Thanks for reading and reviewing guys! :D
Also quick note: I know Honoka doesn't call Eli Eli-senpai in the actual anime it's just a personal choice of mine. And yes, in this sense I do see it as representing closeness rather than distance.
Future Honoka shoved her hands into her pockets as she scanned the busy streets. It was early evening but the streets of Akihabara were already busy. It was a far cry from what she remembered from the future. Where she came from the streets were desolate, having been destroyed in some way or another.
Noticing someone looking her way she tried to shrink deeper into the shadows. There was no real reason to hide. If someone recognized her as her past self she could make up some excuse, like she was a relative or something like that. It would be easy, and yet for some reason she didn't want to have to do that.
A child suddenly ran into her path and she veered to the right to avoid the small boy. Unfortunately her path was blocked by a tall man and she cursed loudly as she bumped right into his chest, sending her stumbling to the side. She bumped into someone else, someone smaller and unmistakably female. Automatically she reached out to steady them. She'd never been such a clutz before. Maybe she wasn't getting enough sleep. She did seem to spend her nights agonizing over what had happened in the past, or rather, the future.
"I'm sor-"
"Honoka-chan?"
Future Honoka bristled for a moment before she realized that she recognized the voice. She finally got a good look at the person's face as she leaned back. "Kotori-chan! W-What are you doing out so late?"
Kotori raised an eyebrow at the question. "It's only about seven. Why wouldn't I be out?" She offered the time traveller an uncertain smile. "What about you? I didn't think you went out much besides training with us."
Future Honoka couldn't argue with that. It wasn't as though she had much of a life in this time. She didn't even belong there really. Besides that, she had to try to stay away from people. The slightest encounter could have massive consequences, like a ripple effect.
"I just needed some air." She explained after a moment. "My hotel room gets pretty stuffy after a while." She watched as Kotori nodded in response. "Well since we're both here, why don't you come to dinner with me? I'm kind of hungry and I saw a decent looking restaurant down there." She jabbed her thumb over her shoulder in the direction of the restaurant she'd spotted on her way up the street.
Kotori felt her cheeks flush at the question. "D-Dinner?" She stuttered nervously. That had to make it a date, didn't it? The idea of going on a date with Honoka caused her stomach to flutter with excitement. "Um…alright then. If you're sure."
"Great. Let's go then." Future Honoka hesitated for a split second. If it was her Kotori, she would have grabbed her hand and tugged her after her but it wasn't and she couldn't bring herself to act that way. She took a deep breath before she turned and stormed down the street, trying to push the thought of her Kotori from her mind. It was impossible not to think of her, with Kotori's past self right there.
Kotori jogged after Future Honoka, doing her best not to lose sight of her best friend's future self in the crowd. She moved a lot faster than the Honoka she was used to. it was quite obvious that she'd gotten a lot fitter over the years.
Finally Future Honoka paused to wait for Kotori outside of the restaurant.
"You walk fast." Kotori said breathlessly when she finally reached Future Honoka's side.
"Sorry." Future Honoka smiled sheepishly and reached out to brush her hand against Kotori's arm in an apologetic gesture. She led the way inside, not noticing Kotori practically swooning behind her.
Trying to ignore the rapid beating of her own heart, Kotori followed Honoka inside. She wasn't sure what attracted her so much to the older version of her best friend but she couldn't deny how she felt. She sat down, noticing the brief glance Future Honoka gave her.
Future Honoka cleared her throat as she took her own seat. She hadn't taken into account how hard it would be to be alone with Kotori. She should have thought about that before she had invited her to dinner. "Have you been practicing with your invisibility?"
Kotori nodded earnestly. "Just like you told me to. Let's not talk about that tonight though. We talk about it every day when we train." It was relentless though Future Honoka insisted that they needed to do it to get better. So they'd be ready for A-Rise. "Let's talk about something else."
Future Honoka was saved from asking what else they could possibly talk about by a waitress arriving to take their order. She automatically ordered for the both of them, not realizing what she'd done until the waitress had left. "Oh!" She looked up sharply, finding Kotori staring at her in surprise. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to order for you. It's just…I always ordered for my Kotori…I'll call her back."
