notes: we made a prompt generator in the K-ON tumlbr community to make us get off our lazy butts and get inspired to finally write fics and end the dry season of very little k on fics and new content, so after playing around with the generator, i got a prompt i SUPER SUPER SUPER liked and came up with the number. it isn't stunning in the least, but I really enjoyed writing it, thse two are my favorite and I love exploring their friendship and communication so HERE TRY TO ENJOY THANKS FRIENDS

the actual prompt is at the end (so like, forcing you to read this, or at least try to figure out the themes and idea I was supposed to explore. hopefully. your call

avoidance

Mugi sat on the edge bed daintily, folding her hands in her lap, as she scanned the room.

Turquoise flowers and diagonal, crossing lines patterned on the worn curtains, to match the equally shabby bed spread she was seated on. A small nightstand with an old school telephone, notepad, and a lamp with a crooked lampshade. In front of her was a chipping, wooden vanity with the TV on it emitting a static-y broadcast of some chef cooking that was serving as background noise. The vertically striped wallpaper was peeling in two tones of yellow, or what she thought was yellow. Mugi wasn't sure; the light illuminating from the lamps on the nightstand and floor were illuminating the room with, in her humble opinion, a rather intrusive and off-goldish, ugly yellow.

She turned her head to the window the curtains we're barely concealing.

Outside, the sun was just about to start setting, reminding her that dinner was still yet to be had after the drive there. The parking lot had few cars in it, probably few needed considering how far this place was to the city. Her eyes traveled to the big, fake marquee sign:

MOTEL 8

The keyboardist drew a hand to her eyes as the setting sun shone bright over the motel sign and turned her body to face behind her to finish her room scan.

At the head of the bed, flat on her back with her left her arm draped over her eyes laid Mio. Mugi noticed Mio's right hand absentmindedly play with her nails and her mouth pursed.

They continued their silence, the hum of the TV still going; Mugi pretending to be interested in the dish the chef was preparing, Mio off in her own thoughts.

"Would you like me to go and pick up something to eat?"

Mugi heard Mio behind her take in a small, sharp breath, probably startled from the silence finally being broken. She turned her head back a bit to see Mio's arm lifted, showing her stormy, grey eyes looking at her. The bassist's lips were slightly open, showing her front teeth, as if she was about to say something.

Mugi tilted her head, slightly furrowed her brows, and gave a small smile.

"What?" she asked with a slight giggle, in an attempt to offset the tension in the room.

Mio shifted into a sitting position, curling her legs into her chest, hugging them, and resting her chin atop her kneecaps. Her eyes caught Mugi's once, then glanced downward at her curling toes.

"Are you really not going to ask?"

"I did. I asked if you wanted any food. It's nearly 7 and we haven't eaten since this morning's late brunch at the hotel-"

"Mugi."

Mugi's expression tendered, looking warmly at Mio as the orange of the sky soaked into the yellows of their room. She waited until the dark haired women looked back up at her, holding her gaze for a moment, then stood up and walked over to her purse.

The heiress took out four pre-packaged onigiri and two cans of tea, came back over the bed and dropped the food to the side of her friend. She took a seat next to Mio, instead of at the foot of the bed where she was before, and simply opened one package of the rice ball.

"I bought these when we stopped at the convenience store to use the bathroom. They're all umeboshi, but I figured they'd be one of the only ones to keep fresh after a few hours of not being refrigerated. Itadakimasu," she hummed as she took a bite.

The blonde looked towards the TV again, contently chewing on her food as Mio next her sat, baffled at Mugi seemingly not bothered for essentially being taken on a 4 hour drive to the middle of nowhere to the first motel she could find.

One can of tea was held out in front of her.

"If you aren't hungry, you should at least drink something."

Mio hesitated, then accepted the drink.

"I'll eat, it's just-I was kinda lost in thought and…" she paused again for a moment, Mugi listened and waited patiently. Mio sighed, "Just… thank you, Mugi. Thank you. Itadakimasu"

Mio picked up a pack of onigiri, popped it open, and started to much on it, flashing a grateful smile to her companion.

