Rin wasn't sure how long she ran after Hanayo, only that it was getting dark and she was hungry. Super speed, as Maki often warned her, meant that she burned through far more calories than a normal person usually would so she had to eat more often. Because of that, the redhead seemed to be constantly pestering Rin to eat after she used her powers, or else she just pushed a protein bar into her hand with a warning look. It was sweet, Rin thought, that Maki wanted to take care of them all even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.
"Kayo-chin, stop!"
She wished that Hanayo would stop running and listen to her but her best friend showed no signs of stopping. Rin could easily get close to her. It would be easy for her to grab her and run off with her under any other circumstances but she couldn't touch Hanayo at all while she was using her phasing power. It was so frustrating, to be unable to do anything but keep up as her friend ran from her. She wouldn't have even had to use her ability to do that, but Hanayo kept phasing through walls to get away from her. She'd even disappeared into the sewers at one point, leaving Rin with no option but to use her speed.
She gritted her teeth together, ignoring the weakness she felt and pushed on. She didn't care what it took, she wasn't going to leave Hanayo alone when she was so upset. "KAYO-CHIIIIN!"
Hanayo looked back and Rin felt her chest tighten at the dampness of her friend's eyes. It wasn't fair, that Hanayo had to feel like this. She had only been trying to protect all of them. Rin should have been faster, she shouldn't have frozen like she had. She should have been the one to kill the guard, she was sure she could have handled it. Hanayo wasn't like her though, she was too good and pure to be able to handle the guilt of taking someone's life.
Thankfully, it seemed that Rin wasn't the only one who was tiring. Hanayo was clearly slowing down, even with her phasing to help her keep the distance between the two of them. Soon enough she stopped, bent at the waist with her hands on her knees. Rin stopped with her, swaying a little bit on her feet. For a moment, the two of them stood there, the only sound that of their heavy breathing. Finally, Hanayo lifted her head, a frown on her lips.
"I-I told you not to follow me!" She exclaimed breathlessly, reaching up to wipe her eyes. She hadn't even noticed that she wasn't using her ability anymore. Even such a passive power was hard to keep up. "W-Why can't you just leave me alone?"
"You were upset and running from me, how could I not follow you, nya?!" Rin's voice wasn't as bright and bubbly as usual, making the 'nya' at the end sound a bit odd and forced. "I would rather run all night then leave you alone!"
Hanayo's bottom lip trembled, her eyes suddenly awash with tears. "W-Why? Why would you want to be with me right now? I killed someone, Rin-chan! I…" She shook her head, curling an arm around her stomach. She was awful. She had torn someone's heart right from their chest without giving it so much as a few seconds of thought. "Oh god…" She felt herself weaken and stumbled to her knees, barely hearing Rin calling her name in a panic. Her knees had barely collided with the ground before she felt arms going around her and she sank forward against Rin's torso, hot tears spilling down her cheeks. "W-What did I…? I-I can't…"
Rin swallowed thickly against the lump in her throat. She'd never liked seeing Hanayo in pain. For some reason it always made her chest ache. She stared at her friend uncertainly before her jaw clenched determinedly. She couldn't just do nothing. She slipped her hand under Hanayo's knees and stood with some difficulty, glancing this way and that. Seeing nobody in sight, she took a deep breath and mustering up the last of her strength, used her ability to speed off with Hanayo in her arms. Arms looped around her neck and she felt Hanayo's face press closer to her chest. She didn't know whether it was to protect her face from the wind whipping against them or just for comfort.
It didn't take more than a few minutes for her to reach her house but upon seeing the car outside, her breath caught in her throat. Her father was there. A chill ran down her spine and she tightened her grip on Hanayo. She couldn't risk taking her inside when her father was there.
"Just another minute, Kayo-chin." She promised quietly, her voice trembling slightly as she thought of her father's reaction to her not being home. He would be furious, she was sure. Pushing the thought away she sped off with Hanayo again, holding the other girl as tightly to her chest as she could. She didn't have many options about where to take her. Nozomi's apartment came to mind but she knew that the others might be there, especially if they wanted to stay together. She only had one other option.
Gritting her teeth, she changed direction. It only took a few minutes until she reached the all too familiar building. She rushed through the door, into the spacious interior. She didn't slow down until she reached the mattress she'd placed in the corner. The speed at which she'd entered sent a pile of paper flying around. Notes from school, she realized, though she couldn't bring herself to care.
Rin set Hanayo down on the mattress with some difficulty, having to loosen the arms from around her neck. After, she stumbled away to get some matches. Her limbs felt heavy and she felt even sicker than she had a moment ago. She went through the backpack she kept leaning against the wall, finally emerging with a bottle of water and a raggedy cloth.
When she returned to the mattress Hanayo had moved. Now she was huddled in the corner, her knees pulled to her chest as she stared vacantly ahead. Rin knelt in front of her, hoping to catch her eye but it seemed that Hanayo didn't even realize that she was there. Sighing, she poured some of the water onto the cloth and carefully reached toward Hanayo. She had worried that Hanayo would flinch away but she just continued to stare straight forward, allowing Rin to gently wipe the blood from her cheek.
