#elinico

She noticed skin as she paused next to her. Glancing down she saw that the blonde’s shoulder was exposed, her bra strap showing. She swallowed thickly and glanced away. The girl was hot, there was no denying that but she couldn’t help but worry that she would only end up screwing things up again. 

Hibiki looked up from her phone and smirked at the sight of the two girls walking toward her. “Finally, Nishikino.” “Shut up, Amagi.” Hibiki rolled her eyes before she turned to Rin. “Hey, hot shot. You decided to come out! I have a fun night planned for the three of us.” Maki grimaced, looking at Hibiki. “Three?” “You’re not ditching us. Right, Rin?” “Nya, you better not!” Rin exclaimed, looking a little bit worried. “Okay, okay.” Maki rolled her eyes. “So where are we going?” “Indie rock club.” Hibiki answered with a casual shrug. “Pretty different from what you might be used to. The owner of the place is British. But many local bands go there for their battle of the band competition. I was thinking of maybe going to an art gallery but I figured you like music since...idols and all.” Rin glanced between Hibiki and Maki, still a little puzzled as to what was going on. “We do, nya.” She answered when Maki stayed silent. She pasted a bright smile to her face, trying to appear upbeat. “Let’s go!” “Hold on, hot shot. It’s this way.” Rin turned to Hibiki in confusion. “Amagi-san?” “Please. Call me Hibiki.” Hibiki purred. “Too much.” Maki mouthed, shaking her head at Hibiki. Hibiki blushed in response. “Just follow me.” She turned away to hide her flushed cheeks and stared to make her way down the street. Rin followed in silence for a few minutes before the silence got to her. “So um...how do you know Maki-chan? Are you two friends?” Maki winced. She hadn’t told Rin the reason they were out with Hibiki was that she wanted Hibiki to help Rin get over the girl she had confessed to. Hibiki glanced at Maki, raising an eyebrow. It seemed that Maki hadn’t told Rin that she was interested in her. “Not exactly friends. Nishikino caught me out of my school persona. She thought you and me could get along.” “I still can’t believe you dyed your hair blonde.” Maki said with a slight frown as she eyed Hibiki’s bleached hair. Hibiki shrugged. “Black is boring. I wanted it teal blue. Or lavender. Teachers would have had heart attacks.” “Wait...AMAGI HIBIKI?!” Rin exclaimed in shock. “But aren’t you supposed to be…” “A good smart shy girl, not in any way what I look like right now?” Hibiki asked pointedly. She watched as Rin hesitantly nodded. “I suppose. As I said, Nishikino caught me out of my school persona.” “And thought we could get along. Right.” Rin said, a little puzzled. She glanced at Maki who looked guilty but nodded in response. Hibiki sighed. “Listen hot shot. Let’s have a good time. I want you to not force yourself if you don’t want to go. We could always go to my place and watch a movie with popcorn.” She relaxed slightly, flashing Rin a soft smile. “I want to be your friend, Rin. I’ve always wanted to. I asked Nishikino to introduce me, okay?” “Okay.” Rin said softly though she was still confused. She couldn’t but wonder why Hibiki of all people would want to be her friend. “But...why, nya?” “Because you’re interesting. And I want to get to know you better.” Hibiki said honestly. “That’s really all there is to it.” “Right.” Rin nodded, deciding to accept that. She glanced to her left to see Maki smirking to herself as they walked. “What?” “Nothing. I didn’t say anything.” Maki replied, struggling to wipe the smirk from her face. ---- Eli was staring at the escalator ahead of her so she noticed right away when Nico appeared at the top. She brightened for a moment but as the girl approached her, her smile slowly faded. Nico was clad in a trench coat, glasses and mask. “You have got to be kidding me.” “Shut up.” Nico mumbled as she paused in front of Eli. She gasped when Eli pulled her glasses off. “HEY!” She sighed but didn’t do anything as Eli tugged open her trench coat. “Do you have to do this here?!” Eli’s eyes widened as she saw Nico’s outfit which consists of a black vest and matching short skirt cute low rise black converse and a white tank top. For the first time she noticed that Nico’s hair wasn’t in her usual pigtails. It was tied up into a ponytail. “You look...really nice.” “Thanks.” Nico said with a slight smile. “You do too. Wearing your hair down suits you.” “I thought it’d be better not to wear it up today.” Eli said, blushing slightly. “Well I have been pulling out your scrunchy so maybe it was a good choice.” Nico said smirking. She looked away after, feeling her face warm. It was still a little embarrassing to talk like that with Eli. “So um...which movie are we seeing?”

Nico watches as Eli goes into her purse to take out the tickets.  She tilts her head and notices Eli’s tight beige pants and her dark blue blouse. Her jacket was black and she could see suspenders underneath it. Nico always liked those on the girl. “You’re wearing suspenders.” Nico said in realization. “Oh. Yeah. I thought they looked good.” Eli sheepishly looked down at what she was wearing. “They look ridiculous, don’t th-” “They’re sexy. I-I mean adorable.” Nico said hastily, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. “They look nice. Pretty. I like them.” Eli chuckled softly to herself. Nico being honest was so new to her but she liked it a lot. She remembered with a hint of guilt how she had acted toward Nico in the early years of school. How she hadn’t been interested in Nico’s idol club. She glanced back and forth before she tugged Nico close to her, pecking her sweetly on the lips. When Eli pulled away Nico almost chased Eli’s lips before she remembered where they were. “What was that for?” “I just wanted to do it.” Eli admitted sincerely. “You’re pretty special to me, Nico. I’m never going to not notice you.” Nico bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to keep herself from beaming at the comment. She had to admit it felt a bit strange for Eli to be saying that to her. “Y-You’re really pushing the boundaries, Ayase.” “I feel daring...maybe even more spontaneous when I’m around you.” Eli said with a small smile. Nico felt herself blush before she felt Eli’s hand touch hers. Timidly the two entwined their fingers. She glanced away, focusing on something over Eli’s shoulder. “Your eyes are really annoying me.” “But I like staring at you.” “Eli?” “Hmm?” Eli asked, perking up slightly. “Do you think I’m...pretty?” Nico asked, certain her face was completely red by now. “I mean I’m not fishing for compli-” “I think you look beautiful.” Eli answered brightly without hesitating. “Even wearing makeup I see.” “Thanks.” Nico mumbled bashfully, her eyes flitting back to Eli’s. She lightly squeezed the hand in her own, flashing Eli a warm smile. “You look really nice too.” “I know. You told me.” Eli smirked. She looked around before she pecked Nico’s cheeks. “Come on!” “Don’t drag me around!” Nico yelped as Eli tugged her off in the direction of the movie theater. “Then start catching up.” Eli quipped. Nico smirked before she began to match Eli’s strides toward the theater, warmth lingering in her chest. ---- Honoka tried to subtly wipe her hands on her shirt, swallowing thickly. Umi was kneeling across from her, both of them on her bed. Umi wasn’t looking directly at her, choosing to look off to the right instead. Honoka could hear that her best friend’s breathing was quicker than it usually would be. “I’m kinda nervous.” She said, hoping to break the tension. “You are?” Umi asked in surprise and relief as she looked toward Honoka. “Why?” Honoka shrugged sheepishly. “I don’t want to mess up in front of you. What if I’m really bad at it? I was already bad at taking your first kiss. You said it yourself. Ugh...maybe we shouldn’t do this. You probably want to with someone you actually like.” Umi didn’t know what else to do. She wanted to reassure Honoka but she couldn’t find the words. Instead she leaned in and kissed her, cupping Honoka’s face in her hands. She felt Honoka inhale sharply but soon enough, Honoka was grasping at her shoulders, kissing her back. Umi closed her eyes, letting herself relax into the kiss. It was much better than their first, she noticed as Honoka’s hands slid over her back. It was soft and warm though soon enough as the kiss deepend Umi felt that warmth turn to something hotter. She pulled back, gasping softly for breath. Honoka stared at Umi, panting softly herself. “That was um…you’re really…” “Please don’t say whatever you’re thinking of saying.” “Hot.” Honoka finished seriously, meeting Umi’s eyes. Umi groaned and buried her head in her hands. “Honoka!” “What?” Honoka asked innocently. “I already told you I like girls.” “You said a girl. Like Kotori?” Umi looked up at Honoka, her brow slightly furrowed. “Kotori-chan? No, um...not Kotori-chan.” Honoka felt herself blush. “I like a lot of girls.” “But you LIKE a specific one.” Umi said, frowning slightly. “Right?”

