The click as she unlocks the door, before she pushes it open. Silence greets her, but she was expecting it: a text earlier from Homura had told her that she would probably be back closer to evening. She retrieves her keys, and then shuts the door, locking it behind her.
She slips off her shoes, only to place them into their waiting spot on the shoe rack, right next to where Homura's shoes should be. A quick glance around, followed by a slow exhale. With hours to wait, she figures that she might as well distract herself by finishing her homework.
A small stretch of her arms as she walks to her room to get changed.
/
Dressed in her oversized jersey, she drops onto the couch with her backpack in hand. After turning the projection screen on as background noise, she finally digs out the sheet of math problems. She frowns at what little progress she had made last night, before shaking her head.
It takes a while, and occasionally she glances at the clock to check the time, but eventually she finds herself lost in equations and numbers.
She's mumbling to herself, grumbling because the numbers aren't adding up, when her phone rings. She jumps, and the book tumbles out of her lap. She tries to catch it, but misses, and sighs when it falls to the floor.
The ringing continues, and she looks around, searching for her phone. She finds it hidden in between the couch cushions.
"Ahh, don't hang up," she says as her finger pokes the accept button, not bothering to check who it is. "Hello?"
"Hey, how's my city girl doing?"
"Mama!"
"How are you, Madoka?"
She sits back against the couch, smiling at the familiar voice. "Good, I guess, though I could be better. How are you, Mama?"
"Mm, I could be better too. That bald head from PR keeps butting into my work, but other than that, not too bad."
She grins. "What's up?"
"What? A mother can't just call her daughter just to chat?"
"N-No, of course you can!"
She hears her mother laugh. "I'm kidding. I actually wanted to see if you're going to be back for Tatsuya's birthday party?"
"Ahh," she glances to the adjacent wall, where there's a paper calender hanging, "that's—in two weeks, right?"
"Mmhmm."
She chews on her lower lip. "Mm... it's kind of cutting it close to finals..."
"Say no more, Madoka. Your studies are important; I'm sure Takkun will understand."
"Is he there?"
"Nope. Soccer practice."
"Ah, uhm, tell him I'm really sorry for not being able to go!"
"Of course. Actually, he doesn't want you to be there."
"Whaat? Why not?"
"Because," and she can hear the sing-song tone in her mother's voice, "it appears that Takkun has a girlfriend."
She sits up immediately. "What?!"
He had one before she did?!
"Well, I'm still trying to get the details from him. All I know is that her name is Himawari."
She grins. "That's a cute name. How'd you find out?"
"Well, apparently she's on his soccer team. I'm going to be picking him up in a little bit; I'll give you more details after I find out more."
"Makes me want to come home just to meet her."
"Will you be coming back for the summer?"
"Mm," she reaches over, picking up her book from the floor, before sitting back down, "maybe for a week or two. I was thinking about taking some supplemental classes...? Uhm, if that's alright...? They're—kind of expensive..."
"You know what I told you about money, Madoka. Mama works hard for a reason: so that you two won't have to. Take as many as you want, as long as they will help lead you to what you want to do."
She knows she's lucky. "Thank you, Mama."
"Mmhmm. Of course. Now, will Homura be coming along with you?"
She blushes, sinking deeper into the couch. "Uhm... I'm not sure. I haven't asked her..." It had crossed her mind, but she wasn't sure if Homura would be up to it.
"She's always welcomed here. Is she there?"
"N-No, she's... out at the moment."
"Really?"
She smiles, remembering the few times Homura had tried to pretend that she wasn't home. "Yes, she's at her doctor's..." The smile drops when she's reminded why Homura isn't here.
"...Is everything okay?"
Madoka sighs, leaning back to stare at the ceiling. "Y-Yeah. Well, yes, and no, I guess..."
"Madoka."
She sighs again. "Uhm... don't you have to go pick up Takkun soon?"
"I have time. Now, tell me what's wrong?"
"Okay," she breathes out. "So, uhm... Sayaka-chan dropped by this weekend—"
"She did?"
"Yeah—"
"Let me guess, Kamijou-kun?"