"No." Kotori reached out to touch Future Honoka's hand. It was sweet in a way that Honoka had gone ahead and ordered for both of them. "It's fine. I don't mind. Really."
Future Honoka sank back into her seat and sighed softly. For a moment there she had managed to pretend that this was just another date with her Kotori, though that wasn't the case. "Right…"
Noticing the far off look in Honoka's eyes, Kotori was silent for a moment. She was tempted to ask about Umi, though she didn't want to use her time like that. She should be making the most of it, to find out why Honoka acted the way she did. "Honoka-chan, can I ask you something?"
Future Honoka gave a barely there nod and Kotori quickly continued. "About Eli…" She still wasn't sure whether Eli really was the person Future Honoka had dated in the future. There did seem to be a history between them. "You don't call her Eli-senpai anymore, do you? I-I just thought it was odd that you don't…"
Future Honoka tensed at the question, images of her Eli flashing before her eyes. Of the last time she had seen her. Her fingers drifted over the outline of the cross under her shirt. "It wouldn't feel right. The Eli here isn't really my Eli. I would only call my Eli senpai. Don't worry, I didn't stop in the future."
Kotori nodded, feeling a bit guilty for bringing it up. It was obviously painful for Honoka to talk about. "Could you tell me more about yourself? I want to know you better."
"You already know me." Honoka glanced up, a hint of amusement in her eyes. "I'm just Honoka. Maybe a little bit older and taller than she is but I'm still her."
Kotori pouted at the answer but she couldn't argue. When their food arrived she sat up a bit straighter though her gaze never left Future Honoka's. It seemed the older girl couldn't look away from her either, causing her to blush slightly.
For a few minutes they ate in silence until the quiet finally got to Kotori. "Do you still like music in the future?"
"There's not much room for music where I'm from." Future Honoka answered. She watched as Kotori's face fell in response. She sighed softly. She couldn't stand to disappoint her. Even in the future, she hated to upset her best friend. "I used to get Maki-chan to play for me sometimes, when she had time. Her music relaxes me, I suppose."
Kotori brightened when Honoka amended her answer. At least some things didn't change. "That's good." She settled upon, figuring it best that she didn't discuss their friends too much. It was obviously a painful topic. "Maki-chan plays really well. I know why it would relax you."
She was glad that they had all been close in the future still, aside from Honoka and Umi it seemed. Upon being met with silence she glanced up from her food to Future Honoka.
"You look really pretty tonight, Kotori-chan." Future Honoka froze as the words left her mouth. The blush that covered her cheeks matched the one that formed on Kotori's. "I-I mean…I'm sorry. You probably think that was weird of me to say."
"No." Kotori couldn't have been happier with the praise even if she did feel slightly embarrassed by it. "I um…thank you, Honoka-chan." She wanted to return the compliment but she wasn't sure how to. 'Pretty' didn't quite describe the future version of her friend. She'd need a word stronger than that.
Future Honoka still felt slightly unsure. She wouldn't have hesitated to tell her Kotori that she looked pretty. But this wasn't her Kotori. Yet again she'd made the mistake of picturing her as such. She cursed herself for getting too close. She had been adamant that she would distance herself from all of them.
Noticing the uncertainty on Honoka's face, Kotori reached out and took Honoka's hand. "Honoka-chan, it's fine. Really. It makes me happy when you compliment me."
"Right." Honoka let out a slow breath and told herself to relax. She looked down at Kotori's hand and automatically squeezed back. It was familiar, in a way that caused a deep ache of longing to form in her chest. She hurriedly tried to distract herself. "So…you're still into fashion here, aren't you?"
Kotori brightened at the mention of her favourite topic. "Yes! I love fashion. I was actually on my way to pick up some fabric when you bumped into me."
"Oh, I'm sorry I interrupted you." Honoka apologized, wincing at the reminder of her clumsiness. Maybe watching her idiotic past self was starting to affect her. "What were you shopping for fabric for?"
"Eli-chan asked me to make a dress for her because she wants to take Nozomi out." Kotori answered, smiling at the thought of Eli's excitement when she'd asked her about it. "She said something about an anniversary but I'm not sure which anniversary. Maybe of when she first met Nozomi-chan…" She worried her bottom lip between her teeth. "I'm almost finished the dress itself, I just needed some blue fabric to finish it off. Blue really brings out Eli-chan's eyes, don't you think?"
