Title: Akemashite!

Characters: Mio, Ritsu, Yui, Azusa, Mugi

Pairings: Mio/Ritsu

9:35 PM

"Oh, come on, Mio. It's almost like you want what happened that time to happen again!"

Although the New Year's special on TV was blaring loudly, Ritsu Tainaka's loud, protesting voice drowned it out entirely. The reason for her complaint was spread out on the floor before her in the shape of pillows and blankets. Luckily, even though Yui Hirasawa, Mugi Kotobuki, and Azusa Nakano were already lounging around on the floor of Mio Akiyama's apartment, they hadn't fallen asleep. Yet.

"We're going to stay up until midnight this time," Mio cried determinedly. "Ritsu, I'm definitely not letting what happened in high school happen again."

Yui whined, "But last time, we had soba that Ui made. I want her to come here and make some more…"

"Don't even think about calling her," warned Azusa. "Even if her college is hours away from here, she'd come without a second thought, and that would just inconvenience her."

Mugi, with an ever-present smile on her face, took out something from her bag. "I brought extra-strong coffee so that we don't end up sleeping through the new year."

Yui looked as though she was going to say something, but was interrupted by Ritsu exclaiming, "All right! Now we'll be able to stay up all night!" Mio hoped that she wouldn't regret letting them come to her apartment for New Year's Eve.

After Azusa had come to the same college as her upperclassmen and Houkago Tea Time had been reunited, everyone had wanted to have a place of their own to hang out in, like the music room back at their high school, and the dorm rooms just didn't feel right. So, at the start of the new school year, Mio had bravely decided that she was going to be moving out of the dorms and into an apartment of her own. It had been nerve-wracking at first, but her friends came to see her every single day, and the one-bedroom place suddenly became something of a home to all five of them. In the end, it had all worked out.

But now, it was a holiday, and Mio figured that they would all be partying and goofing off. And their parties always had been slightly out of control…she just hoped that this one would be at least somewhat normal.

10:02 PM

Ritsu had been laughing hysterically ever since she'd had a taste of Mugi's extra-strong coffee. This was the problem with Ritsu and caffeine—it brought out the Yui in her. Yui was surprisingly not as hyper as Ritsu, though she was still laughing along with Ritsu about basically anything. Mugi had also joined along in the hysterics, but Azusa remained stoic as usual, though Mio could see that she was actually pleased to be back among her upperclassmen. She and Mio were talking, reminiscing about the past year and everything that had happened.

Mio remembered the day she'd moved into her apartment like it had happened only last week. She'd placed the boxes of her things by her front door and looked around at her new home. It had seemed so empty and bare. It would have been exactly the right size to store several drum kits, and she could see, in her mind's eye, the one that Ritsu owned, sitting in the corner. Walking around the place, she suddenly couldn't get Ritsu out of her mind. If Ritsu were there, she'd have flung all her things around, not bothering to unpack for weeks, or, at least, not until Mio reminded her over and over. She'd take down the girly curtains Mio would put up, rearrange the framed photos hanging on the wall, steal food from the small fridge in the kitchen, and probably buy some secondhand speakers so that she could play loud music whenever she wanted. Mio would convince her to play some old Houkago Tea Time songs on the speakers, and then they would think about high school and laugh at everything that had happened. Even if the apartment was small, the two wouldn't mind sharing a cramped space. There would be enough space by the bathroom sink to fit two toothbrushes side by side, and they would hang their towels up together. Mio and Ritsu could go shopping for food together, could argue about who had to do the dishes or the laundry, could watch movies together on the couch at night.

Mio had shaken her head, forcing herself to remember that she was living here by herself now. Ritsu was still at the university dorms, and she'd probably stay there with Yui and Mugi and Azusa, too. At that moment, she'd felt further away from the other four than she ever had before. She'd wanted to run back to the dorms, crying like a little kid. But the whole reason she'd moved was to face her fears of being alone and be more like an adult. This was something that she had to see through.

In order to calm down, she'd started unpacking, and once she had, she'd found a picture of her and the others. She'd realized then that, even if she was separated from her friends, they would always come to see her and be with her.

Now, looking around at everyone enjoying themselves while chatting and drinking coffee and watching TV, Mio knew that she'd been right to find a place of her own. Although it got lonely sometimes, Mio would never be on her own, not if her friends could help it.