"Uh huh," she closes the book in her lap, before placing it down to the side, "so uhm... okay, Sayaka-chan didn't have enough money for the taxi ride to our apartment, so she called me to pick her up..."
"Uh huh."
"...And then, Homura-chan had her wait at this bar by the station, because it's not that safe—"
"Good. I've been hearing about those robberies."
"Okay, but, the bar—apparently that's where Homura-chan's brother—uhm... half brother works at."
"I see."
"So, then, later, when I was talking to Sayaka-chan, we were uhm... I was telling her how you told me that Kamijou-kun is too selfish..."
"Right."
"And Sayaka-chan was saying that I should be selfish too, about Homura-chan, because apparently I know nothing about her! Not even the fact that her half brother is in the same city; Homura-chan has never mentioned him, at all!"
"Okay..."
She stands from the couch, restless as she's reminded how much of Homura she doesn't know. "Okay, b-but that's not even the worst part though, Mama! Homura-chan—even though she's been living here for months, a-and I've known her for this long now, I just barely found out that she had a heart transplant when she was younger!"
She starts pacing across the room.
"She was hiding her medication from me, a-and deliberately keeping it a secret! I think if I hadn't asked her, she wouldn't have told me! Ever!"
"Okay... first off, I need you to calm down, Madoka."
She stops walking. "I'm—"
"Madoka. Take a deep breath. Come on, Mama can wait."
She sighs, before she inhales deeply.
"Okay, now breathe out, slowly."
She exhales through her mouth, her breath creating static heard through the speaker.
"Good. Now, I want you to think about this rationally: was what Homura did, really that bad?"
She opens her mouth—
"Madoka. Remember what I told you about letting your emotions control you?"
She clamps her mouth shut as a frustrated growl emerges from her throat. "... I know."
"Now, people are entitled to their secrets. I'm sure that Sayaka-chan doesn't tell you every little thing, does she?"
She glances to the floor. "...No."
"And, considering just how shy and shut off Homura is, did you really expect her to tell you something like that? ...Voluntarily, I mean."
She rubs her eyes, hearing the truth in her mother's words, but not liking it all the same. "...No."
"...It doesn't mean you don't have a right to be upset. You're an honest girl, Madoka, which, is very, very rare nowadays. Knowing you though, you probably blew this out of proportion, and took it as a personal attack because she didn't tell you about her heart transplant, hmm?"
"...Maybe," she mumbles softly.
"And you've known Homura for how long now?"
"...H-Half a year."
"Mmhmm. Maybe you should be happy that she trusts you enough, that she's willing to be open about something that has probably affected her all her life."
She guiltily casts her eyes to the floor. "..."
Her mother laughs. "Now, don't go pouting at me for pointing this out."
"I know," she sighs.
"But, other than that, is everything alright with Homura? Is there a reason she's at her doctor's?"
"Mm, she gets dizzy after she takes her medication, so she's getting that checked out at the hospital."
"And?"
"Other than that... she—seems okay..."
"That's good to hear. Speaking of Homura, how are things going along with her? You two seem closer, or, at least you know more about her now?"
She drops down on the couch, her movements causing the books on the cushions to slide from the sudden disturbance. "We... kind of had a date, this weekend...?"
"Oh?"
She can just picture her mother grinning with her eyebrows raised, and she blushes. "K-Kind of... Sayaka-chan wanted to go to the game center, and then we split up..."
"Did you two have fun?"
"...Yes," she admits quietly.
"Well, then what seems to be the problem?"
She sighs, and presses a hand to her warm cheek. "It's—it's just so hard to read her sometimes, Mama. Like, Sayaka-chan says that Homura-chan's only nice to me—"
"I noticed that too, actually."
"Really?"
"Uh huh. And I'm not so sure it's because she has known you the longest; even with Takkun, she was very apprehensive when dealing him, which is strange, because he's just a smaller, male version of you."
She grins. "Don't let him hear you say that, Mama."
"He should be flattered he's growing up to be like his older sister!"
"Okay, so, she's just... I don't know, I can't tell, does she like me? I mean, she's so confusing sometimes! I mean, it feels like she likes me, but there's—nothing really to compare her behavior with. Does she only act this way with me?"