“I guess. But I like doing this with Umi-chan too.” Honoka said, looking away. She bit her lip. She couldn’t tell Umi that she was the one she liked. “Do you want to keep going?” Umi murmured. She placed her hand on Honoka’s cheek, gently encouraging her to look at her. “It’s just practice so it’s fine. Right?” “Right.” Honoka breathed, giving a slight nod of her head. She pressed her hand against Umi’s, leaning into the touch. “But you’re still Umi-chan.” “I-I don’t know what that means.” Umi rasped. Honoka didn’t try to explain. She leaned in and kissed Umi again, gentler than before. She didn’t want to scare Umi into recoiling from her. She kissed her slowly, feeling Umi kiss her back. Warm hands drifted to her shoulders, lightly resting there and Honoka allowed herself for a moment to pretend that this was real. That Umi was kissing her because they were together, not because they were practicing. Umi pulled away after a moment, her cheeks flushed. “That’s um...enough for now.” “Right!” Honoka exclaimed, her eyes wide. “Do you want to...stay for a while though? We don’t have to do anything, just...maybe you could stay for dinner?” “I should be getting back. I have homework to be doing.” Umi said with an apologetic smile as she stood from the bed. She noticed Honoka looked oddly downcast. “This is just a little weird for me, that’s all.” Honoka nodded silently. Umi kissed Honoka once more. “I’m sorry.” She said softly, not sure what else to say. She heard the door open behind them and quickly straightened up, turning around to find Honoka’s mother standing there. “Oh!” Hikaru exclaimed in surprise. “Your girlfriend is here. Are you staying for dinner, Umi-chan?” “Um…” Umi turned to look at Honoka. “No, I have to go. Thank you anyway.” “Umi-chan…” Honoka grimaced, noticing the panicked look on Umi’s face. She reached for Umi but before she could grasp her hand, Umi bolted out of the door. Honoka sighed. Umi had always been easily embarrassed. She should have known that this would embarrass her too. “Damn it.” “Did you two get into a fight?” Hikaru asked in concern. “No, we’re fine.” Honoka said, sighing softly. She hoped that was true.

---- “Don’t worry, my parents aren’t home.” Eli said as she ushered Nico into her house. “They’ll both be at work until late. Nico swallowed thickly as she pulled the jacket Eli had given her closer around her shoulders. Of course it would end up with them alone at Eli’s house. She shook her head, her face heating up at the dirty thoughts playing in her mind. She looked down, noticing Eli’s butt in those tight pants as the girl bent down to pull off her brown boots. Eli turned around, noticing Nico’s face was red. “Are you okay?” “F-Fine. So um...your bedroom, right?” Eli blushed too. “Oh. Sure. I can get some tea and meet you…” She gasped as Nico grabbed her collar and pulled her into a hard kiss. The kiss only lasted a couple of seconds but it acted as an unspoken promise to the blonde. Eli felt a shiver run down her spine as Nico pulled away and slipped past her. She looked down at her phone as she pulled it from her pocket, a thought occurred to her. She quickly typed a question into her search bar. “Do first dates end with...sex?” She blushed, growling under her breath as she quickly shoved her phone into her pocket without looking at the results. It was embarrassing enough that she had thought to do that in the first place. She placed her cool palm against her burning forehead and took a deep breath. It certainly seemed that the kiss Nico had given her was hinting at the fact that they might have sex. Still, Eli didn’t want to assume. “You coming?” Nico called from the bedroom. “I-I’ll be right there!” Eli nervously called back. She stayed where she was for a moment, trying to compose herself before she turned. She headed up the stairs to her bedroom but found Nico waiting at the top for her. “So even cool Ayase Eli has a cute side?” Nico said with a smirk. Eli glanced away. “It’s like you know what you’re doing. I’ve never...dated before.” “I have no clue either.” Nico grabbed Eli’s hand and began to walk backwards toward the bedroom, tugging Eli with her. She grinned mischievously at her. “I’m just letting my primitive nature take control. And it makes me want to do this.” Eli felt Nico grab her suspenders and tug her close to kiss her as the girl’s back came into contact with the bedroom door. Her lips pressed to Nico’s, her hands moving to her hips as Nico’s slid naturally into her hair. She felt Nico pull away, fumbling with the door handle before the door opened behind them and they stumbled into the room. Eli hastily steadied them both, her lips moving from Nico’s, down to Nico’s neck. She reached up, pushing her jacket off of Nico’s shoulders. She kissed Nico again and slowly walked them back to the bed. Nico gasped as her knees hit the edge of the bed and she sank down onto it, shuffling back and tugging Eli with her. She bit her lip, her eyes roaming over the blonde’s torso. Eli seemed to notice as she reached down, gripping her blouse. She tugged it up and over her head, exposing her upper body to Nico. Nico stared at Eli’s covered chest, her mouth slightly agape. “Th-That too.” She rasped, nodding at Eli’s bra. “You sure?” Eli asked, trying to ignore the slight embarrassment she felt. Her excitement outweighed it, making it easy to ignore. “We can sto...mmph!” She trailed off, her eyes widening when Nico pulled her close, kissing her deeply. Nico felt Eli tug her hair out of it’s ponytail, fingers slipping into it. She boldly reached around Eli’s back and unclipped her bra with shaky hands. She wasn’t sure what she was doing but her heart raced at the thought of learning with Eli. ----- Rin snorted as she took another sip of her rum and coke. She was still on her first and she was drinking it slowly so she was still completely sober. “You didn’t tell her it was alcoholic, nya?” She eyed Maki who was sitting in a nearby seat with a light haired girl. She was giggling quietly to herself, her cheeks slightly flushed. It was clear that she was drunk. “She needed to loosen up.” Hibiki shrugged, smirking to herself. “Besides how would I know that a fifteen year old would chug it?” “Maki-chan loves tomatoes. You shouldn’t have given her something with tomato juice, nya.” Rin pointed out, raising an eyebrow. She was relieved that she had chosen the drink she had. Maki’s drink looked and sounded like it would taste weird. “Maki-chan!” Rin looked up sharply at the sound of Kotori’s voice over the music. She watched as Maki jumped up to hug Kotori as she arrived at their table. “KOTORI!!!” Rin grimaced at the volume of Maki’s voice. “She’s definitely drunk. Maki-chan would never willingly hug someone.” Kotori turned to Hibiki with narrowed eyes, struggling to keep Maki a fairly safe distance from her. She couldn’t have the drunk girl accidentally exposing their secret. “What the hell did you do?!” “Guess that’s our cue.” Hibiki stood up, offering her hand to Rin. “Wanna dance, hot shot?” “Oh, I don’t really…” “Come on.” Hibiki grabbed Rin’s hand, grinning at her. “Loosen up a little. I’ve seen you dance during your idol concerts. You’re one of the best, next to Ayase and Sonoda of course.” Rin barely had time to put down her drink before she was dragged off to the dance floor. Kotori sighed, turning to Maki. She was relieved that they had less of an audience now at least. “What are you doing, Maki-chan?” Maki shrugged her shoulders and Kotori noticed for the first time that Maki had discarded her sweater. She noticed it sitting on the table and reached out to grab it. “Too hot.” Maki muttered in protest when Kotori tried to help her into it. “You need to cover your arms.” “Nah.” Maki pushed Kotori’s hands away, frowning slightly. “You can cover them.” Kotori sighed heavily and let the sweater fall back to her side. “I can’t believe you got drunk, Maki-chan.” “I was lonely with them.” Maki confessed, leaning into Kotori. She smiled softly when Kotori wrapped her arms around her. “I felt like a third wheel. I’m glad you’re here now. I missed you.” Kotori glanced over at Hibiki with a frown. She wasn’t sure