Outside, the sun faded into the horizon as the sky blended the warm oranges with deep purples, a few stars starting to twinkle in the distance. Inside the room, the two women finished up their meal, cleaning up the plastic wraps and drinking the last of their tea as both felt considerably more comfortable, lying their backs on the bed rest and watching now the local news (about a town they knew nothing of.)

"Do you mind if we change the channel?"

Mugi gave a light questioning hum, then reached for the remote, "What would you like to watch?"

"Just… anything else but a news station. Please."

The heiress nodded, a hunch in her head starting to form, as she flipped to some game show station. She placed the remote back in between them. Her legs curled to the side of her, one hand cupping her drink, the other texting on her phone.

To: Ricchan
Subject: Sorry for ignoring your calls. We're okay and safe, don't worry. Next show isn't for a couple days, we'll be back before then. See you soon :) :) (^u^) 3 3

Mio tore her (little) attention away from the television, sitting with her knees brought to her chest like earlier, as she saw Mugi flipping through social media on her phone. She saw a small notification bubble pop up on the blonde's screen, Ritsu's name headlining it. Not one to be too nosy, she averted her stare back to the TV, keeping her peripheral vision on Mugi she responded to whatever Ritsu said. When the blonde turned the screen off her phone and laid it beside her, Mio spoke up.

"Has she been texting you this entire time?" Mio herself didn't even want to think about how many missed calls and messages she must have on her own device.

"She was calling, but earlier I told her to keep calm and that I'd update her if anything happens. I hope that's alright?"

Mio blinked. "No, no, of course that's alrig- er, well I mean yes, that's totally fine! Why wouldn't it be okay?"

The bassist gave a small chuckle as she ran her fingers through her bangs, "I mean, it's not like I'm trying to fall off the face of the Earth and disappear," she gave a short, darker laugh, with a hint of bitterness, Mugi noted, "It's not like I'd be able to anyways, unnoticed, at least."

Mio leaned back on the headboard and stretched her legs out. She rubbed her hands across her face and rested them between the bridge of her nose. She stayed in that position for a minute. Mugi sat next to her, patient as ever, letting Mio release whatever stress or emotions on her own terms.

A sigh emitted from Mio's lips, breaking the stillness. Her hands dropped.

"I'm sorry, Mugi. I basically just kidnapped you and drove us out to god knows where at this shitty motel without an explanation, anything, really, and I've been terrible company. I'm sorry, I just… And you haven't even asked why we're here and I've- I don't know what I've done to deserve you as a friend, but thank you, Mugi."

Mugi smiled, and for a moment Mio wondered if some god up there literally sent an angel in the form of Tsumugi Kotobuki down to earth. There was no way in hell her and her friends deserved the grace and kindness Mugi daily extended.

"Anytime," Mugi replied earnestly. She drank the last sip of her tea and set it on the nightstand.

"I was a bit taken back when you pulled me into the car and we started driving in the opposite of Ricchan and the others' route. But you looked a troubled, like you needed some alone time, and traveling on the road from show to show doesn't quite give you that. I'm glad you decided to bring one of us along on this spontaneous adventure, it was actually kind of exciting! Being taken to an unknown location!" Mugi giggled, mentally checking 'getting kidnapped' off her bucket list.

She let the lifted air between them stay for a moment before she continued, "It does make me happy that you let me come along. Well, forced, I suppose, but nonetheless, I myself am grateful as well. I'm sure you'd much rather sort whatever is going on in your head by yourself, but it makes me feel better knowing that you decided not to go completely alone, if safety sake for anything. But thank you for trusting me, Mio-chan."

Mio gaped at her friend, "You are unreal."

The bed shifted as Mio sat straight up and faced Mugi.

