Rhythm of Love

Super duper High School 'Everybody Lives' AU GO! Disclaimers include not owning Another or its characters and settings.

Summer was rapidly approaching, and with it came everyone's plans for their time off of school, aside from getting summer homework done before school started up again. The same was true for the two girls sitting in their half empty classroom during lunch. Picking at her bento's contents with her chopsticks, Anzu glanced at Aki, who was looking out the window. Apparently her lunch was out of the question since she had forgotten to make any yesterday and bring it today in her busy rush.

"Say, do you want some of my lunch? I wouldn't mind." Anzu said, getting her attention. Aki flinched, and finally turned from the window to look at Anzu. Flustered suddenly, Aki shook her head.

"N-no, it's fine, really! I was just going to wait until I got home…" She said, quieting back down.

Anzu frowned a little bit, but shrugged and let it go. "If you say so…so did you come up with any plans for the summer?"

"Not really…m-my parents said we might go to Tokyo for a few days to visit a relative, but that's it."

Not that there were a lot of things that you could find to do around here after living in the same town so long. Maybe go to the beach once or twice. Although Anzu doubted Aki was even thinking about considering that idea. Aki fell quiet again, and Anzu grinned a little bit.

"Try harder to contain your excitement, Aki." She joked. She picked up some egg from her bento box and pointed it at Aki, who just stared at it for a moment, then at Anzu with a blank expression. You would think she was just told to solve complex trigonometry…

"Have some." Anzu clarified.

"O-oh, but…you don't really have to."

"And I realize that I don't have to. I want to, so go ahead. You should eat a little bit, at least." Anzu insisted, not lowering the chopsticks. Well if she was going to insist that strongly…leaning closer, Aki eventually allowed Anzu to feed her the portion of egg. And this was apparently when Anzu decided it was best to bring up what was on her mind.

"My family's heading out of town for the entire summer." She said, sitting back in her chair. Aki stared at Anzu again, silently. Wait…what?

"They didn't decide on it officially until a couple of nights ago. I'd have to go with them, too, since there's no other family in town for me to stay with instead over summer." Anzu continued, explaining.

"W-well, what about my house?" Aki asked, frowning.

"I mentioned it. They wouldn't take it though. I tried to say that everything would be fine, but…you know, worried parents."

Aki looked down at Anzu's desk. The whole summer? It wasn't that long, but still, it was long enough.

"When are you leaving?" She asked suddenly, looking up at Anzu.

"The day after school's out." So it was soon, too. The last day was tomorrow…Anzu pushed the rest of her bento towards Aki and placed an extra pair of chopsticks on the top. "You can have the rest. And don't worry too much about it, okay? I'm going to talk to them more after school and see if I can convince them." Anzu said, trying to re-assure her.

It was a really reassuring thought to hold on to, that Anzu might be able to talk her parents into letting her stay in town. But she already knew that it probably wasn't going to work. She sat on her bed and placed her cell phone on the pillow, before sighing.

"Sorry Aki…They still wouldn't go for it. Looks like I'll be busy packing tonight. Gomenasai."

Aki fidgeted with the edge of her shirt and kept her gaze to the floor.

Was it selfish to depend on someone so strongly?

She really wanted Anzu to stay. They were around each other almost every day, and somehow this had been the case ever since they met in middle school. Even when they first met Aki could never really understand why Anzu acted the way she did. She tried harder than anyone else back then to get to know her, and went out of her way to keep Aki safe from harm. Aki owed so much to Anzu for everything she managed to do for Aki, and the impact on her life, even though she never had to do any of it.

She was trying to figure out just how she felt about it, Anzu leaving for summer. How long was that? A month and a half never felt longer than it did now, and it hadn't even started yet. There was this small twist in her stomach, and she couldn't place if it was because she knew she'd be lonely with Anzu gone, or if it was something else. Worse, if it was the thought, that brief and flashing thought, that she had when Anzu explained the situation to her earlier. That fleeting realization that Anzu wouldn't be there forever. Eventually she would have to leave, whether it was after high school, or sooner. The thought made her feel worse.