how she was meant to take Maki home when the redhead was drunk. She was sure Maki’s parents would frown upon something like that, even more than her own mother would if she had gotten drunk. “Guess I’m going to have to bring you to my place, huh? Oh wait, Nozomi-chan is nearby. We can sleep at her place!” Maki groaned at the thought. “No way. I just want to be with you, Kotori. I want to sleep next to you with your arms around me. If we stay with anyone from Muse we’ll have to keep our distance. I don’t want that. Can we just go to your house? I’ll call my parents and tell them I’ll be out for the night.” Kotori opened her mouth to respond but she hesitated when Maki stared up at her with puppy dog eyes. “Okay. We can go to my place. We have to be careful around my mom though. We can’t let her see that you’re drunk. We can tell her that your parents are going out of town or something…” Maki nodded, smiling brightly. “Right.” “You weren’t listening to me, were you?” Kotori sighed though she couldn’t help but smile at her girlfriend. She gently brushed Maki’s hair behind her ear. “You’re pretty cute when you’re drunk.” “I thought alcohol was meant to make your more daring, not cute.” Kotori chuckled softly. “Guess you’re just a cute drunk then.” “What?” Maki asked. “So that means you would be the opposite?” Kotori thought about that for a moment before she shrugged her shoulders. “Honoka-chan and Umi-chan when we tried some of my mom’s wine, called me a clueless drunk.” “Clueless?” “Yeah. I tend to do things I’m not aware of. I once told Honoka-chan her chest got bigger.” Kotori said, recalling the memory. “And that Umi-chan should just make out with her…” Maki giggled. “What would you say to me? If you were drunk?” “That I’d want to kiss you all of the time. And that you make me want to undress you. Completely.” Kotori lowered her voice, drawing Maki flush against her. “Is that bad?” “You sure you’re not drunk?” Kotori chuckled. “I’m just thinking what drunk me would think of you. It’ll probably be more physical than talking?” Maki bit her lip for a moment. “Kiss me?” Kotori looked around to make sure nobody was watching before she gently pecked Maki’s lips. When she drew away she laughed as Maki whined. “You’re such a brat, Maki-chan.” “I’m not.” Maki pouted, wrapping her arms around Kotori’s neck. “I’m drunk and needy and cute. Give me love.” “You’re definitely drunk.” Kotori said, rolling her eyes. “I’ll kiss you properly at my house, okay? I promise.” Maki’s eyes widened and she nodded eagerly. She glanced over her shoulder to see Rin dancing close to Hibiki. She was smiling as she jumped to the music, alongside Hibiki. She seemed happy, Maki noticed as Kotori tugged her toward the door. Or maybe she was just drunk. Maki wasn’t entirely sure. ---- Hibiki stepped into her house, laughing alongside Rin. She tugged on the girl’s hand, encouraging her to enter roo. “I haven’t laughed this much in a while. Thanks for coming. Even though we got ditched.” “You’re way more fun than Maki-chan so I liked it...in the end.” Hibiki smiled coyly before they walked into the living room. She paused, her eyes widening upon seeing her father waiting. “It’s a school night.” Hitoashi said, narrowing his eyes. “It’s SATURDAY!” Hibiki shot back before she tugged Rin toward the stairs. She hurried up them, hoping her father wouldn’t say anything to embarrass her in front of Rin. “Are you sure it’s okay for me to come over?” Rin asked hesitantly as Hibiki tugged her into her bedroom. “I don’t want to make your dad angry.” “He can go drink himself to sleep if he has to.” Hibiki said darkly. Rin nodded as she looked around the room. She wasn’t sure what she was expecting but she certainly wasn’t expecting the room to be so plain. The only things in the room seemed to be art canvases and supplies. Until Rin looked up, her eyes widening at the mural on the ceiling. “It’s a good thing not a lot of people look up, huh?” Hibiki quipped as she sat down on the bed. Rin was too busy staring up at the swirls of color in the picture of the night sky above to answer. She could even make out shooting stars in the picture. It looks so real. “I always liked Van Gogh's starry night. I wanted it in my room. I didn’t have a big enough tarp to make it so I improvised.” Hibiki explained. “I even used a special kind of white paint for the stars. Look.” She got up and switched the light off before she made her way back to her bed, grabbing Rin’s hand on the way. She tugged her down to the bed and they lay down, looking up at the glowing stars and swirls. Rin looked to her right at Hibiki and she noticed just how pretty the girl was. She felt her cheeks flush at the thought but she couldn’t tear her eyes away. Not until Hibiki glanced at her anyway. Rin quickly looked away, cursing herself. She didn’t want to ruin her budding friendship with Hibiki. “Sorry.” She flinched as she felt a hand move to hers, gentle fingers lacing with her own. “I’m glad I can show you this.” Hibiki confessed quietly. “I don’t let just anyone in here. But I trust you.” Rin bit her lip before she looked away to the side to see a picture of a black haired girl around about the age of six or seven with a woman in a wheelchair. She noticed the woman had light blonde hair and the same colors eyes as the young girl’s. The girl’s hand was tightly grasping the woman’s. “Is that you?” “Yeah, that’s me and my mother.” Hibiki answered, following Rin’s gaze. “A year before she died. Her name was Sophie. I told you I’m half British, right?” “Yeah.” Rin answered softly, turning her eyes back to Hibiki. “Well that’s where the British came from. That was when we lived in King’s Cross. Want to know a secret?” Hibiki looked up at Rin who patiently stared back at her. “I didn’t dye my hair color just as a reason to be bad and go against my father. I did it to be closer to her. I only have her eyes to go by but they’re so haunting for me. Every time I see my reflection I always think of her and…” She paused, blinking back tears which continued and fell despite her efforts. “He hates looking at me because he’s haunted too.” Rin didn’t know what to say so she settled for gently wiping Hibiki’s tears away, a sympathetic look on her face. “I-I um…” “You don’t have to say anything.” Hibiki said, sniffling softly. Rin noticed Hibiki leaning up but she didn’t have time to draw back before soft lips pressed against her own. Her eyes widened briefly and she froze, still. Hibiki slowly drew away. “S-Sorry, I just...I want to be honest with you, Rin. I’ve liked you for a while. I know you barely know me but I’ve noticed you and...I like you. I just want you to know that.” “It’s...it’s okay.” Rin said, still stunned by the sudden kiss. She leaned in and hugged Hibiki. She felt Hibiki hug her back without hesitation. She let out a short sigh. She didn’t want to be like Miyuki and be harsh with her ‘rejection’. “But I’m not...interested it anyone right now. Not just you. Anyone.” Hibiki nodded in response. She supposed she already knew that. “I’m just glad I could tell you.” She said, her voice slightly muffled by Rin’s neck. “I think I need a friend more than anything.” Rin felt a shiver course through her but she just held the girl tighter. “I’ll be your friend. I’ll be your best friend, Hibiki. I promise.” Hibiki’s lips turned up slightly at that, her chest swelling slightly with happiness. She pulled away after a moment, wiping the rest of her tears. “You’re staying tonight, right?” Rin nodded, suddenly feeling nervous again. “I text my mom already. Are you sure it’s okay? I don’t want to cause any trouble.” “I want you to stay.” Hibiki said, shaking her head. “I guess...this is pretty weird for you, right? I mean we just met as far as you know…” “I-It’s fine, nya.” Rin looked Hibiki over. “Do you have something for me to wear though? I mean you’re um…” She hesitated unsurely. She knew how Nico would react to someone calling her small and Hibiki wasn’t much taller than Nico. “Ah, nevermind. Um...where do you want me to sleep?” “My bed?” Hibiki asked, tilting her head slightly. Rin’s eyes widened at the dirty thoughts suddenly running through