So, my first fanfic is a pairing one, and I'm not very comfortable with writing pairings. But yea, the idea wouldn't get out of my head after a song of the same name played on my iPod when I shuffled it. So yea, R&R, any and all constructive criticisms would be nice, and enjoy it!
Check yes Juliet, are you with me
Rain is falling down on the sidewalk
I won't go, until you come outside
The raven-haired girl looked into the mirror. Staring at her own reflection for a few minutes, she asked herself what was wrong. After all, it was just a school play, right?
Akiyama Mio nearly tore her hair in frustration. Then why am I getting so worked up over this, she thought. Why, why was I picked to play Romeo?
To make matters worse, the person playing Juliet was none other than her childhood friend, Tainaka Ritsu. To be honest, Ritsu wasn't too happy about it either. They both felt that they could not play the roles because they were too opposite from their respective personalities. That, and despite being part of Ho-Kago Tea Time, Mio still hasn't gotten over her stage fright.
But the fear of being on stage, or the character she was playing had nothing to do with her current troubles. Once again, her problems traced to Ritsu. Mio didn't know why, but playing Ritsu's lover seemed too surreal. She wouldn't have minded if it were another play, but would she have minded if Juliet was another person? Mio looked at her now-dishevelled hair.
Shoot, Ritsu is coming for rehearsal soon. Better fix my hair, or she'll never let this one go.
Mio straightened her hair and let it fall. She looked in the mirror for a final check, and deemed herself presentable. She ran downstairs to wait for her friend.
Honestly, Ritsu, why is it always you?
*"*"*"*"*
Tainaka Ritsu bounded up the steps to her friend's house. She couldn't wait to see her friend all flustered and embarrassed while rehearsing the lines. She didn't even give the thought of herself messing up a chance to enter her mind. After all, watching Mio and her actions was normal and quite entertaining for her.
"Mio-chan!" She called, waiting for the door to open.
"Yea, yea", sighed Mio as she opened the door.
Ritsu made herself right at home, crashing onto the couch before greeting Mio's parents. After all, she spent almost as much time here as she did at her own house. Mio's parents gave her a stern look, and greeted her. They said nothing more, but left Mio and Ritsu to rehearse in Mio's room.
After starting by reading her lines, Mio stood off to the side as Ritsu read hers. Mio smiled to herself as she remembered the day Ritsu helped her defeat her fear and present her story to the class. As she recalled, Ritsu told her to picture only Ritsu as the audience. The room quickly became noisy. Then the noise and jokes were directed at her. Mio let out an involuntary shriek at the imaginary humiliation, and was brought back to reality by Ritsu's deep amber eyes inches in front of hers.
"What was that Mio? I was reciting 'Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou, Romeo' in my most passionate voice when you shrieked. Is something wrong?"Ritsu inquired, although without too much concern in her voice. After all, Mio's fears were all over the place. It was probably just a spider.
"N-nothing. I'm fine, just thinking of the stage…and the audience… and performing in front of every…"
Mio's voice trailed off as she began to shudder.
Sensing weakness, Ritsu closed in for the kill. She dropped behind Mio while she was still stuttering incoherent words to herself, and brought her mouth close to Mio's ears.
"Striped panties" Ritsu whispered.
Mio shrieked once more and immediately withdrew into her usual corner.
New best time, Ritsu thought, and brought her friend back to rehearsing.
Hope I didn't go too far with that.
*"*"*"*"*
A few hours later, which involved Mio bonking Ritsu over the head, impersonating a pineapple and a brief moment of personality switching, the two girls had had enough of rehearsing. Ritsu had decided to stay for the night, and was currently out cold on Mio's bed.
Mio smiled. There was just something about her that made her seem cute when asleep like that. It certainly wasn't the cutest position to sleep in, with one leg out of the covers and both arms bent at awkward angles. For reasons unknown to her, she didn't pull out the guest futon, and instead climbed in beside Ritsu. They were friends right? What's wrong about sleeping next to each other?
Mio closed her eyes and drifted off, enjoying the feel of Ritsu's warm breath on her neck. Something like that would have annoyed her any other day.
*"*"*"*"*
Mio woke to find Ritsu intensely staring at her again. She screamed and fell on the floor. For the second time, those amber eyes penetrated through her subconscious and gave her a shock bigger than any prank Ritsu had ever pulled.
"Come on Mio, we've got more rehearsing to do today remember? We're meeting up with Yui-chan and Mugi-chan for some 'special training'".
