Okay so I literally have 0 excuse for not updating in two years. I guess I lost interest in my own story for awhile, but then I realized recently (after it was brought up by a friend) that I was probably disappointing a lot of people. All I can say is that I'm sorry. The good news is that this hiatus is officially over and I am here to stay.

Warning: Towards the end of the chapter there's a scene that contains harsh language, violence, and mentions of presumed rape/attempted rape.

Disclaimer: I do not own K-On, it's characters, etc.


Mio stirred in her sleep, a soft, tired moan leaving her lips. Not wanting to wake up quite yet, she tightened her closed eyes and rolled over onto her other side when she bumped into something solid. She groaned out of annoyance at first but then opened her eyes and rubbed the sleep out of them. Once Mio's vision came to she realized that she had officially gone crazy.

"Ritsu!"

The other girl grumbled something and turned away from the noise, but Mio didn't let her and instead shook her until the other girl woke up.

Ritsu woke up slowly like Mio had turned to her friend, "Oh, hey Mio. G'morning." Mio stared at her with her eyes wide, causing Ritsu to frown, "What is it?"

"I'm going crazy," Mio mumbled under her breath like she did when she was scared, "This isn't real, I just haven't woken up yet…" she chuckled nervously.

"Mio?" Ritsu calmly called out, reaching out to grab ahold of her friend, "Snap out of it!"

"You're dead, Ritsu," she told the other girl, "You're dead and yesterday you literally appeared out of nowhere, but now I can actually see you. I can see you with my own two eyes."

Ritsu blinked a couple of times, "Wow you can?" she chuckled lightly, "Well I guess you can, huh? That's weird."

"That's the weird part to you?" Mio asked in disbelief.

Ritsu shook her head, "I mean, we went through all of this last night. I thought we agreed to not question it and just enjoy the time we have… together."

"I-" Mio started, "I guess I just convinced myself that I had dreamt all of it. It's just that this," she motioned between the two of them, "is way too good to be true."

The shorter girl shrugged, "Well now that you can see me, it'll be like nothing changed," she told Mio and gave her a toothy grin.

The blacked haired woman sat up in the bed, "That's the thing though, Ritsu. Something happened and as much as I'd like to pretend that nothing changed, it did. Everything did."

Ritsu sat up as well and scootched over to the side of the bed and settled next to Mio. She leaned forward on her hands and thought about something to say, "Mio… I'm sorry. For everything. For… leaving you. I didn't… I didn't mean to…"

Mio stopped her when she laid her head on her friend's shoulder, "I know."

They stayed silent while Ritsu kept her eyes on the top of Mio's head, a small smile on her face. This is how it was supposed to be, she thought. She sighed and looked up at the ceiling and leaned back on her hands. Ritsu knew that it wasn't permanent being there again with Mio. She didn't know how she had gotten there and she didn't really know why either, but she figured it was her second chance.

"Hey, Ritsu," Mio called out, lifting her head off the other girl's shoulder.

"Hmm?"

Mio smiled, "I missed you. So much."

Ritsu returned the smile, "I missed you too, Mio," she started, "but, you know… I never really left."

The other girl nodded and looked down at her lap where her hands were resting. She reached out and took one of Ritsu's, "This is just…"

"Just what?" Ritsu asked, raising an eyebrow.

Mio shook her head and the thought was gone, "Please just… don't go."

Ritsu had to stop herself from frowning. She couldn't make that promise. All she could do is nod.

It took Mio off guard, not having an answer, but she ignored the feeling she had and took Ritsu's reaction as a semblance of reassurance. She pushed off of the bed and stood up. The tawny haired girl watched her in confusion as Mio walked over to her closet and started sifting through clothes, "I have work today," she told the other girl over her shoulder.

"Aww," Ritsu fell back onto the bed, "You're going to leave me here alone?"

Mio groaned, "You're going to start this already?"

The other girl smirked and rolled over onto her stomach as she watched Mio walk into the bathroom, clothes in hand. She turned to shut the door behind her and narrowed her eyes at Ritsu, "I'm going to wash up. Behave."

