A/N: I thought I'd try writing something a little different. Of course, it does say angst but it's not as bad you might think. I mean, I'm more of a fluff writer than angst haha.

Anyway, hope you enjoy. May your day be filled with NozoEli~

Plot: A line that formed between them as two best friends. Yet, lines will fade to form new ones.

Faded Lines

There was nothing magical about this feeling. It wasn't like a movie where fireworks exploded into the night sky, spraying multicoloured lights above her, as her hand intertwined with a softer, porcelain hand. Their fingers had tangled together, locking into place, palms touching. There was a hint of shyness to their subtle handholding as she kept her green eyes fixated intently on a blushing face while ice-blue ones were fixated on the floor, avoiding her gaze.

It was the first time Eli had ever taken her hand into hers without a moment of hesitation. The girl had bounded over to her after their performance of Snow Halation, calling her name with excitement laced in her tone. Eli had ceased her hand with a blinding smile perched on her lips, a smile that made her blue eyes reflect the sky on a cold, winter night. She was enraptured, lost in those beautiful blue eyes, as they gazed at her warmly. Even the snowflakes that landed softly on her cheek were beyond her notice.

Her heart fluttered, almost as if millions of butterflies were dancing wildly within her chest. She could feel a thumb gently stroking the back of her hand in tender circles. It sent a nervous tingle all the way down to the pit of her stomach, especially when she sensed the tension in the girl's posture.

"Nozomi," a voice whispers softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. She carefully tilts her head, meeting insecure blue eyes. "Thanks for being my best friend." Those words cut into her heart, almost feeling like a slap. It stung more than it should, after all, Nozomi had always buried these feelings deep within her chest, hoping she wouldn't ever have to acknowledge.

She was in love with Eli. Her best friend, her first friend in many years, the girl who changed her; Eli was all of those things to her. These feelings developed before she realized it and by the then, it was already too late. She hid them well from an oblivious Eli, but it hurt to keep them inside, to pretend that they didn't exist. Sometimes, because of Eli's popularity with the students at her school, she barely contained her own obvious dissatisfaction as Eli received love letters from underclassmen.

Letting a ghost of a smile touch her lips, she stared at their intertwined hands. Eli's hand was slightly colder compared to her clammy and warm hand, due to the cold climate. Just gazing into those warm eyes almost made this ache in her heart disappear. Almost.

"I promised not to leave you alone, didn't I?" Nozomi teased, forcing a grin onto her face. She squeezed Eli's hand back playfully, earning a blush from the embarrassed blond. To her surprise and relief, Eli didn't retract her hand, instead the blond merely smiled sheepishly, averting her eyes shyly to the side.

Nozomi gritted her teeth, feeling the dull ache throb within her heart. It hurt. It hurt to want more from the girl. It felt selfish of her to love Eli, to want to be the one by Eli's side forever. Just being in love brought mindless fantasies to her head, which Eli always had a role in.

It's been two years of this unrequited love. Two years of pushing these feelings away and convincing herself that it wasn't love. It was tiring. She was tired of holding onto these feelings. If love was easy to throw away, these feelings would have disappeared by now. But, every time Eli grinned goofily at her, whether it's eating a parfait or expressing her own excitement towards their school idol adventures, Nozomi ends up loving her even more.

"I... I'm here too, you know." Eli's voice snaps her out of her thoughts. She focuses her attention back on the blond, who stares at the ground shyly. "I'll always be by your side too, Nozomi." Nozomi's lips part slightly, releasing a soft puff of air through the small gap. Her heart feels giddy hearing these words from Eli. Just hearing the sincerity within the girl's tone makes her stomach flutter with butterflies.

I'll never win, huh? Nozomi muses to herself, sorrowfully. It's almost painful to try to keep these feelings at bay. Part of her wants to pull Eli into a hug and never let the girl while the other part of her wants to spill these feelings out and relieve herself of this pain. In a situation like this, Nozomi does nothing but smile.