11:41 PM

After several games of cards, Mugi's attempts to make soba, and some impersonations (during which Mio was forced to play the absent Sawa-chan), things had started to quiet down. This bothered Ritsu to no end, because, as she said every two minutes, she didn't want the party to end up the same as last time. However, it was hard to avoid the fact that everyone except Ritsu and Mio was starting to nod off a bit. Whenever Ritsu said something, they'd raise their heads and blink in the manner of cows looking up from their pastures, but would close their eyes again when silence fell.

"But it doesn't make any sense!" exclaimed Ritsu. "You all had the extra-strong coffee, just like us, didn't you?"

"Actually," yawned Yui. "Caffeine kinda doesn't work on me…" She slumped over and was instantly out like a light. Mugi and Azusa followed suit, curling up on the floor and not opening their eyes again.

Ritsu demanded, "How is someone immune to caffeine, exactly?"

"How does someone never gain weight, no matter how much she eats?" Mio asked morosely. She'd been trying to figure this out since her first year of high school. "Sorry that it turned out like this, Ritsu. I know you wanted to have a big party and everything…"

"You know, it's kind of funny," commented the golden-eyed girl. "We're all in college now, and it's still the same as high school. Even our New Year's party is the same. It's like the universe is saying that these days should never end or something." Ritsu flung out her arms for effect, and Mio couldn't help laughing.

"Ritsu, I think you've drunk too much coffee." Ritsu laughed along with her, and Mio noticed just how much brighter those golden eyes of hers became when she laughed. She'd been watching Ritsu laughing all evening, but when Ritsu was laughing with only her, she couldn't help noticing it for the first time.

Then, unexpectedly, Ritsu asked something just like she had back when they'd been in their second year of high school. "Mio, what kind of a year was it for you this year?"

Mio could clearly remember the response she'd given back then, and was tempted to say the same thing as that time. And so she did. "I had a lot of fun, thanks to everyone." She was about to say thanks just as she had then, remembering the wide-eyed, flustered look she'd been given by Ritsu.

But just as the words were about to leave her, Mio realized that what she'd just said hadn't really explained what kind of a year she'd had this year. This year had been very, very different from her high school days. And so, it all spilled out of her. She told Ritsu how isolated she felt sometimes, but how happy it always made her to see everyone, and how adult-like she felt. She talked about how it felt like she was taking a step forward and that she was learning to be independent. Mio described the past year as a year of accomplishments, of reunions after Azusa came to their college, of every emotion between loneliness and companionship. It had been a year that Mio now wished she could experience again, but one that she also wanted to put behind her.

Mio stammered out when she was finished, "D-does that make any sense at all?"

There was a strange look on Ritsu's face, and all of a sudden she leaned in and hugged Mio tightly. When she pulled away, the strange look was still there, along with a look close to tenderness. "I've been trying to say something to you for a while now, Mio, but I was never sure how to word it. See, I'm thinking of moving out soon myself, and I wanted…" Her face was suddenly close to Mio's. The TV program announced that there was less than a minute to go before the new year, but neither Mio nor Ritsu seemed to hear it.

And then Ritsu said what she'd been wanting to say to Mio for what had seemed like the longest time in the world.

12:00 AM

"Can I move in with you, Mio?"

Just like that, it was the new year. Mio's heart throbbed remembering what Ritsu had said, and without quite knowing what she was doing, she moved in closer to Ritsu until their foreheads and then their noses were touching. Ritsu shifted her head up and brushed her lips against Mio's, and then they were kissing. In the very first minutes of the new year, the two were closer than they had ever been before, locked together by something that had to go beyond regular affection.

When Mio finally pulled away, it was to whisper, "Akemashite omedetou. Happy New Year, Ritsu."

In the space of a single second, their faces became flushed with sudden, forceful awkwardness, rather than with the effect that the kissing had had on their emotions. Ritsu was suddenly finding it hard to look directly into Mio's grey eyes, both of which were fixed on the floor in order to avoid Ritsu's gaze.

Ritsu managed to say, "Was that a yes, then?"

Mio got shakily to her feet and rushed over to the small bathroom in her apartment. She splashed water on her blushing face as she recalled that kissing someone at the very start of the year was, in fact, a common occurrence. It was tradition to kiss a person, no matter how random, when the clock struck midnight. So why had this kiss felt so…so…?

