Akeno kept her eyes fixed on the top of the stairs, the faint smile still present as her fingers rested on the railing, her body leaning slightly forward before moving.
'maybe I should go up… after all… she might need my help.'
Her foot left the ground.
Toc.
The heel touched the first step, the dry sound echoing low as the weight of her body followed right after, the movement faster than the thought trying to hold it back.
'No… I can't do this…'
Her body froze on the second step.
Her knee stayed suspended for a second before lowering slowly, her fingers tightening on the railing while her gaze remained fixed upward, as if being pulled and restrained at the same time.
Anyone looking at that moment would see the clear hesitation, her body stopped halfway on the stairs, neither advancing nor retreating, the smile disappearing for an instant as her breathing came out slower.
Akeno let the air out through her nose.
Her shoulder relaxed first.
Then her body moved again.
She went up.
'It doesn't matter.'
The next step came firmer.
'I won't disturb.'
Another step.
'I'll just listen.'
One more.
'That's it… just listen.'
The smile returned, small, but more defined, as her body resumed the natural rhythm of climbing, now without freezing between steps.
She went up to the top.
TOP OF THE STAIRS
Akeno stopped before stepping into the corridor, her body going still for a second as her gaze adjusted toward the club room door, her fingers slowly letting go of the railing.
'Now… just walk on tiptoe.'
Her foot lifted slowly.
Tac.
The heel touched the ground carefully, almost soundless, her body following right after as the other foot lifted, repeating the movement.
She started walking.
Each step calculated.
Each movement controlled.
Her entire body aligned with the intention of not being noticed, her eyes fixed ahead while her breathing naturally slowed, matching the rhythm of the light steps.
'If this is wrong… it doesn't matter.'
The smile grew slightly.
'There's something I want to see.'
Another step.
'Or hear.'
She continued.
Without hurry.
Without retreating.
The distance to the door decreased as Akeno kept her body aligned and her steps controlled, her fingers closing slightly as if ready to stop at any moment, but without truly slowing down, maintaining a steady advance until she was almost touching the wood.
A female moan passed through the door.
Her body reacted at the same instant, the step freezing for half a second before continuing, her breathing faltering once as the smile widened, her eyes focusing directly on the door as if that had confirmed everything she imagined.
'Rias… I can't believe it.'
She didn't step back, her foot returned to the ground carefully as the movement resumed its calculated rhythm, her body leaning slightly forward, reducing the distance to the door even more, as if every centimeter now was necessary.
'I need to get to the door.'
Another step came shorter, more controlled, the heel touching the ground almost silently as her body followed in the same rhythm, without looking away even for an instant.
'Gasper… my kouhai… you really are capable of this.'
The smile grew without control, her lips parting slightly as the muffled sound of Rias's voice passed through the wood again, irregular and broken, enough to build the entire scene without needing to see.
Akeno didn't look away, her face began to heat up as the blush slowly rose, her breathing shortening for a moment before stabilizing, her body reacting even as she kept control of her steps.
She imagined.
The position.
The proximity.
The touch.
Akeno lightly bit her lower lip as her step slowed even more, almost dragging, bringing her body closer to the door to the point where just one more movement would make contact.
In her mind, the scene shifted without warning, replacing the previous image clearly, as if it were happening right there.
It was no longer Rias.
It was her.
Gasper in front of her, close, but without that complete firmness, his gaze shifting away for an instant before returning, his hand hesitating in the air before finally touching, as if he was still learning.
"S-Sempai…" his voice appeared low in her imagination, faltering for an instant as he tried to steady himself.
Akeno tilted her head slightly within her own fantasy, her smile softening as her body responded to the tone, moving closer without leaving space.
"Are you going to back away now?" she replied in her own mind, stepping forward half a step, completely closing the distance between them.
Gasper didn't step back, but he didn't advance immediately either, his body firm, but without crossing that invisible limit.
"Sempai…" he repeated, now steadier, his hand finally holding her waist, still with a trace of hesitation that didn't completely disappear.
Akeno pulled him closer, without leaving a choice, her body fitting perfectly, eliminating any space between them.
"Then learn properly." she replied within her own imagination, her hand sliding up his arm while maintaining the proximity without retreating.
The thought froze.
Her breathing did too.
'Akeno… what are you imagining…'
Her body reacted before her mind reorganized, the heat rising faster as the final step slowed even more, almost stopping completely before the door, her control becoming thinner, but still present, as if every muscle was being measured to avoid a mistake.
'I've already come this far… now don't back down.'
She completed the final movement without making a sound, her shoulder lightly touching the wall beside her as her body adjusted to not lose balance, tilting her head precisely until her ear approached the wood.
The sound came clearer.
Another moan.
Closer.
More direct.
Akeno closed her eyes for a second, the smile remaining as her breathing came out slower, controlled, but without hiding the physical reaction, her fingers pressing harder against the wall beside her.
'Rias… you really let this happen.'
A slight shift came right after, something being pressed on the other side of the door, the irregular rhythm making it clear it wasn't conversation, the broken pattern repeating without pause.
Akeno slightly adjusted the position of her head, pressing her ear more, as if wanting to capture every detail, her body becoming completely still so as not to miss anything.
'He didn't hesitate… so it was you who pulled first.'
Another sound passed through the wood, more muffled, but still recognizable, enough to make her smile grow a little more while her eyes remained closed.
"You're not holding anything back, are you…?" she murmured so low that her own voice barely came out, her lips moving without really producing an audible sound in the corridor.
Akeno slowly opened her eyes, keeping her ear against the door as her breathing stabilized again, her fingers sliding slightly along the wall until finding better support.
'If it were me… I wouldn't let you lead everything like that.'
A new movement came from inside, firmer, the dry sound of something hitting before another moan escaped right after, shorter, more intense.
Akeno lightly bit her lower lip.
Her body reacted again.
'Akeno… you're really going to listen to this until the end.'
She didn't step away.
Didn't hesitate.
Her position remained as her entire body aligned with the door, her ear pressed enough to not miss anything, but without making any sound outside.
"If I open this door now…" she whispered almost inaudibly, her fingers tightening on the wall for an instant before relaxing. "…would you stop?"
Akeno let the air out slowly through her nose, the smile returning to the same point as before, but now more stable, as if she had decided not to cross that line.
'No… you won't stop.'
The sound continued.
Without interruption.
Without pause.
Akeno remained there, still, listening to every detail without looking away, her entire body present in that moment while maintaining control not to move, even with the evident reaction.
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