"Oh, is that so, Elichi~" A teasing note reaches her voice as she eyes the blond, lips twitching into a forced grin. "Does that mean I'll be the only one by your side?" Her eyebrow quirks upwards, making her words sound like a playful jab towards the easily embarrassed blonde.

The noticeable splash of crimson on Eli's flustered face makes it worthwhile. She takes a mental photo of Eli's expression, keeping this image deep within the confines of her mind. Eli's lips part in shock, her eyes wide like saucers, her cheeks a rosy red; it's an adorable image she wishes she could see more often.

"H-Hey, stop teasing me, Nozomi!" If only it were just a tease. But she doesn't say it out loud as she places a hand on her mouth and laughs in a devilish fashion.

"Red is a nice colour on you," Nozomi continues, teasing the blond once more. It gives her time to push these feelings back again and bury them back into her aching heart. "But you'd look good in anything, Elichi." This time, her words aren't a tease, instead she speaks sincerely without a cheeky smile. Eli, stunned by her compliment, only seems to grow a darker shade of red, which almost makes Nozomi smile at the sight.

"G-Geez, why do you always have to tease me, Nozomi?" Eli scratches her cheek, embarrassed, as she averts her gaze away. "It's embarrassing when you do that." Despite her embarrassment, Eli began to swing their hands up and down in a child-like manner. Nozomi feels almost relief, after all, she's not ready to let go of Eli's hand. She wants to cherish this moment a little longer. Watching their intertwined hands, a sorrowful smile touches Nozomi's lips. She answers Eli's question silently to herself.

Because I love you, Elichi.

"I'm sorry," Her voice was small, barely audible against the plummeting rain. Her wet, purple bangs clung to her forehead, barely preventing the droplets from falling into her eyes. "I... I love you." The tremble in her voice and the pain squeezing her chest made it hard for her speak. She didn't dare take her eyes off of the sky. It made her wonder if the sky was crying for her, crying the tears she couldn't release.

Out of the corner of her eye, a hand drew forward, almost as if to touch her. She nearly flinched as a warm, porcelain hand cupped her cold cheek. The warmth radiating from this hand made the pain intensify, piercing an imaginary knife into her chest. She bit her lip, trying to remember how to breathe as the pain began to suffocate her.

It hurt. Saying those words hurt. But... what choice did she have? She couldn't hold these feelings back anymore. Not when it continued to break her heart over and over again.

"You... You're teasing me again, right?" She makes the mistake of meeting those insecure eyes. The moment she meets those ice-blue orbs, her heart nearly screams out in anguish when she sees the desperation in the back of them. The plea in those eyes makes her mouth feel dry like sandpaper. She gulped, feeling the lump within her throat.

She averts her eyes, unable to conjure up an answer. The hand pressing into her cheek burns like a hot iron now. It only grows hotter by the minute until she pushes it away. The heat vanished instantly, letting the cold return and numb her cheek with its icy touch.

It takes her a moment to realize they had been standing there for a while, both drenched head to toe from the downpour. Her clothes clung uncomfortably to her skin; it barely felt like they were a part of her anymore. Even her body felt numb and stiff from the cold atmosphere, having been exposed to the icy droplets that continued fall from the sky. Her umbrella lays forgotten by her feet, soaking in a small puddle.

They had promised to meet after school, considering Eli had decided to lend Honoka hand with their student council paperwork and the girl had forgotten her umbrella. Nozomi wasn't supposed to confess, especially not today. Yet, when Eli hopped under her umbrella and linked their arms together happily, she lost control of her emotions.

"So... you love me? In love with..." Eli's uncertain voice fills the tense atmosphere. There's a slight pause for a moment. "..me?" The confusion within Eli's tone is enough for Nozomi's heart to clench.

"Elichi," the name leaves her lips in an audible whisper. Her hands ball into fists as she tries to ignore the pain aching her chest. It's almost as if her own body is protesting her actions. "I'm sorry." She squeezes her eyes shut, trapping the tears that threaten to fall. She doesn't want Eli to see her cry, not when she knew the girl would feel guilty.