Mio got up and could only stare after Ritsu. Something felt different about her friend. No, not something about her friend. Rather, she felt something different towards her friend. She couldn't quite put her finger on it. She let out a sigh, got dressed and ran out the doors to a waiting Ritsu.
Something else was also wrong. Normally, Ritsu would have made mentioning the fact that Mio slept next to her a top priority. Today, she didn't even breathe a word about it at all.
The location for the "special training" was a maid café owned by Mugi's father. They would all become waitresses for the day, for Mio to beat her stage fright.
Five hours of "training" after, Mio thought the fear of being a waitress (In a maid costume, no less) had seriously damaged her nerves. She could not get that stupid smile off her face. Worse than that, performance day was a mere four days away. It was definitely going to be a long week.
*"*"*"*"*
Ritsu could only look at her friend shaking her way through things, and felt a small pang of sympathy for her. After all, she was pitted against two of her greatest fears: cosplay and crowds.
Mio does look very cute in that outfit though, she thought. She could be more popular with guys than I thought.
Ritsu also felt a small bit of jealousy when she thought of Mio having a boyfriend. Of course, it was because she had had Mio all to herself since elementary school, and Mio was always there for her. She didn't want to learn to share.
I don't want someone to take Mio from me. I can't possibly take that. Ever.
She ran over to help her, as Mio was having trouble with some mixed orders.
*"*"*"*"*
Ritsu's been getting very clingy lately, Mio thought. More so than normal. But she didn't mind, after all they had too much rehearsal to do that she didn't have the time to care. Performance was just around the corner, and they were getting stage props set up. Yui was off to the side doing her best tree impression, but failed as Azusa Nakano walked into the room.
"Azu-Nyan!" Yui called as she ran to hug her junior. Mio looked towards the two.
I wish Ritsu would hug me like that, she thought, before she had a chance to think over what just came through her head. Why would I think something like that? I…uh, I… of course! I just wish she would hug me like that instead of pranking me. Sure, it would be annoying, but I wouldn't be as bad as a prank, right?
She stared at Ritsu and looked at her eyes. Those amber orbs were captivating, drawing her in. They were also staring right back at her.
"Mio-senpai?" Mio blushed and quickly turned away to the source of the voice. Azusa was right beside her, handing her something.
"Ah, Azusa. What's this?"
"I found it in the club room. I think it belongs to you"
"Thanks", Mio took the item Azusa was handing her, and realizing it was a photo she lost a while ago. A photo she treasured very much. It was a photo of her and Ritsu holding hands when they were younger. They were in the park with their parents, and looked like they had not a care in the world.
Ritsu was looking over her shoulder in an instant.
"I remember this!" She exclaimed. Ritsu began ranting away about how Mio would run away from other children in the playground.
Mio blushed profusely and quickly stowed the photo away. She told Ritsu to get back to practicing. The impending doom that was the school festival was the next day, and she hurried after her friend, determined to get things right this time.
Check yes Juliet, I'll be waiting
Wishing, wanting, yours for the taking
Just sneak out, and don't tell a soul goodbye
The festival was a mess of food, sights and smells. But for a certain class, none of those mattered too much. They we're getting their rendition of Romeo and Juliet ready at the last minute, and everybody was getting into costume.
As they came onstage, the crowd was already applauding. After all, Akiyama Mio was one of the school's most popular figures. Mio and Ritsu had managed to get into character, but they didn't know if it would be good enough.
The first few scenes went by without a hitch. Everything was going according to the script until the kissing scene. The class had rewritten this portion of the play to be just a hug because, well, they go to an all-girl school. But when Mio climbed the balcony, she and Ritsu just stared at each other. They stared. And stared. No words were spoken, no actions made, yet something clicked between them. Mio's eyes, their usual cold, stormy gray, had a soft touch behind them. Fire met ice in perfect understanding of the other's place.
Romeo.
Juliet.
They threw themselves together and hugged each other, all the more moving to the audience because they had meant it. Many unsaid feelings went into the hug, but neither seemed to notice until a while later.
The play was a success, and the crowd was madly cheering. They took a final bow, and left the stage. For Mio, it felt like the tempest was over. Was it the calm before the storm?
Mio was still distracted after play was over. She was conflicted over what she felt for her friend.
I really do care about Ritsu. I enjoy every minute I spend with her, but… I don't think I should feel this way. Not towards my friend.
It was a deep feeling. A feeling of care and longing. She longed to be with her. She… was in love with her best friend.