She hears her mother laugh again. "Well, Homura is fairly hard to read. Actually, I suspect there's an underlying cause to why she acts the way she does."
She blinks. "What do you mean, Mama?"
"Hmm. It's little things, Madoka. It could be read off as her being shy, but, she seemed very afraid of me and your Papa."
She frowns. "Yeah... she was scared of meeting Sayaka-chan too, the first time."
"Well, I don't want to make any assumptions about her, but those few times you left her alone with us... hm, how do I explain it? She was, kind of like a cornered animal. I was honestly expecting for her to run out the door if you took a minute longer."
"You never mentioned this, Mama. Homura-chan doesn't act like that with me..." She remembers this morning, and pauses. "...sometimes."
"Mmhmm. You said that you met her brother?"
"Half brother."
"How is he, compared to her?"
"Uhm... normal, I guess. Definitely not as shy."
"Is he cute?"
"Mama!"
"What? It has to run in the family, right? That girl has some very nice genes."
That, Madoka can agree with. "...He's decent. But, Homura-chan doesn't really resemble him. I think she takes after her mom instead..."
"And, how is their relationship?"
"Bad, I think."
"Uh huh. Not surprising."
"It isn't?"
"No, not really." She hears her mother sigh. "Madoka, listen, okay, sometimes—there are reasons that people keep secrets—"
"I know that!"
"—and, maybe Homura doesn't like talking about her past, because it's something she doesn't want to remember."
"...I know that too, Mama."
"And, the further the two of you develop your relationship, maybe she'll tell you more, maybe she won't. That's for her to decide."
"I know..."
"Homura probably has a reason, why she acts the way she does. She walks with her head held high, but I'd say her footsteps are very tentative, like she's always unsure of the path ahead of her. I'm fairly certain she does like you, Madoka, but something's holding her back."
She frowns, eyes cast to the side as she thinks of Homura. "...Like what?"
"That, I have no idea. Like I said, I don't want to make any assumptions about her, but..."
"But what, Mama?"
"Mm, when people fall in love, they tend to be blinded, and they can only see the good things in a person. There's plenty of things you don't know about her—and things that maybe you don't want to know that you'll find out."
"Mama?"
"Homura's a good kid, Madoka. Like you, but quieter, and much, much angrier."
She blinks. "What...?"
"This is something you're going to need to find out on your own, Madoka. Listen, Mama doesn't mind talking with you more, but..."
She sighs, already knowing that she's not going to be getting anymore clear words from her mother. "No, it's fine, Mama, you can go check out Takkun's new girlfriend," she teases. "I'll contact you later to tell you if I might be able to squeeze in a trip before finals."
"Don't push yourself if you can't make it. And, don't forget to ask Homura along."
"Alright."
"And remember, you can call me, no matter what. Homura too, if she ever feels like it."
She smiles. "I know, Mama. I'll tell her."
"...I'll send you a picture later, of this mysterious Himawari."
Her smile warps into a grin. "Sure."
"Love you."
"Love you too, Mama."
Just as she's about to hang up, she hears shouting from the phone.
"Hello?"
"Love you, Madoka!"
"Love you too, Papa!"
"Hang up already, Papa, we need to go pick up Takkun!"
"If Mama hadn't hogged—"
The line clicks shut, and she shakes her head with a grin. She still gets homesick sometimes, especially after a good, long chat with her Mama. But, she glances around, Homura did help to lessen that longing somehow.
"Okay..." she breathes out.
Homework as she waits for Homura to return.
/
She jolts awake, arms flaying, until she hears an audible smack.
"...Ow."
Still half asleep, she brushes away her messy bangs, eyes squinting at how dim the lighting is inside.
"...Homura-chan?" she blinks, staring at the figure standing a bit away, who is rubbing her jaw. "...Sorry, did I hit you?"
"No, it was my fault, I didn't mean to wake you," Homura murmurs softly.
She blinks once more, before she glances down. There's a blanket covering half her body, and her books have been pushed to the side.
"Math makes me sleepy too," Homura comments.