Rin sighed again but continued what she was doing, after a moment turning her attention to Hanayo's hands. Her right hand was covered in blood. Carefully, Rin grasped Hanayo's wrist and began to wipe at her palm, trying to get the blood off. It was difficult, given that it was everywhere, even under her nails, but she worked diligently, determined to wipe away the evidence of what Hanayo had done.
A short while passed before Hanayo spoke up, her voice raspy. "How can you do that?"
Rin looked up sharply, having been engrossed in what she was doing. Finally, Hanayo was looking at her rather than staring past her. "Rin's used to it. It's just blood, nya."
"No, I mean…you're touching me. Taking care of me." Hanayo's brow was furrowed in genuine confusion. "Rin-chan, I…I put my hand in someone's chest and I ripped their heart out." The thought left her so sickened that she thought for a moment she might throw up right there. "Why aren't you disgusted by me?"
"What?" Rin tilted her head a little, troubled by the question. She couldn't imagine ever feeling that way toward Hanayo. "You're Kayo-chin. How could Rin…?"
Hanayo snatched her hand back. "Didn't you hear me? I killed someone! Someone who probably had a family, who had a life ahead of them and I just…I took that away with my own hands." She bowed her head, her vision blurring once again. "I'm a monster."
Not for the first time, Rin wished she had gotten there first. If she'd been a bit faster she could have saved Hanayo the guilt she was feeling. "That's not true! Kayo-chin isn't like that at all. Nico-chan and Rin killed people too, nya! It wasn't just you!"
Hanayo shook her head in response. That didn't make her feel any better. She didn't want to kill people with her power and she didn't want Rin to either.
"Kayo-chin?" Rin shuffled forward and folded her arms atop Hanayo's knees. She leaned in and rested her forehead against Hanayo's, the only way she could think to get closer. "It doesn't matter what you do, you're still my best friend. You didn't mean to, you were just protecting everyone." She felt her guilt return and her voice clogged with emotion. "I wish I had gotten there faster, nya. I wish I had done it!"
Hanayo swallowed back a sob and reached up, her hand finding the back of Rin's head. "Don't say that. T-That's not what I want." She was met with silence and she made no move to speak up, merely drawing strength from Rin's closeness. Finally, she lowered her hand and felt Rin lean back. She took a moment to look around. They seemed to be in an old abandoned warehouse or an empty factory of some kind. Though they were huddled in the corner, the room was large. "Where are we?"
Rin flushed at the curious question. "M-My old hideout." She answered honestly, leaning back. "Rin comes here when…" She trailed off hesitantly. She couldn't exactly tell Hanayo why she used the hideout. She knew that Hanayo already suspected something was wrong but she'd never told her the truth. "I thought we could stay here tonight?"
Hanayo hesitated for a moment. Even considering the way she was feeling she was concerned about how unclean the place was. Finally, she nodded. It was better than going home. This time she didn't pull away as Rin went back to cleaning the blood from her hand.
—
Nozomi breathed a sigh of relief as she rounded the corner in the hallway and didn't find anyone else in sight. It had been hard enough to get the key to Honoka's room. She didn't need anyone asking questions. She strode to Honoka's door and slid the key into the lock, turning it quickly. She let herself in after, her gaze falling to the two in the bed. She wasn't all that surprised to find that Honoka was only half dressed. It explained the feelings she'd felt in Eli the night before.
Nozomi stepped into the room and opened her mouth, preparing to wake the two but she stopped abruptly, noticing the necklace around Honoka's neck and the lack of one around Eli's. She wasn't sure she had ever seen her girlfriend take that necklace off. She quietened, watching the two carefully. Honoka was clutching Eli tightly, almost as if she was afraid to let go of her. The tear tracks on her cheeks made it obvious she'd had a rough night though of course Nozomi didn't need that to know. She'd felt it herself.
Sighing, she slid off her shoes and jacket and carefully made her way to the bed, slipping beneath the covers on Honoka's other side. She moved closer to the other girl and almost expecting Honoka to wake up, slid an arm carefully around her waist. She was relieved when the future version of her friend shifted slightly but didn't wake up.
"What are we going to do with you?" Nozomi whispered, using her free hand to gently rub at the tear stains on Honoka's face. They didn't rub away but she hadn't expected them to anyway. She settled back down, laying her head on Honoka's pillow and closed her eyes. It pained her to think of everything Future Honoka had gone through in her time so she tried not to dwell on the scars she noticed upon her skin, or the way she whimpered every few minutes and clutched onto Eli tighter. The only thing Nozomi could do in response was hold her tighter. Eventually, she drifted off to sleep herself.