"Who do you think I am?" Ritsu called out as Mio shut the door. She laughed and rolled onto her back. She stared up at the ceiling again, her smile gone. She decided that if she didn't have the heart to tell Mio that she couldn't stay forever, she was going to make the very most of their time together. She clenched her fists as she thought back to her last night alive. Thought back to that dark alley way. Thought back to the struggling girl. Thought back to those men that took away her future. Those men that took her away from her family. Her friends. Her Mio.

She had told Mio she hadn't remembered much. That she hadn't gotten a good look at their faces. She had lied.

She sat up and got out of bed.


"Oh, thanks for the tea Azu-nyan!" Yui said as she sat down on the ground at the table in Azusa's dorm room. She blew on the tea before taking a sip, "It's delicious!"

Azusa smiled and sat down on the edge of her bed.

"Where's Ui?" Yui asked, glancing around the room.

"She has class right now," Azusa told the older girl and looked down at her phone, "It only just started a couple minutes ago."

"Oh, okay." She took another sip of her tea, "Well then that means it's just you and I!"

The pigtailed girl swallowed thickly, "Y-yeah. Looks like it."

"The other day was so fun," Yui said, smiling at the younger girl. Her gaze dropped down to her tea and she placed her hands in her lap, "With everyone back together again. We even got to see Ricchan. All of us. Together as Hokago Tea Time." She shifted slightly and then looked back to her friend, "I'm just so happy."

Azusa gave her a small smile, "I'm happy too, Yui-senpai. And Mio-senpai seems to be doing really well."

Yui nodded enthusiastically, "Oh, I know! I was so worried, but Mio-chan seems happy too, for the first time since Ricchan… and Mugi-chan too," she added.

Azusa stood to grab snacks from the kitchen area in the door and quickly made her way back. She placed them in front of Yui and then joined the other girl on the floor, taking a sip of her own tea, "Mugi-senpai was so strong for the rest of us and I guess I was so focused on myself and we were so focused on worrying about Mio-senpai… but then that day in the club room... " Azusa let out a shaky sigh, "I felt horrible."

Yui finished chewing her food, "I had no idea that Mugi-chan felt that way about Ricchan," she admitted.

"I didn't have a clue either," the twin tailed girl agreed, "Yui-senpai?" she called out after Yui had gone still.

"Azu-nyan?" Yui called out timidly.

"What is it?" Azusa asked, surprised by the other girl's tone.

Yui was playing with the tea cup to keep her hands busy, "Have you ever been in love?"

Azusa blushed, "W-what?"

"Like Mugi-chan and Mio-chan love Ricchan?" Yui added to clarify.

The comment only caused Azusa to blush deeper, "Why are you asking me that?!"

Yui shrugged, "Just a thought I guess," she told her with a smile.

Azusa was silent for a second confused by the conversation, but then noticed Yui's waiting gaze, "I uh… I don't know."

The older girl seemed to accept her answer. She looked down at her tea again, "I don't know if I have either. I think I'd to though."

Before Azusa could ask anything further, Yui reached for a cookie and shoved it in her mouth, "Mmm! These are really good!" she exclaimed with her mouth full, motioning to the plate that held them.

Azusa rolled her eyes and reached for one too.


Mio stepped out of the shower drying her hair with a towel. Once she was satisfied, she wrapped the towel around her body and grabbed her blow dryer, "You're oddly quiet, Ritsu," she called out with a chuckle, "Did you fall back asleep?"

With no reply from the sandy haired girl, Mio turned the blow dryer on and dryed her hair. When she was finished with the tedious task she changed into the clothes she left on the sink. Her work clothes. A black blazer over a white blouse and a pair of long black slacks. She put on some light makeup and once she was done she cleaned up the small mess and walked out of the bathroom and into the bedroom, "Ritsu wake up," she said with a laugh and looked to the bed.

Ritsu wasn't there.

A wave of panic rushed through Mio, "Ritsu?" she called out, uncertain at first. She rushed to the bedroom door and threw it open, "Ritsu!"

"In the kitchen!" she heard the other girl call back and Mio let out a sigh of relief. She quickly made her way into the room where Ritsu was leaning against one of the counters eating out of a box of cereal.

The taller girl made her way over to her friend and hit her on the shoulder, "You scared the hell out of me, you idiot."