She can barely breathe as her chest tightens, building up with a tight pressure. It rises higher and higher, moving from her chest to the base of her throat. Eli's hands have moved down to grasp her hands, which still remain in tight fists.

"Please don't." She states, shaking her head as she clenches her fists harder. She swats the girl's hands away in an attempt to force the girl to let go. But Eli ceases her hands the moment they unclench and holds them tightly. Her teeth grind together, trying to tune out the thoughts circling within her head. She lets her eyes flutter open for a brief moment, looking over Eli's shoulder to take in the rain once more.

"Nozomi, this... this is a lot to take in," Eli breathes out, clumsily holding Nozomi's hands tighter. Nozomi wants to yank them away, but the warmth of Eli's hands protect her from the rain and the pain waiting to unleash its wrath. "I don't know if... I can return your feelings."

Pain. Pain rushes floods into her heart, overflowing it until she can almost hear it shatter. This suffocating atmosphere makes it hard for her to breathe. There's a prodding feeling nipping at her chest, almost telling her to get away and flee before it's too late. With a choked inhale, she yanked her hands away and turned away from the blond.

"Wait," a hand gently grasps her wrist, holding her in place. She bows her head, letting her wet strands fall into her eyes. "Give me some time. Please?" Nozomi can feel her will crumbling before her as she silently nods, feeling the sting welling within her eyes. The hand lets go, setting her free and she doesn't turn back.

She swoops down and picks up her bag clumsily, barely gripping the handle with her numb hands. She doesn't give Eli another chance to speak again. Instead, without another word, she hastily walks away from the blond, just having enough time to taste the salt on her lips. Her mask has crumbled, letting her tears fall and mix in with the rain.

She was crying, yet the rain was washing her tears away.

They were sitting in the clubroom alone, waiting for the other members to trickle in. Nozomi plays with her tarot cards, avoiding the heated gaze she receives from a pair of crimson eyes. The ebony haired girl continues to stare at her intensely, but if this girl thinks it'll make Nozomi feel uncomfortable, it's going to take a lot more than that to get under her skin.

"Nico-chan, stop staring at Nozomi like that. It's starting to get creepy." A bored voice drones out, along with the crinkling sound of paper as a certain crimson-haired girl turned a page in her book. Nozomi watched, amused, as Nico turned her crimson eyes on the uninterested girl. The crimson-haired girl merely kept her eyes on her book, refusing to acknowledge the irritated Nico.

"Maki-chan, you were staring too!" Nico declared, accusingly, jabbing a finger in the crimson-haired girl's direction. Maki looked up from her book, violet eyes flaring defiantly to glare at the girl in front of her. The blush on her face made Nozomi chuckle, shaking her head as she awaited the argument that was bound to ensue.

"I-I wasn't!"

"You were!"

"I'm telling you I wasn't!"

"But you've been reading the same page for the past 10 minutes!"

Nozomi propped elbow on the table, leaning her chin into her palm, as she watched the two engage in a heated banter. They always fought like two children whenever they were in each other's presence. Yet, the twinkle in Nico's eyes and the hint of a smile on Maki's defiant expression told her differently. When their faces got closer and their voices grew louder, she turned her head, gazing wistfully towards the door.

She envied them, wishing she could experience what they have. They were allowed to be with the person they loved while she remained a coward. A coward who was afraid. A coward, that's all she was.

There were times where she wanted to pretend her confession hadn't happened and go back to her normal routine with Eli. But the moment she looked into those beautiful blue eyes and caught the smile perched on Eli's lips, her heart lurched in fear and her throat closed before any words could leave her lips. She ended up forcing a smile on her face and shaking her head when Eli tried to approach her in an attempt to confront her.

"Y-You're too close!"