"You went totally along with me taking you 4 hours away, probably more, from where we're next supposed to be. You didn't ask once in the car where the heck I was going. I mean, I didn't even know. The only thing you asked was to take a bathroom break, and the rest of the time while I was being childish and quiet, you just sang along to the radio, and then when the signal went out, you started playing the license plate game with yourself and had FUN and even would point out to me plates from who knows where. Then we come to this rundown motel, you went to the front and paid, then asked me what I wanted for dinner, even though you had already gotten us food at the stop beforehand. And never once did you ask, still haven't, why the fuck we're here and instead thank me for bringing you?"

Mugi simply nodded.

"Yes."

Mio let herself fall to the bed, lying on her side and looking up at Mugi, "Why?"

Mugi slid down the pillows she was propped up on sunk into the bed, looking at the ceiling.

"You're one of my best friends."

Mio felt her stomach drop. She knew Mugi cherished all of them, to such a high degree, and would do nearly anything for any of them at the drop of a hat.

But this, Mio couldn't have felt more grateful for her friendship with Mugi. The bassist flipped her body to match Mugi's, looking up at the popcorn, discolored ceiling.

"You are literally the best friend some could have and I…"

She exhaled through her nose and closed her eyes. A few beats passed as Mio gathered her thoughts.

"I… I can't take it sometimes."

"Can't take what?"

Mio sucked in a shuddered breath, "We've talked about taking our band big since high school, nearly nine years ago since we were freshman and we first made it our goal to go to Budokan."

Her eyes opened and a nostalgic smile crossed Mio's face.

"And we did. And it was amazing. And being with you guys through all of this has been… has been life changing," the smile faded.

"But sometimes I really miss just being a simple light music club. When no one knew our names. The most invasion of privacy was when Sawako-sensei would try to badger and harass me into cosplaying. Or when my fanclub would spy in on the clubroom, and all they wanted to do was deliver us some yakisoba bread and snacks," Mio recalled.

'The yakisoba bread was really delicious."

The bassist chuckled at her friend's endless optimism and cheer. Her lips upturned again, this time in a bittersweet expression.

"I wouldn't trade in all the success we've had, all the experiences. But sometimes, with the media, the tabloids, the rabid fans, knowing that almost everything we do, some journalist will make it into some crazy headline, it sucks. Honestly, I'm surprised there haven't been any camera vans outside this motel."

Mio drew in a breath.

"It's a little too much, sometimes. And after seeing that picture of Ritsu and I on the fucking balcony of our hotel room all over social media and the news this morning during brunch… I mean, we've been together for like three years, but that was one of the only things I could still keep to myself, and now the whole world knows that the drummer and bassist of Houkago Tea Time are 'making more intimate music' and it… ugh, it sucks."

Mugi's eyes never left the tiny hole in their ceiling, but intently listened to Mio voice her stress and emotions. Coming from a rather well-known family already, she could sympathize a bit, already knowing the scrutinizing eye people kept on her to uphold her family's reputation. She'd gotten used to it over the years since she was young, but this was not something Mio could have ever been prepared for.

"I'm sure the media outing you and Ricchan today isn't the start of this, Mio-chan. How long have you been feeling this way?" she softly asked. Mio was finally opening up and she wouldn't let the girl hold her pent up frustration and, quite honestly, awful coping mechanisms of avoidance keep building up.

It took Mio a second to respond.

"I really started feeling it after our latest music video boomed. The reception was great, but people being infatuated with the fact we were in school uniforms and running with that, going to our high school and digging up our old yearbook. Our old pictures, the stuff we had leftover in the clubroom, trying to find our homes, violating what I thought was safe area? It sickened me. That's why that day they leaked all our high school stuff to the media and everyone went crazy out of it, I skipped practice before the concert that afternoon, remember? I told everyone I wasn't feeling well and I was just going to nap? It just hit me that day and it was too much."

While Mio was backtracking, Mugi followed her line of thinking. 'NO, Thank You!', she recalled. After the video was released, their band hit record views on the internet, the song selling like hotcakes. She did the math in her head.

"Mio-chan, that was almost seven months ago!"

The bassist held a hand to her forehead.

