Nozomi saw the red flags.
The distracted, half-hearted responses, the absence of warm contact, the fleeting scent of an unfamiliar perfume—they were all signs, yet Nozomi chose not to believe in them.
'She would never do that.' Nozomi insisted to herself, trying to keep as much positivity as she could possibly retain. 'Elichi would never do that to me.'
"I'll be going to work now. Oh, and I'll be out late—something came up and they want me to stay in." Eli called out from the living room as she turned off the morning news and straightened her clothes out.
"Okay." Nozomi responded with a forced smile, never mind the fact that Eli's clothes were wrinkled in the first place.
"I'll see you later, love." Eli rushed out with a charming grin, giving her a quick kiss before leaving.
It was cajoling, just like their relationship years past.
It was cold, just like the breakfast Nozomi had cooked for her.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?"
Her glaring crimson eyes, her outraged yet worried expression, her almost violent reaction—Nozomi expected this all from Nico. She cared so much but expressed her feelings awkwardly, which always resulted in an extreme eruption of emotion.
"I love her, Nicocchi." Nozomi simply stated as she drank some more tea, prompting Nico to stand up and slam her fist on the table. Nozomi blinked, unfazed by her outburst.
"That's bullshit." Nico fumed with a glare, although it wasn't necessarily directed at her. Her voice quiet yet deadly, and it made Nozomi smile softly at the fact that there really was someone out there that cared for her so much. "You don't deserve this. She—"
Nico choked, her voice raw with fury and indignation. She tried to calm herself and sat down, shakily breathing in and out. She ran her fingers through her hair, having chosen to stop using her signature hairstyle since they had started college. She claimed she wanted to look more mature and Eli laughed at her, but Nozomi was more supportive. Nico was her best friend, after all. She was the only other person Nozomi could trust with her life.
"She doesn't deserve someone as amazing as you."
Nico's continuation was quiet but the emotion was there. The sincerity was there. Something so passionate and genuine that Nozomi hadn't seen in Eli for the past few months was there.
And it scared her to death.
"Nicocchi, please..." Nozomi pleaded, knowing that Nico wouldn't hesitate to act, to do something inane and imprudent, "Everything is fine, I swear."
At seeing the tears cascade down Nozomi's face, Nico faltered. She looked at her, stared at her as if she could see her soul, and it was one of the few moments Nozomi actually felt vulnerable. However, Nico just sighed in defeat and moved out of her chair to give Nozomi a hug. She engulfed her with her warmth, and all Nozomi could hear was the comforting rhythm of her heartbeat.
"Whatever you say." Nico responded unconvincingly, but Nozomi let her be. She relished in the attention Nico had poured on her—attention she hadn't felt in a long time.
It seemed like everything would be fine after all.
But of course, fate loved to turn Nozomi's life upside down.
"I saw you, you fucking asshole."
Nozomi's hand faltered. Her heart thumped wildly as she brought it down, tightening her grip on the grocery bags as she felt conflicted on what to do.
'I should interrupt.' Nozomi thought to herself as she bit her lip, staring at the door as she questioned her choice of action. 'I need to stop them. Before Nicocchi gets too angry.'
Yet her hand made no move towards the door knob.
"I have no idea what you're talking about, Nico." Eli replied calmly, making Nozomi smile with hope.
Ah, there she was. Eli, love of her life. The composed and talented beauty who turned heads wherever she went—her one and only Elichi.
"You think your damn charms work on me?" Nico asked, evidently furious from the tone of her voice.
"Look, just because I'm with Nozomi doesn't mean you have to give me that shit." Eli replied somewhat condescendingly, as if she had a smirk on her face.
"I saw you last night, you lying motherfucker." Nico incandescently growled, completely ignoring Eli's earlier statement.
There was a sound of something shattering followed by a thump, and Nozomi didn't know if it was glass or her heart breaking.
"I don't know what you're talking about, Nico. Now get your damn hands off—"
"—Don't know, huh? Does checking into the hotel near Akihabara with some bitch named Ami jog your memory?" Nico bit back as the sound of a slap reverberated.
"You—" Eli inhaled deeply before she continued with bewilderment, "How?"
No.
No.
It wasn't true. It couldn't be true. It shouldn't be true.
"You think you're good at hiding things just because you're so damn charismatic!?"
"Nico, if you tell Nozomi, I swear I'll—"
Nozomi stopped listening. She stopped moving. She stopped breathing.
Of course this would happen. Nozomi wasn't Eli's first friend—she wouldn't be as attached to Nozomi as Nozomi was to her.
Their relationship was a coincidence. She became friends with Nozomi because she was there at the right time. She was there when Eli needed someone who understood her. She wouldn't stay in love with someone like that—not when she could meet someone who was more beautiful and capable.
'That's all I am.' Nozomi thought as her entire body turned pale and cold at her sudden revelation. 'It was coincidental love, and she would fall out of love with me just as easily as she fell in.'
The skies suddenly became overcast and roared its approval, befitting Nozomi's mood. The rain was heavy and harsh, but she paid no mind—it was nothing compared to the tempestuous emotions she found herself suddenly overcome with.
With a choked sob, she dropped the bag and ran away, not noticing how Nico opened the door and frantically called out her name. She ran and ran and ran until she tripped and fell.
With red eyes, she looked up to the dismal skies and laughed. She raised her hand up to the air and grasped it.
'You said you would give me the stars, Elichi,' Nozomi thought as she caught a raindrop and put it towards her chest, solemnly humming an old song that they had sung back in their high school days, 'but it looks like there are no stars tonight.'
However, an indistinguishable noise caused Nozomi to look up. She saw a bright light and smiled sanguinely. She reached for it with a shaky hand, not noticing the clamor around her.
'This time, I'll catch one for you, Elichi.'
AN: I, uh, sorry lol. This was a little idea that was in my mind and I was inspired by saberin because of all of her nozonicoeli hcs (sorry for the sadness though).
I'm also thinking of making an account of AO3, but then I would have to transfer all my fics and all that crap. Well, once I have the time, I guess I'll make an account there. This will be the main site I will update on though. I just like how you can directly reply to reviews on AO3.
As for that longfic, I'm in the process of doing it. Expect an update that's around 15k words lol.
Other than that, reviews and criticisms are much appreciated!