Bright colorful fabric flowers decorated the walls, a couch in a lively green sat in front of a low table, scattered with oversized books. A large purple tiger plushie napped in the center of the couch. Tokyo might have been dark, neon, and bustling outside, but here, in Anju's apartment, Erena could feel a cozy calm.

Anju shut the door, sliding off her own shoes next to Erena's, "Welcome."

"Sorry for the intrusion." And Erena did feel like she was intruding, a tired, tall person in this cozy, tiny nest.

"Still hungry?"

"Starving," Erena admitted, "This is nice. How long have you lived here?"

"Since we came back from our first tour. I wanted a hideaway."

"You never needed a bigger place?"

"I'm not home much, Tokyo is expensive, and…" Anju shrugged, "I like it."

Erena gently ran a finger down a triptych of quilted red white and pink cosmos, each the size of a dinner plate. "These are so pretty."

Anju gleamed, "Made them myself."

"Impressive." Erena grinned, "But you always are."

Anju felt herself blush, and hurried into the kitchen, "Omurice or something else?"

"Something else?"

Anju put on an apron, "Cup ramen or leftover hamburg curry."

"Hamburg curry, please."

"I just have to heat it up," Anju grabbed a container out of the refrigerator, "You're easy to please."

"You're a great cook so leftovers sound great."

"Who said I cooked it?"

Awkward pause, "You get takeout from good restaurants?"

Anju laughed, "I cooked it, don't worry. Go sit down on the couch. We'll eat in there."

"Can't I help?"

"You can by sitting down."

"Okay." Erena yawned.

###

Anju walked in, carrying the tray carefully, to see Erena's legs stretched out, while her chin bobbed up and down on her chest. Manami the bear had joined the purple tiger plushie on the center cushion. They also seemed to be dozing. Anju smiled, knelt to place the tray on the table, elbow shoving a few sample books to the floor. The clatter of gravity winning woke up Erena.

"My tastiest hamburg curry." Anju announced.

Erena leaned forward, "That smells amazing." Then in a blur of chopsticks and rice and curry, Erena revealed that she was at least as hungry as she was tired.

"Your family needs to take better care of you."

"I can take care of myself."

Anju took a drink of herbal tea, "But sometimes it's nice to have someone there on days when you're dragging."

Erena paused, chopsticks hovering over her bowl, "Maybe."

"Someone who isn't a hired dietician and/or trainer making sure we're in shape for our tour."

Erena shook her head and ate another bite, "You dream big."

Anju watched Erena out of the corner of her eye, "I do."

"Touring and staying places with a kitchenette might be nice." Erena placed her empty plate next to her and stretched out her legs again, this time angling them towards Anju. Manami and the tiger continued their nap on the cushion between them.

"You'd just get spoiled by Tsubasa and my kitchen skills."

"I'd heat up breakfast things for us."

"Breakfast things?" Anju was leaning back, staring at the ceiling.

"Whatever we had leftover from the night before."

Anju poked Erena's arm, "That's why you haven't moved out of the family mansion. The cooking staff."

Erena said nothing.

"Too much teasing?"

Erena shrugged, "No. You're fine. It's just easier. Coming back to a place that's been empty for months would be…weird…" Erena turned to look at Anju, "yeah, weird, wouldn't it?"

"It's cozy. And someone from the agency comes in and dusts and water plants so I return to a cute little "welcome home" basket and a pile of fun mail."

"That sounds fun. But my mail would take up half your room."

"Are you saying you're more popular than me?" Anju's voice hit a teasing note and she slid down the couch, moving Manami and friend behind her.

"Gods no, you have people interacting always, following everything you do, so many notifications, probably too many DMs." Erena sighed, "My fans just tend to calligraphy and heavy stationary with embossed initials at the top and lipstick kisses covering my name." Erena's face twisted, her voice taking on a nasally, mocking tone, "A-Rise's Toudo Erena is the perfect hybrid, a lovely and traditional Japanese flower and newest Prince of the J-Pop Idol scene." Her eyes were wearier than Anju had ever seen them, "A combination that inspires handwritten tanka about love and pining."

Anju let the silence sit before she ventured a quiet question, "So who is the actual Toudou Erena?"

"A very tired friend and daughter."