Ritsu looked confused at first, but quickly realized what the other girl was referring to, "Oh… sorry. I didn't mean to."

Mio sighed again, "It's fine just… don't do that again." She looked down at the box in Ritsu's hand, "You can eat?"

The shorter girl shrugged and continued to munch on dry cereal, "I can, yeah, but I don't really have to, but dude I forgot how good this stuff is."

"Don't eat it all," Mio scolded, "It's my favorite kind."

Ritsu gave her a toothy grin, "No promises." Mio rolled her eyes and made her way to the front door, "Aww… do you have to go?" she whined.

"It is my job, Ritsu."

"Yeah, yeah," she crossed her arms, but dropped her pout, following Mio to the front door where she sat down on the stoop on slipped into a pair of heels, "You're working on the recycling plant, right?"

Mio's eyes widened and she turned away to face her friend who was sporting a smile on her face, "How…?"

"I told you I never really left," she said with a wink.

Mio stood and brushed off her pants, "I'll be going now," she told Ritsu not turning around, wanting to hide the small blush that crept onto her face, "Stay out of trouble for a couple hours, will you?"

"Of course," Ritsu replied, holding a hand up as a goodbye, "Have fun."

Once Mio had left the house, Ritsu dropped her hand back to her side and trudged into the sitting room. She plopped down on the couch, leaned back into the cushions, and stared at the ceiling in thought, "What am I supposed to do now?" she muttered to herself, "I can't bother anyone except Mio…"

A lightbulb went off in her head, "Or can I…?" she asked herself, a mischievous smirk finding its way onto her face.


"Leave her alone!" Ritsu shouted at the two men holding the figure of the girl against the alley wall.

One of the men scoffed and turned back to his victim, "Piss off kid. Before I make you. This is none of your business."

Ritsu rushed forward, "Like hell it is!" she pushed one of the men, catching him off guard. He stumbled, tripping over his own feet and fell to the ground. Partly out of Ritsu's assault and partly out of his drunkenness the girl noticed after the smell of alcohol hit her nose.

"R-Ritsu?" the girl shakily let out.

The sandy haired girl's eyes widened and she turned to the other girl, recognition crossing her face, "Ichigo? Oh, God, are you…?"

The question died when the other man decided to join in and knee Ritsu in the stomach, causing the girl to keel over. She had to stop herself from vomiting as the wind was knocked out of her. She shakily got to her feet, breathing heavily. After a second she rushed forward and threw a punch aimed at the man's face. He dodged and let out a laugh, "What is a scrawny little high school girl gonna do to me, huh?"

While he was distracted, Ritsu kicked him where it hurt and it was his turn to keel over in pain, "You bitch!" he shouted at her through his groans.

The other man had managed to stand up and he was menacingly making his way towards Ritsu. Sweat formed on her brow and she turned to Ichigo, who was frozen in fear, "Run, Ichigo! Get out of here!"

"Ricchan…" she let out, tears running down her face.

Ritsu furiously shook her head, "Go and get help! I'll be fine!"

Her classmate hesitated for a split second before nodding and running out of the alley. The man that was approaching Ritsu cursed, "She's getting away!" he called out to his buddy that was still on the ground in pain. Instead of chasing after Ichigo, he turned back to Ritsu, "I guess you'll just have to do then."

Before Ritsu could snap back, the man on the ground pulled something out of the waist of his jeans, "Screw that! This bitch is gonna pay!"

Fear washed over Ritsu when she realized what the object was, the moonlight reflecting off of the black metal.


I know that this wasn't great, but I sat down last night and turned some K-On on totally motivated to get something out for you guys. If you've stuck with me, I want to thank you. If not, I don't blame you. Again, I'm sorry.

I listened to "U&I" while writing the beginning stuff with Mio and Ritsu and it had me in tears. I'm planning on a scene with Mugi for next chapter, like I did in this one with Yui and Azusa. Something intimate like that. And I haven't forgotten about Sawako either. There will be some insight to her soon as well.

Please review with what you thought, or review with the hate of me being gone for so long. I can take it.

I promise that you'll see the next chapter soon, so until then,

PJatO98