her mind. “R-Right, nya. I knew that.” Hibiki blinked, confused by Rin’s behavior. “I must look like a clown, huh? I need to wash this makeup off. Um...you can change into whatever you want. Second drawer down. I have some clothes in the bathroom so I’ll get changed in there.” “Right.” Rin said, her face flushed. She had already messed up. “Okay. You can do it in here if you want. I mean um...it wouldn’t be weird. I get changed in front of my friends all of the time.” Hibiki smirked slightly at that. “But would you get changed in front of the girl you like?” She left Rin to ponder that, turning and heading for the door. Rin wasn’t sure what to say or do so she got up and headed for the dresser. She found some sweats and a loose shirt and quickly changed into them. She turned as the door opened and found Hibiki walking into the bedroom in shorts and a t-shirt. Her hair looked a little bit wet and her makeup had been removed. “Shit, nya…” Rin breathed. Hibiki’s eyes were even more breathtaking without eye shadow. Hibiki raised an eyebrow. “Are you okay?” “YES, nya!” Hibiki shrugged and went over to Rin, taking her hand. She dragged her onto the bed again before she pulled the covers over them. “Goodnight.” Rin murmured, nervously turning onto her side so that she was facing away from Hibiki. Hibiki frowned slightly at Rin’s back. She hoped she hadn’t made the girl too uncomfortable. “Goodnight, Rin.” ---- Eli woke to the feeling of an unfamiliar warmth against her front. Something tickled her nose and her brow furrowed as he eyes fluttered open. She found herself staring at the back of Nico’s head and memories of the previous night rushed back to her. She smiled slightly, nuzzling Nico’s neck. Given the fact that Nico was facing away from her, it was only when she became aware of fingers gently stroking her hand that she realized Nico was awake. “How long have you been awake?” She murmured, gently kissing Nico’s neck. It was dark in the room, telling her that it was still night. “A while.” Nico whispered back. “I just...you know you took me virginity, right?” Eli felt her stomach sink at the question. She hadn’t thought of it like that. She swallowed thickly. “Do you...regret it? I didn’t mean to push you into anything. I would have waited if…” She groaned, resting her forehead against Nico’s back. “I shouldn’t have moved so fast. I just figured...I was being spontaneous.” Nico turned in Eli’s arms, fixing her with a serious look. “Oh geez, don’t start with the self-loathing, Ayase. I took yours too. I wanted it anyway. I wanted something that nobody else in our school could get. And that’s you.” Eli felt her heart beat faster. “You can be pretty romantic when you want to be, Nico.” “Hey, I’m not that horrible at this!” Nico protested, rolling her eyes. “I definitely wouldn’t say you’re horrible at it. Especially the part that came before this.” Eli smirked daringly, causing Nico to blush. “Shut up.” Nico grumbled, placing her hand behind Eli’s neck. She drew her in close and kissed her, mostly to hide her own embarrassment. Still the kiss drew a slight moan from the blonde and she felt a surge of satisfaction until the moment was broken by footsteps outside of the door. She drew back quickly, her eyes wide with horror. “Shhh!” Eli whispered, hearing her mom pause outside of her room. She heard her mother speaking Russian but her heart was racing too much to hear. If her mother walked in on them, she wasn’t sure what would happen. She’d probably be told to leave. Nico saw the fear in Eli’s eyes and nodded stiffly to show she understood what Eli wanted her to do. Slowly, the talking outside of the room grew quieter until finally Nico heard a door shut down the hallway. “Was that your mom?” She whispered. “Yeah.” Eli murmured, her heart still racing. She slowly sat up in the bed. “I can’t believe she almost caught us. I forgot she would be coming home tonight.” She watched as Nico silently got out of bed and began to get dressed. “You’re not walking home in that outfit. There’s a sweater in my drawer you can take.” “Well whose fault was it throwing my trench coat into the trash?” Nico quipped, raising an eyebrow. Eli shook her head in exasperation before she got out of bed. She would need to change into her pajamas too. She crossed the room to her drawer to get dressed. “Just please put on some sweats and a hoodie. It’s dark outside. And dangerous.” Nico scoffed. “We both know I can take care of myself.” “I know. Can you just let me worry about you for a second?” Eli tugged on a thin shirt along with her own sweats before she turned to Nico. “I don’t want you to get hurt. That’s all. I really…” She trailed off, biting her lip. “Just please take the clothes.” “Fine.” Eli watched as Nico once more took off her vest and shirt, discarding her skirt too. She smiled and handed Nico a pair of joggers and a hoodie, which Nico quickly tugged on. “Thank you.” “Yeah, yeah.” Nico said, rolling her eyes. She gestured toward the door. “Lead the way.” Eli nodded and led the way out of the bedroom, checking to make sure nobody was in the hallway. She headed down the hallway and down the stairs as quietly as she could with Nico behind her. Nico slid her shoes on at the door and waited for Eli to open the front door for her. When the door was open she stepped outside. “So I’ll um...see you at school, I guess?” Eli nodded in response. “Yeah.” Nico stayed where she was, her eyes shifting from side to side. Eli leaned in and gently kissed Nico’s lips before she drew away again. “I’m not gonna get used to you doing that anytime soon then.” Nico mumbled, her cheeks flushed. Eli smiled warmly. “Goodnight, Nico.” “Goodnight.” Nico turned to walk away, lifting a hand in a wave as she started on her way down the street. ---- Rin grumbled in annoyance as light hit her eyes. She snuggled unconsciously into the warmth of Hibiki’s back, trying to resist waking up. She heard a gasp and instinctively pulled away, falling out of the bed onto the floor. She grimaced at the shot of pain and looked up to see a blushing wide eyed Hibiki had sat up. “Did you sleep well?” Hibiki asked with a slight smile. “Uh...yeah, did you?” Rin asked, moving to her knees. She crossed her arms atop the bed and rested her head on them, looking up at Hibiki. Hibiki swallowed thickly. “I slept fine, yeah.” Rin noticed the strange look on Hibiki’s face and her brow furrowed. “You okay?” Hibiki leaned in, brushing her fingers against Rin’s cheek. “I’m better than great. I have a best friend now, remember? Someone I can just be me around.” Rin felt herself blush but smiled softly. “You can.” She confirmed softly, feeling Hibiki’s fingers brush briefly through her hair. She slowly drew back and lifted her arms, stretching them over her head. “It’s Sunday. Do you want to um...hang out today maybe?” “You want to hang out with me more?” Hibiki asked in surprise. “Yeah, nya.” Rin answered sincerely. Hibiki’s eyes lit up at the confirmation. “Alright. That’s okay with me. Do you need to stop by your house to get clothes?” “You can come with me. If you want.” Rin offered shyly as she got to her feet. “Do you want to stay over for one more night?” Hibiki offered hopefully. “I know it’s a school night but…” “Nya, maybe I want to be bad.” Hibiki blinked. “NOT LIKE THAT!” Rin exclaimed, her eyes widening. Hibiki raised an eyebrow. “Like what?” She laughed when Rin looked away. “I did tell Nishikino I would corrupt you.” She got out of bed, stretching for a moment. “I’ll change in the bathroom. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” “Right.” Rin watched Hibiki go, feeling slightly relieved. She wasn’t sure where the flood of bad thoughts came from. As the door closed she stood up, figuring she should change too. A moment later Hibiki appeared again in cut off shirts and a loose crop top. “Sorry, my other clothes are being washed.” Rin’s eyes widened as she took in the skin on display. “Um…” “What?” Hibiki asked hesitantly. “Too much?” “No, I just really um…” Rin shook her head, looking away, Hibiki turned around and headed to her closet, emerging with a black bomber jacket. She pulled it on and zipped it up.

