quietly, "For quite a while now too."
Cindi snuggles on top of Akari again as the two get comfortable, the two not really having any reason to resist the comfy position of Cindi's upper body roughly resting on Akari's lower. "Mm... I hope this all still makes sense tomorrow... but that's tomorrow Cindi's problem."
Akari hums, letting herself sink into the plush mattress, with a similarly plush girlfriend atop her, "And tomorrow Cindi will be well rested... and..." She yawns, "and much loved."
Cindi mm's as she leans her head on Akari's belly. "Mm I like that prediction... good night, love."
Akari watches Cindi with a wide smile that quickly turns to sleep, "Love you... sweet dreams, Cindi."
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