Future Honoka gave a shrug, unaware of the soft smile that tugged at her lips. "You're the expert, Kotori-chan. I just follow your lead." She leaned forward slightly, feeling at ease for what felt like the first time in months.
Kotori felt her breath catch in her throat as blue eyes met her own intently. She almost felt as though those eyes could see through her and she quickly found herself getting lost in them. The look Honoka was giving her was the softest she'd seen on this Honoka's face since she had arrived. She lifted her hand and slowly brushed Honoka's bangs from her face, her fingertips brushing against soft skin. Honoka really did look especially beautiful with her hair down. She noticed a scar just below Honoka's hairline, her fingers brushing over it.
Future Honoka reached up and grasped Kotori's hand, slowly lowering it. Her head turned slightly, the instinct to press her lips to the soft palm almost overwhelming her. She'd done it countless times, allowing her lips to linger against Kotori's skin as she'd breathed in her clean scent.
Kotori grasped Honoka's hand back and slowly leaned in, pressing her lips to Honoka's.
Honoka's eyes widened for a split second before fluttering closed. Kissing Kotori was just as warm and comforting as she remembered it to be. She tightened her grip on the hand in her own and leaned into the kiss, her heart aching slightly. She missed Kotori terribly. More than she could even put into words. Images of her Kotori flashed before her eyes, images of her laughing at something stupid Honoka had said, of the many mornings they'd spent curled up in bed together, refusing to face the day. Finally the image of Kotori bleeding in her arms came to mind and she quickly pulled away. This wasn't her Kotori.
She noticed Kotori leaning in again and placed her hand against her shoulder, gently pushing her away. "I'm sorry. We can't."
Hurt flashed across Kotori's face and she hurriedly stood up, preparing to leave. She paused when Honoka grasped her wrist.
"It's not what you think. Please, just listen to me." Future Honoka gave a gentle tug, encouraging Kotori to sit back down. "Kotori-chan, you're only sixteen."
"I'm old enough to kiss whoever I like!"
Had Honoka not been reeling from the flashback to her Kotori, she would have laughed at how indignant the teenager sounded. "Maybe. But it's still not right, for me."
Kotori visibly deflated. "Because you're in love with Eli-chan, right? That's why you can't kiss me."
"No. Eli is…was like a sister to me." Future Honoka's stomach sank as she forced herself to refer to Eli as being in the past. She suddenly felt like she was about to burst into tears and she swallowed convulsively. "The person I love is Minami Kotori. I loved my Kotori more than anything else. You have to understand…doing this with you wouldn't be right. I know you're the same person but it doesn't matter."
"Me?" Kotori stared at Future Honoka speechlessly. "You love me?"
"More than life itself." Future Honoka remembered what she had mentioned a few days ago, about almost hoping that someone would kill her after Kotori's death. It was still true, in a way. She didn't know how she would go on without her.
Kotori felt her eyes fill with tears though she wasn't sure if they were tears of happiness or tears of sadness, on Honoka's behalf. She leaned forward and threw her arms around Honoka, causing her to gasp in surprise.
Slowly, Future Honoka returned the embrace, her eyes prickling with moisture. She buried her face in Kotori's shoulder and inhaled slowly, trying to regain her composure. She wouldn't break, not until she had finished what she'd came there to do.
A minute or so passed until Kotori pulled away and wiped at her eyes, a sheepish laugh escaping her lips. "I'm going to wash up. I'll be back soon." She got up and quickly headed for the bathroom to clean herself up.
—
"What are they talking about?" Honoka craned her neck to see through the window of the restaurant from her hiding position. She wished she could somehow hear what the two of them were saying to each other. As far as she knew, Kotori was the only person Future Honoka had bothered with outside of their training.
"I can't believe Kotori didn't tell me she was going out with Honoka today!" Umi muttered as she glared through the window. It wasn't fair, that Kotori had managed to get Future Honoka to herself. She could only imagine that Future Honoka would be appalled by the idea of spending time with her. She clenched her hands into fists at the thought and looked toward Honoka. The thought of her best friend hating her hurt her deeply. She couldn't imagine her life without Honoka in it. For as long as she could remember the three of them had been together. They completed each other. She wondered if the Umi in the future had missed Honoka's presence as much as she knew she would.