Her eyes widen; she had fallen asleep. "Ahh, what time is it?"
"Mm," Homura glances to the muted projection screen, "a little after six."
She sits back against the couch. "...So much for finishing my homework early."
"It's not too late," Homura says as she crosses the room. "I'm going to turn on the lights now, Madoka."
"Okay."
The flip is switched, and they both wince as light floods into the room.
Madoka stretches, before she yawns into her hand. "Did you just get back, Homura-chan?"
"Just a bit ago."
She quickly sits up, but remembers something, and slowly lowers back into the cushions.
"You weren't answering, so I got you your usual."
"Hm?" She turns around, and Homura holds out a familiar cup to her. "You dropped by the coffee shop?" she asks, accepting it.
"Mmhmm. Had to get my coffee fix, because someone wouldn't let me drink it this morning."
Madoka places her hot chocolate onto the coffee table with a frown.
"Don't worry, I already asked my doctor, and he said it was fine. You're not going to drink?"
"Oh, uhmmmm..." She pats down her messy hair. "...Actually, let me go wash up first."
Homura takes a seat at the couch, watching as she stands. "Okay."
When she returns, Homura is absently thumbing through her workbook, one hand holding her coffee in front of her. She glances up when she hears footsteps, and the smile thrown her way makes Madoka's chest pull.
"You should warm up your drink in the microwave," Homura says as she closes the book to set it aside. "It's probably lukewarm by now."
"Mm, that's fine," Madoka mumbles as she takes a seat. Homura hands her her drink, and she accepts it with a small thanks in murmur.
She takes a few sips, not at all bothered by the temperature.
Homura glances over. "How is it? It was a new worker today, so I wasn't sure if they made it too sweet or anything."
"Mm," she takes another drink, letting the cocoa wash over tongue as she evaluates their work, "...Three stars out of five."
"Ah. Too sweet?"
She smacks her lips, and then shakes her head. "Too much milk; there's not enough chocolate. Yours?"
"Two stars."
"Too sweet?"
Homura nods. "All I taste is chocolate."
"Switch?"
They trade cups, and move to take a respective drink.
Madoka blinks. She stares down at Homura's cup. "...Are you sure they didn't mix them?"
Homura shakes her head. "I'm not sure, but it's not like yours tastes like coffee."
"Well, hopefully this barista will get things right, soon." She takes another sip of Homura's drink.
"...I assume that's yours now?"
Madoka smiles. "Thank you, Homura-chan."
"Mmhmm..."
She fidgets with her cup as Homura settles against the couch. "Uhm, h-how was it?"
Homura glances over, before closing her eyes. "It was just a normal check up. Blood work, and then an electrocardiogram. Everything seems to be fine. They're switching to a different medication with a lower dose to see if it'll help with the nausea."
She nods. "T-That's good."
Homura hums in agreement as Madoka continues to sit there in silence, occasionally sipping at her drink.
Eventually, Homura sits back up, eyes opening as she raises her eyebrow. "That's... it?"
"Hm?"
"I was... expecting a different reaction."
Madoka blinks. "What do you mean?"
"You're acting... really calm."
"Am I?"
"Yes."
"Is that weird?"
"Very."
Madoka takes another sip, using it to swallow her anxiousness, because truthfully, she wants to ask so many questions. There's a hand on her arm, and she glances back up, surprised, and then touched, to see that Homura looks almost worried.
"Did something happen?" Homura asks softly.
She averts her eyes. "...I'm sorry."
"For what?"
She fidgets with her cup. "...For blowing this out of proportion. F-For making you feel guilty, even though I know that... that it's really none of my business to know about your heart transplant..." She blinks rapidly, frustrated that tears are gathering in her eyes even though there's no reason she should be crying.
"...Mm... If I had to guess, you spoke with your mom?"
She raises her head in surprise. "...Maybe. H-How—"
Homura's lips tug into a small smile. "Because the only person I know that can actually calm you down is your mom."
Madoka sighs. "I know. A-And I'm really sorry, for acting so stupid, and irrational and—"
"It's fine."
She glances at Homura.