*"*"*"*"*
Ritsu, at the same time, was chatting with Yui and Mugi. She was talking, but wasn't really present in the conversation. Her mind was elsewhere. Somewhere named Akiyama Mio. For the longest time, Ritsu had always admired her friend. She admired her for many reasons, too many to list in fact. She also knew for a while that she loved her friend, more than just as friends. The hug onstage, what did Mio mean behind it? If only I could tell her how I felt at the time. I just want to reach out to her, and say it.
Yui and Mugi just looked as Ritsu stared off into space, raising her arm.
"RICCHAN!" Yui yelled.
Ritsu jumped and stared at her still-outstretched arm. She quickly drew it back in, and apologized. She quickly made up an excuse of still being shell-shocked by the play. Yui looked like she bought it, but Mugi had a peculiar look on her face, like she knew exactly what was going on.
Mio met with Ritsu later that day, and upon meeting hugged each other again. She contemplated telling Ritsu how she felt, and decided that Ritsu deserved to know, as her best friend.
"Ritsu, do you care about me? I care deeply about you, and I hope you feel the same way."
"Of course I care about you Mio; you are my best friend after all."
"No, what I mean is… well, Ritsu… What would you say if… we became lovers? A real life Romeo and Juliet."
Ritsu said nothing, but was in shock. She didn't think her friend felt that way when she said she cared. She buried her face in Mio's shoulder.
"As long as both of us don't die, and you're happy, I'm alright with it"
Tears filled their vision as they looked at each other. Ritsu smiled and kissed Mio on the cheek.
"Well, see you later then… Romeo."
"I'll be waiting, Juliet."
*"*"*"*"*
The girls had resolved to tell their families soon. Their dates weren't anything too serious, and only light kisses on the cheeks were exchanged. They never openly showed their affection in public, but they were sure to let the Light Music Club know. The girls had been generally accepting of the idea. Yui used Mio as an excuse to show how much she cared for Azusa ("If Ricchan and Mio-chan can like each other, so can we!"), and Mugi's reaction didn't even come close to surprise. As it turned out, she had suspected that Ritsu had liked Mio for a while.
And so it was decided, two weeks after the festival, that they would tell their families. Mio had walked home that day with her head filled with Ritsu. The past two weeks had been her happiest, and nothing could have brought her spirits down. Her parents would accept her for who she was, right?
So she told her parents. About who she was. What she was. And about Ritsu.
Accepting, huh?
Mio may never have been happier, but she was also never as angry as she was that day. Her parents had…threatened her. Told her she would be sent to boarding school. That they would move. Away from Ritsu, whose influence they said was bad for Mio.
She couldn't accept that. She couldn't accept that someone was about to take Ritsu from her. So she grabbed her bass and ran. Ran as fast as she could, towards the one who would understand. The one she loved.
Run baby, run. Don't ever look back
They'll tear us apart, if you give them the chance
Don't' sell your heart, don't say we're not meant to be
Run baby, run. Forever will be
You and Me
She found Ritsu standing in front of her house, drumsticks in hand. One didn't even need to guess what happened.
Amber met gray, with Ritsu's eyes piercing through the darkness. Her expression was of pure rage, almost feral.
"She tried to take me away from you."
The words rang out in the empty street. Mio had never heard Ritsu's voice like this before.
"She knew how much you meant to me, and still, she tried to split us apart."
Every word was a blow to Mio's heart.
She ran forward, and hugged her friend. Tightly, as if she would never let go. "It's okay, Ritsu. As long as we have each other, we're fine."
They began to walk. They moved without direction, without purpose. They walked for the sake of walking. They needed something to get away. Their walk took them to the park they had first met. Sitting up on a hill, the two girls just looked at the city lights.
They were Ritsu and Mio, best friends, to the end.
They were Romeo and Juliet, lovers destined to be together, no matter the odds.
They sat as the sun rose, and watched life creep back into the park. They looked at each other, each with tear stained faces. They leaned in close.
Mio closed her eyes and melted into her thoughts. She may never go back home, and may not be accepted by society, but none of that mattered to her at the moment. Because right now, it was the balcony scene.
We're flying through the night
We're flying through the night
Way up high
The view from here is getting better with
You by my side
A/N:
Any and all criticisms are welcome, so please look past and/or take in stride the obvious and cliché parts in my story and provide feedback. Anything to improve my writing. Also, I think I went through the whole Relationship buildup a bit fast, so please tell me if I do.
Bye-ni!