This is for muldoonx9, who asked for Junnana, in which Junna asks Nana some rather... difficult questions about her time loops. Taking place right after their Starlight Festival and the time loops have ended, there are still a lot of jumbled, dark feelings slinking around...

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.


After Forever

Hoshimi Junna often tended to have a lot of things on her mind.

As the 99th cohort's class representative, and next year's prospective Student Council President, there were tons of tasks and obligations to consider in an academic sense. She also had to maintain her grades, study, and dedicate the necessary amount of time to her classwork and assignments.

On top of all of this, she of course needed to consider the demands of the stage, and take the time to practice her dancing, singing, and acting.

And as if all of this wasn't quite enough for a 16-year-old high school girl, there had also been the giraffe's underground auditions.

Luckily, she believed those were over, at least for now.

But she always wondered - and she still does - just how long they had gone on for. Rather, how many years had Nana rewound time for? How many loops had they all lived through without knowing it...?

She's been wondering for months now, ever since that night when Nana had revealed the truth to her. Even that, Junna wondered about. Why had Nana suddenly told her the truth? Was it somehow also tied to Hikari's transfer? Had the anomalies altered enough along the way to create a cause for Nana's honesty? Had she told Junna the truth in the past? And if so, how many times? If she had, Junna must have failed time and again in getting her to understand why none of them wanted the repetitions.

Junna had spent many hours of many nights tangled up in her thoughts, questions upon questions mounting higher and higher with no answers in sight. At least, none she could come up with herself. The only person who had those answers was always asleep across the room from her - or so it seemed.

But she knows Nana has barely slept a full night since the loops had ended. She'd hear her tossing and muttering in her sleep, and more than once Nana had woken in tears from nightmares she couldn't escape from.

Those nights, Junna would hurry to her side and wrap her arms around Nana, just like on that evening when she had convinced her to let go of the past. She'd stay with her until Nana cried herself back to sleep, or until morning came - whichever happened first.

And dozens of times, Junna had bit her lip to hold herself back from asking all of the things she wanted answers to. Her greatest fear in bringing any of it up was that she'd only hurt Nana more, make the nightmares more inescapable for her. She didn't want to hurt her or make her feel any guiltier than everyone already knew she was.

No matter how much they all hugged Nana and told her it was all right, and that they understood her decision… Junna knew her roommate's smile was only ever genuine on the surface. She knew Nana still suffocated herself with guilt for feeling like she'd trapped the people she cared about most in this world, for stealing their futures from them.

Several months have passed since the giraffe's auditions have stopped and Hikari had returned to them. Their Starlight Festival had concluded weeks ago, and everyone was now focusing on studying for final exams at the end of the month.

There's so much going on, it's difficult for Junna to try and find the right time to talk properly with Nana. She'd tried several times, but every time Nana turned to her with the same smile which Junna feared was hiding something, she backed down, changing the subject to some trivial inquiry about homework or a script.

And after each failed attempt, Junna scolded herself for chickening out, and then justified it, thinking it might be better to never ask or make Nana relive all of that any more than she already did.

But then days later, the same anxiety and desire for the truth would grip her all over again, and the cycle repeated, even when time wasn't anymore.

In this way, Junna realized she and Nana were trapped in an endless loop of their own, even though time was properly marching forward again.

Nana won't bring it up - not to Junna nor to anyone else. Someone would have to ask her, and Junna knows it has to be her. As Nana's roommate, as her partner, and as her friend, she has to do something, or else it will be graduation before they know it. She can't let Nana live with this for that long, and Junna herself knows she won't be able to bear it much longer either.

There was only one way to defeat this unseen, unheard demon that tormented them both. They had to bring it to light, speak it into existence, acknowledge it was real, and then destroy it together. They'd let it fester for too long already. Someone needed to take that first step and deal some damage.

And Junna knows it has to be her, because she's the one on the outside of the tower. Nana is the one trapped inside, unable to find a way out, haunted every night and faking smiles every day.

Junna is angry with herself that she'd let it go on for this long already. It's time for her to set Nana free, and the only way for that to happen is to have Nana let her in.

Junna can only hope her partner will trust her enough to do that.