"It's," Homura rubs the surface of her cup with her thumb, before giving her another small smile, "...I think at this point, I'd be more worried if you didn't react like that. Seeing you calm is kind of scary, actually."
Madoka reaches over to smack her arm. "And what does that mean?"
"Ow," Homura says, even though her smile remains. "It's... You're, uhm... I think it's good, you're honest with your feelings. It... makes you genuine, or uhm..." She lowers her eyes, the cup slowly twisting in her hand as she fidgets.
Madoka smiles with how Homura seems to be stumbling with her words. "Are you sure?" she asks, trying to lighten the mood. "It won't scare you away?"
Homura shakes her head. "No. I like that about you, actually. Uhm...I-I mean, not that I like you worrying about me, but uhm..."
She grins at the sight of Homura blushing. "It's okay, I think I kind of understand what you're saying, Homura-chan. But, uhm, if you really don't mind..."
"I don't. It's strange, really. If it was anyone else, I'd definitely be annoyed."
"R-Really?"
"Uh huh." Homura takes a sip of her drink, and frowns when she remembers it's supposed to be hot chocolate even though it doesn't taste like it.
Madoka swallows nervously. Did that mean what she thought it meant? "Homura-chan, I—"
They both jump when they hear a beep in the background.
She bites back a frustrated groan, before moving her head, trying to locate the sound.
"I don't see it," Homura comments as she looks around.
"Uhm..." she frowns, trying to remember where she had last seen her phone. She puts her drink down onto the coffee table. "After I talked with Mama, I placed it down, here," she pats the cushion that Homura is sitting on.
Homura stands, and Madoka proceeds to search in between the cushions.
"I think..." she feels something solid in her hand, and quickly reaches for it. "Okay, I think I have it." She tugs on the device, and pulls it out. She flips it over as she sits back down.
Homura retakes her seat, watching as Madoka unlocks her phone to check her messages.
She's grinning a second later. "Oh."
Curious, Homura leans over. "What is it?"
Madoka tilts her phone, giving Homura a clearer view of the screen. "So, apparently Takkun has a girlfriend now."
Homura raises an eyebrow. "Isn't he kind of too young to have a girlfriend?"
"He's almost nine."
"...Which is still fairly young."
Madoka shrugs. "Those were Mama's words, not mine."
Homura nods toward the screen. "This is her?"
"Uh huh. Her name is Himawari."
"...She doesn't look like a Himawari."
Madoka grins. "You don't know anything about her, Homura-chan. She looks like a very sweet girl."
"She does...?"
"Uh huh. Why, what does she look like to you?"
"In one word... trouble."
Madoka frowns. "How so?"
"Look at how wide she's grinning."
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"People who smile like that are trouble."
"Homura-chan."
Homura merely takes a sip of her drink.
"Well, I think she seems nice."
"Look at your brother's face, Madoka."
Madoka blinks before she zooms in on the picture. "..."
"Tell me again that she seems nice."
"Mm... maybe I should go home earlier than planned..."
The phone chimes once more, prompting her to swipe the screen. Homura takes another sip, watching as Madoka's eyebrows shoot up as she reads the message.
"I am so going to kick this girl's butt when I get home," she growls.
Homura leans over to quickly skim whatever has Madoka riled up. "...Told you."
"I can't believe I thought she looked sweet! Maybe I should go home for Takkun's birthday after all..."
"When is it?"
"The weekend before finals..."
"Are you sure that's a good idea?"
"I know! But!" She quickly stands to her feet. "I can't just ignore this, Homura-chan! Why would anyone pick on Takkun? He's such a sweet kid!"
"That's probably why, Madoka. Bullies tend to go after those weaker than them."
"Grr." She crosses her arms across her chest, before she starts pacing around. "Seriously, she's super lucky that I'm in Tokyo! Otherwise I'd definitely go over there and kick her butt!"
"I have no doubts that you'd be able to accomplish that, Madoka, as she's 10 years younger than you," Homura says dryly as she watches her move across the room, "but, I'm pretty sure there are some laws against that."
Madoka whirls around to glare at her.
"Plus, I'm sure your mother will take care of it."