She could see a shadow under the bathroom door, and then heard the weight of someone leaning into it. It had to be Ritsu. Mio waited for her to start talking as she continued to stare at herself in the small bathroom mirror.

"Mio," sighed Ritsu, and Mio couldn't help admiring the sound of her name as Ritsu spoke it. "It felt different. I've never felt at all like I did then, and I don't know if that's a bad thing…" She trailed off. "What about you?"

Mio couldn't think of any words except, "I didn't want you to be anywhere else but with me. I don't know why I was thinking that, but that was all that was in my mind. That, and wanting to wish you a happy new year."

12:57 AM

After some time, during which Mio remained shut in the bathroom and Ritsu leaned on the door and neither of them said anything, Mio left the bathroom. Ritsu hesitantly hung back in the hallway, which was very unlike her, letting Mio into the bedroom. She'd flopped down on her bed and shut her eyes, trying to get her thoughts straight. At some point, she'd opened her eyes to see that Ritsu had come in without a word and sitting on the edge of the bed next to the dark-haired girl who'd been kissing her less than an hour before.

"I should probably tell you," murmured Mio, "About when I first moved in here. Back then, I kept thinking of what it would be like if you moved in with me, and we became roommates. Imagining that was just so nice, and it was hard to tell myself to stop thinking of that." She shifted her head to look at Ritsu. "I'm really glad you asked to move in with me. I'd really like it if you did. It would be like a dream come true…"

"Well, what's the problem?" Ritsu asked. "And don't say it's because you kissed me, because I was the one who kissed you, too."

"But won't this make things awkward? Y-you saw what happened after we stopped…"

Ritsu admitted, "It was kind of surprising, but I can handle that kind of thing, and I think you can, too. It's not like I'll think any less of you just because we kissed."

"What about our relationship?" Mio questioned cautiously. "Are we friends, or-"

"We're roommates now, of course!"

Mio looked over to see that a smile had returned to Ritsu's face and that she'd reached for Mio's hand. Mio took it and smiled hesitantly.

"Come on. Let's get back to the 'party'." With her free hand, Ritsu made air quotes, and with the one that was held in Mio's, she led her back to the living room.

4:08 AM

"I can't close my eyes. Can you, Mio?"

"Ritsu," grumbled Mio, "I know you want to stay up all night, but you already told me that."

"No, that's not what I mean. I physically cannot close my eyes. How strong was Mugi's coffee, anyway?"

"Who knows," murmured Mio. Admittedly, she couldn't seem to fall asleep either, though she felt exhausted. She and Ritsu were sitting on the couch together, staring blankly at the bright, flickering TV. They'd been doing that for some time in silence, talking only every now and then, but not because of everything that had been going on earlier. Now that all of it was over, both of them were left feeling just a little overwhelmed…and exhausted. It was, after all, well past the middle of the night, but they couldn't get to sleep.

Ritsu asked quietly, "Can I lean on you, Mio? I'm so tired right now." She didn't say maybe you'll help me fall asleep, but it was kind of implied. Without waiting for an answer, her head drooped onto Mio's shoulder. Mio could feel how warm she was and how slowly she was breathing, though it wasn't slow enough for her to be completely asleep.

So, for some time, Mio and Ritsu pretended to sleep, their eyes open, pressed against one another, feeling equally exhausted and content to be side by side. Both remembered the kiss, but with less embarrassment this time. And then, as the minutes ticked by, and they grew more accustomed to how close they were, Mio leaned her head against Ritsu's, finally admitting what she'd been thinking of for months, ever since she'd moved into her apartment. She wanted Ritsu to be next to her and not leave her side for the rest of her life. She never, ever wanted to let go.

Sometime later, as nobody was bothering to check the actual time anymore, the other three woke up. Yui was dead-set on the idea that they should all see the first sunrise of the year, but on the roof of the apartment building this time. As Azusa griped about whether they'd get in trouble for it or not, Mugi examined the sleeping figures of Ritsu and Mio. Their heads still rested against one another as they softly breathed in and out, the world around them shut out as they slept. It was only the two of them that mattered, it seemed.

A slow smile crept across Mugi's delicate features. She'd been right after all, it seemed, to give herself, Yui, and Azusa decaf coffee, and to purposely make the extra-strong coffee for only Mio and Ritsu.