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It had been weeks since Kira had convinced Allison to give her french lessons and she’d barely been able to say anything beyond basic greetings, goodbyes, and the occasional french translated useful saying. She could say bonjour and au revoir and á tes souhaits until her r’s disappeared somewhere in her throat, but she couldn’t say what she had really wanted to say.
Kira had a hard enough time expressing her feelings in English and she thought that maybe once she got closer to Allison and learned more French pronunciation, it would be easier to say, “Hey, I think you’re the most breathtaking woman I’ve ever seen and I would love to take you on a date.” After their fourth week together, Kira realized she was very very wrong about that.
Allison sat across from her cross-legged in her usual spot on the end of the bed while Kira rested her back against the headboard, taking in how beautiful Allison always looked. Her hair was a bit shorter than it was when they first met - that didn’t stop Kira from wanting to run her hands through it - but her smile was still the brightest Kira had ever seen, the dimples in her cheeks outlining her near-perfect face. It was unfair, really, that if anyone asked Kira to name the thing she thought about most, she wouldn't be able to decide which part of Allison swirled around her mind more often. Every inch of the woman in front of her was flawless and Kira was so far gone without Allison paying any notice.
“So, repeat after me,” Allison instructed, “je veux…” Kira sighed as Allison reached for her hands to hold them tightly in hers. It was a motion of encouragement that seemed to be Allison’s go to but that didn’t make Kira’s stomach stop its untimely fluttering.
“Je veux,” Kira responded. She knew the j sound was too hard and adjusted her tongue before she tried again. “Je veux,” she said a bit more confidently as Allison nodded, her cheeks reddening in what Kira thought might have been pride.
“Good! Now say, t'embrasser,” Allison said slowly, enunciating all of the tricky characters she must have known Kira would struggle with.
“Can we just go back to bonjour, maybe?” Kira asked with a small pleading smile. Allison shook her head quickly and squeezed Kira’s hands tighter.
“After this one, we can take a break. Promise,” Allison said seriously, her usual grin placing itself back on her lips. How was Kira supposed to say no to her when she smiled like that?
“Can you say it again?” Kira begged, leaning in closer under the guise she was trying to hear Allison better. She wouldn’t make it known that she just wanted another sniff of the gingerbread aroma that disappeared from Kira's room too quickly after Allison left each day.
Allison nodded and repeated, “T'embrasser.” Kira considered the word and the cursed r’s that always sounded more musical coming from Allison’s mouth before she took a deep breath in to prepare herself.
“Tohm-bra-si?” Kira said, flinching when the word sounded just as butchered as she expected it. “Can we just get rid of all of the words that have r’s in them? It would make this a lot easier for me.” Allison laughed and stroked her hand up Kira’s arm softly, her eyes drifting down before darting back up to meet Kira’s that had widened at the touch.
“Oh, do you really want that, Kira ,” Allison all but cooed in her perfect French accent, the roll of the r sending lightning bolts down Kira’s spine.
“I guess I really don’t,” Kira admitted. “Can you say that whole thing again?” She asked, wanting to prove to both herself and Allison that she could do it. She might not have roots in France like Allison did, but she would make all the effort if it meant Allison would maybe like her back.
“Je veux t'embrasser, Kira,” Allison drawled and Kira’s heart pounded in her chest. Whatever Allison was teaching her was aimed at just her and she wished she had known all the French in the world.
“What does that mean?” Kira whispered because learning to pronounce the phrase was the last thing on her mind. Allison’s blush darkened and she looked away from Kira at their still joined hands.
“It means ‘I want to kiss you, Kira’,” Allison whispered, licking her lips as her gaze wandered finally back to Kira’s. It was as if all the pieces to the puzzle Kira had created in her head were finally placed perfectly together with the final shape resting in Kira’s palm as she responded with the first sentence she taught herself in the language she had cursed moments earlier.
“Embrasse moi, Allison. Please.”
Neither of them waited for another passing second. Allison surged forward just as Kira’s hands reached to cup her face and their lips met finally - finally - in the perfect kiss Kira had expected. She ran her thumbs across the smooth skin of Allison’s cheeks and reveled in the soft press of Allison’s body on her lap. The small sigh of satisfaction that left Kira’s lips was matched by the whimper of need that escaped Allison’s and Kira had never wanted to hear a sound over and over for the rest of her life more. She pouted when Allison pulled away, even as their foreheads pressed together, neither of them wanting to separate now that they have finally come together.
“Your pronunciation could still use some work,” Allison teased with a soft giggle and Kira just held her tighter.
“You’ll teach me, won’t you?” Kira asked innocently as her hands slid down the side of Allison’s chest before they wrapped around her waist.
“I’d do anything for you,” Allison responded. Kira hoped the passionate kiss she pressed to Allison’s lips was enough of an agreement to last them a lifetime.