AN: My third Mitsu fic but the second I'll be uploading. There will be a sequel to this but it's still in the works. Don't worry, I won't abandon this! Again, I'm not familiar with Japanese customs, so if there are any mistakes, my thanks to whoever would kindly point it out!

Disclaimer: I do not own K-ON! nor any of its characters. Kakifly does. The lucky ba****d.

Title: Our Love
Word Count: 2,914 words
Pairing: Ritsu x Mio; Mio x Ritsu
POV: Second person, Ritsu-centric
Summary: How long can you love your best friend in secret? Mio and Ritsu go out on an impomptu date. Ritsu has bee thinking of confessing to Mio. Mio also has something important to tell her best friend.

Our Love

It was the summer vacation of your third year. You were watching videos of live concerts of various bands on the internet, picking out those that especially focus on the drummer the most. Your feet tap along to the beat and soon you have your sticks in your hands and you're hitting books of various thickness that you were supposed to be studying. You were rushing as usual, but you knew that no one could match the intensity of your playing and the power of each beat you created. You were confident in your music, because that was how you are, that was who YOU are.

You didn't even hear the loud banging on your door until your little brother burst into your room and yelled from the top of his lungs so that his voice would break through the intense haze only drumming brings over you.

"ONEE-CHAAN, KEEP IT DOWN!" You were startled and you stop in the middle of an eight beat measure and look back to where your brother stood at the doorway and shot him an apologetic look.

"Gomen, Satoshi." You scratch the back of your head, sweatdropping comically. Your brother just sighed and closed the door probably going back to a videogame he was playing or a comic book he was reading in his room.

You felt the tie holding up your long bangs came loose and pulled it out of your hair. You combed through your bangs with your fingers then proceeded to tie it up again. While holding it up, you saw your phone's screen light up and heard the faint buzzing sound it makes when it vibrates indicating that you just received a text message. You quickly finished fixing your hair and picked up the mobile, checking the sender ID. It read 'Dangerous Queen'. It was from Mio. Akiyama Mio, your childhood friend and best friend, the reason why you never spent a day without a bump on your head, your academic savior, the moe-filled, raven-haired, gray-eyed beauty that inspired you and motivated you to keep on playing your music because you know you'd be playing with her; the only person you've ever had feelings for.

You moved your thumb to hover over the 'open' button.

You felt your heart thump faster and louder each time against your ribcage until it felt like it wanted to burst out of the confines of your chest. You inhaled through your nose and let it out audibly through your mouth. You did this for a few more times until you've calmed your rebelling heart.

You pressed it. The message loaded on the screen.

'Ritsu, are you free tomorrow?'

You blushed, imagination slipping from your grasp and running freely with thoughts about how she probably wants to hang out with you tomorrow. You grinned at the message, if only you could convey the happiness you felt through the electronic device to her.

You pressed reply and typed out a quick message.

'Yeah. Wanna hang out?'

You pressed send and less than half a minute later, before you could even do a mental victory dance because you were going out on a date tomorrow, your phone buzzed again.

'Yeah. Will 3pm be alright? I know that you've been sleeping in until noon since summer started and it's so hot outside that going out for lunch isn't even a possibility.'

Before you typed a quick reply, you 'hmmed' and thought about how sudden this was.

'Heh. You know me too well, Mio-sama! Why the sudden invitation, though? I thought you've been having advanced summer reviews for preparation for the Uni?'

'I'm skipping tomorrow. I can study at home, anyway. So, I'll pick you up at your house tomorrow. See you then! Oyasumi.'

You found it so out of character for Mio to skip tomorrow even if she already knew the lesson. Well, she probably realized how boring studying is and decided to do things your way, carefree and just swinging it. You snicker. You doubt it. You just tell yourself that you'll find out what all of this is about soon enough.

You also bade her good night through text before shutting down your laptop and plopping down on your bed. You made sure to set your alarm just in case you oversleep and wake up to your Dangerous Queen's wrath in the form of a fist coming down upon your head.

Heh, your Dangerous Queen, huh? You smile widely to yourself. You know that from the moment you did that stunt where you tied your hair up to look like a pineapple that a part of her became yours. You also know that through the years you've spent growing up together that she has become dependent on you and you on her. You fit perfectly after all. Your weaknesses and her strengths, your strengths and her weaknesses, yet you both still meet at a point where you're both able to understand each other so well that sometimes you have no need for words.