Thud! Nozomi snapped out of her thoughts, startled by the sudden crash that followed a yelp. Her eyes trailed from Maki, who had her hands out in front of her and eyes squeezed shut, to the groaning mess on the floor. Nico had a hand on her head, rubbing it tenderly with a scowl on her expression as the girl sat up.

"You two are really fond of each other, huh?" Nozomi commented, letting a teasing smile touch her lips. The two girls shot her a look, both in denial, as they shout incoherent words in unison. Words she couldn't quite decipher. But the blushes on their faces confirmed her suspicions, much to her amusement.

Maki offers Nico a hand, which the ebony-haired girl takes with an indignant huff, and helps the shorter girl onto her feet. Nozomi giggles to herself, noticing the fact that their hands hadn't parted after Nico was able to stand steadily on her own two feet, opting to keep them intertwined.

"Did you tell her yet?" Nozomi tenses, losing her smile and earlier amusement. The teasing atmosphere vanishes instantly as Nozomi's mood drops into a stormy, gloomy zone. The squeak Nico emits after taking an an elbow in the side by a certain red-haired individual goes unnoticed by the purple haired girl as her green eyes reflect her true emotions. Her heart begins to ache, almost reminding her of the pain it feels.

She stares down at the table, letting her gaze linger on the forgotten textbooks in front of her. Red, blue. Green, blue. She studies the pattern on the cover of her English textbook, picking out each colour she encounters. The blue letters etched across the cover fades around the edges. It's worn out, just like her feelings.

"Nozomi..." She doesn't respond when Maki calls her name, worriedly. She can hear the girl whisper harshly at Nico in reproof, who hisses back at her in response. It almost makes her smile, knowingly. After all, these two were still caught in their own denial, despite the obvious affection they had for one another.

"I did," Nozomi says after a moment, tracing a finger over the edge of the textbook. Her nail draws an imaginary line across the worn-out edges. "It hurts a little, but I'll be fine." These words leave a bitter taste in her mouth, yet she accompanies them with a smile, a smile she doesn't put much effort nor emotion into it.

Her fingers tingle, almost tempted to draw out a tarot card. Maybe if she knew her own fortune, it wouldn't hurt as much. She wants to believe that. She wants to believe that it won't hurt anymore if she locks these feelings away for good. But the throbbing within her chest and the pain knotting within her heart make it harder for her to convince herself.

"Liar," A finger jabs her in the forehead roughly. She meets Nico's flaring crimson eyes, noting the irritation and disbelief shining within them. "You're a liar, Nozomi." Nico withdraws her finger, folding her arms over chest, indignantly.

"It's okay," Nozomi replies, softly, easily reading Nico's mind. She knows the girl worries about her and knows about her unrequited feelings towards Eli. "This pain will fade in time." It's not a lie; she's not certain if it'll still hurt in the future. Maybe, just maybe, she'll fall in love with someone else. But the chances of that happening were fairly slim. She had loved Eli since their first year in high school. It wasn't something she could easily withdraw herself from.

After all, she was a fool caught in the deep end of love. A love that she couldn't let go of, even if she hurt in the end.

"Idiot," A pair of arms wrap around her neck and draw her head against a petite shoulder. She gazes up at Nico, who wears a serene expression. It's an expression she's not used to seeing on Nico's face. "Don't give up so quickly. I... I know it'll work out in the end." A tilt of her head, a small smile on her lips, Nico's crimson eyes regard her in a surprisingly warm fashion.

Nozomi lets her eyes flutter shut, letting her forehead lean into Nico's shoulder. She can hear Nico hum a tune under her breath, a tune she can recognize anywhere. Tears begin to fall down her cheeks and she doesn't bother to wipe them.

"Shall I name this heartrending pain, snow halation." She identifies the line Nico is humming and lets her emotions flow. The tears continue to stream down her cheeks, forming a small pool by her jaw before the droplets land on her shirt. Nico only hugs her, choosing not to say anything, even as her humming comes to a halt.

Recalling the lyrics of the song, she fails to hear the door close and misses the flash of blond hair that retreats back into the hallway.

