Innocent Raccoon Presents :

Love Live Sunshine Fan Fiction

More Than Friends

/AN : Innocent Raccoon here, thank you for clicking this one and I hope it will turn out to be a pleasant experience :)

This is related to the Suprise Sunshine fic I wrote, but there is no specific need to read it to understand or to enjoy this one. This is based on a lyrics I was hit with after I wrote that story. It took me a while to get started working around on this, and it took a few turns I hadn't expected when I began, but I kind of like this one, hope you do too (:

I decided to add the lyrics and their English version as a '2nd chapter', so as to not force you to read it but rather leave the decision at your own discretion.

Now, without further rambling, please do enjoy my humble work to any and all of its possible extents.

Disclaimer : I claim no rights on any part of the Love Live franchise.

LLS FF : More Than Friends

*Crash!* *Thud!*

"Ow~ zura~!" Young teenage girl shut her hazel eyes wincing as another girl, the same age but slightly taller, fell on top of the shorter grabbing the brown shoulder length hair tangling it a bit with her own cerulean hair as she stumbled in the other girl's arms.

"Nice catch!" Third girl, a year older than the two, with pins, ribbons and three cute little braids accenting her orange hair, lifted her thumb up and winked behind a handheld camcorder pointed at the other two. They had been doing a short video shoot for a new song they had just come up a few days ago. So far only Chika had been happy with how the shots had turned out. The other two.. Well, all great art comes from suffering, wasn't it something like that..?

"O- Of course Zuramaru would make a good catch.. Who wouldn't catch a charming fallen angel like the great Yohane! Wohhohohoo~ I can feel all the little devils burning with jealousy!" The taller girl on top untangled her hair and rose up from the gentle embrace of her friend while hiding her blush under a grandiose posture not unlike a one could see on a middle school student in an anime or light novel.

"Oh~ We can definitely work that angle! We'll have Maru-chan catching Yohane-chan at one of the parts where you sing about falling it's fitting! ..'cause it emphasizes the falling if you actually fall when you sing about falling." Having enthusiastically come up with a scene she saw as a perfect fit as well as explaining it, Chika blinked a few times in a very silent classroom.

..a bird was heard singing outside, also apparently Dia and Mari were having a heated argument somewhere.. ah.. the youth.. and the peaceful everyday life of a countryside..

"Say, how about we take a break? Somehow, I feel a bit tired."

"For this instance, I shall agree."

"...Alright. Work on the choreography and think about what you want to convey with the song and I'll go check on with Dia-chan and Mari-chan in the mean. Be right back~!"

With the energetic girl having left the room with her camera, Yoshiko - or the little demon Yohane as she preferred - was left alone with her childhood friend Hanamaru who took out two small cartons tossing the one containing strawberry flavored milk to her friend while opening and taking a sip from a one with local tangerine juice.

"For a demon, gifts like these are only natural so...don't expect me to be grateful." Yoshiko had managed to turn her middle school syndrome in to a cold front, which would have probably been more effective if the other party had known about tropes and terms more common in manga or games than a small town near Shizuoka. In a sense it was a good thing, the seclusion, it only made 'Yohane' a more stand out character. However the one who's eyes she tried to stand out in..

"So good zura~"

..was lost in the sweetness of her drink completely missing the mutterings and mannerisms of the girl posing beside her.

*Hmph!* Just her luck. Another proof she was a devil cursed by the heavens. It wasn't even that good a drink, probably.. ..well, except maybe if you liked mikan, as most locals did, okay so it might have been good for the other girl, so what, the presence of Yohane was definitely sweeter, not that she wanted the brunette tasting her, now that would be like really falling in various meanings of the word. There's a fine line every angel needs to draw to how much they fall, or it would be a pain to climb back out and not being late for school the next day, and wasn't she kind of just making round about excuses to avoid having to explain that she was so not jealous to the wretched little box touching the small soft lips of the girl who had just turned to look at her startling the poor demon with magenta eyes?

"What should we do?" Hanamaru stared at the slightly flustered girl. "About the video?"

"Oh, that." It took Yoshiko a moment and a worded confirmation to realize the topic at hand and descend from her delusions back to the surface. "My head is coming up empty. Still, we need to think of something.. I feel it's *ahem* safer not to leave it all to Chika-chan."