Final exams are only ten days away now, and Junna knows that no amount of studious review, prior knowledge, or common sense will help her focus enough to pass - not when her mind is becoming more and more jumbled by the hour.

The pressure of her anxiety is almost palpable, and she truly believes she can feel its weight slowly pressing down on her from all sides throughout the day.

Tonight, she's going to ask Nana everything she's been wanting to ask her. And it isn't like all the other times when she'd tried, because she isn't just going to try - she's going to do it. She has to. For both their sakes.

To everyone else, Nana seems like her usual self, and she has for all of these days past where her original loops had always stopped and rewound. Their teachers and classmates saw the same cheerful, reliable Daiba Nana, who was always sharing her snacks and sweets and putting smiles on everyone's faces.

But she couldn't fool her closer friends, and out of the eight of them, only one knew her better than she knew herself, and could confront her about things.

Junna can feel the pressure pushing little by little, like stones being piled onto an old pillar. Every few minutes another is added, and the whole pile shakes, and the pillar quivers, threatening to give.

She has to talk to Nana. For her own sake, for Nana's, and for everyone else's. She has to do it before Nana breaks, because it's clear that she's going to.

Nana herself likely doesn't even realize it, or perhaps it's that she refuses to acknowledge it. But she's wearing thin, and all the rest of them see it.

No one has addressed it to Junna directly, but she's felt it in their worried, pleading gazes for weeks now. They didn't want to put such pressure onto her, but they all knew she was the only one who could do this.

And so she's going to. Tonight.

Hour by hour, more stones crash onto the pillar over her back, and Junna struggles to hold it up while also performing well in class. By the time school is over for the day, she can feel an actual ache in her muscles brought on by the nerves.

She's scared. She doesn't want to hurt Nana by doing this. But it's gotten to the point where she'll be hurt even more the longer Junna waits. They say time heals all wounds, but in Nana's case, Junna believes it's getting its revenge on her. Time is eating away at her, making her suffer, ensuring the future she tried to take from others is miserable for her own progression. She probably felt she deserved it.

Junna knows for a fact Nana thought that way. And she isn't going to let it continue any longer.

It feels as though she lets her body run on auto-pilot for the remainder of the day, cleaning the classroom, delivering papers to teachers, walking back with the others to Starlight Hall for supper…

She still talks to Nana and their friends, but it's as though her lips move and choose the words without her conscious input. Her mind is too blurred with static, too frazzled thinking about what she's going to do.

The stress is immense. More than she'd ever known before.

More than what she'd felt after training her hardest for months in order to pass Seishou's entrance exams.

More than what she'd felt in her revues, fighting for Top Star.

Because this wasn't for a grade or a crown. This was for Nana.

And Nana is more important than anything.

Another stone cracks onto the top of the pile as the cafeteria closes for the night, and all nine girls exit to make their way back to their rooms.

Only then does Junna finally begin to come out of her trance. Her senses flood back to her as if this were the first time she'd ever been in her own body. Everything feels tight and stifled.

As she walks, she finds that she can't even turn her head in Nana's direction. Junna can't tell if everyone is feeling this dreadful unease, or if it's only her.

Either way, Karen's blabbering chatter serves to ground her, just a little.

"So, so!" Karen is saying. "We're having a movie night since it's Friday, right?"

"We better be!" Futaba smirks. "I chose this time, and it's a great one."

"If you can call haphazard car-chases and random explosions a film," Kaoruko mutters.

"It should be fine?" Claudine offers. "Last week's movie was pretty tame."

"And sometimes crazy stuff like that is good comedy," Mahiru adds.

"I would love to experience Isurugi-san's film," Maya says.

"And we still need dessert," Hikari finishes.

Normally, this would be the point where Nana would jump in with a smile and assure everyone that she already had plenty of sweets prepared, or would be glad to make them fresh. But now, it's as if she had been elsewhere all this time and only just started listening to her friends' conversation.

"Ah, that sounds fun! But actually, I'm kinda tired. I think I'm gonna pass tonight. I'm sorry, everyone."

There's a beat of tense silence. Everyone had suspected that something had been off with Nana, but now there's undeniable proof. She'd never missed a get-together before. Even when she was tired, she always joined them for as long as she could before happily falling asleep on Junna's shoulder. This was the first time anyone was aware of her choosing to abstain.

