A/N: It's time to do a one shot mass clean out of everything that's been sitting around in a corner on a flash drive. (I admit now, that will be a lengthy process) I'm going down the list from top to bottom, so that means there will be more than just a few Mai HiME one shots involved...I guess it will be good to post the things I have from other fandom.

Anyway, this is the first one shot I ever did for K-ON. I'll admit, I did this so long ago, that it was before the series ended. This takes places somewhere floating around in the middle of time and space. I was never really happy with it, K-ON I always found to be one of my weak points for anime, so it ended up in the reject pile for a long time...since I promised I would unearth said fan fiction reject pile, here it is.

I can't promise the quality of this thing...I never did finish the K-ON anime. (hence why this was in the reject pile.)

I don't own K-ON.

Quiet Surrender

"It wasn't like I wanted her to be as spastic as she was...scratch that...as spastic as she is on any given day." Mio shrugged, wondering why she was trying to keep Yui amused today. The club activities were technically canceled. It wasn't as if they had anything to do, they couldn't even practice today, what with everyone being otherwise occupied. "Her drumming haphazard at best, and her wild attitude, well it was a lot for me. I like her as a friend. Really, I do. Don't get me wrong, but Ritsu just isn't someone I would consider dating." Mio sighed as she sipped her tea idly. It wasn't as good at Mugi's, but at least it was something she could swallow, unlike Ritsu's often failed attempts.

"See, and I would think that you like her, because of all that." Yui prattled on, completely ignoring the red blush that splashed across Mio's face. "Ritsu really is a good influence on you. She pulls you out of your shell a lot."

"She does do that." Mio commented dryly. Never in a million years would she have considered herself interested in other women, but on this one occasion, she made the admittance that if she ended up with someone same as her, she would wish it to be someone from the band. "But those aren't reasons to fall in love with a person." She dreamed of someone who she could devote herself to entirely. "Can we drop this now, please? This isn't really something I want to talk about." Still, Mio liked to think of herself as straight. That one day, a boy would sweep her off her feet.

"What's wrong with talking about it?" The only other person in the room, a flighty girl, both care free, and much like Ritsu herself, bulldozed through the conversation. It was no wonder why one such as Yui, would never understand such a delicate matter. "I know a lot of girls, who like other girls." Yui shrugged, seemingly not to mind Mio's pained expression.

"It's embarrassing, that's what!" Mio snapped as an entirely new blush colored her face. This one a much deeper red then before. "I understand that you want to be helpful, but this isn't really something you can stick your nose into. It's my personal space you happen to be invading, asking questions like that, seriously." It wasn't the question she had an issue with, not exactly anyway. It was how Yui decided to ask it. Did Mio have a boyfriend? No, but that wasn't the point. "Who I fall in love with- well, it isn't really that important." It was for her though, Mio wished dearly for some sort of companionship. She just couldn't admit that nagging voice in her heart continued to beg for solace.

"Mio..." Yui wasn't one to pry often. She liked being care free, a bubble headed girl, one without worries or restraints. She knew Mio was different, that she was a stern teen with a lot of emotional walls, ones never willingly surfacing, only shown upon impulses beyond Mio's own control. Often, it was Ritsu who provoked such times. "The entire band loves you. We all need you, even if you don't think so." Yui, proud of herself for stating what was clearly obvious, only earned a sigh and a deject response.

"You just don't get it, do you Yui?" Mio looked at her teacup, one that she couldn't even hold steady, her shaky fingertips at war with her. There were so many things she could say. She knew spilling her guts wasn't the answer she was looking for. Even so, it wasn't like she could stop herself from going on a tangent either. "I told you, I don't want to talk about it." Mio sighed again, trying to sip her tea, or at the very least, stop Yui's questions.

"You have to open up sooner or later." Yui singsonged while enjoying another cookie left over from that afternoon, her feet tapping the floor idly as she nibbled the confection. "I think it's sweet." She cooed before putting her treasured prize down. "Besides Mio, it's not hard thinking of the two of you like that." Yui's eyes held the smallest of twinkles in them, an amusement that went beyond a simple statement. "She likes you, and you like her. What could go wrong?"

"I've always liked Ritsu." Mio sighed, this was getting bothersome. "I just don't love her." If she were honest, she knew she could have felt deeply for Ritsu. She she could feel as a lover would. "I mean, as a friend, yeah...Yui, she's the best one I've got." Even if Mio could feel that way towards her childhood friend, she knew it wasn't a good idea. "If I were to ask her out though, it wouldn't last. I've always wanted someone wild, but also, down to earth. Someone who can be quiet, insightful, but still has a sense of adventure." No, it wasn't the drummer that had the shy girl worked up. It would have been easier if it had been. "This is so wrong. I shouldn't even want to think of other girls like that."

"Why not?" Yui asked, her head cocked onto one side like a confused puppy. "Mugi's like that, and she doesn't have an issue with it. Why should you?"

"Because it's wrong, Yui. That's why." Mio answered as she sipped her tea. She had thought of talking to Mugi about this particular matter before, but then decided she shouldn't. It would be completely, and totally inappropriate. "Mugi's the way she is, because she knows she can't ever act on her feelings. She's rich, and she's going to inherit her father's company one day. Still, just because she's...that way, doesn't mean she's alright with it."