"Me neither, it's our song after all." Hanamaru missed the meaningful cough in the middle, but she did agree with the sentiment that it was something for the two of them to work out together. Their seniors had their own fair share of work to be done so it was not good to bother them all that much. Besides, as she herself had said, it was their song, for each other from each other. When it came to editing and adding the final touches they were surely going to need help, but it wouldn't just feel right if the rest, or the very least most of the planning, wasn't done by the two. It would make it.. less special.

In other words, it was a time to think, deeply.

".."

"..."

"..no.."

"..?..no good zura~"

"...!...(no~ closer, closer!)"

"!?..oh..nothing.." Feeling an ominous chill coming from somewhere, Yoshiko suddenly raised her head, turning to look around the classroom that turned out to be just as empty as her head, seeing only a brunette she had spooked out of her thoughts with the sudden move.

"...What if we.. went over the lyrics again and worked around with that?" Having been awoken back to reality, Hanamaru turned to face her friend giving the suggestion with a faint frown. Even after tilting her head while gazing upwards creating an expression of a profound rumination, she couldn't come up with anything either, but she wasn't about to give up, not after such an emotional and determinate inner monologue she had done just a minute ago.

"Yes, let us meditate through the unholy scripture and envisage a performance fit for the grandest of demons." With 'the return of the Yohane', the cerulean haired little devil turned to place her drink on the desk and dove her hands into the surprisingly deep depths of her small school bag. "No.. not that one.. When did I..? Nevermind.. Here, behold!" She pulled out the notebook containing several dribbles of which most of the contents she wanted be left as secrets, especially for the girl next to her, and turned on the page containing the lyrics they had come up with while the book loving brunette had helped her in her studies. The assist had been much appreciated, even thanked for nearly out loud.

"Okay.. First.." Yoshiko felt a surge of flushed heat creep through her cheeks as the brunette leaned in closer after placing her juice on the desk to take a better look at their scribbles from the session few days back. "There's you.. looking normal, and walking? This would be better shot at the temple.."

"Oh, that's a great idea Yoshiko-chan!" Hanamaru turned her head a bit to the side in excitement and smiled at the friend that averted her eyes with a blush. She found the gesture cute. The girl next to her was in truth very shy under her boastful demeanor. She should let it out more often, it was good to be honest and the brunette hoped this song could bring a change, but what kind, she did not know, something good surely, anything related to Aqours had been so far nothing but positive after all.

"O-of course it is.. and it's Yo-ha-ne.. just when are you going to learn to say it right..?" The taller of the pair mumbled and pouted, but couldn't hide away the faint smile formed by both, the compliment, and the scent of the girl standing very, very, very close. Did she by any chance lack self-awareness? She wasn't nearly as plain as she was made out to be, given how she could make a demon like Yohane fall *ahem* descend.

"So.. I walk at the temple, or the road to there.. and.. how about if you came to look at the sunset with me?"

Yoshiko felt the heat rise all the more hearing Hanamaru asking her out, not really paying attention to the triviality that her childhood friend had been talking about the scene for the video. She did however take a note on another detail bothering her.

"Wasn't it supposed to be sunrise?"

"It doesn't really fit with nightfall.."

"..true.." While Yoshiko had felt it in the poetic sense, now thinking again it could perhaps might be just a little bit vague enough to warrant a change. "But if we changed it then it wouldn't sit in well with After Dusk Sunrise." The cerulean haired girl had been very intent on the name and wasn't about to give up something that beamed cool so much.

"I thought we agreed on the Sunrise In Your Eyes?" Hanamaru as well had been uncharacteristically intent on the name she had come up for their song and wasn't about to give up something that glowed romantic so beautifully.

The girls scowled and glared at each other in the first artistic disagreement of the duo's short career. What was the Guinness World Record for the fastest fall out of a musical group?

"Let's.. get back to it later.."

"Yes, that would probably be for the best."

Thankfully, they had no intention of finding out if they could break such a heartrending record. It would mean they would also have to give up on the title all the same, something both believed they could eventually be able to make the other party agree on. Besides, it did not feel good fighting, the video games were there for that for the taller of the pair, just as the shorter dived in her novels, the real world was all reserved for the fun stuff.. and school. They were school-idols after all.

"There's leaning.. and.. *gulp* ha-ha-ha-ho-ho-ho hohhohhohhoh~!" Unable to speak the words 'hands' and 'holding' pieced together, Yoshiko tried to cover her stuttering with a dramatic laugh.

"Aw~ zura~" Hanamaru couldn't say it that well out loud either, although not so much for the embarrassment, but more how the lyrics really tugged her heartstrings now that she read them again. So much feelings, so intense, so meaningful story about dear friend's love for another. Meaning!? What had Chika said as she left the room again..?

"..think about what you want to convey with the song.. That's it, that's it Yoshiko-chan!" She got it. They had been going about this all wrong. It wasn't about the words, but about the meaning behind and between the lines.

"Wha- c-calm down Zuramaru, what's 'it'? And why are you h-hu-hu-hugging m-me?" Yoshiko was taken completely off her guard having been occupied with thinking all the hands and the holdings and now that she was had to deal with the words in a more literal sense, she felt hotter than the time she had almost passed out at onsen.

"It's 'like' zura~!"

"Umm.. What is like zura..?" The taller girl could only blink as she felt her shorter friend leave the line of her sight and fly right over her head, she had so lost it. Goodbye, arrivederci, adieu, sayonara, the girl waved in sad thought. There had been so much left unsaid.

"No, not 'like zura' but like like, like love like." Hanamaru couldn't explain properly, for that she would have needed to calm down first, but in her euphoric enlightenment, it was easier said than done.

"Like like, like love like?" Yoshiko could like feel herself growing only more confused. If only her blackened feathers would lift her to the same realms that the brunette holding her hands were. Then again she wouldn't be all that fallen again if they did. That was, however, besides the point, there were those two words in her thoughts again.. and.. combined with the two other words just heard, it came together as.. "Ho-ho-ho-holding hands is love like?"

"Yes.. It is what lovers do, isn't it?" Now it was the shorter girl's turn to fall blank at the words of the other, not noticing at all how the two had, at the very moment she had spoken her line, been holding hands. She was only focused on her realization of the words of her upperclasswoman. "It's about the feelings we want to convey."

"By holding hands? *gasp* Zu-zu-zu.. Y-y-y-y-you..!?" The taller of the pair holding hands couldn't even finish the nickname of the girl making such a bold confession, much less the words following. Her heart wasn't ready. The dribbles in her notebook had all played the scenario out in a different way. She would need some time to prepare herself for this new turn of events.

"It's love, the beautiful love friends share." Hanamaru gazed dreamily right into the magenta above the cutely flushed cheeks. That definitely was an expression they could use for their video. Her friend was so good at acting, she couldn't help but feel proud for the girl in front.

"..I-i-is-s-s-n-t-t isn't it mo-mo- more than friends, i-in this case?" Yoshiko had a hard time, not only in trying to understand the girl holding her hands tightly staring right deep in her eyes with an adorable look on her face, but she also heard herself stumbling at her words, badly.

"*GASP!* That's it! That is it zura~! That's my Yoshiko-chan!" The brunette gasped loud at the magnificent suggestion. She had to go back on her earlier words, they had now found even more perfect name for their song. "More than friends, how wonderful.. Like in a romantic novel.. A girl's dream come true~" She fell in to the wonderful flutters the thought gave. If she could sing and dance something so beautiful wearing cute clothes then surely nothing could compare. She might have lacked confidence in herself as an idol, but she knew a good fairy tale when she saw one, and this.. this had all the ingredients to be just that. She squeezed the hands held tighter and closed her eyes with a longing sigh.

Yoshiko stared at the closed eyes feeling the butterflies dance around her stomach like school kids around the bonfire after a cultural festival. That, just now, was a sign? Surely it was, yes it had to be a sign without a question mark at the end, why would she even doubt it, as a demon she should know all about omens and signs and prophecies, like the dribbles in her notebook for example. While not all that accurately depicted, they still had foretold this instance, so it was clear proof that she had real magical powers. Although, she felt the one most magical to be the enchanting girl who had bewitched the little devil's heart.

Hanamaru was just about to open her eyes as she felt a faint breeze tickle her lips.. ..and soft, moist and gentle push following right after. It felt so good, and tasted a bit like strawberry milk, and matched the mood of the dreams she had fallen into, and made her feel strangely tingly, and warm. What a pleasant breeze it was. She couldn't help but raise her chin and part her lips to fully meet the sensation.

The little demon kissing the literature girl, thought that worded like that it sounded like a crossover parody, but that wasn't enough to halt her. She had gotten an answer to her faint frail advance made afraid. She pursed her lips taking in the tangerine flavored taste of the girl in front. For once, she didn't mind the presence of the orange fruit. That was a triviality, what mattered, was the soft smooth texture she could feel with both, her mouth, and her hands. That made it all worth it.

Hands shivered holding each other as the girls pushed pressing their mouths together. The brunette had stopped thinking where the pleasant touch came from. Truth be told, she had a feeling what it could be, but she felt a bit afraid to open her eyes to confirm her suspicion. That moment had to come, but later, now was the time to fall in a maiden's dream sweeter than any book. As much as she felt the stories take her caressing in, they rarely actually kissed her. She wanted to enjoy the moment, taking it in all now, as it would give her the courage to make it real one day in the case this was after all just a dream.

The silent room echoed faint sighs and gasps with each breath taken hastily between the small smacking sounds as the pair holding hands pressed their lips together not wanting to part even for a second. The taller wanted to push further, but couldn't. With her luck, something was bound to go awry. There had been too much fortune as it was.. ..and just as she remembered that she was, in fact, cursed with an unbelievably ill luck..

*Crash!* *Thud!*

"Ow~ zura~!"

..she crashed down falling off the desk she had leaned on taking down the girl holding her hands and the cartons placed on the desk right too close to them, not only tangling her hair with the other all over again, but soaking their uniforms with the spilled drinks as well. She felt close to crying, but not for the milk, so it was okay, wasn't it? Her happy moment had just been abruptly stopped after all.

"Aaaaand cut! That was perfect! I knew you'd come up with something good!" An energetic voice was heard from the doorway, and the fallen pair tried to rise to meet it's owner, but had to stop as their hair disagreed, picking up the mingling where their mouths had left off.

"G-g-g-go-go-goo good? C-chika-chan?" Yoshiko was as speechless as she was red.

"..You knew?" Hanamaru wasn't left as wordless, but felt baffled all the same and turned her head switching her gaze between the grinning girl with the camera and the girl trying to untie their hair.

"If we add this to the shots I took peaking on student council yesterday and the one I got just the other day with Riko-chan and You-chan it'll be awesome! You can really feel the girl's love in the air~!" Chika was ecstatic about her findings of the past few days, the decision to walk around with a camera had been the best since founding Aqours. "Now we only need to find some girls to kiss Kanan-chan and Ruby-chan and it will be perfect..or would it be too much to try and get them together..?" She was lost pondering her schemes not realizing she had been thinking out loud.

For a moment Yoshiko felt her existence as the devil's incarnation seriously challenged, but she shook the thought off. The older girl might have certainly 'descended' in a sense, but she had literally fallen, twice in the same day, and could feel herself falling even more with all the fluttering inside her. She also felt the desperate need to change her clothes, but the thought served as a reminder on how the girl straddling her needed clean clothes as well. It was a normal thing, changing together, but it fed the butterflies in her stomach nonetheless.

"*giggle* In the end, we still left the planning to Chika-chan..*chuckle*..but you know, I don't really mind how it turned out." Hanamaru felt happiness spreading through her. Indeed, any change related to Aqours can be nothing but positive. "Say.. about the title of the song.. What do you think about.. More than friends?" She stood up with a blissful blush on her face as she confessed in a round about way.

"*gulp* I, I, *huff*" The red flushed little devil couldn't voice out her opinion, or answer back, so she had to resort to convey it in another way and took the notebook she had dribbled along the week, gasped blushing seeing how the pages had turned to show one of her daydream doodles, picked up a pen, flipped back to the right page, struck a few lines over and began scribbling.

The shorter half of the duo leaned in closer looking at the text displayed, feeling every meaning behind the words they had only wrote but never said as she read out loud.

"Our song. From Yohane to Zuramaru – from Maru to Yoshiko-chan, 'More than friends'."

Without paying attention to the grinning girl behind the camera, or the nervous embarrassment they felt, the pair turned to face each other taking hand to another, and reaffirmed their feelings, not with words, but with a gentle kiss.

/AN: Heartfelt thanks for taking your time to read this, Innocent Raccoon here, it's been a pleasure.

I do not know why I turned Chika into fujoshi, but ever since I heard that idea, it stuck on me and somehow became a certain part of her character inside my mind.
Hopefully it wasn't too much! The next chapter will be the song they worked to make a video for at this fic.

Do not feel the need to hold back or hesitate in leaving a review, this one is humbled down and willing to learn. Thank you for reading this, and I hope to see you in future works as well.

*Innocent Raccoon bows politely and retreats to gently caress the keyboard*