The stunned silence lasts for a few seconds, and no one seems to know what to say until Junna chimes in.

"I think I'm with Nana this time. I still have some paperwork I wanna get done before Monday. We'll have to catch your movie some other time, Isurugi-san."

Little by little, everyone else starts to recover from the shock.

"Uh, right. No sweat."

"You two rest up, all right?"

"Don't worry! We won't have too much fun without you!"

"See you guys tomorrow!"

"Right." Junna smiles and offers a response on Nana's behalf as well.

However, she doesn't miss the looks of concern that every single one of the others cast her. She tries to silently assure them all that she's going to take care of Nana.

The atmosphere is strained as the group cautiously breaks apart for the evening. But Junna knows she has to keep to her word, for everyone's sake, especially her roommate's.

Once the others have turned to head for the lounge, Junna turns to her partner for the first time since they'd arrived back at Starlight Hall, but it just so happens that Nana was looking elsewhere in that instance. Clearing her throat, Junna speaks up, but her voice ends up cracking slightly, as the pillar holding up all those stones begins to quiver.

"Let's head back." She says it with a smile, daring to reach out for Nana's hand. But her partner turns away, her fingers just barely missing Junna's.

"Yeah."

A chill travels up Junna's spine as she watches Nana turn away from her. An awful tightness fills her chest. Suddenly, she's hit with a horrible feeling, the feeling of being left behind. By the time she remembers how to move her legs again, Nana is already far ahead of her.

"N-Nana-"

But her voice is so weak, and there is so much distance between them that there's no chance she heard her. Junna feels a shudder run through her spine, and she forces herself to move and follow after her.

By the time she reaches their dorm room, Nana has already gone inside and gathered her sleepwear without turning on any of the lights. Junna lets the door close slowly behind herself, and the last bit of light from the hallway is blocked out.

Cautiously, Junna goes to retrieve her own sleepwear, treading carefully, as though she's in unfamiliar territory, not her own room. This place of comfort and memories suddenly feels foreign and troubling to her. She doesn't feel safe here-

"No." She grits her teeth, biting her lip to steady herself. It's Nana. It's us. There's nothing to fear other than fear itself. All I have to do is talk to her and be honest, and trust that she'll be honest with me, too.

She isn't sure when exactly she'd started letting her thoughts go down such a hurtful path. She isn't sure when or why she'd started to doubt, or even fear, Nana. How could she have let it get this bad? Why didn't she realize the rift that had been forming between them? Was it all in her head? If it was, then why was it affecting every part of her life, her relationship-

"Junna-chan?"

Why did hearing Nana's voice saying her name make her feel cold now when it used to make her feel so warm?

"Yeah…?"

"I'm done in the bathroom."

"Ah, right. Thanks."

How is she supposed to do this? How is she even supposed to ask?

As Junna walks quietly to the bathroom, she doesn't bother turning on the light, but she manages to glimpse Nana retreating to her bed. Still, she can't see her face, as it's now concealed by her hair which she'd let down. Junna lets hers down as well while she changes, and realizes she's been shaking for a while now. The chills are horrible, so bad they nearly make her sick to her stomach.

Why? It's only Nana… What am I so afraid of…? Asking her? Or hearing the answers?

Either way, it's killing her. She won't be able to go on like this any more than Nana could.

It's time to put an end to all this. I want us to go back to how we used to be. Or at least take a step toward a future where we'll be better off than this…

She'd waited long enough, and allowed herself and Nana to suffer for too long already. No matter how nervous she might be, she has to do this.

Junna inhales deeply, slowly, though her chest still aches from the anxiety and the weight of every intangible stone she's piled up on herself. Though her legs tremble, she makes her way back to the bedroom, scared of the darkness, scared of Nana…

No, no, no-!

Everything feels so tight, so heavy, so painful. It was all collapsing on top of her, making it hard to breathe. The pressure of the stones finally begins to crack the pillar, and all at once it's set to crumble-

"Junna-chan…"

And suddenly, it's all gone.

The weight. The pressure. The pain.

Gone, like it never existed in the first place.

Because hearing the agony and fear in Nana's voice then erases everything else from Junna's mind. Her heart clenches, but for a very different reason now.

