Part 2 of "Just Want to Let Go," This time in the installment, Rika and Shino have a conversation and Rika decides to coerce Argo into heading to the gym with her.


Just Want to Let Go 2


"I'm so sorry," Shino hastily apologized and perched awkwardly on her side of the room, sitting on her desk and giving Rika as much space as she could. Especially as the brunette had just punched her pillow.

"It's not your fault," Rika dismissed once she gave a long exhale to try and calm down. "It's not like you would've known she would do that nor would she know that it hurt me in the first place, right?" She pointed out, trying to stay logical, to stay even when she wanted to cry, to punch something, to practice some drills because she needed to get control of herself.

To get control of her emotions and calm down.

God, she needed to go to the gym.

"Well, yeah, but…" Shino cut herself off with a squeak when Rika crossed the room and ruffled her hair with a mild smile.

"Don't beat yourself up, Shi-Shi," she teased with the old childhood nickname and headed for her gym bag, "you didn't do anything and neither did Asuna. I'm just being too much of an emotional idiot and need a break or something. Maybe Argo's up to come with me," she mused as she grabbed her keys from her night stand.

"Rika, you know Asuna-"

"Yeah, I do," Rika looked over her shoulder at her with a faintly bitter smile, "I know she cares about me, my heart just won't accept being just friends, you know that."

Shino sighed and lost a lot of the anxious energy she had been emanating in favor of looking away from her with her arms hugged across her chest. "I do, even if I wish it could work out between you two."

Right, well now she was definitely waiting.

"I think everyone does," Rika shrugged and briefly looked down at her phone to text Argo, "most of all you and I, but we're the only two who know just how bad I have it for her."

Rika: Hey Argo-smargo, wanna go to the gym with me? I want a sparring partner, got some things to work out.

"I know, it just sucks," Shino sighed again and Rika gave her an amused look.

"You sigh too much for your age, Shi-Shi," Rika teased her with a chuckle and at Shino's eye roll she smiled at her. "Try not to worry too much about it, okay? You're going to make your anxiety worse because you're worrying over something that doesn't really matter too much." Her phone buzzed and she glanced down to see the texts from Argo and replied.

Argo: Sure, gimme a sec tho

Argo: Is it my twin sis again?

Rika: stop being perceptive with your detective powers!

Rika: where are you?

"But it does matter," Shino refuted a bit stubbornly, "you call out-"

"Shino," Rika dropped the teasing and gave her childhood friend a look, pleading with her to drop it, especially while Asuna was still awake, "later, okay?"

The sniper looked tempted to accompany her so they could talk without fear of Asuna overhearing them, but they both knew she couldn't, not while during allergy season and her asthma liked to flare up with easily triggered attacks during it. "Fine," she muttered and sighed again, "just… talk to Argo Rika. Don't let it just stew inside, it's not good for you."

"Can't really hide anything from Argo of all people," Rika laughed and slung her bag over her shoulder before playfully blowing her a kiss, which Shino swatted away, and leaving their shared room.

Argo: home, with Ki-Lii and Kuu-tan

Argo: Ki-Lii says, "keep a close eye on Argo, Rika," but she's busy with Kuroshiro so she'll never know if you don't Xd

Rika: I will never understand how you manage more than one partner Argo

Argo: A lady never kiss and tells ;)

Rika: Since when are you considered a dignified lady?

"Where're you going?" Asuna blinked when she came out of her room and Rika honestly wasn't surprised to see her sitting on the couch wrapped up in a blanket when she looked up from her phone. "It's really late, isn't it?"

"Just gonna hang out with Argo at the gym," Rika smiled and threw over her shoulder at Shino, "hey Shi-Shi! Asuna's watching a tournament!"

Shino groaned, "so?" but Rika knew she got what she was telling her. That she didn't want Asuna alone right now when she could just get lost in her thoughts and anxieties.

"Either way, I'll back in an hour or so and if I'm not then hey," Rika gave the confused Asuna a cheeky look and a shrug as she gripped the front door's knob, "just blame your sister!" She winked and was out the door.

"Rika!" Asuna laughed and Rika smiled at the sound of her laughter before it clicked behind her and she took a deep breath.

She needed space, bad.

"Bye! Don't do anythin' I wouldn't do~" she heard a familiar accent speak from next door and looked to her left to see Argo laughing and catching a pillow.

"Well now that means they could do almost anything," Rika snorted and approached the laughing blonde with a smile. "Since this is you we're talking about Argo."

"Eh," Argo shrugged and smirked before she threw the pillow back and shut her apartment door. "I can't do everythin' they can,'' she smirked and slotted her key into her door to lock it. No doubt referring to her male partner and her transgender partner's partial op status.

"They would kill you if they heard you say that," Rika laughed and gave her a light nudge, "or at least Caylee would."

"'Nd Kuu-iro would laugh 'nd tease Ki-Lii about it," Argo smirked, relaying what her musician partner would totally do if he heard her earlier comment. "Ya 'eady? Ima kick yer ass in da sparin'."

"In your dreams," Rika smirked and gave the blonde a couple sideways highfives before they exchanged a fist bump. Proof of their shared track days in college and close friendship even now.