Anju bit her lip as Erena yawned. Tsubasa would chide her for delaying her confession, but right now was the time to be a good friend, grab a spare blanket, and tuck Erena in for as much sleep as she could manage. Anything else could wait til morning.

###

Erena had no idea what time it was. No alarm had gone off, no one had bustled into her room to hurry her to a meal or meeting. She must have fallen asleep on Anju's couch. Currently, she seemed to be leaning on a mostly numb arm. Erena opened her eyes. Anju was tucked into the chaise part of the couch, in pink and white polka dot pajamas, hair done up with matching fabric band, her attention on the Nintendo Switch in her hand.

"Winning?" Erena asked.

Anju continued to concentrate on her game, "Cute girl sleeping on my couch, about to evolve my favorite Pokemon." She smiled, "Winning."

"I actually slept." Erena leaned down the couch so she could watch Anju's gameplay. On the screen, a floaty demony head looking thing with detached arm claws got split by white light, absorbed into dazzling white orb, which spit out a tumbling four limbed, grinning, waddling purple pillow monster.

"Awwwww, he's so cuuuuuuuute…." Anju gushed.

"That's cute?"

"Yep." Anju put down the Switch, leaned into Erena, "I've been saving up candy."

"So you feed things candy and then they turn into random, diabolically grinning monsters. And that's good?"

"Diabolically cute monsters, not random. And you know what you're getting with the evolution."

"All right. If you say so." Erena noticed that Anju had leaned into her shoulder and Erena's arm had dropped around Anju's shoulders. The silence was totally comfortable in a way Erena hadn't noticed before. Someone else was always around, Tsubasa, dancers, family, assistants. But right now, it was just Anju, here, leaning into her, breaths even and calm. And then came the question that had been hovering.

"So what if we evolved?"

"Like merged?" Was this a fusion thing? Another video game? Erena was going to have to pay more attention, maybe get her own system.

Anju giggled, "Maybe. But, what if we agreed…to be more than friends?"

Erena blinked. This was not how she imagined this conversation. "Have you been thinking about it a lot?" She was genuinely curious.

Anju shrugged, "I've been feeling…wanting to be closer to you." Her head was on Erena's shoulder, her light lilac eyes serious.

"I've been thinking about it a lot." Instead of sleeping, if Erena were honest with herself.

"And?"

"So we feed us candy and become a random monster?" Erena had not expected her voice breaking enough that a hint of panic tinged it.

"Not random, diabolically cute." Anju corrected.

"Which one are you?" Erena tilted her head the smallest amount, allowing her cheek to feel the softness of Anju's curly caramel hair, where it snuck out from her hairband.

Anju turned, carefully resting a hand on Erena's shoulder, "Which do you want me to be?"

"Honestly?" Erena laughed, "Something fluffier. Like you." Erena slid her fingers through Anju's, "Strong and fluffy and pretty and talented and caring and silly."

"So what are you?"

Erena squared her shoulders, amused. "Eye candy obviously. You know you just want to dress me up and show me off in the French toast line."

Anju squeezed Erena's hand, "I do want to show you off in the French toast line."

"I knew it."

"And I did alter one of my t-shirt dresses to fit you before I started playing; it's a perfect match for your trousers and coat."

"I'm a doll to you." Erena winked, "A tall, good looking doll."

Anju, pecked a surprise kiss on Erena's cheek, enjoying the full flaring maiden blush. "You're the person I want to go everywhere with and try everything with."

Erena sighed, "But there's this other friend I have, who'll want to…"

Anju pushed at Erena, both giggling, "She doesn't get to come to the French toast line."

"Dinner and lunch third wheel only, not breakfast." Erena nodded, "That's a good rule. I like this morning feel, you and me..."

Anju smiled, "Together."

"Alone."

And then Erena's stomach rumbled, and they both giggled.

"So, French Toast date before I evolve into a diabolically hungry monster."

A tight hug, then Anju hopped to her feet, extending a hand to pull Erena up, "Yes."

Erena paused, glancing down at Anju's bright, encouraging eyes, enjoying the thrill of nearness, "Let's do this."

Anju dove into Erena's side, crushing her in another hug, "I love you."

Erena would enjoy getting used to this. "Me too."

A/N: Really like these two. Hope you enjoyed.