It was a few hours later when Honoka finally woke up to a familiar warmth at either side. A small smile tugged at her lips as she recognized it for what it was. Nozomi and Eli. It was hardly the first time she had woken up sandwiched between them like she was now. She'd done it many times in the past, much more than she could remember, especially after she'd escaped the camp.
Honoka hesitated outside of Nozomi and Eli's room, her hand lifted to knock though she couldn't quite bring herself to go ahead and do it. She knew they were both in there and hadn't seen each other in a few days because Nozomi had been away on a mission. There was no way she wouldn't be intruding. Still, she couldn't bring herself to walk away. Not when Kotori wasn't around for her to go to. Maki sprung to mind though if Honoka was honest, she still couldn't face the doctor alone. She still needed Eli, Kotori or Nozomi to be there when she went for checkups. Just to be safe.
She had almost convinced herself to turn around and walk away when the door opened and she found herself face to face with a bemused looking Nozomi.
"Are you coming in or not, Honoka-chan?" Nozomi asked with a gentle smile as she held the door open a little bit wider. Past her shoulder, Honoka could see Eli already in bed though she was sitting up, her gaze on the door. "You've been standing out here for twenty minutes already."
Honoka laughed sheepishly and rubbed the back of her neck. "I was just…uh…Kotori-chan's away tonight and I um…I guess I couldn't sleep."
"We know. Why do you think we're still awake?" Nozomi reached forward and grabbed Honoka's hand, tugging her into the room. When Honoka flinched a little bit at the touch she didn't say anything though she did look a bit apologetic and quickly let go. "We've been waiting for you."
"Really?" Honoka looked surprised and glanced over at Eli who merely smiled in response. "I was…worried that I might be bothering the two of you. I thought maybe…since you just got back…"
"You thought what?" Nozomi raised a suggestive eyebrow. "Were you having dirty thoughts about us again, Honoka-chan? I've told you, you have to ask Kotori-chan first…"
Honoka blushed fiercely at Nozomi's typical teasing. "I-I didn't mean it like that! I just didn't want to intrude…"
"You're not, Honoka." Eli spoke up for the first time, shooting Nozomi a slightly irritated look. "We want you here. Come on, hurry up and get into bed. I just want to sleep." She patted the space next to her and watched as Honoka briefly hesitated before getting in.
Nozomi watched as Honoka scooted close to Eli's side, the blonde's arm going around her. She couldn't help but smile at the sight of their usual position. It was sweet that Honoka gravitated toward Eli now. She remembered a time when Honoka couldn't even look Eli in the eye. She knew it had hurt her girlfriend more than she would say. Flicking the lights off, Nozomi got into the bed herself and shifted close, her arm going about Honoka's waist.
Honoka sighed contentedly at the feeling of the two of them pressed against her from both sides. "That's better." She murmured to herself, relieved that she wouldn't have to go back to bed and face a sleepless night. It was almost what she had wound up doing.
For the briefest and most blissful of moments, Honoka thought she was back there again, just waking up between Nozomi and Eli like always. But it wasn't the case and the memories of what had happened to her friends quickly came back to her. She would never wake up like this with her Eli and Nozomi again. Her eyes stung with tears and she pressed her face into Nozomi's chest, overwhelmed by the truth. Her Nozomi would never tease her like she used to again, her Eli would never get to gently berate Nozomi for her teasing. Those two would never live to see the future they had planned out together.
She didn't truly realize she was crying until she felt arms wrap around her, fingers combing gently through her hair and heard Nozomi whispering softly to her. She couldn't make out what she was saying, probably because she was crying too loudly. It wasn't fair. None of it was fair. She felt Eli press against her back, a hand taking hold of her own but she couldn't say anything. She couldn't think past her grief.
Nozomi shared a concerned look with Eli who just shook her head in response. She had worried that this might happen. Honoka's breakdown the night before had been frightening but it had been briefly interrupted by Honoka seeing her as her Eli. That had seemed to anchor her for a while but now she was falling apart once again.
There was nothing either of them could say or do to make the situation any better so they settled for holding Honoka tightly until she finally quietened down. It took a few minutes but she finally seemed to regain some control. After that it only took a few seconds of sniffling into Nozomi's chest before she wordlessly pushed herself away and slid to the end of the bed.
Nozomi and Eli shared another look as Honoka moved away from them. Neither of them wanted her to push them away but it seemed that was exactly what she was going to do.
Finally, Eli cleared her throat as Honoka pulled on a shirt. "D-Do you mind if I take a shower? I didn't get a chance last night."
"Yeah, go ahead." Honoka answered without looking back toward Eli. She turned her head, wiping her eyes on her shirt. She tried not to think about what had happened the night before. She had lost control of herself completely. She could hardly expect them to trust her when she acted like that and yet she'd been unable to react any other way. She had lost every connection she had to her future and her friends. Her engagement ring, the vial of Nico's blood, Eli's necklace. They were all gone.
