Love among the cherry blossoms

The gentle breeze blew her obsidian hair about, giving it an almost ethereal appearance, with the sun's rays peeking almost secretly from the little gaps formed by the breeze's undulating antics. Her eyes shone with a fiery amber as she stood at the flower stand, waiting patiently for her partner to finish up. It was spring, the season of flowers and new beginnings.

A small, fond smile graced her otherwise stoic expression as a small, curly mop of hair popped into her view.

"All done now?" She asked, smiling down at the owner of the hair, a chipper little brunette.

"Yeah! I got them!" She grinned happily, smiling at the bouquet of pretty, pink tulips she carried in her arms, before turning to the stand owner to make the payment.

However, before she even had a chance to ask how much the lovely flowers cost, her partner picked up the tab. She pouted petulantly, staring up at the woman in front of her.

"You promised to let me pay this time!" She whined, crossing her arms, careful not to hurt the tulips.

"Aww, don't be mad, think of it as my gift to you, so don't pout, okay?" The woman replied, ruffling her hair affectionately, a small smirk gracing her angelic face.

She huffed, seemingly displeased, before a smile graced her doll-like features. She could never be mad at Quinn, it was a fact that she accepted a while ago.

"Fine. You win this one, but you won't win so easily next time!" She said, smirking up at Quinn, who chuckled, amused at her antics.

She linked their hands before setting off down the street. Quinn matched their paces, slowing down so that Delia could easily play catch up.

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They were on an all expenses paid trip to Japan that Quinn won in a lucky draw created by her company, made for their best salesperson and employee of the month for the past year. She had decided that if there was anyone she was taking as her plus one, it would be Delia.

After all, they've been best friends since time immemorial, being practically joined at the hip. They had also discovered that their underlying feelings were mutual a little more than two years ago and had always wanted to go abroad for a couples trip, making this a dream come true for them.

Naturally, as happens with most relationships that are that long in the making, they had introduced eachother as girlfriends to their respective families, both families having being supportive, a rare case.

As they walked hand in hand, Delia thought of the hanami that was to take place the next day, the crisp spring breeze being perfect for it. Being an avid flower fanatic, she was ecstatic at the thought of walking among the sakuras, as their beautiful falling petals bid a solemn farewell to the preceding winter, ushering in the new beginnings of spring.

Quinn picked up on her restless fidgeting with an amused smirk, knowing exactly what she was thinking, a result of spending nearly every waking moment with her, a sort of intuitive bond forming as an outcome.

They walked leisurely back to their hotel, deciding to stop by a ramen stand for a light supper before arrival. They ate, enjoying each other's company as they bade farewell to the evening, watching the moon rise from the stand.

Arriving at the hotel, they both thought about how it was their second last day after eight days of pure bliss, secretly frowning at how reality was quite adept at catching up with them as they took turns showering and getting ready for bed.

Snuggling in each other's arms, they both vowed that it would not be their last trip to Japan if they had anything to say about it.

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The new dawn seemingly brought it's own pallette, seeing how artistically depicted the sky was that morning. They decided to head for a cafe for breakfast, excitement rising through them at the realisation that it was a cat cafe, both being cat fanatics.

"Hey Delia, where to next?" Quinn asked, both having made a habit of planning the day at breakfast.

"I wanna go shopping ! " Delia replied, excited at the thought of shopping, thinking of getting souvenirs for their families as well.

They completed breakfast, hands held across the table, an intense game of footsie being played beneath the same. Quinn picked up the tab, holding the door open for Delia to step through afterwards.

They took a cab to the nearest large mall, Delia practically bouncing around her seat in excitement, to Quinn's amusement. Delia walked into the boutique, begining her perusal upon arrival.

"Delia, I'm stepping out for a bit, okay?" Quinn informed, a distracted humming noise being Delia's only response.

Shrugging, she stepped out, returning a bit after, her disappearance having not been registered by Delia, who turned and handed her a set of clothes with instructions that she was to try them on. Quinn grudgingly walked to the fitting room as Delia went to view the results on the viewing bench.

Quinn took only about five minutes before she stepped out again, waiting for Delia's response to the outfit. She watched with growing amusement as Delia's eyes lit up, a gasp escaping her lips as she bounced around excitedly in her seat.

