Mio
"Why, is the dangerous Mio so down that she can't even think of a comeback?" Ritsu teased her, but the words were hollow and rang without humour. Mio leaned back into the chair and refused to acknowledge Ritsu, refused to acknowledge the pieces of reality spiralling together, fitting like puzzles in which the her friends don't –
Mio leaned back into the chair and squeezed her eyes shut, but even if she blocked out the world it doesn't stop the flow of time. She felt Ritsu lean in, chin against her head and thin fingers tangling through her hair, and held onto the warmth from the drummer's hands.
An eternity of warmth dangled between Ritsu's fingers, and Mio could not bear to let go. But the clock was ticking and Mio finally understood that they shouldn't have lingered at all, understood that she should let them go, because they shouldn't have been here in the first place.
Mio was practical, after all, and nothing lasts for eternity. So she sat still, and after a while she opened her eyes and enveloped the blond in a tight embrace, and then, with trembling fingers locked around Ritsu's hand, headed towards the doorway.
Azusa raised her hand in the form of a wave, and then scattered in a bright shower of colours. Mio opened her mouth for a scream but only half of the sound made its way out of her throat before a sob choked it back. She desperately reached out a hand to grasp the last wisp that was her friend, to touch the air where Azusa was a second ago, to take her –
Ritsu pulled her back, and in those strong arms she was suddenly powerless, sagging and falling but never reaching the ground. Sobs blocked her throat, and all she could think was why, why, why, why did they have to go and not Ritsu too, please by the Gods not Ritsu as well. And that they all left her back in the house, on the freckled lawn, alone, alone, alone.
"I have to go too." Ritsu smiled, serious and tender and so uncharacteristic that Mio hated it, hated the good bye that was written between the lines, hated finality in the words because the chapters couldn't just end here, "Please, Mio. Stay strong. Let us go. We'll see each other again soon."
But Mio couldn't just leave it there, and she couldn't let go of Ritsu's hand because it was just wrong, and she didn't want to–
And Ritsu leaned in, slowly but surely, pressing her lips against Mio's nose because she was she was too short for the forehead, and Mio was dimly aware of the softness, of the warmth, of the lingering imprint even when Ritsu pulled away – and Mio suddenly understood.
"Try warm water." Ritsu's breath was warm against her cheek, and Mio pulled her arms around the drummer, tight because she couldn't bear the thought of farewell; tight because she too understood the finality, that RItsu really had lingered on too long; tight, because it didn't matter if the past weeks were in her head or real or if they were ghosts that stayed behind, because they were her friends, and Ritsu, god, she loved Ritsu too much to just let her go.
Mio felt Ritsu squeeze her arms, and she was gone before the goodbye left Mio's lips.