Nozomi waited until she heard the shower come on before she spoke. "Hey, Senpai…"
"You don't have to call me that." Honoka managed to say, standing up from the bed. "I was just messing with you."
Nozomi frowned as she watched Honoka rise from the bed and move to get dressed fully. "I like it. It suits you." She stood up too, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "I was just going to say, if you want to talk about anything, I'll listen."
Honoka buttoned her jeans, trying to ignore the way her chest tightened. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to think about it. I don't want to think at all." She turned, meeting Nozomi's concerned gaze. "I'm going out. Let yourselves out."
"Wait, you're not…" Nozomi rubbed at her own chest, her eyes stinging slightly. It was impossible for her to block that level of loss and pain out. It was too strong. "You're not going to…"
Honoka paused as Nozomi struggled to voice her thoughts. She didn't have to hear the rest to know what she wanted to ask her. "You don't have to worry about me doing anything like that. I have to save you all first." If she was honest with herself she didn't see any other way out but she wouldn't abandon her responsibilities. "I made a promise."
Keeping that promise would hardly make up for her abandoning Nico, but it was the only thing she could do.
Nozomi opened her mouth to protest but Honoka had already teleported from the room. Sighing, she stood from the bed herself and took a few minutes to wander around the room while she waited for Eli to finish her shower. There wasn't much in the way of personal belongings in the room, in fact the only thing that drew her attention was the notes pinned to a board on the far wall. She walked closer, scanning them quickly though she knew she wouldn't remember. Hearing the shower turn off in the next room, she took out her cell phone and snapped a quick picture, deciding to take a look later.
A moment later, Eli walked out of the bathroom, wrapped in a towel. She gave pause, noticing that Honoka was missing. Her eyes darted quickly around the room. "Where did Honoka go?!"
"She said she had something to do…" Nozomi watched as Eli hurried across the room and began to get dressed as quickly as she could.
"I have to go after her! Who knows what kind of trouble she'll get into in her state." The way Honoka had crumbled in front of her the previous night came to mind and she tried to pull her clothes on faster.
"Elichi, calm down. Honoka can handle herself." Nozomi crossed the room and lay a comforting hand on Eli's shoulder only to be shrugged off.
"You didn't see what I did, Nozomi…"
"No, I didn't. I felt it." Nozomi said pointedly. She was relieved when Eli hesitated. "I know you're worried, but it's going to be okay."
Eli shook her head. "How do you know that?"
"Because we'll keep her safe." Nozomi gently cupped Eli's cheek in her hand, brushing her thumb over soft skin. "What happened last night really got to you, huh?" She watched as Eli's eyes darted left and right, instinctively knowing what was coming. She wrapped an arm around her girlfriend's shoulder, drawing her close. "She'll be okay."
Eli wasn't sure she believed that. She wasn't even sure Nozomi herself believed that but she couldn't bring herself to argue so she merely leaned into the embrace, giving a short nod against Nozomi's shoulder.
Nozomi's gaze shifted toward the board on the far wall. From what she had seen it seemed that Honoka had something planned. She wasn't sure what, but whatever it was it was clear that Honoka planned to do it alone. Nozomi was determined not to let that happen.
"Nozomi…" Eli spoke up carefully, her grip on Nozomi's shirt loosening. "About last night…" She hesitated for a second, wondering if Nozomi had felt what she had. "Are we okay?"
Nozomi gave a gentle laugh and drew back to meet Eli's worried blue eyes. "Of course. I can't blame you, Honoka is a total babe." She pressed her lips gently to Eli's, a simple kiss of reassurance. "I trust you, Elichi."
Eli visibly relaxed at the response. She had been worried that Nozomi would be annoyed with her at least. She noticed Nozomi's gaze drift over her shoulder and turned her head, frowning at the board behind her.
Nozomi's eyes widened in alarm and she reached for Eli's hand, giving a gentle tug. "Let's go. I want to make sure Nicocchi hasn't wrecked my apartment." She was relieved that the gentle tug seemed to distract Eli though she remained somewhat on edge until they left the apartment.
—
Kotori awoke to the feeling of arms tightly around her waist. Unused to waking up to the feeling, she flinched slightly and felt the arms tighten around her. She quickly opened her eyes and relaxed when she found that she was just in Honoka's embrace.
A small smile flitted to her face and she lifted her hand, gently brushing her fingers against Honoka's cheek. In response, Honoka inhaled and turned into the touch, her brow furrowing in confusion at the touch. The look reminded Kotori of the way Honoka had been staring at Umi the night before. She had been so worried about their friend after what had happened. So had she if she was honest but she was much better at hiding it than Honoka was.
Remembering that Umi had been sleeping between the two of them the previous night, Kotori carefully pushed herself up on her elbow and glanced worriedly around the room in search of her. She breathed a soft sigh of relief when she found Umi sitting on the edge of the bad, staring out of the window, an empty cup held in her grasp. Her relief didn't last very long as she noticed the drying tear tracks on Umi's cheeks.