You were then struck by the gravity of your feelings for her. You realize then that you love her. You love her with all of your heart. You know that you'll love her for the rest of your life.

This realization made your heart ache and overwhelmed you with warmth and happiness at the same time. Your eyelids started to feel heavier every passing moment.

When you finally fell asleep, you fell asleep to thoughts of a distant future, your most treasured hopes and dreams; you would even say that they're sacred and pure, only meant to be seen by your mind's eye.

In your thoughts, there was you and her, both of you were older, your heads crowned by soft white wisps of hair, faces softened by wrinkles and age, hands clasped together. An image showing that the both of you shared the rest of your years together and overcame obstacles and hardships with the help and support and love of the other, both of you never let go until your last breaths.

You slept and you slept peacefully and well with a contented smile adorning your childlike face.

You cursed under your breath as you woke up thirty minutes late. You jumped out of bed and thought about how you've become a lot like Yui recently. You think that you shouldn't let the girl influence you too much since you don't have someone like Ui who would be willing to take care of you unconditionally. Mio would only go so far. She would definitely find a way to force you to do things on your own in the end, being the dangerous queen that she is.

You took a quick shower and put on the clothes you first saw when you opened your drawer, gray knee-length pants, a red undershirt and a white polo to put over it.

Your phone vibrated in your pocket and the doorbell rang not long after and you knew that Mio was already downstairs waiting for you. You opened your windows and surely, there at your doorstep is your beloved.

"I'll be down in a minute!" You called out to her from the second floor. She raised her head at you and quickly covered her eyes after feeling the suns angry glare.

"Hurry! It's hot here!" She called out back at you. You practically leapt down the whole flight of stairs and thought about how you couldn't get down fast enough. You slipped on your worn out black converse and burst right out of the door. You almost stumbled right into her.

"Here… I… Am… Ready to… Go?" You panted and breathed heavily between words. You leaned forward, hands supporting you on each knee until you were able to steady your breathing.

"Oi, Ritsu. You didn't have to run through the house." You heard her rummage through her shoulder bag after lecturing you as always, then you felt something soft on your forehead down to the right side of your face. You smelled her familiar scent and you realized that she was wiping your face with her towel. Your body froze and your face turned into a tomato and your heart felt like it was trying to get out of your chest again.

After Mio wiped the sweat off your face, you found that you were still unable to move. It wasn't until she poked your nose that you came out of your trance and stood straight and looked at her. Of course, she was beautiful as always.

"Are we going to stay here, all day? I didn't skip classes just to stand outside your house, you know." She quipped good-naturedly and smiled at you and you grin like your usual self and nod.

The two of you started to walk side by side as always.

"So, where do you want to go?" You turned to her, put you arms behind your head in the way she would say only you can do and gave her another one of your trademark grins.

"Hmm…" She looked up in quiet thought for a moment. Then, her eyes shifted to yours and she turned to face you. "I heard from a certain ojou-sama that you are quite good with coming up with the cheapest and most fun things to do on a date. Maybe I should leave that decision to you."

You almost froze again in your spot when you heard her say date. Almost. Your feet kept you up with her pace, though. Your eyes sparkled and you nodded vigorously. You grinned once again and gave her a thumb up. You saw her blush at your childlike antics. Your heart fluttered.

"Well, then! I know exactly where to go!"

It was already dark when you two exit the music store, your last destination. You both laughed and she had tears in the corner of her eye. You heart was soaring by this time. Seeing her laugh so freely, so gleefully, like she had not a single worry in the world, but knowing that you could make her feel this way... Ahh, it is all so much for your dear heart to handle.

You both started on your way home. She walked with a soft dreamy smile on her face and you with your never disappearing grin. But then, she suddenly stopped, a frown tainting her beautiful face with sorrow that your heart went from weightless and floating to heavy and falling; it felt like it dropped to your stomach.

"M-mio?" You had not noticed that your hand moved by instinct and its instinct dictating you to hold her hand tightly and pull her to face you. She looked up at you, into your eyes and you asked, "what's wrong?"

"Ritsu… The reason why I suddenly asked you to hang out with me today is…" She averted her gaze, opting to stare at the ground instead. "I-I… Have something I need to tell you."

Your heart was once again beating wildly, this time not with happiness and excitement, but with dread; liquid mercury dread that's slowly poisoned you and burned at your insides.