Eli sighed heavily as she listened to the two of them. She cast a look toward Nozomi who looked nothing short of amused. "Why are we here?"
"We're investigating, Elichi." Nozomi curled her arm around Eli's and drew her close to her side. "It's exciting."
"They look awfully chummy in there." Umi declared as she watched Future Honoka lean forward, a soft smile on her face. "Why does she react that way to Kotori? She can barely stand to be in the same room as me!"
"You call this fun?" Eli sighed, rolling her eyes skyward. "Nozomi…"
"Wha..?!" Umi jolted in surprise, drawing Eli's attention toward her. She was staring through the window, her eyes wide. Following her gaze, Eli found herself just as shocked as she watched Kotori lean in and press her lips to Future Honoka's. A gasp echoed around the group and Eli barely managed to untangle herself from Nozomi to catch Umi, who'd fainted at the sight.
Honoka glanced toward Umi, alarmed by the sight of her friend falling into Eli's arms. What alarmed her more was the sight of her future self and Kotori kissing before her very eyes. "What…?" She could hardly believe what she was seeing. "W-Why is she kissing KOTORI-CHAN?!" She hurriedly turned away from the window, covering her eyes. She hadn't wanted to see that, of all things. "It's not fair! I know she's me but it's not fair! Kotori-chan already likes her more and now she's taking her away from me for real!"
Nozomi watched as Honoka stomped her foot angrily and promptly burst out laughing at the overdramatic action. It was too funny, for Honoka to be jealous of herself for kissing the person she liked.
"Nozomi!" Eli admonished, struggling to stand under Umi's dead weight. "A little help here?!"
Somehow the sight of Umi unconscious only made Nozomi laugh harder and she gripped her sides with the force of it.
"So you like spying on people, huh?"
Nozomi's laughter promptly died out at the sound of Future Honoka's stern voice. Hesitantly, she looked up and found Future Honoka standing a couple of feet away, her arms crossed in front of her chest.
"You!" Honoka didn't seem to be the least bit surprised to see her future self standing there. In fact she looked livid. "Why did you kiss Kotori-chan?!"
Future Honoka rolled her eyes at the younger version of herself. "I'll kiss whoever I like." Her gaze shifted toward Eli, who was struggling to hold Umi up. "She fainted? Pathetic." She stepped forward and gripped Umi's arm. Stooping, she threw the teenager over her shoulder before she stood. "I'll take care of her, don't worry."
Eli gaped at how effortlessly Future Honoka had picked Umi up. "But don't you…" she trailed off helplessly. It was no secret that Future Honoka held a certain contempt toward Umi. Although the second year didn't show it, Eli know how much it hurt her to be rejected by her best friend.
"I'll be on my way." Future Honoka offered a casual wave as she began to walk off with Umi slung over her shoulder. She didn't get more than a few steps before she disappeared in the blink of an eye, taking Umi with her.
Honoka gaped at where her Future self had been a few seconds ago. "Did that really just happen?"
Eli gave a slow nod in response, just as confused by Future Honoka's actions. "Your future self is confusing, Honoka." She cast a thoughtful glance at Honoka though she was quickly distracted by the arrival of a breathless Kotori.
"Where did Honoka-chan go?" She asked, glancing around for any sign of the older girl. When she'd returned to the table she'd found the money to pay for the food waiting for her but no Honoka.
"I'm right here." Honoka muttered miserably, scuffing the toe of her shoe against the floor. It was hardly fair that her future self had taken Kotori and Umi away from her. Literally in Umi's case.
"Um…she had to go. She took Umi with her." Eli answered uncertainly as she glanced toward the spot where Honoka had disappeared. "So…you kissed her, huh?"
Kotori felt blood rush to her cheeks. "You saw that?! How long have you been standing here?"
"What was it like?" Nozomi moved toward Eli and grasped her hand though her gaze remained fixed on Kotori. "Was she a good kisser? She seems like she would be a good kisser, doesn't she Elichi?"
Eli nodded in response and waited for Kotori's answer.
