A/N: Once again, something that nobody else seems to like but makes all the sense in the world to me. As always, reviews are appreciated. Disclaimer on profile.
Again. She'd caught herself staring again. Mio flushed and looked away. She'd tried to stop for days, but whenever the two ended up in the same room, her eyes would wander regardless.
Luckily, nobody had noticed…she thought. She glanced back to find Ritsu an inch from her face. It took all her willpower to not topple over backwards.
"You," Ritsu said flatly, "are in love, aren't you?" Beside her, Yui snapped to attention.
"What?" Mio and Yui echoed simultaneously. Mugi, who had just returned with the day's cakes, shot them a quizzical look.
Ritsu sat back in her chair. "You've been spacing out a lot and you blush for no reason. That means you're thinking about someone you like, right?" She folded her arms and nodded as though convincing herself.
Yui's eyes sparkled. "Mio-chan's in love? With who?"
Mugi sat down beside Mio and tapped the girl's shoulder, freeing her from her state of shock. She coughed violently, then mustered as much composure as she could before denying it. Ritsu leered across the table at her, but the next question was drowned out by a loud cry of "CAKE!" from Yui. She tore into the treat without a hint of grace, with Ritsu quickly following suit. Within seconds, both pieces were gone.
"Mmm…" Yui mumbled, reclining in bliss. "I wish I could do this every day."
Mio glared across the table at her. "You already do."
"That's not what I meant," she whined. She then donned a thoughtful look, although whether the smoke from her ears came from gears or faulty wiring was anyone's guess. Suddenly she sat bolt upright. "I know! Mugi-chan, let's get married!"
"NO!"
Everyone balked, first at Yui's impromptu proposal, then at Mio's equally enthusiastic denial. Three faces bred confusion; the bassist's radiated fire.
Mugi was the first to find her voice. "Ah…sorry, but I really can't do that," she answered with a small smile. Everyone else seemed to recover with her.
Yui pouted. "Why not?"
"You can't expect someone to say yes when you say it like that, idiot," Ritsu said, lightly rapping her on the forehead. She then placed a hand on Mio's, causing the latter's face to reignite. "You have to do it like this…"
Mugi's chair jerked backwards, distracting the entire table again.
"Sorry," the blonde replied, bowing slightly. "Yui-chan, could you help me with something?"
"But I haven't finished eating yet!" she answered, halfway through her second piece.
"You can have extra when we get back." Food bribes never failed with Yui. Sometimes Mio wondered if she tossed a cake off a cliff, Yui would jump after it. She didn't want to know the answer.
"Deal!" Yui cried, bounding out the doorway. Mugi shot Mio a look of something indiscernible between encouragement and sadness, then followed Yui's path out, closing the door behind her.
It took another moment for the room's remaining occupants to refocus. "Anyway, where was I…" Ritsu started.
"You weren't," Mio interrupted bluntly.
"What, I'm rejected already?" She put on a fake pout, getting an immediate desired reaction.
Mio flushed again. "That…" she mumbled, staring at the girl, "only say that if you mean it." For maybe the first time in history, there was an air of tension in the club room.
Ritsu paused before speaking again. "Guess you wouldn't want to hear it from me then. Although," she leered, "doesn't your best friend deserve to know who you would?"
"Best friend…" Mio echoed, then lowered her head and gave a hollow laugh. "That's right, you are. And that," she said, raising her head again, "is exactly why I can't tell you."
"Aw, come on!" Ritsu whined, leaning in close again. "Tell me!" The proximity caused Mio's face to heat up all over again.
At that moment, the door flew open. Yui bounced in first, then froze as Mugi came to a calmer stop in the doorway.
The blonde raised a hand to her mouth. "Did we…interrupt you?" she asked.
"No," Mio answered, taking the opportunity to shove Ritsu back in her seat. She received a glare in return, but ignored it. "We're done. I'm sorry, but could we call it a day?"
Ritsu and Yui stared at her in shock, but Mugi simply nodded. "If you want to, Mio-chan."
"Thank you," the bassist answered, laying her head in her arms. There were a few blank looks, but the mood was pretty clear.
"But…the cake…" Yui mumbled. Ritsu bopped her again.
"Take it with you," Mugi said, handing her the box. The guitarist took it and her instrument, cast a worried look at her bandmate, and exited, followed closely by the drummer.
The pianist, however, walked over and sat down beside Mio. She waited a few minutes before speaking.
"…Did you tell her?"
Mio sat straight up. "You knew?"
Mugi offered a meek smile. "Sorry," she said, folding her hands on the table. "To be honest, I'm a little jealous, but…"
"Of what?" Mio stared at her for a few moments, finally catching on to the subtle pain in her expression. Her eyes doubled in size. "Then…you…"
The blonde nodded mutely. "I'm sorry, it's not my place, is it?"
Mio instantly tackled her in a fit of tears. "You fool…" she mumbled between sobs. Mugi cradled the girl in her arms until the flood subsided.
"…How long?" Mio asked, wiping her eyes with a sleeve.
"Since I first met you," Mugi answered, shifting her gaze to the floor. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have-"
"No!" Mio shouted, grabbing the girl's wrist and regaining her attention. She paused to collect herself before continuing in a lower tone. "I should apologize, not you."
"…Why?" Mugi asked, an abnormal confusion across her face.
"Because I should have told you." Her cheeks burned for the eighth time that day, at least.
"About Ritsu?"
Mio shook her head. "That was…long ago."
The gears in Mugi's head clicked a little faster than her counterpart's. "…I see. Then I do need to apologize."
"For what?"
"For assuming things…and…for this," she said, pressing her lips to Mio's for a moment before retreating. She opened her mouth to say something else, but it was blocked by a finger across it.
"Don't," Mio interrupted, then returned the kiss, equally short but hopefully just as sweet. She smiled at the scarlet scrawled across the blonde's face. "I love you too." Then she promptly fainted.
Mugi sighed and grinned at the girl, the uncertainty on her face replaced by a warmth in her chest. She shifted so that her lap functioned as a pillow, made a note to tread a little lighter next time, then brushed a few stray hairs out of Mio's face and waited silently for her bassist to wake up.