Her eyes drifted to her hands, which had settled into her lap. She didn't want to think that it was selfish…but she did.

"Why not invite her to stay the night?" How did mothers do that? It wasn't like Aki had told her mother what was wrong, but she'd passed by her room and suggested it anyway. She probably knew about Anzu. That would explain Aki's mood.

Anzu's parents were fine with it too, stating they could just get Anzu's things together and then pick her up at Aki's house late the next morning. It gave the girls the day to spend however they wanted after they were out of school. Despite Aki's nagging concerns still lingering in the back of her head, she was grateful to have the time to spend talking to Anzu and wandering the town.

"You know, I'll admit I was surprised at the sudden invitation to stay the night." Anzu said as she wandered into Aki's room. Aki followed behind and quietly shut the door. The day felt a lot shorter than it was supposed to be, and night had already fallen by the time they got in. What was that idea? That if you didn't want something to happen, time felt like it moved faster than you wanted it to.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Aki blinked, looking up at Anzu, who was now staring at her with nothing but concern on her face. "I-I'm fine." Aki answered.

Anzu raised an eyebrow and exhaled, sitting on the edge of Aki's mattress and leaning back on her hands. She looked at Aki for a minute.

"We're not distant from each other enough for you to pull that kind of answer on me." Anzu said, tilting her head a little bit. "I don't usually press the question, but you've been out of it all day. Would you just talk to me now that we're by ourselves?" Most of the urgency in Anzu's tone was out of worry, it was clear. "Aki, is this about tomorrow?" She finally asked, eyes still watching her. Aki frowned a little, averting her eyes. So it was. Anzu let out another drawn sigh. She stood up, taking a step forward and reaching out for Aki's arm. Gently gripping her wrist, Anzu eventually got Aki to move and sit next to her.

"I guess I should've known right from the start. But, you know, it's not that long. Six weeks will breeze by before you realize it."

Aki kept her stare locked onto her own lap. "I-I know…but I'm still…it still feels awful." She said quietly.

"What does?" Anzu asked, trying to get an explanation out of Aki. She blushed, though it was faint.

"Well…I don't know. I feel…sad when I think about it. You haven't even left yet, a-and I already feel…" Aki trailed off, not sure what the closest word to it could be. "I-I feel alone." She finally said with her voice quiet.

She flinched as Anzu put an arm around her, pulling her a bit closer. "I don't want you to feel like that's really that hard to tell me." She said, looking at the wall. Aki glanced at her. It looked like Anzu had just suddenly been plunged into thought over something. "I'll be honest about it, the same thing was nagging at me too. And then I can't help but worry about leaving you for so long, and not being able to make sure you're okay except if I call."

It felt like they were children being separated for the first time. Except for the children part, it fit. It shouldn't have felt this difficult, but there was something else they weren't talking about. Anzu again pulled Aki closer and leaned her head against Aki's head. "It seems…silly. I'm not sure if it's supposed to happen this way, when it gets harder to leave you alone now than it was years ago. Is it strange?"

"I-if it is, then I am too…" Aki stated, the closeness giving her more comfort than discomfort.

Anzu laughed lightly, exhaling as she gave Aki's arm a small squeeze. "If it means anything, you're not the only one dreading missing someone every minute. My own feelings wouldn't let me do otherwise."

Aki turned her head slightly to look at Anzu. Clearing her throat, Anzu let go of Aki and stood up, turning her head so Aki lost sight of her face. "It's getting late now, we should probably call it a night…or at least get to bed…I'll go change and be back in a minute, all right?" Anzu said, only briefly turning to look at her before looking away and hurrying off to find where she'd left her pajamas.

All bets were off, that neither girl was actually asleep. Aki slowly opened her eyes, seeing Anzu had her eyes shut. Was she sleeping already? Originally Anzu insisted on sleeping in the small set up futon on the floor, but this was just one of the only times Aki wouldn't let Anzu win her way. She was leaving for the summer; the least she could do was be Aki's company while she slept. Or tried to sleep, anyway.

