Sure, class was something she had practiced forever and a half now. She had to get her lectures down, and by lectures she meant training her students physically. Self defense was so vital in today's world, and she just needed to make sure nobody left this school without the ability to protect themselves. And because of that, she also needed to make sure she was clear and didn't mix up ideas. Today's lecture was a bit harder than expected though, as, well...

Her girlfriend was in her class. Yes, she did this particular class in Lulim, but the class itself was for every school. Including Miator. And that meant the first time she had seen her love in her uniform - which is strange since they spent almost the entirety of last year together. Granted, they were always meeting up after class...

After the class was dismissed, she allowed herself a moment to decompress. She was stiff and nervous up there, as this was just not a life she knew how to live. And she was a bit nervous that her outfit today may have given her students a bit of a harsher impression than intended. Lots of weights visible, MMA gloves, a sweatshirt tied around her waist and a compression tank top with some rather baggy pants. It seemed like a Street Fighter outfit more than anything.

And she was fine with that, because at least she could decompress alone right?

It was hard to keep her excitement at bay as she walked with a few friends from her previous classes to the new class every girl on campus would be taking. Like a true lady, she walked with her bag clasped before her, her steps were slow and careful as she smiled and filled the air with idle chit-chat.

When they reached the room she forced herself to remain composed, only shooting a single, friendly smile in her girlfriend's direction. Afterall, everyone knew about their friendship. The extent of their relationship had to be kept hush-hush of course and not even her friends (except Raion and Luria) knew of its existence. Throughout class she kept herself in check, paying attention and making mental notes as she watched the woman walk around the class and speak.

Then June announced the end of class and she rose with the rest of her mates. Packing up her few things while at her desk before she turned, not even saying a word to June. They had said they would need to be careful, afterall. She giggled along with her friends, but as they passed through the door, Zeph acted as if she had forgotten to ask their sensei a question and motioned for the other girls to leave. This was met with hesitation and offers to wait but she brushed them off with a wave and thousand watt smile.

The redhead slid back into the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She set her bag on the nearest desk and walked as quietly as her knee high boots would allow toward her girlfriend. Since June was so focused on decompressing, it was easy to pace up behind hef and slide her slender arms around her waist.

"I enjoyed class today, Sensei." Was purred next to her ear as a playful smirk pulled at her lips. It was always fun to toy with her girlfriend. She could never get enough of her blushes. Even after three months of official dating, she loved it. She loved her. Zeph lowered her chin to her shoulder and closed her eyes.

"You were never this tense when you were teaching me and Rai."

There was no mistaking the fact that she would indeed blush at that moment. The objective had been to cause such, and so it was completed. However, June was not without her own tricks. She reached a hand up to pull Zeph's head lower and turned her own just enough to give her the quickest, smallest kiss. She may have needed to decompression, but she was not about to surrender her stability to this. Not in this way, this place, or this mentality.

"That's friends. Not a crowd of people who could live or die depending on what they learn here." she confessed. "You two are already capable of handling yourselves, so what we do is for fun. Some of these girls have probably never seen a man before besides their fathers, let alone had to fend one off. They have no idea what to aim for, or probably even how to throw a decent punch."

The weight of this responsibility was pretty clearly weighing down on her.

"The fact that this class never existed before me in itself goes to show how little Astraea prepares its women for anything beyond the role of a shut-in. Even the most proper of ladies should at least understand how to protect themselves, but these girls, it's like another language to them."

Her grip on the woman's waist tightened as their lips brushed and she hummed softly. Being close to her love always put her up in the clouds. But they were being serious right now and she had to keep herself from getting all sappy. Her thumbs gently slid over her hip bones then tucked up under her shirt to pass over the soft skin.

"June. Just relax. You're doing perfectly fine. These girls look up to you. They listen to you more than any of the nuns. Your seriousness draws them in. They hang on your every word. You will have the prepared before they step off this campus. I believe in you."

Her head turned and she planted a kiss to her cheek before removing herself from her girlfriend's back to settle on the edge of the desk infront of all the student's seats.

"Would you like some help relaxing?"

She wiggled her eyebrows suggestively, but she wouldn't actually push June to this. It was more just another tease thrown her direction. But.. she wouldn't deny her either. Zeph couldn't resist slowly drawing up the thick skirts of her uniform, revealing, bit by bit her dark thigh highs, topped with lace and a bit of ribbon. Then dropped it back into place with a giggle.

She knew what was going on. And she would be stupid to say she wasn't tempted. However, this was far too public a place for a secret romance to take a new step as it was, let alone that step. No, this tease would need to be nipped in the bud now.