“It’s hot today, nya.” Rin frowned in confusion. “I don’t want you to be uncomfortable.” Hibiki said quietly. Rin walked over and unzipped the jacket, glancing down at Hibiki’s exposed stomach before looking up. “I won’t be uncomfortable. I suck at this, don’t I, nya?” “No.” Hibiki said, shaking her head. “It’s just...different. It’s not every day someone tells you they like you, right? Well you probably hear that kind of thing more than me anyway.” “That people like me?” Rin asked in surprise. “No. Not even the girl I liked liked me back. You’re the first ever.” “Straights are idiots.” Hibiki said boldly. She nervously noticed that Rin was still standing close to her, idly toying with the zipper on her jacket. Rin managed a small smile at that. “Right.” Hibiki lightly tousled Rin’s hair. “Come on, hot shot. Let’s make you bad.” Rin laughed softly as she let go of Hibiki and let the girl take her hand instead, tugging her toward the door. ---- “Kotori, you have to leave for school in ten minutes and you still haven’t eaten breakfast!” Kotori grimaced at the sound of her mother’s voice. Maki too, who had just finished dressing, froze. “I’ll get something on the way, mom!” “Okay!” Maki breathed a sigh of relief as she heard Kotori’s mom walk away from the door. “I still can’t believe she didn’t find me.” Kotori shrugged. “Well she was busy yesterday…” “On a Sunday?” “She had some paperwork she needed to get done and she likes doing it in her office at school.” Kotori explained quietly. “She says it’s easier to concentrate there. Besides, you enjoyed being here.” “I had a hangover.” “And I took care of you.” Kotori said, raising an eyebrow. “You were really handsy last night. Even though it was just a heavy makeout.” Maki lowered her head, her face and ears burning with embarrassment. She gasped softly as she felt Kotori step up behind her, gently pecking the tip of her ear. “School. Remember, school.” “You even managed to get my shirt off.” Kotori murmured softly. “Kotori!” Kotori smirked, gently nibbling on Maki’s left ear. “What? You heard my mom, we still have ten minutes before we have to leave for school.” “It’s been five minutes since she said that.” Kotori chuckled softly at the comment. “Fine, we can put this on hold until later.” Maki’s eyes widened slightly at the promise. Remembering the mark left on her neck she quickly buttoned up her collar. She drew away from Kotori, flashing her a small smile before she picked up her bag. “Are you sure your parents wouldn’t have noticed you weren’t there?” Kotori asked, her brow a little furrowed in concern as she headed for the door with Maki. Maki shook her head. “It’ll be fine. I left a note saying I was going out and they haven’t called me so they probably haven’t noticed. Is your mom…?” “I heard her leave for work a couple of minutes ago. I’ll have to lock up on our way out.” Kotori said reassuringly as she stepped out into the hallway with Maki. Maki grabbed Kotori’s hand and tugged her into a deep yet soft kiss. She felt Kotori kiss her back and smiled into it before she drew back. “What was that for?” Kotori asked, pleasantly surprised. Maki shrugged her shoulders. “Just felt like it. Do I need a reason?” Kotori shook her head. Maki really was a brat sometimes. She could see a smirk playing at the redhead’s lips. She pouted before she pounced, wrapping her arms around Maki’s arm like they were a real couple. “Kotori.” Maki groaned, rolling her eyes. “What?” Kotori smirked back. “I can’t walk to school with my girlfriend?” “Technically I’m not even meant to be your girlfriend.” Maki blushed as she felt Kotori’s chest pressing against her bicep. “Someone might think we’re together.” “We are together.” Kotori huffed slightly as she loosened her hold on Maki. They made their way toward the stairs and she pouted to herself. She didn’t like the idea of keeping their relationship a secret anymore than Maki did but she knew why they needed to do it. She didn’t want to get Maki into trouble with her parents and she wasn’t at all sure of how her own mom would react to the news either. Or her dad for that matter. Maki noticed Kotori’s distant look as they reached the bottom of the stairs. She knew about Kotori’s issues with her mother, especially since her dad had left them when she was twelve. “One day we’ll be able to do this. I’m not gonna leave you, Kotori. Not like him.” Kotori bit her lip. Only Honoka and Umi knew about him. It wasn’t until she had started dating Maki that she had told her. She sighed, letting her head rest on the other girl’s shoulder. “Thank you.” As they stepped outside of Kotori’s apartment building, Maki looked both ways before she kissed Kotori’s forehead. She had learned the hard way about Kotori’s anxiety issues. There had been a time she’d forgotten about a date and Kotori had ended up close to hysterical because she thought Maki was tired of her. “Hey, Maki-chan…” Kotori said as they started walking down the path. “I know we said we shouldn’t...but do you think we could hold hands on the way to school? I mean...friends hold hands all of the time, right?” Maki smiled broadly at the suggestion and took Kotori’s hand without hesitation. She tangled their fingers together confidently. “You know I wouldn’t say no to that.” ---- Nico was on her way down the corridor to the cafeteria when she felt someone grab her arm. She let out a yelp as she was pulled into a room but fell silent when she found it was just Eli. She glared at the blonde, realizing she was in the student council room. “Can’t you be a bit gentler?” “I thought you liked it rough?” Eli teased after pushing the door closed. Nico rolled her eyes and tugged Eli close, her lips moving to the blonde’s neck. She bit down hard. “You’re right. But did you have to turn me on?” “I missed you.” Eli gasped softly, locking the door. Nico chuckled softly. “We’re acting like hormonal teenagers.” “It’s exactly what we are. Come on, don’t you like being daring, Nico?” “With you...yes.” Nico closed her eyes as she felt hands tugging her blazer and sweater off. She bit her lip when her buttons were undone, giving her already marked neck some air as she felt Eli’s lips press against it. “I missed you too.” Her hands went to Eli’s shirt, untucking it before her hand pressed against the heated skin of Eli’s stomach. She felt herself press against the wall as she finally pulled the blonde into a needy kiss. “Why do you have to be so hot?” Nico growled against Eli’s lips, her fingers trailing over the blonde’s ribs. “Why would you even choose me out of everyone in school?” “Because you’re Nico.” Eli drew back. Nico met Eli’s genuine sweet blue eyes and blushed. She pressed a much more chaste kiss to Eli’s lips. “And you’re Eli. A stuck up. Who I ended up liking.” “Says the girl with her head up her ass.” Nico rolled her eyes. “Barely.” “I know.” Eli smiled warmly. Nico huffed slightly. “Whatever. Just hurry up and keep kissing me before lunch is over, okay?” Eli beamed at that but did as she was asked, leaning in and kissing Nico deeply. Nico squeaked in surprise as she felt strong arms lift her by the back of her legs before Eli pinned her to the door. She wrapped her arms around Eli’s neck, nonetheless, deepening the kiss as she slid her fingers into Eli’s hair. As dangerous as it was to do something like this at school, it was exhilarating too. She felt like fire was rushing through her veins as they both relished in the passion and feelings they held for one another. ----- “You don’t have to wear it.” Rin said insistently as she sat down on the stool near Hibiki. It was lunch time but rather than go to the cafeteria she had chosen to stay in the art room with Hibiki. “I’m your best friend, nya! That means you don’t have to hide the real you.” Hibiki frowned slightly as she touched the dark wig she was wearing. “I’m more comfortable in this at school. I don’t stand out as much. Besides, the principal would be pissed.” “Who cares what anyone else thinks?” Rin walked over to Hibiki and gently took the wig off, setting it aside. “Don’t you feel better when you’re yourself?” “Um…” Hibiki hesitated, distracted by Rin unbuttoning the top buttons of her shirt. She felt herself blush at the intimacy of the gesture. “Well...I guess so. I just don’t think everyone at school is ready for me to ‘be myself’.” Rin realized how pushy she was being and pulled away, blushing. “S-Sorry, nya.”  