"That's true... but, poor Takkun." She frowns. "...Guess he really does take after me."
"He should be okay. He seems like a well adjusted kid with strong support from your parents."
"...I should be there too, Homura-chan. If Takkun's like how I was when I was his age..." She shakes her head. "Plus, he doesn't have a Sayaka-chan to watch over him, not like I did..."
"That's a good idea, actually."
Madoka blinks. "What?"
"Miki Sayaka is there. Have her kick the girl's butt in your place for the time being, and then you can tag in when you go home after finals."
She sighs, before dropping back onto the couch. "That's... No, it's different, Homura-chan. It's, different, being the older child. There's—you're supposed to be there, for your siblings."
Homura quietly takes another sip.
"...I'm sure your brother feels the same way, Homura-chan."
"Don't lump that idiot with you, Madoka. He already lost his 'big brother' title a long time ago. Did Takkun specifically ask you to come home?"
She frowns. "Well, no. He... didn't want me there for his birthday, actually."
Homura nods. "There you go."
"But—"
"It's different, being the younger sibling, too. Sometimes you don't want the older one there, because they'll make things worse. Or in my case, I never wanted him there in the first place."
"Homura-chan."
"I understand how you feel, Madoka, but what do you hope to accomplish by going back home? Will you really be able to kick this girl's butt like you say you will?"
"Well..."
"You always mention how difficult your math class is; will you be able to pass if you miss that weekend of studying?"
She bites her lip. "...I can always study on the train there, and study at home."
Homura merely raises an eyebrow. "Do you really think that will happen?"
"Argh."
The phone chimes once more, and Madoka quickly turns to it.
"...Mama tells me not to worry and that she'll handle it."
Homura tips her cup towards her.
"...I'm going to call him later, to talk with him."
"That sounds like a good idea," Homura says as she stands. "Uhm, I'm going to change, and then probably heat up something for dinner."
"Okay, Homura-chan," Madoka mumbles as she continues to stare at her phone.
Homura tilts her head at her, before she turns to walk to their shared room.
/
"—but why didn't you tell me, Takkun!"
Homura enters the living room, now dressed in her sweats and sporting her thick glasses.
"Well, no, but—"
She passes the pacing Madoka, limping slightly as she moves to the kitchen to heat up the leftovers. When she opens the refrigerator door, she frowns at the box of pizza.
"...Okay. I'll talk to you when I come home. Are you sure you don't—Okay, okay. I'll see you after my finals then... Uh huh. Love you too, Takkun."
Leftovers in hand, Homura straightens out. She shuts the door and turns to the counter, only to see Madoka enter the kitchen with a dejected look on her face.
"...Is everything alright?" she asks as she places the containers down.
"Mm..." Madoka joins her side to help. "Takkun says he's fine, and that I should just come back after my finals."
"Right."
"...And that he didn't tell me, because he didn't want me to worry."
Homura nods. "See? What did I tell you?"
Madoka frowns as her hands stop moving. "..."
Homura doesn't notice as she opens the pizza box. "How many slices did you want, Madoka? ...Madoka?" She blinks, and turns to see Madoka staring at the counter. "Madoka?"
"Uhm... s-sorry, what did you ask me, Homura-chan?"
Homura stares at her for a moment. "...You're really upset about this."
She sees Madoka's brow furrow. "Of course I would be, Homura-chan." She sighs. "My little brother is being bullied, and I can't do anything to help him because I'm all the way here, in Tokyo. He knows that I'm busy, and he didn't want to tell me because—" she wipes at her eyes, "because he's more worried about my grades, than about himself!"
Homura glances around, before slowly reaching out her hands until they're on Madoka's shoulders. "H-Hey, uhm... I-I'm sure your brother is doing fine."
Madoka sniffles loudly. "I'm a horrible sister."
Homura immediately grasps for the tissue box nearby. She holds it out, and Madoka takes a few to dab at her eyes.
"I'm sure Takkun doesn't think that, Madoka," Homura says softly.
"Well, he should."
"I-I mean, uhm... i-if he's anything like you, he's probably okay...? Uhm, it'll make him stronger in the long run?"
Madoka lowers her hands to shoot Homura a glare.