Drawing in a deep breath, she hesitantly waits in front of the door. Her hand lingers on the doorknob, fingers wrapping tightly around the golden knob. Her heart was fairing well for a change, allowing her to take a step forward. After all, Nozomi wasn't going to let herself remain in this dark void.

Her hand moves, twisting the knob with slight force, while her eyebrows furrow together in concentration. Her knuckles turn a ghostly white as she grips the cold object tightly. Giving it a light push, the door opens a crack.

"Nozomi." She jumps at the sound of a voice and whirls around instinctively. Blue eyes, bold and unblinking, greet her, nervously. Her ribbon is tied messily today, looking sloppier than usual. Even Eli's hair looks a bit disarrayed with strands sticking up in certain places. The blond has her hands behind her back, lips curved in an awkward smile.

But it's her Eli. Her awkward yet adorable Elichi.

"Hi."

"It's been a while."

An awkward pause fills the silence between them. The two stare at each other for a moment, both knowing it's been a while since they had a proper conversation. Despite classes, dance practices, and student council work, they rarely saw each other lately. They used to go home together with Eli walking Nozomi to her apartment before the girl would depart with a warm farewell. Nozomi knew it was partially her fault for this distance, after all, she hadn't been ready to face Eli.

It was then Eli ran a hand through her hair in a nervous manner, looking slightly skittish as her eyes darted from the floor to Nozomi's eyes. Nozomi stared at her, confused by her behaviour. But didn't want to question it.

Being in Eli's presence again lifted some of the weight off her chest. It made the ache in her heart, which had dulled a bit since their last encounter, fade. Looking into those beautiful blue eyes again made her stomach tingle with a giddy feeling. Even her heart fluttered again, fluttered like it usually did when Eli looked at her. Observing the strange glint in the back of Eli's eyes, Nozomi felt a bit uneasy. This Eli in front of her was hard to read. Even her expression was blank, opting to retain a neutral look. If this was Eli's way of getting around her intuitive nature, it definitely was working.

"I've been thinking about your confession lately," Eli spoke up in a soft voice, regarding her in an almost timid manner. The girl's hand had moved to rub the back of her neck in an embarrassed fashion. "H-Here." The hand behind her back came into view, holding a white envelope. Nozomi blinked, staring at it incredulously.

Was this a joke? This almost looked like a confession letter. Almost.

"Is... this not how people do it? I thought when you love someone, you... write a letter to them..." Eli questioned, worriedly, looking absolutely serious. She looked ready to jerk her hand back, but Nozomi, having snapped out of her stupor, took a step forward and grasped the white envelope tightly between her thumb and index finger.

Love someone...

Nozomi's heart skipped a beat, realizing the implications of Eli's words. It couldn't be? Could it? Her mouth felt dry as she gulped, trying to ease the giddy feeling forming within the pit of her stomach. The anticipation she felt wasn't making it any easier.

"You... love me?" Nozomi whispered, uneasily, trying to keep her heart from exploding. Her tone held a doubtful note to it, which she notices had Eli's lips forming into a noticeable frown. Her hand trembled as it held the letter, the letter that kept their connection alive. Yet, as Eli's clear, blue eyes bored right into hers, she saw something within them that made her heart skip a beat.

"I love you," Eli replied, a red tint dusting across her cheeks. It was almost how she imagined it; a shy Eli with a blush on her face. "I never really acknowledged my own feelings. That's why I wasn't sure how to respond to you." The blond lets a smile touch her lips, regarding Nozomi with a confident stare.

The taste of salt reaches Nozomi's tastebuds, letting her feel the warm droplets slide down her cheeks. She doesn't hold them back as relief floods into her system, filling her heart with a new feeling. A feeling she could barely identify; elation. She tunes out Eli's worried voice as she takes a step forward and leans her forehead into Eli's shoulder.