Gently, she gripped Honoka's wrist and removed her arm from around her. She was met with a little bit of resistance and smiled softly at the intention behind it. It was sweet, even if Honoka was sleeping. She covered Honoka up as best she could before she crawled across the bed to Umi's side.
"Umi-chan." She gently bumped her shoulder against Umi's and offered a gentle smile. "You're awake early."
Umi hadn't noticed Kotori approaching, too lost in her own thoughts and almost dropped the cup she'd been loosely cradling. "Kotori! Oh, I um…I went to get a drink and I didn't want to disturb the two of you when I got back."
"You've been crying." Kotori had tried to hold back so as not to make her feel uncomfortable but she couldn't. Her best friend was hurting, that much was obvious. "Are you upset about your mom? Or Honoka's future self?"
Umi paused for a moment. She was upset about those things. She was upset that her mother had turned against her, that she would go so far as to take her memories from her. She was upset that the future version of Honoka had ever hated her. She was upset about future Honoka's breakdown the previous night. Selfishly, she was most upset about what she had lost the previous night.
"Kotori…" She was silent again, lightly biting her bottom lip as she considered what she was going to say. Finally, she released her lip to speak. "I have to tell you something."
Kotori felt her stomach sink at the words. Usually they never meant anything good. "What is it, Umi-chan? You can tell me anything, you know that."
Umi shook her head slightly and looked in Kotori's direction. Kotori inhaled upon seeing tears swimming once again in Umi's eyes. "You have to promise not to tell Honoka. No matter what. I don't care if she begs you to tell her what's wrong with me, you…"
"Alright, alright." Kotori said, reaching up to place a soothing hand on Umi's shoulder. "Honoka-chan doesn't have to know. If…you don't want her to know, I won't tell her. Just tell me what's wrong."
Umi cast a wary look back at Honoka to make sure she was asleep. "I…I've lost my memories, Kotori. Of meeting you and Honoka. My childhood, w-with the two of you…" She swallowed convulsively, the confession to one of her childhood friends suddenly making everything seem so much more real. "My mother took them when she…she…"
For a moment, Kotori could only stare at Umi as she took in what was being said. She couldn't quite believe it but she knew Umi wouldn't lie about something like that. She drew back slightly, her hand shifting to cover her mouth as her eyes prickled with tears. "How much do you… do you remember? W-What about the tree? Our first camping trip together, the first time Honoka had to go to the hospital, the…"
"I don't remember any of it!" Umi exclaimed, maybe a little bit more sharply than she should have. She noticed Kotori flinch and closed her eyes for a moment to calm down. They snapped open at the sound of a soft sob from next to her. For a moment she thought that Honoka had woken up and overheard the two of them but it was just Kotori, bent slightly at the waist as she buried her face into her hands
"Kotori…" She shifted close to her friend and began to reach out only for Kotori to move quickly. Suddenly, arms were around her neck and she found herself being tightly embraced.
"I'm sorry, Umi-chan. I'm so sorry." Kotori's voice was thick with emotion, the sound making it impossible for Umi to hold onto her composure. She lifted her arms and returned the embrace, the tears she'd refused to let fall finally sliding down her cheeks.
"It's not fair! M-My memories with you and Honoka were the only good childhood memories I had and she just took them, Kotori! She took them and left me with my memories of training, of learning to be a good warrior like she wanted!" Her hands clenched in Kotori's shirt. "I hate her so much!"
"I know." Kotori whispered, wiping at her own tears with the back of her hand. She hated Umi's mother too. To have taken her daughter's precious childhood memories was despicable. Kotori couldn't imagine how she would feel if she lost her own. If she knew that she used to have them but couldn't recall them. "It's going to be okay, Umi-chan. We'll make new memories! Honoka-chan and I will make new ones with you, even happier ones." Her voice broke slightly and she hugged Umi tighter, trying to emphasize her point. "Honoka-chan will never know, don't worry."
Both she and Umi knew that if Honoka were ever to find out what Umi's mother had taken she would set out to kill her.
"But…" Umi trailed off helplessly. She did want new memories with Honoka and Kotori, but she wanted her old memories too. She wanted to remember the moment they first met, she wanted to remember the tree Kotori had mentioned. She didn't want to lose a single memory of her time with them but she had lost it all. Everything was just gone. She felt tears form in the corners of her eyes again but stubbornly blinked them away. It could be a lot worse, she knew that, but to her it didn't feel like it. She quietened down, resting her forehead against Kotori's shoulder and inhaling her scent to calm herself. She was just about dozing off when Honoka's voice interrupted them.
"Umi-chan? Kotori-chan?" Honoka's sleep filled voice caused Kotori and Umi to pull back from the embrace. They looked to her, both smiling inadvertently as they watched her groggily rub her eyes. "What time is it?"
"Still early." Kotori carefully pulled away from Umi's loose hold on her and got to her feet. "I'm going to make some tea. I think I heard Maki-chan moving around out there." She discreetly wiped at her eyes before she left the room, leaving Honoka and Umi behind.