"I know you're looking at me you know." Anzu suddenly said, shocking Aki. Anzu opened her eyes, meeting her stare in the darkness. "You really should be asleep."

"S-so should you." Aki retorted. Anzu smirked. She couldn't argue with that.

"Something on your mind then?" Anzu asked, offering to just talk. Aki seemed hesitant to answer. Considering her answer.

"Y…you were trying to say something earlier." A kind of silence fell in the room. Aki frowned, speaking up again. "A-Anzu…"

"I was…but you don't really want to hear it. Not…well not just before I leave." What if it changed something? What if it changed something for the worse?

"I thought y-you said we couldn't use excuses like that with each other." Oh. Touché. Anzu softly chuckled and her hand lifted to Aki's face.

"I don't know what kind of temporary going away message it would make." She said as she stroked her thumb over Aki's cheek.

"A-as long as it's something." Aki hesitantly responded, not sure what she was expecting. There was movement as Anzu scooted closer, darkness-adjusted eyes able to see Aki at least a little decently in front of her.

"Is it something, to let you know that you mean a lot more to me than you know? That I'm going to worry while I'm gone, even if you call and tell me not to, because I care about you that much? I've got this thing, that I really want to tell you before I go, and for the first time…I keep hesitating." Anzu said in a quiet voice. She sounded calm. But there was the possibility that in the back of her mind, she really wasn't. Aki's fingers touched the hand on her face, wondering if Anzu could tell that she was blushing. I-is she…There was no way, was there? That feeling in her stomach twisted again. Could she risk it?

Aki barely made any noise as she moved closer. Not sure how to continue, Anzu had trailed off with her words, only to now realize that Aki's lips were barely brushing against her own. Her expression faded from surprise to a subtly nervous calm as she closed her eyes. She returned Aki's brushed kiss with a more firm one, a blush finding its way to her face.

"I love you, Aki." Came the whisper once Anzu stopped, exhaling the words. She kissed Aki again before she could contain herself, drawing out a small noise from the other girl. Aki let go of Anzu's hand and grasped her shirt with her thoughts spinning. How was this happening? What were ever the chances that someone you cared for so much really felt the same way? It wasn't just her dreaming, right? Anzu's hand gently pushed at Aki's collarbone, pushing her onto her back and slipping her hand behind Aki's neck. Aki blushed more, feeling her skin raise goose bumps at the sensation of Anzu's fingers on her neck and in her hair. Aki let out a small gasp when Anzu broke the kiss only to trail smaller kisses across her jaw. She brushed Aki's brown hair out of the way and nipped her ear. Turning her head a little bit without thinking about it, she felt more heat spread to her face and ears, her head reeling to figure out what was happening here.

"A-Anzu…" She whimpered. Anzu stopped, glancing at Aki in the darkness, concern setting in again.

"I…I'm sorry." Anzu apologized, thinking she should have just stopped. She couldn't stop herself. Usually she could, but once it was in the open, she just wanted to show Aki everything that she felt. Nervously, Aki shook her head, fingers still curled into Anzu's shirt and not letting go.

"N-no, i-it's okay…" She said shyly. She pushed herself up briefly and kissed Anzu gently, pulling Anzu's shirt to pull her back down to where she was before and then letting go. The tension lifted from the room as Anzu let her feelings show, and kissed Aki more passionately than she did the first time. Her hand barely pushed Aki's shirt up and her thumb brushed a line across her stomach gently, causing a small twitch. Venturing further, she slowly dragged her hand higher up Aki's torso.

Was it all right, what they were doing? Anzu almost felt like she really didn't care if it was or not. They only had tonight, and then afterwards she'd only at best be able to hear Aki's voice over a phone for six weeks. If there was anything of Aki she wanted to keep in her memory for the summer until she got back, it was this right now, tonight. It wasn't like she just wanted this, she really loved Aki and she wanted to love her. She wanted Aki to know it, and to always know it no matter what kind of doubts tried to get between them. So they were still young. Who cared? Anzu knew what she felt, and hopefully so did Aki.