"This is my classroom. My place of work. Are you trying to get us both arrested?" she asked, in a playful tone of course but not one that wouldn't convey the point. Yet for as serious as she was, she also made no attempts at hiding her gaze. No, why would she? The display was appreciated and she wouldn't care if the one performing it knew. She wasn't so pure that she didn't have these thoughts. Purity was a luxury that only those never exposed to a life without it could afford. She was no pervert, but that didn't mean she couldn't enjoy eye candy especially when presented by her lover.

There was nothing sinful about enjoying the physical affection of the one you love, and may whatever divinity is out there smite her down if she was wrong.

"Later. I have my own apartment you know, and it's not like you don't have a key." she joked. Of course Zeph didn't have a key to her place.

Which is exactly why she grabbed a spare key to her place from her desk and all but forced it into the girl's hands.

"Oh my." Her head tilted to the side and her eyes narrowed playfully. "Do you think they'd put us in the same cell? Then we'd have plenty of time to continue.." Zeph flashed a bright smile, but remained still for the time being. And fully dressed.

She couldn't keep the blush from her cheeks at June's heated look and tried to keep her fluttering heart from breaking away from her rib cage and flying off somewhere. This was done by a hand pressing over its hiding place.

"But I.." Her words died off as she looked down at the key in her hand before she grinned again and looked up to her sensei through her lashes. "Well then." Since she had no pockets to speak of and her bag was on the other side of the room, Zeph loosened the green tie around her neck, popped up the collar button and neatly dropped the key into the safest hiding spot she had.

"So you won't mind if I stop by tonight? I may need an excuse so I can stay off campus though."

After giving the key, June was close, but not close enough. They were alone after all. She didn't have a class next period. It was her study time and since no other students were filtering in, she guessed June didn't have one either. Slender digits grasped the knotted arms of her sweater and tugged June a little closer and she tipped her head back to look up to her.

"You'll at least cook me dinner first, right? That's how these things work, isn't it?"

"You know very well that you have an excuse right now." she mused, taking a phone out of her pocket. "Luria hasn't responded to my calls as usual, so she's probably walking home by herself. Much as I know she can handle that, she may want company every so often."

Of course, that didn't solve the return trip problem, which would seem to remain in place.

"Staying with me would simply be the least dangerous way to walk her home on nights she doesn't leave directly with me. Wouldn't you agree?"

Of course, this was all dependent on the higher-ups giving consent to such a plan. She knew she had at least one backing them, but... That was about it. Arceia and June may have smoothed out their relationship over the summer, but they didn't have much in common at school to allow Arceia to have pull over students not native to her own school. Not to mention, Luria was also Miator, further complicating that problem. That's why...

"The sooner you and Raion pass the Student Police bill, and the sooner you get licensed as an officer, the sooner you can get the kind of freedom to do whatever you want.

Including-- Yeah, not finishing that.

"Are we clear, soldier?"

The young teen toyed with the sleeves that dangled from the knot and slowly swung her feet so the toes of her boots barely scraped the floor. Her lips pursed before she nodded.

"You know, Luria is going to see right through it and feel like I'm using her so I can see you.. But it's the only thing that makes sense in why I'm going to your place. I'll talk to the dorm nun and see if she's okay with it. Since I'll be with a teacher, even a new, but well qualified teacher, I'm sure it'll be fine. If not. I'll jist sneak out."

Highly doubtful that she would, which was backed up by the sly, yet bashful smile she was wearing. She wasn't good at lying. At all. At June's sudden question she snapped to attention, saluted, murmuring "yes, m'lady!" Then relaxed against the desk again as her mind wandered to all the talks she and Rai had been having while taking care of her little beast.

"I think Raion said something about going infront of the Chancellors with it at some point. Laying out a more firm foundation than just ideas. Actual guidelines and that. We've been working on some of them on breaks from her council work, training and Fao. I'd make a great secretary, apparently." She grinned at this then continued. "One of the rules is only fifth years and above can become a member. I'm only in my second year. That's two more years.."

Zeph let her head fall forward against June's chest and she groaned out her protest at this.

"It's a good rule.. but that's so long until I can come and go as I please with good excuse. I want to see you more.. It's only the first day of classes and I miss you. I think summer vacation spoiled me."

Convenient excuses were hard to come by for certain. The trickiest part of this was the silence of it. After all, this was technically forbidden in just about every way possible, much like it should be. But it was the part of June that didn't care about technicality that won that battle. She had no regrets either, because she had been through enough in her life to know that living regretfully with decisions like this would only hurt more in the end. Best to just go for it and eat the consequences later, rather than dream about what ifs for years after.

"Luria is a good kid, but she's highly jealous of you." she nodded. "Maybe we can find another excuse later."

Of course it was hard. There was nothing that would keep her off campus for a legitimate reason after all. What could she dom hope Zeph had a target on her back so she had an excuse to fly under the radar? That's just awful. But convenient if it did ever happen, for some reason or another.

"I know Arcy used to use her apartment for students caught off campus after curfew. She openly advertised it as a safe place to crash on her website for her first few years as a teacher. I'll ask her how she got people back without being spotted."