The ashen haired girl just turned even redder at the question. "She was…it was nice. She's a good kisser."
"If I wasn't with Nozomi I'd kiss her too." Eli commented, earning herself an amused look from her girlfriend. She knew that Nozomi wouldn't take what she'd said seriously. The trust between the two of them was too strong. Noticing movement out of the corner of her eye, she glanced in Honoka's direction and noticed the other girl was twitching slightly, her hands clenched into fists. "Uh…Honoka? Are you alright? I was just kidding."
Nozomi grinned at Eli and bumped her playfully with her shoulder. "You're lucky I trust you so much, otherwise I'd be worried. She is pretty hot though so…"
"What is wrong with all of you?" Honoka exclaimed loudly, the hurt tone of her voice far outweighing the anger that accompanied it. "I'm standing right here! All any of you talk about is her! And Kotori-chan…" She cast an especially pained look toward Kotori whose eyes widened in surprise. "Forget it. I'm going home."
Eli sighed as she watched Honoka begin to stalk away. "I'll get her." She told Nozomi and Kotori. She let go of Nozomi's hand and hurried after Honoka to calm her down.
Nozomi watched pensively as Eli tried to reason with Honoka. "You realize you just kissed Honoka-chan, don't you?" She asked, looking toward Kotori with a raised eyebrow. "They may seem different but they're the same person."
Kotori blushed as she watched Eli trying to keep Honoka from crossing the street. Nozomi was right, she knew. She'd had feelings for her best friend for a long time but they had only grown stronger when Future Honoka had shown up. She wondered if it was the way Future Honoka looked at her that had her so infatuated with the older version.
—
Upon teleporting to the roof of the hotel she was staying in, Future Honoka took a deep breath as she looked out over the city lights. She adjusted her grip on Umi's legs in case she slipped and gave herself a moment to think. She hadn't wanted to take Umi back to her own house in case she ran into the younger girl's mother. She didn't trust herself not to do anything when confronted by the woman who'd caused so much trouble in the future.
"Right." She muttered to herself as she turned away. She couldn't stand there all day and she doubted Umi would stay asleep. She couldn't imagine being slung over her shoulder was very comfortable. She made her way down from the roof, careful not to run into anyone. She almost did in the corridor and she found herself questioning why she'd even brought the teenager with her. She could have easily left her with Eli and the others and yet she hadn't.
She let herself into her hotel room and closed the door behind her with a sigh of relief. If anyone had spotted them it would have just led to questions she wasn't prepared to deal with. She made her way to the unmade bed and shoved aside the blankets with her free hand. Carefully, she lay Umi down on the bed and covered her with the messy blankets.
"I need a drink." She muttered to herself, running a hand through her hair. After what had happened with Kotori at the restaurant she felt like she needed several drinks. She crossed the room and poured herself a glass of Shochu. She took a drink and taking the bottle with her, made her way back to the bed. She sat on the edge, watching Umi's brow furrow in her sleep. She sighed softly at the sight and reached out to brush a strand of navy blue hair away from Umi's face.
Umi turned into the gentle touch and Future Honoka found herself wishing for simpler times. A time when she had loved Umi without question or regret. Now it was so complicated. She didn't know how she was supposed to feel about Umi. She still loved her, there was no doubt about that, but forcing herself to hate her best friend couldn't be easily forgotten. After what Umi had done, or after what it had seemed like she'd done, she didn't know how to forgive her. The betrayal ran too deep.
"What am I going to do with you?" She whispered into the silence of the room. Quickly pulling her hand away, she downed her drink.
—
Umi woke to a scent that was somehow familiar and yet unfamiliar at the same time. She shifted slightly, only half awake and found herself enveloped by the comfortable warmth of blankets. Only they weren't hers. Her eyes shot open in surprise and she pushed herself up, quickly scanning the room. It was a hotel room, there was no doubt about that. Finding another person with her, she relaxed a little bit.
Future Honoka was curled up in a chair not far from the bed, a bottle clutched tightly to her chest. Her mouth was slightly agape, her chest moving slowly up and down as she slept. There was something surprisingly innocent about it and Umi found a small smile tugging at her lips. It seemed that in her sleep, Future Honoka looked a lot more like the Honoka Umi knew.
