"Kissing is an option, if you'd like to! We could also go on dates, too, dates are just an excuse to spend time together. There... are other things that we could do, but," and now she's blushing, "those should probably come after kissing."

Okay he needs a minute to process that thought.

She giggles, then takes his hand and brings it to her lips to gently kiss it. This will probably not help his processing problem, but it is very fun.

It does not help. At all.

"I know, I know, not helping. I couldn't resist! You were being very cute."

...you know what, it's his turn to show some initiative.

His heart is hammering almost all the way out of his mouth but he places his index finger and thumb under her chin and... maybe he can angle her face close to his and...?

This catches her by surprise! It’s a good surprise though. Kiss!

She is so up for kissing, and melts into him immediately.

Of course kissing would be nice, why was he worried again? Is it because he's never kissed anyone before and she probably has a lot more experience than him and she'll judge him and no fuck off he'll just kiss her and be happy about this.

She definitely does not seem particularly judgmental. Actually, she seems quite happy. He can feel a bit of her smile, in the kiss.

… Akiho ends up half draped over him. One hand has started gently playing with his hair. She’s not really sure how that… happened… and notes that she should probably check her cinnamon roll for how he’s doing.

“Oops,” she says, with a breathless giggle, close to his face. “Um, was that too fast? I. Was excited.”

Inori.exe has shut down most of its nonessential functions but he is pressing on, he will not BSOD during his first kiss that he initiated.

That said, words are definitely a nonessential function so when she pulls away all he can say is "Bluh?"

“Oh no,” Akiho giggles. She has the absurd desire to kiss him again for being adorable, but probably she should wait for his ability to put words together to come back. Even though she really wants to.

While she waits, she pets his hair soothingly. “Are you okay, Inori-kun?”

Nodnodnodnodnodnodnod

“Do you want to resume?” she asks, teasing. “Or do you need a break?”

Nodnodshakeshakewhydidshehavetoasktwoquestions

Akiho giggles again, and then they can go back to kissing!

Oh good yes okay his mouth is for kissing not speaking

Yep, sounds good to her, she is perfectly happy with this state of affairs.

"Fish flakes," says a tiny judgemental 17-year-old.

Inori nearly jumps out of his skin.

Akiho does the same, and makes an undignified squeaking sound to boot. Oh. Yes. That. Is a natural thing to happen when a couple is kissing in the common room, isn’t it.

“OhIamsosorrythisisnotanactivityforacommonroom, very sorry, aheheheheh we’ll just, sorryagainbye!”

And then with remarkable efficiency she tugs Inori off of the couch to gently and lovingly drag him to his room so they can both completely freak out in privacy. Once the door has been firmly shut behind them, she takes the opportunity to turn bright red, bury her face in her hands, and giggle with absolute embarrassment.

(The book she had been reading has, in the chaos and teenage hormones, been entirely forgotten.)

Yeah okay now he's BSODing, he's counting it as a success that he managed to last as long as he did and the only thing that broke it was Inumaki.

For once, he is not the only one to just utterly and completely shut down! Akiho migrates from giggling inanely into her hands to giggling into Inori’s shoulder, because. Because. Look they are in the same boat here, okay, and she would like someone to lean on as she’s dying of embarrassment, and he is the only one in the world that is probably just as embarrassed as she is.

Oh okay right hugs are a thing he can hug and also hide. In her hair.

They can hide together! Both of them! In each other! Oh man, dragging Inori off to his room probably had so many implications to Inumaki, didn’t it, oh no that’s terrible. She just wanted to get them Definitive Privacy so they could freak out in peace! Now all of the upperclassmen are going to think that, that. They were leaving to do. Other things.

She giggle-hiccups into Inori’s shoulder.

...okay now that the immediate embarrassing situation is gone he. He has to admit. That was kind of funny. And entirely predictable.

He starts laughing, too, into her hair.