"I—y-your mom will probably talk to her mom, and have her stop...?"
Madoka sighs. "Which means she'll probably pick on him even more now that she got in trouble."
"If it's any consolation, he'll be on summer vacation soon, so he won't have to deal with her?"
Madoka reaches over and smacks her on the arm. "Homura-chan, you're not helping here!"
"S-Sorry," she mumbles. "If he punches her back, she'll probably stop?"
"Homura-chan."
"W-What? That's what worked for me...?"
Madoka sighs, before she lifts her head as Homura's words finally register. "...You were bullied too, Homura-chan?"
Homura shrugs. "It was a long time ago."
Madoka stares at her, picturing a younger, smaller Homura, who, considering her family situation, most likely had no one to run to for help. She leans forward, slipping her arms around Homura's waist to hold her close.
"I'm sorry, Homura-chan. You didn't deserve that. Neither does Takkun. No one does."
Homura slowly relaxes. "Uhm... It was a long time ago, Madoka. I'm okay now. Uhm, but thanks..." She awkwardly pats Madoka on the back.
Madoka smiles to herself, taking comfort in Homura's warmth. She knows that their hug is lasting too long though, and reluctantly pulls away.
"Madoka."
"Hm?"
Homura glances to the floor, before her eyes once more meet rose pink. "...The fact that you're this worried about Takkun, I'm sure that's enough, for him. He knows that he has you, and your parents supporting him. That you'd drop everything, and even fail your classes for him. It's—probably why he didn't want to tell you—because he knows that you'd immediately go there to try and help... He's lucky, to have an older sister like you."
Madoka stares into lavender, knowing that Homura is speaking from experience. "...I'm sure your brother thinks the same, Homura-chan."
Homura immediately draws back with a frown. "Like I said, don't lump yourself with that idiot, Madoka." She turns back to the leftovers. "How many slices did you want?"
Knowing she has touched a nerve, Madoka lets the conversation drop. "Just one is fine."
"...I really don't want to be eating this tomorrow as well."
"Let's just freeze the rest."
Homura nods. "We'll have Miki Sayaka eat them when she comes back next week. I guess her visiting is good for something."
Madoka sighs. "I still don't see why you and Sayaka-chan can't get along, Homura-chan."
"Really? It makes perfect sense to me."
Madoka raises her eyebrow. "Okay, please enlighten me then, oh wise one?"
Homura moves to the oven with the box of pizza in hand. "It's simple, really," she says as tugs open the oven door.
Madoka starts pulling out a few bowls to reheat the curry with. "Uh huh."
"She's an idiot."
"Homura-chan."
"That's it, Madoka. That's my only reason."
Madoka rolls her eyes even as her lips tug into a fond smile. Her smile suddenly widens into a grin. "Actually, Sayaka-chan was saying that maybe she'll transfer to Tokyo."
There's a metal clang, and Madoka turns to see Homura staring at her. "...She's kidding, right?"
Madoka moves overs to the drawers to grab a spoon. "Maybe."
"Madoka."
Madoka hums, smiling in amusement at the small lilt in Homura's voice, making it sound almost like a whine.
"...I'll go to Mitakihara for you."
Madoka glances behind her. "What?"
"...In exchange for kicking that Himawari girl's butt, do you think your mom will let me stay at her house after I transfer to Mitakihara College?"
She places a hand on her hip. "Homura-chan."
"I'll pay rent, of course. And—"
"Homura-chan."
Homura sighs. "...It's a hypothetical question, Madoka."
"Uh huh."
/
Towel draped over her shoulders and hands holding her folded clothes, Homura steps out of the bathroom, body still warm from the shower.
"...Okay, talk you later Sayaka-chan. Okay, good night." Madoka lowers her phone to her bed as the line disconnects.
"Miki Sayaka is home?" Homura asks as she heads towards the closet.
"Mmhmm. She was back a while ago, but her parents took her out to dinner. They just got home."
Homura nods as she slips her clothes into their respective places.
"How are you feeling, Homura-chan?"
