I tried to do another one of those "try to write a story in one hour" challenges. This time I failed, but figured I could do something with what I managed to write regardless. As with In The Morning, this was written out of a desire to see more between characters within a relationship, as opposed to simply being about starting or ending one.
Enjoy!
Mio could not sit still. Back and forth she paced the length of her room, wringing her nervous hands, clenching her anxious fists. She'd messed up.
The girl took a quick look at the items on her bed, then back to the wall, trying not to think about their symbolism, their power (despite their small size), and their ironclad meaning (despite their soft gold body). Thankfully they were still in their box, and could not physically burn a hole in her eyes with that alluring glow.
But she messed up and this thought filled her head more than any other.
The fated moment had come hours before, when the golden sunlight first began fading into the colorful hues of dusk: orange, red, purple, deep indigo, all forming a gradient that provided beauty, sadness, and wonder in equal measure. She and Ritsu rested against a tree trunk with the remains of a lovely picnic strewn out on the red and white checkered blanket beneath them. Ritsu talked about nothing in particular; Mio listened to the rhythm and cadence of the drummer's voice and fell into a happy daze. Ritsu lived life with gusto, she ran headfirst into the crashing swell. This was one single aspect - one of many, one of all of Ritsu's aspects - that Mio loved.
" - And then I figured, why not just try that super spicy takoyaki everyone was talking about?" She said excitedly.
"And did you?"
"You know it!" Ritsu puffed out her chest proudly and pointed to herself with one thumb. "No one in the shop expected me to order it."
"How was it? Hot?"
"Hotter than Hell!" she laughed, nearly doubling over. Mio's heart swelled at the sight.
"You wanna taste?" Ritsu offered, still laughing, as she leaned towards Mio and puckered her lips. Mio pushed the girl away.
"N-no way!" she giggled. "No kisses from me today! I can't stand spicy food."
Together they laughed loud. The park was as empty as the cloudless sky. They'd been dating for some time at this point- since their high school days - and as college Juniors nothing much had changed between the two; they were still childhood friends - they were still happy in one another's company - they were still lovers. Mio desired nothing more than for this to never change. I want to be with Ritsu forever she thought.
That was exactly why she'd gotten the rings. They were simple bands (after all, she was a poor college student), glaring gold and solid. She knew the ring would fit perfectly on Ritsu. It'd claim Ritsu as hers. The ring's twin rested in Mio's pocket, ready to be worn the moment Ritsu accepted its counterpart. Under the gradient sky as vibrant and lovely as Ritsu's soul Mio decided the time was ripe.
"Earth to Mi-o~" Ritsu shook the girl's shoulder lightly. "Are you there, Mio?"
"Eh? S-sorry, I must've spaced out."
"Am I that boring? You wound me, dear." Ritsu joked. She adjusted her trademark yellow headband.
"Hey, Ricchan? I-I have a question."
"Yeah?" as she always had, Ritsu knew when Mio meant to talk seriously; she adjusted herself in kind, even if it sometimes took longer than the bassist would've liked. Mio could get nervous and insecure, and Ritsu learned how to handle this over the years.
"Have you ever thought about where...we'd be after college?"
"Still in a band with the girls I hope. Why?"
"No, no - we, you and I."
"Is that even a question?" she gave a big innocent grin. "Why would I ever not want to be with you, Mio?"
"I feel the same, Ricchan." she reached into her purse and rubbed the small black felt box containing the symbol of their future. "S-so I was wondering if - if..."
"Mio," Ritsu rubbed the back of her head nervously, a habit of her's. "You know I'm not too good with all this future-talk stuff, right? Can't we just, you know, be happy with the way we are now?"
"I am happy. I love being with you, Ritsu. I love you. But...but I always thought we should pledge?" she paused, reflecting briefly on her word choice. "Pledge ourselves to one another. With these."
Like a servant to a king she lowered her head and presented the ring to Ritsu. It lay small and cold in the center of her nearly cupped hands, a jewel to be protected, or a sacrifice to a god.
"Mio -"
"Ricchan, I'm not saying we have to try and get married, but I want to make it official - between us, at least. I want to know that you're mine. I get insecure sometimes and - " the girls words smashed into each other by the end, cars in traffic.
Ritsu frowned, hurt evident on her face. Before she could even say anything Mio knew she'd made a mistake; whether in the approach or the intention she didn't yet know. "Mio, are you saying you don't trust me? After all this time? After we've been together since, like, forever?"
"No! No, that's not it at all! I just - "
Ritsu stood up. She put her hands in her coat pockets. A cold wind blew, and to Mio it felt as though that breeze carved a gulf, a canyon, between her and Ritsu that never before existed between the childhood friends.
"I'm gonna go. I've gotta...think, or something."
She ran before Mio could even open her mouth.
The dorm was live with excitement when Mio returned, her heart hardly pumping; fear of loss lining her stomach in a sickening slime. Yui and Mugi sat on the couch excitedly watching a series they both loved. Mio could not focus with their voices; she walked directly to her room and closed the door.
I messed up.
When night covered the day completely Mugi knocked on Mio's door.
"Mio? Are you alright? Are you hungry? I've got some cake for everyone!"
"No, no...I'm fine Mugi." she lied. For fear of being found out she did not open the door. Had she, Mugi certainly would have noticed the footsteps that tears traced down her cheeks.
"By the way, do you know where Ritsu is? She hasn't come home yet." Mugi asked innocently.
Mio could hardly answer that no, she had no idea.
The bassist did not sleep that night. Between pacing her room or staring at the ceiling from her cold, lonely bed the girl spent time thinking.
I was wrong she realized, I had no need to worry over Ritsu. No need to worry over us at all. But worry she did. Mio, although beautiful and smart on the outside, was easily embarrassed, frightened, and prone to sorrow at the first sign of danger. She hadn't a reason to doubt Ritsu but doubt she did. It was her nature, as natural to her as the joy brought from being with her friends.
But she had to fix this mess, she also realized. She had to be strong and apologize. Somehow she'd make it up to Ritsu.
The first step of this plan involved the rings, of course.
Mio stole out in the early morning quietly. This morning matched the previous night in reverse, a colorful gradient fading now into a bright celeste at the corners of the horizon. The air was cool on her skin, and in her pockets the rings, her entire paycheck for a number of months, clinked while she walked the length of the park's stone trail. Out towards a lake lead this trail, surrounded by evergreens whose green pine needles littered the ground. They smelled wonderful and brought a slight sense of calm over the girl. She was reminded of a time in the past when she and Ritsu climbed these trees in search of Azusa's lost sun-hat, which blew away one summer day from strong winds. She, Mio, feared the height the further she climbed but Ritsu reassured her, supported her while they climbed. It was a memory Mio treasured.
At the bank of the lake Mio took the rings in her hand. They were still cold, weighing less than air. Mattering less than air, she realized. These pieces of metal meant nothing when she fully believed that Ritsu loved her.
The basis took a deep breath and wound up, before throwing those rings into the shimmering green. Sunlight glinted off their shining bodies like stars as they sailed through the air, until they hit the lake and sank like stones into the murky depths. There'd be no hope of finding them even if she wanted to. Thankfully, she didn't.
Mio took a deep breath and cleared her mind. She felt better. If I just tell Ritsu - she thought, but the thought was cut short as she turned and bumped into a silent body standing behind her.
"AH!" she yelled, until - looking up into the sky blue and brilliant - she saw Ritsu standing before her, offering a hand and an apologetic smile.
"Sorry Mio," she said. "Didn't mean to scare ya."
"I thought my heart was going to stop!" Mio exclaimed. She took Ritsu's outstretched hand and stood up.
"Did you just do what I think you did?" Ritsu asked.
"They're gone." Mio nodded. "I wanted to show you that they meant nothing. I trust you, Ricchan. I do. I just...you know...I'm sorry and - "
Ritsu brought Mio in for a tight hug; the bassist felt relieved as their hearts began to match in rhythm. Ritsu's scent was calming as well. "I know what you meant, Mio. I asked Azunyan when I stayed at her place last night what you were trying to do and boy do I feel kinda dumb." Ritsu chuckled.
Mio smiled, relieved. "She is a bit more mature than you." she joked.
"Hey!"
But the two shared a laugh - at the comment, at the situation, at the hilarity of it all.
They took the trail back towards their dorm hand in hand. "You know, Mio, asking someone to more or less marry them is way more embarrassing than when the school saw your panties. I'm surprised you didn't die of nervousness with that ring in your hands!"
"D-don't bring that up!" Mio did indeed turn bright red. "Marriage is nothing embarrassing!"
"Way more embarrassing than your lovey-dovey lyrics too." Ritsu smirked, poking Mio in the cheek.
"T-those were things I wrote in high school! I was idealistic back then."
Ritsu chuckled again. "Whatever Mi-o~. I guess your sense of embarrassment is weirder than I thought I knew."
Mio didn't say anything to that. She smiled, however, at the thought that perhaps the two had more still hidden, more to show one another, for the long road ahead of them.
That thought brought a bright blush to her face.
Reviews and criticism are greatly appreciated!