Ah, so she was changing the subject? This would not do. Zeph lifted her hand, curling a single finger into the collar of June's shirt and pulled her down slowly. That was until they were face to face. Her eyes narrowed, almost looking threatening.

"I said, I missed you, you romantically uninclined woman. Usually, it's said back. Or do you not miss my presence?"

Now that they were closer June might just notice the signs of her lack of sleep; light smudges of darkness under her eyes. Obviously she hadn't slept well after returning to her dorm.

She released her girlfriend, not bothering to wait for her reaction to her words, or answer her. "Why would Luria be jealous of me? She's the one living with you. I'm the one jealous of her. But I'll think of something. I don't want her to hate me on top of being jealous.."

The redhead reached up and rubbed at her cheek as she stared off into space. Her lips pursed slightly as her eyebrows came together. She had never needed a reason to sneak off campus her first year. So she never thought about it much.

"If Arceia knows a way to get students back on campus.. then I don't exactly need to have a reason for leaving, right? I don't have a roommate yet, so maybe they won't even notice I'm gone if I make up my bed like someone is in it before I leave."

Oh, so she had caught that? Yes, June had completely spaced on saying anything back in favor of the planning of the escape. She had a tendency to get wrapped up in theorizing and the like so much so that she didn't respond to other things even if presented in the same conversation.

And by her, I mean me, which is the real excuse.

"Of course I miss you. So much that there's no way to verbalize it." she said, trying to smooth herself out of the hole she had dug. When she saw she needed more than that, she opted for standing and grabbing her hands, forcing the two into a hug. Yes, she had indeed noted particular fatigue symptoms at that moment.

"You've been awake for too long." she bopped her on the head lightly. "I'm taking you with me when I go talk to Arcy about this, and then I'm taking you back to get some sleep immediately."

The girl made a soft snorting sound as she gave June a sassy look, but then hugged her anyway. She wouldn't deny her touch, ever. Zeph let her eyes fall closed as she murmured under her breath. "You're lucky I love you."

Wait. Did she just say the L word? They hadn't really used that yet.. They both knew it, I'm sure. But neither had the guts to voice it apparently. Anyway, she hadn't even noticed it since she had admitted it to herself over a month ago. So she continued on, after retaliating to the boop by gently hitting in her in stomach.

"I woke up with just enough time to get ready for the day. I slept plenty. I'd rather spend my time with you.. not sleeping. Do you think Arceia will be okay with this though? She could lose her job if we get caught. Since she knows and everything.. especially since she would be an accomplice that helps us be together."

That's a word she just said.

How to go about this? Delicately? Sternly? Aggressively? Tenderly? Quickly? No method seemed appropriate. She certainly felt those same feelings, but she had no idea how to voice them. Her idea of love was twisted quite a bit, in reality, but she knew that she felt love for the girl. No matter how taboo this socially seemed.

"Iloveyoutoo, Arceia has done some pretty bad stuff as it is, I doubt she will care." she almost laughed thinking back about it. "I highly doubt someone willing to cut someone else's eye out is the type to let a simple rule get in the way of something like this. She's far more open minded than either of us, in truth."

That's not much of a statement since June didn't really consider herself open minded until she had a foundation to work with.

"Arceia is the kind of person who adopted a teenager that she had just helped get the parents of arrested, despite having zero parenting skills and very little way to guarantee her safety. She had the money to send her here though, so she thought it was fine. Hell, you probably have some school-joint classes with Arceia's daughter. Her name's Kiwako."

Digress. Seriously.

"Point is, she's not going to stop us, and ideally she will help us."

Zeph had started to beam a smile, but the tenderness of their first love proclamation was cut short by the reminder of Arceia's episode. It still wasn't something she liked to hear about, but it was June's past and it would always be there. Something like that wasn't easily forgotten, especially when scars were there to remind her every day. The girl smoothed her hands over June's sides and leaned back so she could gaze upon the face of her girlfriend. She lifted a hand and gently brushed her thumb along the area where her scar was carved. Even though it would be covered by makeup now that they were back on campus, she had memorized the contours of the woman's face on sleepless nights while at Loch Ness, so she knew exactly where the line was hidden.

"I don't remember anyone by that name.. But it's possible. Anyway. I can't leave with you, June. It's suspicious. I'll find Luria, after talking to the dorm Sister and you can talk to Arceia. We'll follow you there. If you're still here it defeats the purpose of why I would be walking her home. So."

The redhead trailed her fingers down along June's jaw and back into her silken strands to pull her in for a quick, but heated kiss. When she drew back, Zeph had a silly smile on her lips and her thumb slowly brushed over the whitette's lower lip. Then she took a small step back and turned on her heel, heading for her bag.

"I'll see you at your apartment in a few hours, okay?"