Honoka finished rubbing her own eyes, though for a completely different reason than Kotori. Confused, she looked over at Umi, frowning when she noticed the tear stains on her cheeks. "What's wrong, Umi-chan? Did something happen?"
Umi shook her head. No matter how upset she was about her memories being taken, she wouldn't tell Honoka. "It's nothing." She turned and crawled over to Honoka, straddling her lap.
Honoka could only gape in surprise as Umi's arms went around her neck, the other girl's forehead coming to rest against her own. She felt her skin flush at the close proximity. "U-Umi-chan…"
"Honoka." Umi gripped Honoka a little bit tighter. "I want…I need…"
"What?" Honoka whispered hopefully when Umi trailed off helplessly. She didn't know what she could do to make Umi feel better. "What do you need?"
Umi swallowed thickly, certain that her voice would crack if she tried to speak so soon. Part of her wished she could tell Honoka what was going on, but she knew that the news of happened would upset her friend, maybe even more than it was upsetting her. "Just…" She lowered her gaze, focusing intently on Honoka's collarbone. It was easier to do that than look her in the eyes. "Tell me you love me."
Honoka's brow furrowed slightly at the request. Umi wasn't acting like herself. Clinging to her, that emotional request…it just wasn't like her. "I love you, Umi-chan." She lifted her hand to Umi's cheek, gently encouraging her to meet her gaze. "Please, just tell me what's wrong. I'm your girlfriend, you should be able to tell me anything, right?"
For a moment, Umi thought that she had heard Honoka wrong and could only stare in surprise. Finally, she found her voice. "Y-You're my…what?"
"Your girlfriend." Honoka repeated simply, unfazed by Umi's confusion. "I am, aren't I? You're my best friend, and you like kissing me so…that makes us more than friends. It means we're dating."
"Um. Y-Yeah…" Umi blushed at the admission. She was confused by how Honoka had come to that conclusion but it wasn't as though she didn't want to date her. The opposite was true.
"So tell me what's wrong." Honoka was determined not to be distracted from the topic at hand, even with Umi's agreement to be her girlfriend. "I want to know, Umi-chan. I'm worried abou-" she was cut off rather abruptly by Umi's lips suddenly pressing against her own, immediately causing her to forget what she had been talking about. It was as though she melted beneath the touch, her body reacting of it's own accord as she kissed back. Her free hand went to Umi's waist in an attempt to draw her closer.
Umi shuddered slightly as Honoka had kissed her back. It wasn't surprising after their last couple of encounters but the fact that her best friend was kissing her was still somewhat thrilling. She had no idea how she had never realized this was what she'd wanted. It seemed to be so obvious now. She pressed herself closer to Honoka still, feeling the other girl nip gently at her lip. She inhaled slightly, giving Honoka a chance to deepen the kiss.
"Mmm…Honoka…" She barely managed to mumble between kisses, both in protest and simply because she wanted to say the name. Her girlfriend's name. As much as she wanted to keep kissing her, they needed to stop.
"Hmm?" Honoka's lips strayed to Umi's neck, allowing her to speak again though Umi found she couldn't. Not with the way Honoka was kissing and nipping at her skin, cool hands finding their way beneath her shirt and to the skin underneath. Her skin tingled at the touch and she gasped softly. She felt Honoka smirk against her neck, catching the sound and wasn't sure whether to berate her for being smug or plead with her to keep going. Suddenly Honoka was pulling back, leaving Umi feeling confused until hands gripped at the hem of her sleep shirt.
"Can I take this off?" Honoka asked, staring up at Umi through eyes darker than usual.
"Ye…wait, no!" Umi shook her head adamantly. They couldn't do anything like what Honoka clearly had in mind. "W-We can't…"
"Oh?" Honoka smiled at Umi's answer but let go of her shirt. Slyly, she gripped her own and tugged it up. "Maybe I should take this off. Umi-chan liked it when I took my clothes off in the student council room."
Umi gaped at Honoka as she slowly tugged her shirt off, revealing smooth skin. "Honoka, that's shameless!" Her exclamation only earned her a light laugh.
"You like it though, don't you?" Honoka leaned back and watched as Umi's gaze seemed to drift south of her face. "You can touch if you want to, Umi-chan."
Umi lifted her hand, tempted to reach forward and do as Honoka asked. Her hand inched forward but a rustle in the next room caught her attention and she quickly drew it back. "W-We can't! Kotori and the others are in the next room!"
Honoka huffed and leaned back against the pillows behind her though she didn't look displeased. "Umi-chan kissed me first."
Umi grinned at Honoka's disappointment. "And I'll kiss you again." She leaned in, kissing Honoka gently to prove her point. It was brief but when she pulled away she didn't go far. "I'll remember this when we're really alone."