She looked away, frowning. “Maybe I should get my ears pierced.” “Huh?!” “I just want to look different. More interesting.” Rin said, shrugging. “I think you...already look interesting.” Hibiki said, her voice quieting slightly. She was glad that Rin wasn’t looking at her at least. “You don’t need to get anything pierced. Trust me.” Rin glanced at Hibiki with a small smile. “Really? You think I’m interesting.” “Well yeah. Obviously. I told you that on Saturday night.” Hibiki answered as if it were obvious. Rin gave a slightly nervous laugh. It was still odd to think that someone like Hibiki liked her, of all people. “You don’t have to leave it off it you don’t want to.” She said softly, figuring she’d been a little too forward. She stepped forward and hugged Hibiki who tensed for a moment before carefully hugging back. Rin was briefly distracted by the feeling of Hibiki’s chest pressing against her. She swallowed thickly. “Y-You should do what makes you happy.” “I guess you’re right.” Hibiki said, drawing away from the embrace. She flashed Rin a small smile. “Maybe someday. Just not today.” Rin beamed at that and nodded her head in understanding. “Hey, Hibiki…” She stepped back, sitting down. “Will it not ruin your reputation? Being seen with me?” “Huh?” Hibiki tilted her head. “Why would it?” Rin shrugged her shoulders. “Nico-chan said Miyuki-chan’s...that’s the girl I confessed to...her friend knows that I um...like girls. And she’s going to tell everyone. People probably already know. If you’re seen with me people might think you are too.” “I don’t want people to know I’m a rebel. That doesn’t mean I give a shit about my friends being gay.” Hibiki frowned at Rin’s question. “I’m gay too. Who the hell cares? My father already knows. It’s...a long story. But he does know.” Rin stared at Hibiki with a worried look on her face. “But what about everyone at school?” “It’s not like we’re holding hands in the hallways.” Hibiki pointed out matter of factly. “We’re just hanging out. People can think what they want.” Rin breathed a sigh of relief. “So you still want to be friends with me?” “Best friends.” Hibiki smiled warmly, nodding her head. She felt her chest expand when Rin beamed at her. She stared at Rin for a moment. “You would look cute with pierced ears.” Rin held her breath as Hibiki stepped toward her. She felt a hand come up to caress her cheek and blushed in response. “Y-Yeah?” “Yes.” Hibiki said softly, a small smile tugging at her lips. Hibiki’s eyes flickered down to Rin’s lips, her eyes turning dark for a second before she locked eyes with Rin again. Rin cleared her throat, noticing where Hibiki had been looking. “How did you know you were like that? Did you ever kiss a girl, besides me...?” “Back in middle school.” Hibiki answered simply. “How did you know?” Rin shrugged her shoulders. “I liked Miyuki-senpai. That’s all. I had never kissed anyone before though.” “Before I kissed you.” Hibiki said in realization. Rin noticed the guilty look on Hibiki’s face and reached out, grasping her hand. “It’s fine, nya! It wasn’t bad. I um...I liked it. It was nice.” “Nice?” Hibiki’s eyes lit up with hope. “So um...maybe it would be okay if someday I did it again?” “Someday.” Rin said with a small smile. “Maybe, yeah.” Hibiki smiled softly before she tucked a strand of blonde hair behind her ear. She opened her mouth to speak but she was cut off by the bell ringing. “Ah, I guess we should get to class.” She mumbled as she pulled her wig back on. She fixed it so that it looked as natural as possible. “How do I look?” “Good.” Rin stepped forward and gently buttoned Hibiki’s shirt up again. Hibiki swallowed thickly. “Right. I forgot about that. Thanks. Come on, let’s get to class.” She grabbed Rin’s hand and dragged her out of the room. “Y-You’re still holding my hand.” Rin stuttered as students began to whisper around them. She noticed Eli and Nico coming out of the student council room , Eli tying her hair up while Nico straightened her sweater and blouse. She didn’t think anything of it. Hibiki’s eyes widened at the sight though and she let out a low whistle as they passed. “Shut it!” Nico growled in annoyance while Eli looked nothing short of panicked. “Nishikino ain’t the only one getting it, huh?!” Hibiki hollered back as she made her way down the hallway. Nico stepped forward but Eli grabbed her arm, pulling her back. “Just leave it.” Eli said softly as she stared after Rin and the other girl. Rin glanced back at Nico and Eli in confusion but she quickly shook it off, more focused on getting to class and the fact that Hibiki was still holding her hand. “Wait!” Nico said in realization. “Maki’s doing that?! But...how? With who?!” Eli shrugged her shoulders but the look on Nico’s face told her she was going to be roped into finding out who Maki was dating anyway. ---- Umi squinted against the sun, keeping a close eye on the door that led to the stairwell. Herself and Honoka were the only two people on the roof but someone else, probably someone from Muse, could come up at any moment and Umi was preparing herself to have to dart away from Honoka’s side, where she was leaning comfortably. “My parents think it’s just a phase.” Umi said quietly, breaking the silence which had settled between them. “That I’ll grow out of it.” Honoka gave a thoughtful hum. “I guess they’re right...about our relationship at least. But you’re still going to like girls. You can’t do anything to change that.” “Yeah.” Umi mused, a sick feeling forming in her stomach at the thought of their pseudo-relationship ending. “But not yet.” “What if I come over for dinner?” Honoka asked, realizing what Umi was worried about. “And we make it serious. I don’t want them to think that we’re just messing around either. My parents believe us. My mom said she was wondering when I was going to tell her...weird.” Umi smiled slightly at that. “Do you think we can do it? We’d have to pretend to um…” She felt herself blush. “You know, be in love. With each other.” “It would be easy for me.” Honoka said brightly. “Umi-chan is my type.” She saw Umi raise an eyebrow and her eyes widened. “What, am I not yours?” Umi smirked at the question and gave a slight shake of her head. She wasn’t going to answer that. She didn’t want to make her feelings too obvious. Honoka pouted, taking Umi’s answer to mean no. “So what is Umi-chan’s type? Like...Eli-senpai?” Umi scoffed slightly. “I’m not going to tell you.” Honoka frowned, biting her lip. She supposed she should have expected the answer that Umi wasn’t interested in her like that. They were only fake dating after all. “Besides, you won’t tell me who you like.” Umi pointed out matter-of-factly. “Because she doesn’t like me back.” Honoka said with a slight shrug of her shoulders. She took a deep breath, leaning forward slightly. She wondered if she could talk to Kotori about the situation. She shook her head. Kotori would probably think she was being stupid for putting herself through dating Umi without really being honest. “Sorry.” Umi said softly, noticing Honoka’s sudden distance. “Is it Kotori?” “No.” “Eli?” Umi asked quietly, figuring that was why Honoka had asked her. “No.” Umi hummed thoughtfully. “Nozomi?” Honoka shook her head. “Stop guessing, Umi-chan. I don’t want anyone to know. Not even you.” Umi frowned and looked away. “Okay.” She noticed Honoka’s hand resting between them on the ground and her own hand twitched. She wanted to hold Honoka’s hand so badly but she didn’t know how Honoka would react. Instead she cleared her throat. “So what should we do when you come over?” “Obviously kiss each other in front of him. Maybe I could hold your arm.” Honoka answered quietly. “And we could pretend to do something in your room.” Umi’s eyes widened. “Honoka!” “What? I’m just suggesting ideas.” Honoka said with a tiny smile as she got to her feet. She stretched her arms above her head, sighing. “We should get going. Lunch is almost over.” “Right.” Umi gathered her things together, standing too. She felt a little bit guilty about having partially ruined their lunch by bring up something that had upset Honoka. “Honoka?” “Hmm?” “Can we...practice again?” Honoka hesitated before she turned to look at Umi. “It’s calling kissing, Umi-chan.” Umi cringed. “Don’t make me say it.” “Why do you want to?” “Because I-I want to be convincing. For when you come over.” Umi lied awkwardly. Trying to think of an excuse was harder than she had thought. “You can come over to my house tonight.” Honoka hitched her bag up onto her shoulder. “We can practice there if you want.” Umi swallowed thickly. “Right. Okay. Do you still want to? You said...” “I do.” Honoka said without hesitation as she turned to Umi. Her eyes were slightly wider than usually. “I-I do want to. If you do.” Umi breathed a sigh of relief at the response. “I do too. Um...let’s hurry and get to class. I don’t want to miss anything.” Honoka groaned at the mention of class but did as she was asked, trailing after Umi to the stairwell door. ---- “Who do you think she’s meeting?” Eli whispered as she walked alongside Nico down the hallway. Maki was a way in front of them and didn’t seem to have noticed that they were following yet. “I don’t know. That’s what we’re trying to find out.” Nico said, rolling her eyes at Eli’s question. “Looks like she’s headed to the music room.” She stopped at the corner, encouraging Eli to stop with her. Peeking around she saw Maki enter the music room. “Come on.” Eli sighed as she followed Nico to the music room door. She didn’t see why they even had to do this. It wasn’t their business. She could only imagine that she would be furious if any of her friends decided they were going to follow her or Nico to find out their secret. “She pulled the blinds down on the window.” Nico said thoughtfully. “Why would she do that if she wasn’t trying to hide something?” “I don’t know.” Eli sighed, shoving her hands into her pockets. “Can we go now? I’d rather be alone with you right…” “Someone’s coming!” Nico hissed, grabbing Eli’s arm. She pulled her close to the lockers and pressed against the wall, drawing Eli close to her. Over Eli’s shoulder she saw someone walk past but barely managed to catch a glimpse of a pink ribbon before the girl was gone. Nico moved away from the lockers in time to see the door to the music room close. “She’s a second year. With a pretty big chest.” Eli huffed. “You were staring at her chest?” “Hey, I had yours against me!” Nico said defensively. “And yours is HUGE.” Eli crossed her arms, frowning. “Not as big as Nozomi...you barely have anything.” “HEY!” Nico growled. “I’m trying here, oka-?” “And