"Just because I'm what way?" Mugi questioned with a smile on her face as she entered the club room. In her hands she held her text books, the epitome of a good student. As she placed them down inside one of the desks, she went about pouring some tea that had clearly been made by Yui, taking a seat. Mio's eyes had widened at the question, fearing she'd been over heard, but when Mugi took a cookie from the plate instead, Mio squashed the idea.

"It's nothing, really." Mio told her, a small blush tinging her cheeks. "Don't worry about it."

"If it's nothing, then I'm glad." Mugi's eyes shimmered with something though, filled with both kindness, and understanding. Like an old pro, she elegantly changed the subject. It started with school, and Yui fully followed along, forgetting Mio's troubles. The three of them talked for hours, drank tea, and enjoyed a lazy day in the club room. Ritsu was likely harassing the student council, but that too, was to be expected. It wasn't until Yui remembered that she had to be home for dinner, that she scurried out of the club room.

By that time, the sun was coloring the evening sky in hues of orange and pink.

They'd talked idly a bit more, when Mugi became a bit more serene. It was a slow progression, one Mio hardly noticed, but for some reason, with Mugi quietly gazing at her, she knew, there was something just beneath the surface. "Mio..." Mugi's voice was soft, and filled with concern, one that hadn't been there moments ago. "Can we speak, without reservations?" Mugi asked, a dull hope in her eyes, her hands sitting in her lap, as if she were unsure of herself.

"Well, sure Mugi." Mio answered as she reached forward, pouring more tea into her cup. "I didn't think we used them in the first place."

"Yui and Ritsu don't." Mugi agreed with that. "But, we do." They were shy, perhaps a bit more quiet, so it made sense, Mugi assumed. "I thought it would be best if we talked, without Yui here. I overheard you two speaking earlier, and, I just thought, maybe Yui was missing the more delicate points of the issue."

"Oh, no. That isn't necessary." Mio began, embarrassed that she'd been caught. "Like I was telling Yui, this isn't something I want to discuss."

"It's not like I chose to be this way." The blond trudged on, as if she hadn't heard what Mio had told her. "I didn't ask to like other girls, to always be by their side. I knew it wasn't considered normal, and when I was younger, I actually struggled with it a lot. Then, as I got older, I realized that I didn't have to hide it." She sipped her tea, a frown dancing around her face, she almost considered banning her from the kitchenette, just like Ritsu had been. "I would just let that become apart of who I was, so even if I didn't announce it, someone would be bound to figure it out."

"I'd rather not be 'found out." Mio replied, only a little hesitantly. "Even among friends, I'd rather some things stay personal."

Mugi had honestly been happy that the club accepted her, that she didn't have to hide behind some sort of falsehood. "What I'm trying to say is, that you don't have to hide it. Actually it'd be better if you didn't." If she were being truthful though, which Mugi had always tried to do, she knew the problem went deeper. "I've always wanted someone who I could talk about my feelings with, someone who would understand. Especially after I realized the feeling wasn't going to go away."

Mio had listed to everything, had tried to understand her friend to the best of her ability, but even so, she came out lost. "With all due respect, I think it is a very personal matter. It's wrong of me to think I can just blurt things like this out, and expect everyone to be okay with it. It's not something you can expect most people to deal with, and besides, it isn't like I have anyone in mind anyway." It was Yui who had jumped to conclusions, and Mio was going to hide behind that fact for as long as she could.

She knew Mugi could see though it, but Mugi was a safe bet...the one who wouldn't go shouting it from the rooftops, unlike Ritsu, who often lacked such tact. "Ritsu and I are just really good friends. Yui just let her imagination run away with her again." Mio shrugged, she tried to stay upbeat, and happy. "Ever since I said that thing about the light music club being my boyfriend, she and Ritsu both have been teasing me."

"It's not surprising." Mugi giggled, she knew how those two could be. "It's alright though, because they care about you." If mischief could possibly be part of Mugi's normally down to earth personality, Mio could swear she could see some of it behind blue eyes. "They don't want you to be hurt, even if they pry a little sometimes." It glimmered there, a soft look of admission. "I know it sounds weird, but, when you just let it go, everything will fall into place."

"You say that as if you're worried about me or something." Mio wanted to keep looking at her tea, the dark liquid void of the searching gaze that seemed to see through her every mask.

"Oh, I'm far from it." Mugi kept her gaze calm, even after she finished what little of her own drink she had left. "Give me a call, if you ever want to talk. Until then, I'll do you the favor of forgetting that we've even exchanged these words." She picked up her plates and put them in the sink, washing them idly before walking out of the room, leaving Mio sitting there, dumbfounded.

Weeks went by, and she tried...desperately so, to forget about their little exchange.

Mio wanted to push those words out of her mind, as she went about the rest of her normal high school life. She figured eventually, they would wane out, or at least, her feelings would change. There were times she found herself lost in thoughts that were not completely unwarranted. She had wanted to talk to Mugi, but she hadn't any idea what she could say. Still, when she took notice of the girl, just as she had done in passing several times before, Mio had to admit, Mugi was everything she was truly hoping for.