"My dad… He lost his job, two weeks before summer started." Your eyes widened and you gasped loudly, because of both surprise and hurt that she told you of this only now.

"I lied about having summer classes. I was actually looking for work. I didn't want to tell you because I didn't want you to worry. I thought it was only temporary and I was right! He just got a job, yesterday."

You knew that there was more she wasn't saying and you patiently waited for her to go on.

"But the job he got is overseas. He wants us to move with him since we're only a family of three. He says I can go to a university there and it would be cheaper than going to Japan Women's." Tears welled up in your eyes. She was already sobbing.

"Ri-ritsu… I don't want to… But I have to… There was nothing I could do! I begged and I pleaded. But—." Then you pulled her to you and wrapped your arms around her protectively, despite the small difference in height. Mio felt like she was trying to curl up into a ball so she could soak up all of the warmth and comfort that you offered. You held her, giving her all that you had. You knew. You knew then, that she felt the same about you and that she wanted to have this day to treasure. You would definitely treasure today also.

You moved and held her face and wiped her tears away.

"My, my…" You tried to give her a soft smile through your tears. "You're still such a crybaby, aren't you?"

You felt her hands clench at you shirt as she pressed herself to you even more.

"It's because I'll miss you and your stupidity… I wouldn't find another baka like you there." You heard her whisper.

"Mio, you'll always have me." There was a pause.

"I know."

"Mio…" You waited for her to look up at you. When she did you stared so lovingly into her eyes and made sure that she would hear and remember the next words you say.

"I love you."

She cried out and sobbed harder and you hugged her to you tighter. You momentarily regretted confessing to her, you knew you just made things harder for the both of you. Then you thought that it would have been better than having not told her at all and having to keep it all bottled inside of you.

"I love you too, you idiot. Now it's so much harder for me to leave."

"I know. I'm sorry. I had to tell you, though."

"I know. It's okay. I'm glad you did."

You held her until she calmed down enough so that you could bring her home. You called your parents and told them that you would be sleeping over at Mio's house for the night and they happily permitted you to. She looked at you with mild surprise and then gave you a small but thankful smile.

That night, you slept in each other's arms. Your breaths mingled and the beating of your hearts synchronized. For now, you were together. And it was now that mattered to you the most. You savored each moment.

You had a week before she left. You made the most out of it all. Spending as much time as you could with her, whether you two went out or just watched movies in your houses. You teased her as much as you can and she would blush and hit you like nothing has changed between the two of you. At night, you held each other and whispered promises of love while tangled in sheets or while in the throes of passion. You made love to each other like every single time would be your last. You memorized every little detail about each other's bodies. You were so happy. You constantly wished that time would stop and the two of you can stay in your little paradise.

But the day of her departure came all too soon. She valiantly tried to hold her tears back as you hugged goodbye. She promised to email and IM with you every day, and promised to text whenever she could. You promised that no matter how many bands you play with, she will forever be your bassist. She giggled at that and pinched your cheek. You stuck your tongue out at her. And then her face held a tinge of sorrow and you just wanted to do everything you could to make her sadness go away.

"Mio." You clasped both of her hands in yours. "We will be together. We can make it work long-distance. I will do everything I can to make you happy."

"Ritsu…"

"I know what you're going to say, but Mio, I swear we'll make it work. I know it. When I finish my studies here at the Uni, I'm moving out of Japan and we'll be together. Until then, we just have to put up with the distance and fight on. Mio, we can do it! I know we can. I trust our love to survive this. Our love is strong enough to survive this, right?"

She pulled you in for a long passionate kiss right in the middle of the airport. Both your parents gasp but you found yourselves not caring about them.

"I love you." Mio said breathlessly as she pulled from your kiss. "We will survive this."

You thought your heart grew wings and flew right out of your chest at that moment. You hugged her so tight and she hugged you back just as tight. You both heard the last call for her flight and she had to board the plane. She picked up her bags and waved at you then ran to her parents. You waved back at her and stood there minutes until after the plane has already left.

You turned around and you saw you mother, father and brother approach you. They enveloped you in one of the warmest and most comforting hugs you've ever experienced in your life. Your mother started to stroke your hair and you couldn't hold it all in anymore so you cried and cried until there were no more tears for you.

** The end for now **

AN: What do you guys think? I'd love to hear them all! Reviews, comments, questions, and criticisms are most welcome! Thank you for reading! More to come. :)

~pineappurus