章 18: Bonding time with the girls 2/2

Few days after the confession of Kiku and Suzuki.

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In the underground training ground, Erza and Suzuki could be seen sparring with their swords.

"Here I go!" She said while running toward him.

She swings her broadsword vertically at him, with remarkable speed considering the massive size of the sword. Suzuki side-stepped calmly and swung his fist toward her unprotected stomach. Since they were only using swords, and Erza wasn't allowed to summon her armor, the hit made her move back from a few meters.

"You should use a faster weapon when dealing with an enemy who has a speed equal to yours. Bigger and heavier weapons are good for foes who have great toughness."

"I see... then I won't hold back! [Wind God Saber]" she said, her broadsword which was still immersed in the ground disappeared and another sword appeared in her hand.

This sword had a weird shape, the tip of the sword was rounded, the sword handle was just big enough for both of her hands, but she seemed used to using it with one hand.

Her sword in her left hand, she then swung her arm from right to left, the sword in a position similar to that of a fan. The violent movement of her arm and her sword caused a violent wind, straight towards Suzuki who stuck his sword in the ground, hoping to resist the gust.

Once the strong wind is gone, Suzuki's instincts warned him of imminent danger on his right. Pulling his sword from the ground, he cut to his right, without looking at what was there due to the sand which got in his eyes earlier.

Metal and metal met, creating a high-pitched sound, echoing throughout the room. Neither Erza nor the recovered Suzuki stepped back after the confrontation.

"Very impressive Erza, but if you want to beat me, you should be more serious!" Suzuki said a small grin on his face.

A few seconds later, Suzuki applied more strength in his sword, forcing Erza to take a few steps back.

'He is stronger than the previous time!' Erza thought, very surprised by the force that Suzuki applied in his sword.

"Tch." she said, forced to move away, after losing the advantage of surprise.

"I won't let you go so easily Erza!" Suzuki said, dashing toward her with a speed exceeding everything she saw in this fight.

The still retreating Erza swung her sword, once again producing a great gust hoping to make Suzuki stop.

"I won't fall twice for the same trick." He said, throwing his katana like a spear toward her."

'Wha-!'

Panicked, Erza was forced to stop the movement of her sword to parry the katana, threatening to pierce her right through. The katana struck her sword, stopping and making her left hand holding the sword, completely numb.

'What strength!' she thought, feeling the grasp of her hand on her sword weakening.

Suddenly she felt someone, tackle her on the ground, her hands and feet immobilized by the same person who tackled her. When she opened her eyes she saw that her face was very close to Suzuki's, who looked at her with the same small grin he had at the beginning of the spar.

"I win, Erza." he said unmoving from above her.

"..."

The time that Erza took to realize what was happening, her face took a pinkish color, her body reacting before her.

"Ah, sorry I forgot I was still above you." He said, stepping aside and sitting next to her.

"Are you hurt? Your face is quite red right now." Suzuki said, noticing the face of Erza, who seems lost in her fantasies.

"Ah? Hm, yes I'm alright thanks for worrying." she said while sitting in front of him.

"You didn't seem focused during the fight, otherwise I couldn't win so easily, what's bothering you?" He asked, surprised by the fact that his best friend could have done such beginner's mistakes.

"Well in fact, what bothering me is you." She said, bluntly.

"Me?"

"Yes, after all, you understood Kiku's advances but still not mine." she declared, clasping her jogging in her hands and lowering her head, not looking at Suzuki's wide-opened eyes expressing surprise at Erza's feelings.

"You... love me?" he asked, surprised.

"Yes, I love you as Kiku loves you. Our original plan was to make you slowly accept the fact that we are okay with sharing you. Since we grew together and witnessed our growing love for you each year, Kiku and I agreed to not force you to choose between us two."

"..." Suzuki still did not reply, but he knew that what she is trying to say is really important.

Saying that he loves more Kiku than Erza is a lie, he grew with these two and came to like the two girls at the same time, with the same intensity. But the fact that he is surprised by Erza being in love with him, isn't surprising since he always thought that the little signs of affection she showed him, were simply a result of her usual 'big sister' personality. What surprised him, even more, was the fact that Kiku was okay with this polyamorous situation.

"I can let you a lot of time to think about my proposition, but I hope that you will respond to my feeling as well." She said, looking in his eyes, the lock of hair covering her right eye.

"No need to give him a deadline, he already knows what the answer is." The voice of Kiku was heard at the door, hugging a pillow in the likeness of Suzuki.

"Yes, if you two girls are okay with this, I will ask you Erza: Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked taking her hands in his, after thinking for a while.

"I will be glad to be your girlfriend!" she said, jumping on him closing his mouth with her's.

Her tongue exploring his mouth and vice versa, they separated once they didn't have enough breath to keep kissing, a trail of saliva following their parting lips. Erza's hands venturing more and more onto Suzuki's body.

"I love you, Suzuki..." she whispered, still panting.

"I love you too Erza, you two are the best things which happened in my life." he replied.

"Before you two do rather immoral acts at the place where several people train per day, I must stop you, after all, I won the bet, Erza." Kiku said with a wide smile, stopping these two in going further in their acts.

"Tch... I forgot about that." Erza said, stopping her hands.

"What bet?"

"The first one who becomes your girlfriend will be the first one to do... that... with you." Kiku replied, with a blushing face.

Her sentence made Erza blush too and Suzuki thought.

'I am way too lucky to have them in my life.'