She tried to recall how she had gotten there and vaguely remembered watching through the window as Kotori kissed the future version of their friend. She buried her head in her hands, a groan of embarrassment escaping her. She must have fainted, prompting Honoka to bring her to her hotel room. It was so humiliating.
At the sound of shifting, she looked up and found Future Honoka slowly waking up. She waited with baited breath as the older girl shifted and stretched. Her eyes dipped low and widened at the sight of the skin on display as the tank top Future Honoka had changed into rode up her stomach. Her lower half wasn't much more covered as she'd changed into short sleep shorts too. She whimpered at the sight and looked away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment.
"I get too hot if I sleep in thick clothes." Future Honoka said with a roll of her eyes. "Stop being such a baby. That's what got you into this mess in the first place." She stood and ran her fingers through her messy hair.
Umi felt her stomach drop at Honoka's harsh words.
"I see you still get up early as ever." Honoka continued coldly, noticing the sun was only just coming up. "I forgot how annoying that was."
Umi flinched at the observation. She couldn't help that she was an early riser. "Honoka?" She clenched the blankets in her fists. "Why do you act like this toward me? You don't with Eli, Kotori and the others." It seemed like Future Honoka loved the group dearly, at least her version of them, and yet she seemed to despise Umi. "We're not very close in the future."
"Understatement of the century." Future Honoka scoffed, grabbing a hoodie to cover herself with, at least partially. She left it unzipped, not caring all that much about Umi's embarrassment.
Umi inhaled sharply as Honoka confirmed her suspicions. She wondered if everyone felt that way, or whether it was just Honoka. "Do you hate me?"
Honoka was silent, her eyes on the ground. She didn't turn to face Umi, she just fiddled with the zipper of her hoodie.
"Honoka!" Umi pushed herself to her knees and crawled to the edge of the bed to get closer to where Honoka was standing. She reached out to grip Honoka's hand only for her own to be lightly slapped away. She bit her lip, tears gathering in her eyes despite her best efforts. Honoka pushing her away, coupled with the lack of an answer was all the answer she really needed.
"Why?!" She asked, her voice broken with emotion. "What did I do to make you hate me so much? I need to know. I need to…" She lowered her head, a pained sob escaping her throat. She didn't notice Future Honoka look up sharply, too engrossed in her own grief. She needed to know what she'd done so she could fix it. She couldn't let her Honoka grow to hate her like this one did. It was unbearable.
Future Honoka watched as Umi broken into soft sobs, quietened only by the hand she had pressed against her mouth. The fact that she had caused it had her eyes prickling. Before she could really think about what she was doing, she had moved forward, pressing one knee against the bed and pulled Umi close to her.
Umi's eyes widened in surprise at the sudden move but she quickly accepted the comfort. She sobbed into Honoka's chest, the older girl's hand pressed against the back of her head to keep her there. Fearing that Honoka would push her away again she clung to the back of her hoodie.
Future Honoka waited until Umi quietened before she slowly loosened her grip. "I can't tell you why. Not yet. Just know that this is going to be your own decision. If you want to, you can change your future…but you can never change what I remember." Nothing could take away the memory of Umi's betrayal. It had crushed her. She eased away from Umi and stepped back, meeting her teary eyes. "I'm sorry."
Umi stared at Honoka, shaken by the news that she would have to make the decision. She didn't know how to make it, she didn't know if she could. She noticed Honoka getting up to walk away. As the older girl turned away from her, she gripped the hem of her hoodie, causing her to stop.
Future Honoka held her breath, uncertain as to what Umi was going to do. A few seconds later she felt Umi's forehead come to rest upon her lower back and she let out a shaky breath.
The tears, which Umi had recovered from a few moments ago were back in full force. Having the power to destroy her friendship with Honoka terrified her. She hated to think that she might ruin what they had, but there must have been a reason she'd done what she had.
Future Honoka stayed still, listening to Umi's soft crying. She wanted to hate her, she wanted to push her away and scream at her for what she'd done to them but she couldn't. It still hurt her just as much as it always had to see Umi in pain. Tears spilled silently down her own cheeks and she pressed her hand to her mouth, determined to stay quiet. She wouldn't let anyone see her weakness. She couldn't.
TBC