"A-Alone?" Honoka stuttered in surprise. She had only been teasing, though she remembered what they had done in the student council room clearly. She blushed heavily, glancing briefly around the room before she looked back into Umi's eyes. "Uh, I-I think, um…you should…" She began only to be interrupted by the door to Nozomi's room being swung open.
"Umi-chan, Honoka-chan! Sorry I took so long getting the tea, Nozomi-chan has so many that I couldn–" Kotori stopped mid sentence, noticing the position her two friends were in. Umi was on Honoka's lap, her arms around the other girl's neck while Honoka's hands were placed upon Umi's waist. Both of them blushing but what Kotori was more interested in was the fact that Honoka was half naked. It was obvious she had interrupted something quite dropped the mugs of tea she was holding, her cheeks flushing with embarrassment. "Oh my god, I'm so s-sorry!"
She had known there was something going on between her friends after seeing the kiss between them the previous day but walking in on them in such a position wasn't something she had ever expected. She hurriedly covered her eyes and turned to leave the room only to bump into the half closed door. She yelped, more in surprise than shock.
Umi felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment. Even if she wasn't half naked like Honoka was, being caught in such a shameful position was bad enough. She scrambled up from the bed and bolted out of the room toward the bathroom, muttering an apology to Kotori on the way out of the room.
Honoka frowned as she watched Umi leave the room. It was only Kotori, she didn't see what the big deal was. "Umi-chan gets embarrassed so easily…"
Kotori peeked out from behind her hands. If there was ever a reason to be embarrassed, being walked in on was it. "Remember that this is the same girl who got embarrassed when I made her skirt too short, Honoka-chan."
Honoka gave a sheepish laugh and rubbed the back of her neck, not noticing the way Kotori's gaze dropped to her bare torso when she did so. "It's cute."
Kotori failed to answer, too distracted by the sight before her. It seemed like Honoka had been working out.
Honoka noticed the silence and her brow furrowed slightly in concern. "Kotori-chan? Did you hit your head?" She patted the space in front of her. "Let me look."
"W-What?!" Kotori exclaimed in alarm, her gaze flitting back to Honoka's. There was no way she could let Honoka touch her, not when she was so distracted by her friend's torso. "I-I uh…" She looked around for something to distract herself with, finding the mugs at her feet to be a good excuse. "Oh, look at this mess. I'll have to clean it up."
Quickly, she stooped to pick the mugs up. To her relief they weren't broken, or even chipped but there was tea all over the floor. "Y-You should get dressed, Honoka-chan." She stood and made her way quickly out of the room, only to run into Nico in the hallway. The third year seemed to be hammering on the bathroom door.
"Umi, you better hurry up in there! I need to go!"
"I-I'm busy, Nico!" Umi yelled back through the bathroom door.
Nico threw her hands up in exasperation. She had been on the way to the bathroom when Umi had barged past her and slipped into the room herself. "Seriously?! Where the hell is Nozomi? It's just like her to invite us to stay and then leave us here by ourselves. UMI!"
Kotori slipped past Nico and rapped her knuckles lightly against the door. She hadn't failed to notice the stutter to Umi's voice. "Umi-chan?" She called in concern. "Are you alright?"
"Fine!" Umi called back, her voice slightly higher than usual with panic. Behind the door, she gripped at her suddenly aching head. As soon as she had parted from Honoka and Kotori, the pain had hit her. Not just pain, but the feeling that something was being torn away from her.
"Honoka, stop annoying Kotori!" Umi berated irritably as she looked over the top of her textbook at Honoka, who was clearly trying to peek over Kotori's shoulder. While Umi had taken up the desk Kotori had elected to sit on the floor with her back against the bed. Honoka, ever the slacker, was on the bed, trying to see the answers over Kotori's shoulder.
Umi held onto her head tighter, her fingers curling into her hair. "Stop it! Damn it, stop it!" She couldn't take it any more. Having the memories of her childhood disappear had been bad enough but she could feel more memories being taken, much slower this time. "No…"
"I'm not annoying her! Am I Kotori-chan?" Honoka grinned innocently over at Umi who gave her an unimpressed look in response.
"Not at all." Kotori answered, laughing softly in response when Honoka's arms wrapped around her neck in a light embrace. "Come on, Honoka-chan. I'm trying to concentrate. If you get off me, I'll give you one answer."
"You spoil her too much, Kotori." Umi rolled her eyes and went back to working on her homework though she couldn't help but smile slightly at the sound of her friends talking animatedly behind them. She was lucky to have them.
"Umi-chan?" Kotori's knocking on the door became a bit firmer, her voice rising slightly in concern for her friend. "Can I come in?"
The memory she had felt slipping away, that she had been clinging onto disappeared completely, leaving Umi with no way to recall what she had been trying to remember. She didn't even hear what Kotori was saying to her, too wrapped up in the fact that she had lost something else. Her eyes clouded with tears, a sharp sob sounding from her throat. What had she been trying to remember? How was it possible that she couldn't remember?
"Umi-chan, I'm coming in!" Kotori waited for a split second before she walked into the bathroom, just in time to see Umi's knees buckle. She lurched forward, catching her before she could fall. "U-Umi-chan?"
Kotori's presence caused the pain in Umi's head to fade immediately but without that distraction, Umi had a moment to focus on the ache in her chest. Another memory gone. It was unthinkable. She clutched Kotori tightly and cried softly into her shoulder, neither of them noticing that Maki had entered the room after Kotori.
Maki closed and locked the door, keeping Nico from seeing what was going on.
"Oh come on!" Nico exclaimed from the hallway, frustration clear in her voice.
Finding it difficult to support Umi, Kotori sank to her knees with her best friend and gently stroked her hair, trying to calm her down. "It's okay, Umi-chan. I'm right here."
Maki stooped down in front of Umi, gently placing her hands on her shoulders. "Umi, I know something weird is going on with you. You need to let me take a look, okay?"
"No!" Umi exclaimed, clutching Kotori tighter. "Please. I already had someone in my head, violating my memories. I can't…not again…"
Kotori frowned at Umi's tearful remark and held her closer. She didn't know what to do for the best. On one hand she wanted to tell Maki to back off but on the other she knew it was in Umi's best interest to let Maki look.
"I won't hurt you, Umi." Maki said gently, wary of Umi's state. She had never seen her so upset before. "I'll just take a quick look. It'll only take a second." She inched her hand forward, her fingertips grazing Umi's temple before the older girl flinched away.
"I said NO!" Umi said loudly, Turning her head, she pressed her face into Kotori's chest, tears seeping into her shirt. "Don't let her, Kotori…"
Kotori wondered about the last time she had heard Umi sound so weak. She couldn't even recall it. She shot Maki a look. "Leave her, Maki-chan. If she says no…"
"Umi-chan!" Honoka's voice sounded suddenly, just outside of the door. "Kotori-chan? Maki-chan? Are you all alright?" The door handle turned repeatedly. "Why is the door locked? Is Umi-chan crying?!" Her voice darkened suddenly at the thought and she tried the handle again. "Unlock the door! Umi-chan, what's wrong?!" Panicked, she tried to shoulder open the door. After what she'd seen the previous day being separated from Umi sent an icy chill down her spine. "UMI-CHAN!"
"Honoka…" Umi murmured, lifting her head from Kotori's shoulder. She blinked back tears until the door came into focus. All she wanted in that moment was both Honoka and Kotori by her side.
Kotori seemed to realize what Umi was thinking. "Let her in, Maki-chan. Umi-chan needs her." She met Maki's reluctant gaze for a moment until Maki pushed herself to her feet and went to open the door. A moment later Honoka rushed into the room, stumbling to her knees next to Umi.
Kotori loosened her embrace to let Umi go but she was surprised when Umi only reached out to Honoka rather than move toward her. It didn't take Honoka more than a second to move forward, embracing both of them.
"MAKI!" Nico kicked at the door. "LET ME IN, COME ON! I need to fucking pee!"
Maki rolled her eyes at Nico's antics and turned to watch the three girls on the floor. It pained her to know that she couldn't help even though the help she could offer was what Umi needed but she wouldn't force her. She was nothing like Umi's mother.
—
"I still think we should have attacked them when we had the chance." Anju commented dryly as she leaned back in her seat. "It's not like they could take us right now."
She was sure that none of µ's could, though she had to admit that she'd been a little bit intimidated by the way one of the youngest had torn one of the guard's heart out. That is, until the girl had reacted. It didn't seem like she'd meant to do it. It was disappointing in a way. None of those girls stood a chance against them.
As if reading her mind, Erena spoke up quietly. "Don't underestimate them. It might end up being our downfall."
Tsubasa cast a slightly amused look toward the two of them. They were so different it was funny to listen to them sometimes. "She's right, there's no way they can take us down, even with the time traveller."
Erena huffed out an impatient sigh. "You two really shouldn't underestimate them. The older ones as well as the redhead seem to be growing into their powers fast, especially with the training they've been getting. Their files alone should prove they won't be easy to take down."
Anju stared at Erena in silence for a moment. "What are you talking about?"
"If you'd read the files you'd know what I was talking about." Erena shook her head in irritation. Sometimes it seemed to her that Anju hardly ever paid attention, preferring to jump into action without thought instead. "Some of them have had training, others have lived through impossible situations. It…"
"Yeah, yeah. I read the files already. Actually…" Anju leaned forward slightly, her elbows resting on her knees. Reaching forward, she plucked a file from the table and began to thumb through it. "Fire survivor. No wonder she's with the pyro." She smiled deviantly and looked up to meet the curious stares of Erena and Tsubasa. "I have a plan…"
"A plan?" Tsubasa asked, intrigued by what Anju had in mind.
Anju nodded to herself, quite proud of the plan she'd come up with in a matter of minutes. "Divide and conquer."