Aki was flustered, Anzu's hands lingering at unfamiliar territory for both of them. She didn't know what to do, she just let Anzu do what she wanted, which she at this point couldn't say she disliked. She was a little bit scared, sure. Of course she was. But she'd already told Anzu it was okay. She said that before she had even thought about it because it just occurred to her so swiftly, like it was just natural that she felt that way. She knew Anzu wouldn't do anything to hurt her intentionally, and she trusted Anzu. She loved Anzu. Her hands raised up behind Anzu's back and she embraced her. Anzu smiled faintly. She didn't realize…the comfort of the other's touch was still there, regardless of what was going on now, or where their relationship was going. She placed a soft kiss above Aki's right eye before her hand drifted back down. Aki felt some embarrassment when she felt Anzu's index finger give her waistband a single small tug. Aki could stop her. All she had to do was even just struggle to mutter for her to stop. Anzu would hear it. But she didn't really want to. Anzu kissed Aki's lips gently and slipped her fingers underneath her clothes tentatively. Aki made a small whimpering sound, caught off guard. Little movements were even enough to make her twitch, and the unfamiliar sensations in her nerves were starting to feel oddly overwhelming compared to the simple movements of Anzu's hand.

"A-Anzu…" Aki breathed out Anzu's name, involuntarily letting out another small noise. Anzu kissed Aki's neck repeatedly. Even the noises Aki made were cute. Aki was finding it more difficult to keep quiet, whether it was trying to breathe normally and failing or the sounds that she couldn't stop from escaping her throat. It all left her kind of helpless to Anzu and the increasingly pleasing fire under her skin. Anzu kissed Aki's lips, muffling her some, actually for the sake of avoiding the risk that someone hears something and catches them. With the slight grip of her fingers on Anzu's shirt, her body stopped fighting to hold down. Aki felt an even more unfamiliar, wonderful fire in her and she tensed, breaking their kiss. Another second and she exhaled, body trembling as she waited out the weakness in her legs. Flustered, she hazily responded to the soft kiss Anzu gave her, arms loosely wrapped around her. It wasn't so much awkward as it felt…she felt closer to Anzu. She felt closer…to her girlfriend.

The night wouldn't be one either of them would forget very easily over the next month and a half. The next morning came around though, and Anzu still had to get up, get cleaned, and dressed to go meet her parents outside. Frowning, Aki followed, shutting her front door as she spotted Anzu greeting her family, who were near the car parked outside. Anzu glanced behind her at Aki, then back to her parents. Giving them word she'd be back in a minute, she turned and rushed back to Aki, grabbing her and pulling her into a tight embrace.

"I'll be back before you know it, okay?"

"I…Anzu, I love you. I still don't want you to go." Aki said quietly, not letting go.

Anzu smiled. "I know." She pulled from Aki, hands on her shoulders as she locked Aki's stare. Turning only briefly to make sure her parents were distracted with each other, she turned back to Aki, and then pressed her lips to hers for a brief kiss. Brief, yet it spoke words nonetheless. "I love you, I told you that. And you know what? I'll love you while I'm away too. And then I'll still love you when I come back. It's not that long. Patience, okay?"

Aki stared at her for a minute, and then nodded. She still felt that sadness inside, but…it wasn't so bad now.

"I'll call you. Bye." Anzu gave her another quick hug before running back to her parents to get going. Aki watched them, smiling a little bit when they waved to her, and returned the wave, her own eyes lingering on Anzu a little bit longer than anyone else. It wasn't so bad really. Because Anzu loved her. And she loved Anzu. If Aki had to say goodbye to her someday…it wasn't going to be now. Or anytime soon. She'd just needed to know that they really did need each other that much. Anzu would be back in six weeks, and Aki would be ready to welcome her back, and things would be the way they were again. Except, they'd be that much closer.

Hope you liked it~ Um, so read and review if you like. I really like writing about these two.