Quinn was dressed in a forest green turtle neck, a black suit coat and matching slacks on top, paired with a satin black trench coat. Her obsidian coloured hair flowed gently over one shoulder,amber eyes twinkling in amusement, a smile barely being held back. She looked handsome if that was the only word that could describe the situation.

Delia's turn soon came, Quinn waiting patiently for the result on the viewing bench. When Delia stepped out of the fitting room, Quinn now understood Delia's over the top reaction, Quinn's own jaw slack with wonder and awe as she gazed at Delia.

Delia stood,clad in a beautiful emerald green double layer mermaid style gown, the top layer spreading out from the bottom of the bodice to pool in a circle of emerald green lace at her feet. Like Quinn, her beautiful brown hair was tossed delicately over one shoulder, the dress' open back coming into full view, the front's captivating designs of black lace not falling behind in beauty. The look was pulled together with a silk overcoat that matched the dress in colour and design. Her green eyes matched the colour of the dress, making the garment look like it was created just for her.

Quinn stood and without another word, paid for the outfits they both had on, getting shoes and accessories to match. They walked out, hand in hand, heading round the stores for a bit to find suitable souvenirs to head home with, before calling it a day and heading to the hotel to deposit the bags.

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Quinn led the way to the hanami, gently tugging on Delia's hand to hurry her, so that they aren't too late, the best time for hanami being early dusk. When they arrived at the park, they were struck with how beautiful the sight was. The delicate, slightly pink leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze as they slowly floated to the ground, their unhurried nature all the more enticing.

Numerous archways tood around, the overhanging sakuras having somehow twined themselves around them, coating the archways in their mesmerising petally dance. Delia gasped, hands flying to her phone to take as many photos as she could possibly cram into her phone's storage. As they leisurely walked around, Delia snapping photos every few minutes, Quinn made up her mind then and there that it was time.

Taking Delia's phone out of her hands, she stopped a cute Japanese couple and asked for their help. The couple agreed to play camera guys, gladly taking photos for them. The third photo in, Delia could no longer feel Quinn's presence beside her.

Confused, she turned to face Quinn, her hands almost immediately flying up to her mouth as little droplets of water began to pool at her eyes at the sight before her. Quinn stared up at her from her position, one knee to the ground. In her hands was a black velvet box, which she had opened to reveal a beautiful silver band, inlaid with a sparkling emerald, the same colour as Delia's eyes.

"Delia," she began " we both know that I'm no good at these sorts of things, so bear with me. " She paused, looking up at Delia with a fond smile. By this time, a sizeable crowd had formed behind the couple that was helping them record the moment. Quinn continued.

"I am in love with you, all of you, the you who is my best friend, who became my girlfriend, who picks outfit for me, who gets excited about cherry blossoms, who lives every day filled with joy and laughter, who is not afraid of tomorrow, the you who loved me as I was. " She paused again, adjusting the box.

"What I'm trying to say with all of this is that although we've been joined at the hip throughout most of our lives, I would love to continue to be by your side to the ends of my days. Delia Addams, will you share the rest of your life with me?" She looked up at Delia, waiting for her response with her heart in her mouth. She now understood how it must feel for guys to do this and secretly gave them her respect.

"...Quinn..." Was the only response she got before Delia was in her arms, capturing her lips in a fierce kiss. Laughing, Quinn pulled away, taking Delia's left hand in har own.

"I take it that's a yes?" She asked. Delia nodded, allowing Quinn to slip the band over her left ring finger, a perfect fit. She made a mental note to ask Quinn when she took her measurements. Quinn stood, helping her up before capturing their lips in a searing kiss that took away all of Delia's mental processing capabilities.

She broke for air before turning to the crowd, a wide grin on her face and Delia's hand in her own.

"She said yes !" Quinn shouted, grin getting impossibly wider. The couple and crowd behind them offered them a round of applause, the thunderous sound echoing round the park. Someone had shaken one of the cherry blossom trees, the petals falling down around them like a sort of natural confetti.

Delia smiled wider as she retrieved her phone from the couple, looking up at her fiancé. The word rolled off her tongue, a pleasant shiver going down her spine. Quinn grinned down at her, bringing a blush to Delia's cheeks. Grabbing her hand and interlocking them, Quinn led the way to the nearby restaurant she had made reservations in for the occasion.

Finally, after all this time, she could now call Delia her fiancé.