Miku and Rin are really good friends.
Yes, friends. That's it, nothing more. At least, that's what Rin tries to tell herself every day.
Sure, they're basically roommates. Sure, they hang out almost all the time. Sure, they go to school together. Sure, Rin finds herself unintentionally staring at her when they're alone. It's not like she likes her or anything. So what if she wants to hold her hand sometimes, just for a little while? So what if she feels little butterflies in her stomach whenever Miku sings to her and only her?
They're best friends. There's nothing between them at all.
But hypothetically speaking, IF Rin did have a teeny tiny crush on Miku (which she most certainly did not), she would tell her about it in a totally cool, totally-not-nervous-at-all way. She would saunter over to her, lean in as close to her face as she could manage (even though Miku was much taller than her), and say in a smooth voice, "Hey. Did you know that you're the most beautiful girl I've ever met?"
...Wait, no. That's not what she would say. That would be too cheesy, not to mention incredibly awkward. Miku would never go for something like that, even if Rin did have a crush on her (which, she once again thought, was definitely not the case at all). She had to be more natural.
"Hey, Miku, wanna go out?" No. Too direct. Not enough sincerity. What if she thought the whole thing was just a quick, casual fling? If Rin had a crush on her, she would want to make sure that her feelings were appropriately expressed.
"Miku, I...I've liked you for a really long time." No, no, no! There was no way she could say something like that! When would such a situation arise that would be appropriate enough for those words, anyway?! Not like it really mattered, because she would never say something like that to her, ever!
"Miku…" Rin mutters, sighing as she looks at her reflection, "you're my best friend. Why am I thinking about this?" She wipes away the tears that are threatening to pour down her face and angrily slams her fist down on her bed. "It's not FAIR, goddammit!"
It really isn't. After all, if they really were just good friends, why was she standing in front of her mirror and practicing love confessions? Why did she have dreams about kissing her, running her hands through her beautiful turquoise hair? Fuck, why was her hair so beautiful?! Why was SHE so beautiful?
"Rin?"
Oh no. Oh god, no. Not her, anyone but her. Not now.
"What's wrong?"
Even her voice is the prettiest thing Rin has ever known. The blond grits her teeth before turning around to look at the girl who she definitely doesn't have a crush on.
"Why are you crying? Did somebody hurt you?" Miku asks worriedly, rushing over to her side and wrapping her in a hug. She smells like flowers, and Rin finds herself wishing that she was allergic so that she didn't have to be enticed by the scent.
"I...I…" Rin hates lying. She hates it more than anything else in the world. Whenever she lies, it's really easy to tell, because her hands get sweaty and she rubs them together. She stutters and twirls strands of her own hair while avoiding eye contact. If that didn't scream "I'm not telling the truth," then Rin would have been one of the most convincing liars in the world. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case.
"Miku, have you ever...liked someone, but was afraid to tell them?" she manages to say between sobs. Not that she did like her. She's speaking hypothetically again, obviously.
The teal-haired girl tilts her head in confusion. "Why would you be afraid to tell somebody that you like them? I like my friends, and I tell them all the time!"
God, there she went again. She was so damn dense sometimes. It was infuriating. And cute. Infuriatingly cute.
"Th-that's not what I meant!" Rin cries, holding on to Miku for dear life. "I'm talking about romantic love!"
Miku blinks slowly, as if the thought never occurred to her. It probably hasn't. "Hmm…" she says, more to herself than to Rin. She puts a finger to her chin in thought. "Well, it's not something I think about very often. What is the person like?"
Rin immediately tried to defend herself. "HEY! I-I never said that I DID like anyone!"
Despite the situation, Miku couldn't help but chuckle. "Ah, you're right. My bad." She flicks a strand of hair away from her face. "But let's say you did like someone. What would this perfect person be like?"
Rin hesitates. "Someone...caring and patient, who actually wants to listen and offer help." She can't believe the words that she's saying, but she can't stop them from coming out. "Someone who can make me laugh when I'm crying. Someone with a soothing voice. Someone who…"
The more she rambles, the more she realizes that her ideal partner sounds more and more like Miku. But that can't be right; Miku is her friend. And yet, as she goes on, she can't help but notice the teal-haired girl smiling down at her, and she can't help but smile back (albeit only a little) before the next phrase slips from her mouth: "Someone like you."
Immediately, she catches her mistake and Rin's smile fades from her face along with its color. "W-wait, no, I didn't mean…! I was just, just-" She finds herself unable to finish her thoughts as she stutters, desperate to try and make the situation less awkward. Just as she's starting to unravel, she feels a hand gently rest on her shoulder.
"Hey," Miku says in a soft, sweet tone, "Hey, don't cry. It's okay."
Rin looks up at her, tears still in her eyes, but they suddenly aren't falling as rapidly. Goddammit, she hates that Miku can change her emotions like that with something as simple as a touch.
"So...hypothetically, let's say someone like me returned your feelings and wanted to try things out. Would you be okay with that?" she asks gently, now rubbing the blond girl's arm reassuringly.
Rin's eyes widen. "What."
Miku giggles. "You were speaking hypothetically, right? Why can't I?"
Rin opens her mouth to say something, but closes it again. After a few seconds of repeating this, she finally forces out a, "Well...i-if that happened, I would accept. Yeah."
All of a sudden, Miku pulls her in for a closer hug. "Good, because someone like me would be very happy about that."