"Mm." She turns around, and Madoka pats the spot next to her. She crosses the room, and Madoka eyes her, noticing the slight limp. She takes a seat a moment later. "Okay. Better. The lowered dosage seems to help."
Madoka nods, obviously looking relieved. "That's good. How's your foot?"
"It's fine." Homura glances over, her hands fidgeting with the ends of her pajama shirt. "Uhm, thank you, Madoka."
She blinks. "For what?"
"Uhm, well, I guess I was due for a readjustment for my medicine for a while now. If you hadn't forced me to call my doctor, I probably would've just continued on like normal." She tugs on her shirt. "...I really do feel a lot better, so, uhm, thank you..."
Madoka smiles and places her hand on Homura's arm. "You're welcome, Homura-chan. I'm glad you feel better, too. I'm surprised your doctor didn't readjust your dosage though?"
Homura shakes her head. "Well, since I really didn't say anything, they assumed that I was adjusting well with that medication..."
"Homura-chan."
"And—the side effects really weren't that bad compared to the medication before that..."
Madoka frowns as she presses her fingers into Homura's arm.
"But," Homura glances up, "this one right now seems even better..."
Her hand slowly relaxes. "When's your next appointment?"
"Next week. They want to make sure the new medication is working. Though, I'm supposed to call them if there's any complications."
Madoka nods. "...Homura-chan?"
"Yes?"
"...Would it be alright if I went with you?"
Homura blinks in surprise. "...What?"
Madoka moves her hand until it's placed on top of Homura's. She intertwines their fingers, before she looks back up to give Homura a smile.
"You know, I keep thinking about Takkun, being all alone... but, you're right, when you say that he's not, because Mama and Papa are there for him, and, I told Sayaka-chan about it too, so she'll keep an eye out whenever possible."
Homura glances at their hands. "Okay...? But what does that—"
"And then," Madoka continues as she holds Homura's hand tightly, "I keep thinking about you, Homura-chan, having to go through all this by yourself. I—want to be there for you too, Homura-chan. It's... I can't do anything for Takkun, because he's there, and I'm here. Of course I'm going to continue to support him, and I'll call him and remind him that I'm there for him. I can't do anything but that for him... but, you're here, Homura-chan. And I'm here, too. I—can be here for you, Homura-chan, if you'll let me."
Homura stares at her for a moment, before she averts her eyes. Madoka's afraid she has said too much, except she can clearly see the pink now dashed across Homura's pale face.
Homura swallows heavily and barely resists the urge to pull away. "Uhm... t-that is..."
"Homura-chan?"
They both jump when they hear loud beeping echo in the room.
Madoka blinks, and turns to her phone: none of the lights are flashing.
Homura pulls away when she finally realizes that it's her phone. Madoka watches as Homura heads over to the dresser, reaching for the phone once she's close enough.
It drops back into silence as soon as she picks it up, but starts beeping once more before she can check the voice mail.
"Hello? ...Keiichi-san? ...Okay, but what do you want me to do about that? ...Okay, but it wasn't fatal, right? ...well, how much blood did you see?"
Madoka feels her eyebrows shoot up. She quickly stands to rush to her side.
Homura glances over when she sees Madoka approach. "...He was still conscious though?"
Madoka gestures, and Homura shakes her head.
"Just tell me which hospital, and I'll visit him tomorrow. What? ...You said it wasn't fatal."
Madoka winces when she hears the other person on the line shout.
"...Fine. ...What? Why do you want my address? ...No, I don't plan on walking. There's something called a taxi, you know."
More shouting, and Madoka stares at Homura in worry when she rattles off their address.
"Yes, it's real. Yes, I'll be ready when you drop by. I need to get changed now, so I'll see you later." Homura pulls the phone away, and they can both hear more shouting that is quickly cut off when Homura angrily jabs at the phone to hang up.
"Homura-chan? W-What happened?"
Homura blinks, before she turns to face Madoka. "...Okay, so, apparently Satoshi got stabbed somehow trying to thwart a robbery or something."
Madoka's mouth drops open in surprise. "W-What?"
AN: Ooh, just a bit over a month on the update; I've been... well, not exactly busy, but not exactly not busy.
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing!