Disclaimer: I don't own Madoka Magica.
Author's Note: Written after completion of 'Last Kiss Goodbye'. Taken from Mami's 'but at least I get to see you one last time... I'm... sorry about last night... I'm sorry we can't...' line. Enjoy.
Calm Before the Storm
Companion to: "Last Kiss Goodbye"
Thunder boomed outside her apartment, rain pattering against the window a solid sound against the silence of her apartment. A ding from the kitchen causing her to rise from her chair and check on the delicious cake she had baking in the oven. Kyubey was curled up by the fireplace, the warm flames lapping a comforting heat across his body. Extricating the cake from the oven, she placed it on the counter to allow it to cool as she began boiling some water for tea. It would be a few moments before her cake would be cool enough to decorate, but it was alright. She had enough time to herself to work on her school work for the morning, as well as have a little time to curl up with a book.
The moments stretched on as the thunder outside showed no sign of stopping, or even slowing for a moment to allow anyone to go about their lives in this evening. It was hard to believe it was raining so hard at only six PM... the weather this time of year certainly was freaky. Slowly walking to a window, she looked out, her amber eyes barely able to pierce the thick sheet of rain coming down. She would hate to be stuck out in this kind of weather... She retreated to the kitchen to attend to her cake, gently spreading the alabaster icing across the delicious vanilla cake, her mouth practically watering in anticipation for the deliciousness.
A knock at the door startled her. Who could that be out in a torrential downpour like this? Crazy son of a- Opening the door, she saw the visage of a very soaked Homura staring back at her, a nervous smile on her face. "Homura-chan..." Mami muttered, opening the door wider. "Get in here you crazy girl!" Homura practically shoved her way passed Mami into the dry apartment, her clothes dripping with salty rainwater. Homura smiled as she stood in the tiled area before entering her apartment proper. Slipping out of her school shoes, leaving them before the door so they could dry before I left. "What happened to you?" Mami asked the other Puella Magi with a chuckle in her voice, Homura running her hands through her hair a few times to dry them.
"Damn Witch... I started fighting her at freakin' eight o'clock this morning... and I just NOW finished the fight. Come out of her barrier, and it's pouring down rain. You're place was closer then mine." Mami laughed as Homura recounted her tail.
"It took you ten hours to fight a Witch? You're slipping, Homu." Mami laughed as she lead her into the apartment.
"She was immune to bullets, and she could break my time stop. I spent most of the time just trying not to die. And don't call me Homu." She added as more of a afterthought. Mami brought Homura into the living room and sat her on the cushin, looking over her soaked clothing.
"My my my, you must be freezing in those... here, let me see if I've got something you could wear..." Homura watched as Mami walked to a closet near the kitchen, starting to look though it.
"Oh, oh, Mami-san, there's no need for that, I'll dry off in a few minutes." Mami shook her head viciously as she continued to try to look for other clothes for Homura.
"Don't be silly, Homu. You'll catch your death of cold if you don't dry off soon." Homura groaned at the insistence, Mami returning to the table with a large shirt and a rather unbecoming pair of sleep pants.
"This is about the best I could find. Here, go into the bathroom and change." Homura collected the clothes and looked up at Mami with rain-speckled glasses. "No cake until you change, Doctor Tomoe's orders!" She smiled a cocky grin and motioned the younger girl on. Homura looked at Mami, then to the clothes, then back to Mami, and finally cracked.
"Ooooh, it's only because I love your cake." She finally agreed, walking towards her bathroom. Quickly stripping out of her soaked clothes, she dried what was left of the water from her body and hair. The door slowly opened as Mami's golden curls appeared in the door.
"By the way, I should know this by now but-" She froze as she realized Homura was down to nothing, her clothes slung across the shower's curtain rod, her underwear draining in the sink. "Uhm..." She muttered, pulling her head out, so she didn't look like she was spying on her, even though she could still see her in the mirror. "I should know this by now but.." She couldn't help but blush intensely at what had just been seen, even if it was just her back. "Do you take one lump or two? Of sugar... one or two lumps of sugar..."
"Madoka's two lumps, Sayaka's one. I don't take sugar, remember?" Mami nodded, licking her lips a little at her words.
"Right..." She returned to the kitchen to pour the tea. Carefully removing two cups from the cabinet, she placed them with a shaking hand upon two saucers, removing her tin of tea leaves. Why were her hands shaking so much? I mean, yea, she'd accidentally walked in on her changing but... that was her own fault, right? She didn't lock the door so, that was completely Homura's fault, and couldn't come back on Mami, right?
Homura returned to the family room a minute or so later, her hair looking as if she stuck her finger in an electric socket, her glasses wiped clean from rain and dressed in the patchwork clothing Mami had peiced together for her. "I don't suppose I could borrow your washer could I?" Mami gave a little smile as she measured the leaves carefully into the little metal mesh ball for her and Homura's tea.
"Of course, Homura-chan. Here." She opened the door near the stove which lead to a small laundry room. "Go ahead and put them in, I'll turn them on once I get the tea brewing." Mami watched out of the corner of her eye as Homura stuffed the soaking wet school uniform into the washing machine, noting how cute she looked in that oversized t-shirt. It was like a little doll was being hugged by a gigantic burgundy teddy bear. Peeling her eyes away from Homura's petite butt looking back at her, she slapped her forehead with a hand, shaking her head intensely.
The hell are you doing, Mami? She's your friend, and younger then you to boot. Besides, she clearly likes Madoka more, you're just... an extra... She didn't realize that with each point she made to her own head, she had some how reflected it on the outside. Yea, that's it, you're just another friend she has, and that's all you'll ever be. She agreed with herself with a nod as she continued to bobble the metal mesh ball in and out of the tea pot.
"Uhm... Mami?" Snapping out of her trance, she turned to Homura, who was staring at her rather intently. Supressing a blush, Mami gave her a dismissive smile. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, why?"
"Because you're trying to make tea with the dirty water in the sink..." Looking down, Mami realized the 'tea pot' she thought she had was actually a dirty pot she had made dinner with last night, and was in the sink to soak. Her cheeks flashed red, wholly embarrassed that she had allowed that oversight to happen.
"Oh... so I am... I'm... sorry, I have no idea how that happened..." Homura simply laughed and walked towards Mami with a look of glee.
"Here, Mami-san, why don't you go sit down while I make the tea?" She put a hand on my shoulder and tried to nudge her out of the kitchen. The elder girl gave a friendly scoff and 'fought' back.
"Are you kicking me out of my own kitchen, Homu?" She rebuttled, standing her ground.
"Mami-san, you tried to make tea out of sludge. You need to sit down and sort out whatever's distracting you." It was in that heated, playful moment when Mami responded with something she would instantly regret.
"Oh do I? What if you're distracting me? How about I sit you down and sort you out?" It had hit her like a bludgeon striking a wall. Her eyes widened and her hands clasped around her mouth in sheer terror. Great way to open your big freakin' mouth, Mami. Homura stared at Mami for a moment, not entirely sure how to translate what she had just heard. At first, Homura took it as an insult, but the slow reddening of Mami's cheeks and face told her that it wasn't said out of hatred... but affection.
"I'm... distracting you?"
"It was a stupid thing to say I don't know what came over me pay that no mind why don't you go sit down and I'll have tea out in just a bit go on sit..." She strung together into one massive, almost incoherent sentence. Turning towards the stove and tea pot, Mami hid her face from Homura, the younger putting her hand on the elder's shoulder, turning her back to face her.
"Mami-san... settle down, and take a breath." Homura didn't notice it at first, but Mami had broken down into a fit of nervous, self-hatred tears. "Mami-san... why are you crying?"
"I'm not..." Taking the pot off the stove, she wiped her face with her hand. "I'm not crying I just... that was a stupid, dumb thing to say..."
"Do I distract you?" Homura asked innocently, looking at the elder girl's flowing tears. Mami shook her head, tears splattering the stove and floor with the sudden motion. "Mami-san... you know you're a horrible liar." Mami sputtered to a laugh as Homura's hand rubbed the elder's shoulder in a hypnotic circular fashion.
"It's just... I see you and Madoka... how you're such good friends... and I just can't help but feel... alone..." She wiped her eyes again and laughed. "Sometimes I just expect to see you and Madoka... I don't know... holding hands or something..." Homura looked taken aback by Mami's confession.
"Mami-san... Madoka and I are just friends... I mean... we just met not a week ago. I don't think that's enough time for anything..." She struggled for a word. "Serious to develop." This was not what Mami wanted to hear.
"The same week you and I met... and I..." She looked away and closed her eyes, not wanting to say it. She didn't have to. Homura's slight smile vanished as she realized exactly what it is she had said. She didn't quite know what Mami's angle was. What WAS it she was trying to say?
"Listen... Mami-chan..." She muttered, rubbing her shoulder again. "...I'm sorry about what I said. I... didn't mean it like that. Madoka's a friend, yes... so is Sayaka... but that's all they'll ever be. Neither Madoka or Sayaka know what love really is. They're still so... set in on the childish definition of it." She paused for a moment, trying to decide if she herself had the same feelings. "Yesterday... against that Witch... you moved so... fluidly, so divinely. It was as if you weren't fighting, but dancing – Dancing a beautiful dance of death... When I watch you fight I just... I get lost in your beauty and grace... I get so lost in it, in fact, I often forget that your dancing partner is trying to kill you..."
Homura got a little closer to Mami, both hands on her shoulders now, he feet toe-to-toe with Mami's. "I don't know if it's how you feel or not, Mami-chan... but I feel that around you... near you... I feel like I'm invincible... I feel like I couldn't do anything wrong. Just watching you dance around the Witch... to feel so carefree in their presence... It's exciting... It just makes me feel so..." She trailed off, her sentence left flapping about in the wind as the younger drew up to the elder, her eyes closed, and pressed her lips to Mami's, a jolt arcing up both girls. Mami's eyes widened at first, she knew this was something she wanted, but she didn't know if she wanted it like this. Committed, Mami let her own eyes shut as she, too, was drawn into the kiss. As the pair slowly pulled away, Mami smiled through her tears.
"You don't have to be alone anymore, Mami-chan..." Homura whispered to her as she pulled away. "I'll be with you as long as it takes." The confused smirk on Mami's lips curled into a sinister smile. She wrapped both arms around her waist and hoisted her up to kiss her again, twirling her around the kitchen some, the oversized shirt spreading out some as centrifugal force took root.
"News doesn't think the rain will end until tomorrow morning. Why don't you spend the night?" Homura smiled at the offer and squeezed her in return.
"I think I'll do that."
"I've only got one room." Homura smiled again in return.
"Not the face of a Puella Magi who cares." Mami laughed at this.
They would fall asleep that night in each other's arms, the events of the day tiring for both. There would be no consummation of their affection, no long night spent awake in each other's arms, and no soft words spoken in the night, save for a tender 'I love you' spoken from the older's lips shortly before they fell asleep. This didn't bother Homura, however. She could live with only holding her for the night. Other things, including some of a more carnal nature, could wait; after all...
There was always tomorrow night.
