a/n. An attempt on writing umimaki fluff. Anyways, enjoy and thanks for reading!
Love Live! is not mine.
The first years said yesterday that Rin got into make-up test (since her score is low) while Hanayo and Maki helped her study overnight. Eli then called today's practice is off.
As everyone else practically gone home already, Umi remained as she got her archery practice.
The sun almost set, as she walked from her archery range to the Idol Research Club to grab her bag, to only find the sleeping redhead junior there, deep in slumber, hand as her pillow.
"Maki?"
There was no answer, except for a soft, calm snore.
Maki remembered that she come to the club to take a rest. It's unusual that her lack of sleep will lead her to have a headache, and fortunately she still survived the day without having either Hanayo or Rin worried about her.
She needed to go home and take a proper rest–
–Just a second.
She didn't remember that her hand is this soft as a pillow.
As her eyes finally opened, she saw her senior above her, absorbed by the book that she read.
It took minutes for her to come into a realization that she slept on Umi's lap.
"U-Umi?"
The amber orbs looked downward. "You finally awake," she closed her book. "Uhh, well, umm. The table is not a suitable place to sleep, so I …" a slight blush covered the archer's cheek. "I … took the initiative to do this."
Maki was at the loss of words, her cheeks grew warmer, too.
"I-I'm sorry did my lap feels uncomfortable?"
"N, No, that's not it!" Maki quickly interjected. "It feels nice, and I had a good sleep too because of y-your lap pillow."
Another silence ensued. Maki got up abruptly as the room's tension grows into more awkward direction.
"Thank you, Umi," her eyes darted elsewhere. "Then, err, I'll go home now."
However, a clasp on her arm forbids her from leaving.
"Mind if we walk home together?" Umi asked, smile on her lips. "It's getting late, and I don't want to see you go home alone."
"S-Sure."
They didn't know when it all started as they gone home, hands knitted together as one. Silence is what the one they could keep as they walked slowly to the station area.
"Umi."
"Maki."
"Uhh, you go first." Maki insisted.
"Oh, right, pardon me." Umi nodded. "It's … been a while since we last go home together like this, alone."
More pressure added in the air, as the shades of red on the both girl's cheek darkened.
"Usually we spent time alone when we were about to make the song, right?" Maki did her hair twirl. "That … is to be expected. Our practices are getting more and more intensive these days."
Umi loosened her fingers between Maki's for a second before she held it tighter.
"I'm happy the way it is, but …" Umi scratched her neck. "At times, it feels really empty."
Maki arched her brow, their steps came into a halt.
"I enjoyed being with you, that sometimes I thought it was wrong," the midnight haired girl continued. "It's wrong for me to say that I missed our time alone like this."
It is not the first time she saw warm gleam emanated from those ambers, in fact, she too missed their moment and their connection.
Umi is too bold (or perhaps too honest?) sometimes that Maki couldn't help but to hold her breath.
"Then, it's my turn," Maki's utterance is almost like a whisper. "Can I fall deeper to your love?"