It didn't help her case, that Mugi seemed interested.

Those facts wouldn't stop swimming around in her head, not even after she'd mentally berate herself for letting her eyes linger in places they didn't belong. Most of them were innocent, like her thoughts about Mugi's beautiful smile...others were a far cry from what a friend should be looking at. They were still simply friends, after all. Though, that truth had started to become increasingly more frustrating.

To her credit, Mugi had kept her promise. Mugi had done her best not to say a word, and Yui, true to her normal self, had all but forgotten her concern. Yui was honestly so caught up in trying to study and practice, that she hadn't any time for pestering people. Ritsu was much the same, and Mio was thankful for the reprieve...even though Mugi kept her gaze watchful, like a mother hen over a chick. Yet, even so, Mio could tell that lingering gaze wasn't completely platonic.

That's what made it so difficult, those watchful eyes always seemed to follow her, as if to give her undying support...or, perhaps it was something else? Recently, Mio couldn't tell the difference, and that bothered her. Somewhere along the way, they'd begun to fall into some sort of weird pattern. Mio wanted to confront the problem, but was also just as content to never say a word.

Mugi was always a little bit more comfortable with herself, a little bit more sure of her actions on the best of days. Mio felt differently, knew she wasn't anything like Mugi in that aspect, and wished she could be. Mugi had reservations too, but they weren't exactly hidden around a shell like Mio's own. Mugi's soft touches, or her lack of personal space seemed to continue to dwindle, when ever Mio was around.

She wanted that safety, that need to really be somebody important for another...Mio wanted to be able to open up, but, it wasn't exactly second nature for her to do that, at least, not without song lyrics.

Mugi was like a breath of fresh air, on the most hectic of days. She was calm, supportive, and always friendly. Mugi never really got upset at anyone, and she fumbled a bit in that way, unsure at times perhaps, about her role with the other girls. About how much they needed her, truly, and how much was just because Mugi was important to them. She could see the blond wavered with that a lot, especially if Mugi wanted to fit it...like the time she wanted to be hit. As if being smacked, would unlock some unseen door between her, and the rest of the world. Mugi was special in that way, and wanted dearly to be seen as just a normal girl...and yet, Mugi wanted somebody too, someone to treat her like no one else could.

In truth, it was why she couldn't talk to Mugi about it.

Mio had always kept a fondness for Mugi, but afternoon tea was becoming strained whenever she looked the girl in the eyes. It was getting tense, and the others were picking up on it. When they would be the last ones to leave the room locked up, and put away for the day, there are times the other girls would linger at the door. Watching them, studying their new, but subtle, changes in demeanor. There was a fog that was uncommon in the music room, and Mio didn't want it to be there anymore. Over her time of being quiet, Mugi was keeping a respectful distance, as if the discovery of the fact that they were both lesbians would lead them down paths neither one of them wanted to cross.

That's why Mio froze, a dish in her hand clattering back onto the table, when she was alone with Mugi on another fateful afternoon.

"Forgive me." Mugi said then, her eyes finding the floor in a soft embarrassment. Mio's fingertips shook as they fell over her quivering lips. "It is impolite for me to act so irrationally." Mugi spoke formally, already knowing Mio hadn't been prepared for the kiss, and had been shocked into petrification. "I just don't like to see you hurting, Mio. It saddens me, when I do." Now though, Mugi couldn't deny she felt even worse. "I don't like that you're so troubled. I wanted to take away the pain."

"W-w-we can't." Mio stuttered, shaking her head, and turning away from Mugi, a blush tinging her cheeks. "We're both girls." She wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to sound upset. "It's not..." Mio couldn't say it. "It's not..." Right...Mio couldn't make the word come out of her mouth. "This is so odd." Mio finally settled on that, having nothing else she could say. "And that was bold." Mio shivered, honestly she could expect something like that from a brazen Ritsu, or even Yui on one of her more playful days...but never Mugi.

"I love you." Mugi could only return a shaky voice as she embraced Mio from behind, her face warming in embarrassment as she leaned on Mio's back. "I'm sorry...but, I do." It didn't feel so wrong to say it, like she thought it might. Mugi had been hoping for a day of heartfelt confessions, but she Mio would bottle up her truth, and never speak of it. Mugi knew kissing her would be the only real way to bring everything out in the open. "I like being with you, I like kissing you." It had only been a tiny, quick peck on the lips, but Mio had been warm, and her lips had been soft. "I want to do it again..."

"Mugi..." Mio breathed, unsure perhaps where this was going to take them. "I've never...not even with a boy." Yet, here she was, hearing her first confession ever, and it was from another girl. If it had to be anyone, Mio was glad it was someone as close, as important, as Mugi. "So when you say things like that, it's really weird." She could feel Mugi pressing into her back, holding her, begging her silently to turn around. "I wasn't prepared." Mio sighed, as she bit her lip.

"Then prepare yourself, Mio." Mugi laughed softly. "Then just turn around, and close your eyes. I'll take care of the rest."