"Tell me, this isn't a joke. Nor a dream," Nozomi mumbled into Eli's shirt, letting her tears soak into the thin, navy-blue fabric. The letter is crushed between them when Eli carefully wraps her arms around her waist and embraces her tightly. "My love for you might not be the same as the one you have for me." The doubt laced in her tone earns her a sigh as the blonde leans her head back, letting her blue eyes sink right into Nozomi's eyes.

"You're strangely doubtful for a person who claims to be quite spiritual and wise," Eli's hand gently strokes her hair in a soothing gesture. Her hand slowly moves down to cup Nozomi's cheek, gently brushing away Nozomi's tears with her thumb. "I want us to be... to be more than best friends. I... can we be more than that?" Nozomi's heart flutters again, beating erratically at the sight of Eli's shy smile.

"Are you asking me to be your girlfriend, Elichi?" Nozomi teases through her onslaught of tears. The red tint that greets Eli's cheeks causes the violet haired girl to smile, widely. A giggle leaves Nozomi's lips at the sight of Eli's deer-in-the-headlights expression.

"Ah, y-yes, I am! I mean... I planned to..." Eli stammers, nervously, turning a darker shade of red bit by bit. Nozomi quietly watches as those blue eyes flicker anxiously from her to the floor.

Nozomi places a hand on top of Eli's, pressing the girl's palm tighter against her cheek, letting her feel the warmth seep into her skin and flood into her body. She leaned into the girl's touch as Eli continued to brush the stray tears away from her cheeks. Peeking up at the girl through her eyelashes in a bashful manner, she let a soft small touch her lips.

"I accept, Elichi." She murmured, leaning in to brush her lips against the shell of Eli's ear. Earning a shiver from the blond, Nozomi reluctantly retreated, barely holding back a smile at the sight of Eli's petrified state. The girl had her other hand cupped over her ear in astonishment, looking as if she had been given the scare of her life.

Feeling a tug in her gut, just pushing her to take an extra step, Nozomi carefully retracted her hand and placed it behind Eli's head. Nudging the girl's head forward, she smiled when their foreheads touched and their noses brushed.

"Nozomi." Ice-blue eyes gazed right into hers, mirth flickering within the depths of them. The way Eli was looking at her made her body tingle, sending butterflies right into the pit of her stomach. Her breath hitched when Eli's porcelain hand took hers gently, threading their fingers together to intertwine them.

This was the second time Eli had held her hand and this time, she could imagine the fireworks exploding above them, despite the fact they were still indoors. She could imagine them standing out on the roof, watching a flurry of colours flood into the sky and shower light into the calm air. It wasn't magical; no, it was completely fulfilling. Just gazing into Eli's eyes, the eyes that were gazing at her with such warm intensity, she wanted to melt into this moment.

Letting her eyes flutter shut, she leaned her forehead closer into Eli's, earning a chuckle from the blond. She felt Eli's hand squeeze hers gently, as if to confirm her presence. But Nozomi didn't need reassurance; Eli's warmth already provided her with that sense of companionship.

"Can you sing a bit, Elichi?" She asks her girlfriend, smiling to herself with her eyes still closed. She wants to hear Eli's voice, not just her speaking voice, but the wonders of her angelic singing voice. She can feel Eli's breath tickling her lips as the girl exhales.

"As you wish, Nozomi."

To her surprise, Eli sings the same line Nico hummed a couple days ago to comfort her. Except this time, the lyrics sound sweeter to her as they leave Eli's lips in a rich, delicate sound. Her heart tingles, slowly erasing the wounds of the past and mending it with the love in Eli's voice. Carefully opening her eyes, she meets Eli's gaze and tilts her head upwards.

Their lips meet, barely touching one another, yet still flooding warmth into Nozomi's fluttering heart. She's not surprised when the first thing she tastes is the sweetness of chocolate. Nozomi's lips form into a smile as she held up Eli's unopened confession letter behind Eli's back.

Faded lines. Lines that connected two girls as inseparable best friends, yet faded to form a new line. A line that bloomed as love grew between them.