it’s what I prefer.” Eli interrupted before Nico could continue. She smirked and grabbed Nico’s hand, tugging her closer. “Why don’t we go?” Nico blushed. “Um...you can come over to my place after Muse practice if you want. I’m cooking.” Eli smiled brightly at the invitation and nodded her head. “I would like that.” Nico relaxed slightly, seeing sincerity in Eli’s eyes. She smiled softly. Her siblings seemed to like Eli the most out of Muse and Eli got along so well with Cocoro. She tangled her fingers with Eli and tugged the blonde down the hallway, her desire to find out who Maki was meeting forgotten about for now. ---- Maki was gently playing the piano, only half practicing when the door to the music room flew open, hitting the wall. She gasped, sitting up straight as her eyes widened. She watched as Kotori stalked into the room, slamming the door closed behind her. “K-Kotori?” Maki stuttered, getting to her feet. “I can’t believe him!” Kotori exclaimed loudly. “He hasn’t contacted us in four years and now all of a sudden he wants to SEE ME?! WHAT THE HELL?!” Maki noticed Kotori clutching a letter in her hand. It was mostly crumpled up. “Um, Kotori, what…?” Kotori let out a yell of frustration and kicked the chair next to her as hard as she could. It went flying across the room and she cried out in pain, clutching at her foot. “Damn it!” She crumbled to the ground in tears, the letter falling from her hands. Maki stepped away from the piano, carefully making her way to her girlfriend. She hesitantly knelt down next to her. “You’re talking about your fa-” Kotori growled angrily. “Fuck him. If you say that word…” “Alright, alright. Karasu contacted you. I…” “I’m not going to see him.” Kotori interrupted angrily. “He CHEATED. HE LEFT US! There’s no way in hell I want to see him. I don’t care if he says he’s changed. FUCK him.” Maki swallowed anxiously. She had never heard Kotori talk like that before. In fact she was sure she had never seen Kotori so angry. She sighed and pulled Kotori to her. “Come on, let it out. It’s not just yelling you want to do.” Kotori gritted her teeth. “I hate him!” She replied stiffly even as her eyes stung with tears. She stubbornly blinked them back. She wasn’t going to cry over him. “He just left us!” “It’s okay.” Maki drew back, locking eyes with Kotori. “I’m…” Her eyes widened as Kototi pulled her close, kissing her fiercely. Her eyes closed and she kissed back, surprised by how tightly Kotori was gripping her shoulders. She was sure her girlfriend wasn’t even aware of it.   Her brow furrowed slightly as Kotori tugged her closer, deepening the kiss. She couldn’t quite catch her breath and Kotori’s grip was tightening. She pulled back after a moment, with a soft gasp. “Kotori, that...hurts a little.” Kotori’s grip loosened instantly and she drew back, her eyes wide. “Kotori…” Maki rubbed at her shoulder with a slight wince, noticing tears gathering in Kotori’s eyes. “It’s fine, it’s nothing. Come here.” Kotori sank into Maki’s arms, in tears. “Can I sleep over at your house?” She asked, her voice slightly choked. “Please? Just to sleep. I don’t want to do it when I’m like this.” “Of course.” Maki whispered, gently stroking Kotori’s hair. “I-I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to…” “I’m okay.” Maki said soothingly. She gently kissed the top of Kotori’s head. “Come on, let’s go. I was just about done in here anyway.” Kotori nodded and let Maki help her up and lead her toward the music room door. She didn’t bother to pick up the letter which had fallen from her hand. She didn’t need it. ---- Hibiki watched with a thoughtful expression as Muse practiced a few feet away, Umi leading the practice. She didn’t even have to know them all that well to notice that the group seemed particularly somber. And that Kotori and Maki were missing from practice. She wanted to ask where the two were but she didn’t want to interrupt practice. She was just there to observe. She scratched at her wig uncomfortably before looking down at her sketches. Just some figure drawings of the girls stretching. Now she was more focused on the scenery. She looked up again, her eyes focusing on Umi who seemed a little bit too distant. She noticed the angry expression on Honoka’s face too and wondered if the two friends had gotten into a fight. She noticed that Eli and Nico were intentionally not looking at each other while Nozomi seemed to be watching them intently. Hanayo seemed oblivious to the turmoil of her peers while Rin was focusing on her steps. For a second, Rin’s eyes focused on her before she tripped over Nico. “Nya!” Rin exclaimed in frustration. “I’m meant to be next to Maki-chan for this dance. This is so frustrating. I can’t get my steps right because it’s meant to be a group effort!” Umi frowned, looking to Eli for advice. Eli sighed. “Maki and Kotori are both not here. We have to go on without them.” Nozomi stepped forward. “Elichi, I think we should take a break. I feel a disturbance in the atmosphere.” “Look, can we just continue!?” Honoka growled, earning herself several surprised looks. “It’s none of our business what they’re up to.” Nico narrowed her eyes. “Sounds like you know something, Honoka.” “It’s…” Honoka was interrupted by the door to the roof opening. “Come on, Miyuki!” “Junko, stop!” Rin’s eyes widened as Miyuki and the girl from the club room earlier stepped out onto the roof. Eli noticed Nico step forward and she moved to her side, slightly panicked. “S-Sorry to disturb you, Kousaka-kaicho.” Miyuki said, grimacing slightly. “W-We just need to ask you for some theater materials.” Umi frowned before she spoke. “We can discuss this after Muse practice, Kanamoto-san.” “Hey, look, it’s your stalker.” Junko said maliciously, her gaze focusing on Rin. Rin felt her breath catch in her throat, her stomach plummeting as she took a step back. “Oi, Mirakino, shut your mouth!” Nico spat, starting to step forward. She was stopped by Eli’s arms going around her waist. She felt herself being pulled close to Eli’s front. “Nico, calm down.” Eli said softly. She didn’t want Nico to get hurt. Or get into trouble for fighting. “It’s not worth it.” Nozomi watched the two with interest, noticing the way Nico almost unconsciously gripped Eli’s hand in front of her. Nobody noticed Honoka stalking forward until she was right in front of everyone else. “Were you the one who hurt Rin-chan?” “Oh come on, can we not talk about this in public?” Junko asked in disgust. “Seriously, you told them you like a girl?!” “So what?” Hibiki finally stood up from the floor. “She’s not alone. I’m done with this.” She reached up, pulling off her wig and tossed it to the side. “WAIT.” Junko held up her hand. “You’re all REZU’S?!” “Junko!” Miyuki exclaimed, wide eyed. Rin bit the inside of her cheek, tears forming in her eyes. “Hibiki, don’t…” Honoka growled in annoyance and leapt forward, her fist raised. She wasn’t going to let anyone else get away with hurting her friends. Her curled fist came into contact with Junko’s jaw, sending the girl stumbling back. “Don’t make my friends cry. I’ll get your club the damn permission for the materials, just get out of my sight! I’ve had enough of my friends being upset today!” Miyuki quickly guided Junko, who was clutching at her face back through the door to the stairwell. It closed behind them. Nico’s eyes widened at Honoka’s outburst. “What the hell happened to get her so angry?” “Um…” Umi hesitated before sighing softly. “Kotori’s father contacted her.” “THAT BASTARD SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM HER AND YUME-SAN!” Honoka exclaimed angrily, turning back toward her friends. Nozomi frowned. “I thought Kotori’s parents are...oh.” Umi nodded. “Yeah, it’s a sensitive topic between the three of us. Ah, she doesn’t like to talk about it though so please don’t mention it to her.” Rin was too distracted to even think. She walked over to Hibiki and sat down next to her, only to feel an arm wrapping securely around her shoulders. She let herself be pulled close and buried her face in Hibiki’s shoulders, her tears spilling over. “Let’s all call it a day.” Eli sighed. “We’ll figure out the Kotori issue tomorrow. Hopefully Maki  is with her.” Nico scoffed slightly. “Maki?! Kotori needs someone who can actually comfort her. Maki wouldn’t know where to start.” Nozomi watched closely as Eli continued to calm Nico down. She smiled sadly. She would love to tease them but it wasn’t the right time for anything like that. “Elichi is right. We’ll call it off early today. Let’s all get dressed and relax.” Umi gripped Honoka’s hand and lowered her voice. “Let’s go to your house. We can watch a movie.” “Or kiss.” Honoka mumbled under her breath. “But maybe we should find Kotori-chan first.” Umi’s brow furrowed. “If she needs us she knows where to find us, Honoka. She’ll be okay.” Nico looked at Eli as they made their way to the door. “Still want to come to my place?” “Yeah, let’s go. I need a home cooked meal.” Eli muttered, trying to keep the others from hearing. She left through the door with Nico, Umi and Honoka right behind her. Nozomi and Hanayo trailed after, leaving Rin and Hibiki alone on the roof. Slowly, Rin lifted her head only to meet bright blue eyes. “Hey.” Hibiki whispered with a gentle smile. Rin sniffled softly. “You’re so warm.” “I’m right here, Rin.” Rin leaned in and pressed her lips to the corner of Hibiki’s before she leaned back, her eyes widening. “You took of your wig.” “Yeah. I figured it was time.” Hibiki said