"I know, I know. I know you're going to tell me that I should've said something a long time ago, I know. But what could you, any of you, have done, Mugi? Telling you guys I felt like my entire life was almost no longer just mine? There's not much we can do about people wanting to have every detail, invading our lives, get something out of us to make a story on the tabloids, good or bad," Mio retorted as she turned to her side, looking at the wall.

Mugi sat up and leaned towards her friend, "We can't stop what other people do, you're right, but we can at least be there for you, emotionally. That's what friends are for, to be able to lean on each other, to talk to each other, no matter what!"

Mio didn't respond.

Please don't close down, Mio-chan.

"Mio-chan, why did you take me to come here, out of the others, why am I the one sitting here?"

For a second, Mugi thought Mio wouldn't respond, the buzz of the television the only sound, and thought her window of chance closed, but Mio conceded after a minute.

"Yui wouldn't have stopped until she would get me to talk. Then make me drive us back to everyone. After Azusa would get over the initial shock, and debating with herself to intrude on her still senpai's space, she would probably scold me for running away, then want to go back to the others because she wouldn't know how to deal with me like this."

She paused.

"Ritsu… I don't know. I… After this morning, I want a little space from Ritsu. It's dumb, Ritsu didn't do anything, but I want to avoid any possibility of people putting our relationship on display for a while. At least until I sort whatever I'm feeling out.

"You, Mugi. Ever since we were younger, for some reason you've always been able to understand me on a level I can't even fathom. You let me deal with things on my own, but still look out for me. You did that on our very first training session to the beach when we were freshmen; you let me be angry at the rest of you guys not wanting to practice. You made sure I understood that being a band is more than the music, and you made sure I saw that and learn that lesson, even though I'm sure you already knew what I needed to hear. And this… I guess somehow I know you'd let me do the same thing now, and you are," Mio turned and faced Mugi again, sighing, "And I'm being immature again, and closing you out when all you want to do is help."

Reaching over for the remote, Mugi turned the TV off, no longer feeling the need for the low background noise, and placed a hand on Mio's knee.

"I do want to help. And again, you're right in that I can't do anything to fix the source of the problem; as much as my family's influence can help us in a lot of situations, media invasion is something we've already had to look out for as well. But myself, Yui-chan, Azusa-chan, and of course, Ricchan, can help remedy what you're feeling. Your life is yours, and while sitting miles and miles away from real civilization is one way to cope, we can help find better, healthier solutions."

She squeezed Mio's knee and gave it a pat before she released it, got off the bed, and bounced to the vanity.

"For now, since we don't need to be anywhere important for a couple days, let's make the most of the time when no unwanted cameras, or strangers, or people wanting things from us are around!"

A sweatshirt and beanie we're tossed in Mio's face. Mio removed the articles of clothing off her head and sat up to see Mugi putting her hair into a ponytail, a baseball cap, and fake glasses on.

"Mugi?"

"I saw a small lake on the way here, probably about ten minutes away. Look, Mio-chan! The stars are really bright out here, not a cloud in the sky! We can go to the lake, maybe swim a little, it's starting to get warmer outside as spring is ending and we're nearing summer, and we can look at the stars!" Mugi extended a hand to help Mio off the bed, "Shall we go?"

Mio chuckled, looking down for a second, then grabbed Mugi's hand, and to the blonde's surprise, pulled her into a tight hug.

"Thank you, Mugi."

Feeling just a small dab of wetness on the crook of her neck, Mugi returned the embrace and rubbed her friend's back.

"Always, Mio-chan."

Prompt: Mio and Mugi at a roadside motel room.
Theme/ideas: Fame / Coping
Optional considerations: Taking place in Spring at sunset.

notes: i write mio with a bit of a mouth when she's frustrated or lets the emotion dam free (something about her not being in control, something she strives for, is a thing i love to explore). and i love their little kinda silent understanding of one another that they've displayed since the fourth episode of the series and like lowkey, subtle look out for one another

this may be turned into place where i publish the rest of the prompts i get. or it may just be a standalone and i'll prublish the prompts one by one. who knows. but stay tuned