with a slight smile as she touched her hair. She lowered her hand only to feel Rin’s replace it, gentle fingers sliding through her hair. “I like your hair like that.” “Than no more wig.” Hibiki said sincerely. “Rin, you’re giving me courage to be me. Junko is gonna start rumors about us. And all the Muse members. But with you beside me I can take all that bullshit. I’ve never really had a best friend. It’s...nice.” Rin blushed. “It is. Me and Kayo-chin have been best friends and always had each other’s backs. I want that with you. But I want it to be different. I feel like I can tell you more than I can even tell Kayo-chin.” “Hmm? Like what?” “Like...I like rum and coke!” Hibiki raised an eyebrow. “You can tell that from trying it once?” “Nya, I tried alcohol before!” “Whoa, are you tell me Hoshizora Rin has a bad side?” Hibiki laughed at the thought of Rin being described like that. Rin narrowed her eyes. “I thought we already knew that.” “Got me there.” Rin watched Hibiki laugh, her eyes shifting back to the girl’s lips. They were so soft the first time they kissed and then when she did it just now. She wondered what it would feel like to kiss Hibiki more. Deeper. Her face turned red and she turned to stare at the sky above them. The sun was setting now. “Hibiki?” “Yeah?” Hibiki asked softly. Rin moved back, leaning once more into Hibiki’s arms and resting her head on the girl’s shoulder. “Will you stay up here with me for a bit longer?” “However long you want.” Hibiki replied quietly, without hesitation, her arms going around Rin to hold her close. “I’m not going anywhere.” ---- Honoka leaned in before taking Umi's lips. Just this once she wanted to pretend they were actually together and not....faking it. Umi gasped softly as her back hit Honoka’s mattress. Her eyes widened as Honoka crawled over her, straddling her. She hesitantly slipped her hands into Honoka's hair, gripping it as she tried to do well at this practice session. Honoka bare her teeth and tug Umi's bottom lip. Causing Umi to chase Honoka's lips. Umi could feel it was getting deeper. Her mouth parting as Honoka's tongue slip past her lips. Honoka wanted to just feel Umi. All of the stress, anxiety and anger she was feeling seemed to melt aways when she found this comfort of Umi's hand in her hair. Her body pressed against the girl she'd been pinning for. Who she knew liked someone else. It was painful but Umi was her friend and this fake dating would help her with her family. "Umi-chan" Honoka growled, lips trailing down Umi's jaw to her neck. She unbuttoned her collar and Umi moaned at the sudden touch of hot lips to her skin. It was becoming unbearable. She needed to end this before she said something she'll regret. Honoka sucked lightly before biting down. Umi winced and arched up. "H-Honoka it hurts. " Honoka pulled away, her hair a mess as she looked down at Umi. The girl was a mess, her skirt hiked up her shirt untucked. She looked sexy. Honoka felt tears in her eyes before she hugged Umi. "I-I'm so sorry I went overboard, I just ." Umi shook her head as she held Honoka close to her. "It’s ok...that's convincing enough, right?" "Y-Yeah....” Honoka pulled away and climbed off of Umi, ashamed at her sudden need to use their practice as an outlet. She really was a horrible friend. “I-I’m sorry. I’m such a mess, I…” She trailed off, feeling Umi’s hand touch her own. Looking down she saw Umi timidly shake her head. “Please don’t apologize for having emotions. I’m worried about Kotori too.” Umi said, internally cringing. She hated saying that. Of course she was worried but not as much as Honoka. Since it was obvious Honoka liked Kotori. She gave Honoka a small smile, moving to her knees in front of the girl so they were on eye level.

Honoka frowned. That wasn’t the only reason she was upset. She took a deep breath, squeezing Umi’s hand back. “I just want her to be happy.” She mumbled, looking down at their joined hands. Her thoughts didn’t shift to Kotori, her focus on the girl in front of her. She wished it could be the case that Umi was happy with her. But that would never happen. Umi grimaced slightly. She wished she was enough to make Honoka happy but it seemed that wasn’t the case. Her stomach twisted uncomfortably . She wanted nothing more than to tell Honoka the truth.She couldn’t though. She would only wind up ruining their friendship. Honoka grabbed hold of Umi and tugged her toward her as she lay back down on the bed. Umi gasped as she landed with her head on Honoka’s chest. She quickly relaxed though, soothed by the comfortable feeling of Honoka’s warmth and the beating of her heart beneath her ear. “I love you, Umi-chan.” Honoka said in a whisper. She wished she could leave it at just that. “You’re a good friend.” Umi felt her heart leap and then plummet again. Honoka mentally kicked herself for adding the last part. If only she could stop being such a coward about her feelings. “H-Honoka, can I kiss you?” Honoka jerked in shock at Umi’s question but she answered quickly anyway. “Of course, Umi-chan…” Umi raised herself up on one elbow so that she was leaning over Honoka. She lightly brushed her fingers over Honoka’s cheek, noticing blue eyes watching her intently. She leaned down slowly and kissed Honoka gently, her hand still resting on Honoka’s cheek. She felt Honoka kiss her back, a hand going to her shoulder but she didn’t try to deepen the kiss or rush it. Neither did Honoka. Slowly, Umi eased away, her breathing slightly labored. “Are you okay?” Honoka asked, noticing the torm look in Umi’s eyes. Umi nodded silently. “Hey, Umi-chan…” Honoka nervously bit her lip, looking away. “Do you...like kissing me? I-I mean it’s not weird for you, is it?” Umi answered by leaning in and kissing Honoka again, deeper this time. She felt Honoka moan softly against her lips and pressed closer, her fingers sliding through Honoka’s soft hair. She felt Honoka’s arms go around her, tugging her down closer and then a moment later she felt her buttons being undone. She growled as her own instincts kicked in and she gripped the sides of Honoka’s shirt and tugged. Buttons came snapping off, falling to the bed as she tore open Honoka’s blouse. Their lips parted and Umi’s lips moved to Honoka’s neck, in search of more skin to touch. She felt Honoka gasp softly as she kissed and nipped at the girl’s neck. Honoka bit the inside of her cheek, struggling to keep herself from moaning. Her hand went up to her mouth to keep herself in check but she couldn’t help but let out a whimper when Umi sucked at her neck, none too gently. She was going to leave a mark. Honoka could feel it. Umi shifted her position slightly, crawling further on top of Honoka, With her own shirt finally open she felt Honoka’s cool hands slide inside it, resting briefly on her sides before they started to run up and down her back, nails lightly scraping against her skin. Neither of them heard the door open until they heard Yukiho’s gasp. They quickly parted and Umi scrambled off of Honoka, closing her shirt. Yukiho had clamped a hand over her eyes but not before she saw their state of undress. Their shirts were clearly undone, Honoka’s skirt bunched up to her hips as her legs wrapped lightly around Umi’s waist. “Y-Yukiho!” Honoka gasped, quickly pulling her blankets over herself. “I-I can explain…” “I knew you two were dating but oh my god!” Yukiho exclaimed, refusing to move her hand from her eyes. She didn’t want to catch even another glimpse of what she had just seen. “C-Can you just get out?” Honoka asked pleadingly. “We were busy a-and we’ll talk about this later, okay?” “You need to buy a lock for your door.” Yukiho muttered as she stepped backward out of the bedroom. Honoka sighed in relief as the bedroom door closed. Biting her lip, she looked at Umi who was red in the face, her breathing heavy. Honoka tried to push down the urge to kiss Umi again. To pick up right where they left off. “S-Sorry, Umi-chan. I ju-” Umi silenced Honoka by kissing her hungrily again. Honoka’s shirt finally fell from her shoulders and she shuddered as Umi’s hands trailed hot blazes up and down her arms. She felt Umi push her back down to the bed and gripped Umi’s shoulder to make sure the girl went with her. She was surprised that Umi wanted to continue even after Yukiho caught them but she wasn’t about to argue. Honoka felt Umi’s hand move to press against her lacy pink bra and she gasped suddenly. She lifted her own hand, placing it on Umi’s and pressed harder, encouraging to touch her more. Umi was surprised but encouraged by the gesture and let Honoka guide her hand, her fingertips just barely brushing over Honoka’s skin above her bra. Honoka made a sound of discontent as Umi’s lips left her own but she was quickly silenced as Umi’s lips found their way to her chest. “Aaah, Umi-chan…” She gasped as her bra was tugged down slightly, the strap falling from her shoulder. Soft lips closed around her right nipple and Honoka arched into the touch only to feel Umi freeze atop her. Umi pulled away, her eyes wide as she looked down at Honoka. “W-We should stop. I’m sorry, I just…I got carried away. I thought…” She pressed her hands to her burning cheeks. “Oh…” Honoka quickly fixed her bra and sat up as Umi moved off of her and went to get her shirt. She pulled the blankets back to her chest. She was silent for a moment as she watched Umi put her shirt back on. “I’m going to have to buy a new shirt. I only have one spare…” Umi felt herself blush even more. “I’ll pay for it.”