Snapping her head up, she finds the shadow of her roommate slumped over in her bed, quivering, breaking.

Junna hurries to her side and sits with her, and now there is no hesitation in the way she touches her, putting an arm around Nana's back to hold her up when she feels like she's about to fall.

Nana sobs, and her warm tears seep into Junna's lap. Junna's heart aches like never before, as if two beasts had sunk their teeth into either side and started pulling in opposite directions.

"Nana-" she rasps. "Wh… What's wrong?"

Nana chokes. She lifts her head slowly, as if it's too heavy for her to bear. In the darkness, her eyes are teeming with a deep, profound sadness. When she gives an answer, her voice wails like a child's.

"I don't know…" Her sobs double-up on themselves. She balls her hands into fists on her shorts, but Junna just wishes Nana would reach out for her instead. Nana shakes her head, flinging tears. "I don't know what's wrong… Everything… Everything hurts, Junna-chan… Everything…"

And somehow, Junna understands. All that pressure she'd been feeling steadily mounting for weeks and weeks on end… Nana had felt it, too. Or perhaps it had been Nana's all along, and Junna had somehow been able to sense it. Logically, that didn't make any sense, but Junna would rather trust her friend's feelings.

Nana's pain was all too real, and Junna can't help but feel it's partially her fault.

"I'm sorry…" Junna dips her head, letting it brush against hers. "I'm sorry, Nana. I've been avoiding you all this time… I should have just-"

A series of sniffles comes from her roommate as Nana slowly lifts her head again.

"Avoiding me…? You have…?"

Junna looks away, hot with shame.

"Definitely. I've… been wanting to ask you about some things… But I just couldn't. I was scared. I wanted to know the answers… but I also didn't. I wanted to talk to you… but I didn't… I'm not really sure myself…"

The sniffles soon turn to whimpers. Nana's fists clutch even tighter into the fabrics of her clothes. Junna feels her shaking harder, and when she tries to talk again, her voice is so feeble and scared.

"Junna-chan… do you… not want to be with me anymore…? Because of what I-"

"No!" Junna yells the word, unable to control or censor herself in her haste. She clings to Nana more tightly, feeling the fear pass through her. "That's not it, Nana! Nothing like that! Never! I'm with you for it all. At least… I should be…" Junna lowers her voice and her head.

"I should've been… But I feel like… like I abandoned you when you needed it the most… like I wasn't there for you when I should've been… Even after you ended the time loops and Kagura-san came back… I should've talked to you right away. But I was scared, and I didn't, and so you've been all alone with it-" She sucks in a sharp breath, but the tears start anyway, stinging and bitter. "I'm sorry, Nana… I'm sorry I let it get this bad that you're crying…"

It's quiet for a moment, enough to make Junna realize that the sobs have slowed down. She hears another sniffle.

"Junna-chan. You're crying, too."

Junna laughs wryly and removes her glasses to wipe her face.

"Yeah… I'm pathetic."

"No. Not my Junna-chan."

How could she ever have doubted Nana? How could she ever have been afraid to talk to her? Junna lets out a loud cough to clear her chest and throat, pulling Nana closer into her side in the process. Nana lets out a small chuckle.

"Go ahead, Junna-chan. Whatever you ask me, I'll answer it honestly."

Junna still hesitates a moment longer, not for her own sake, but for Nana's.

"Are you sure…? Are you okay talking about it?"

"If it's with you? I will be. Promise. As long as you don't hate me."

"I-!" She stops herself before she can end up shouting again. "I'm… sorry I ever made you think that. I never hated you, Nana. Not for a second. None of us did." She knows Nana has been worrying about the others as well, so Junna wants to reassure her on their behalf, too.

Nana lowers her gaze in the darkness.

"I find that kind of hard to believe…"

"Well, you'd better. Because it's the truth."

They sit a moment longer, composing themselves, but still Nana doesn't make any sort of move to reach for her. Junna stays where she is, wanting to convey that she isn't leaving her. Eventually, she finds the courage she'd been scrounging for all these weeks.

"So… was it different every time?" she begins. "Or was it always exactly the same?"

It's strange. It was as though there had been some unspoken law that discussing the rewinds was taboo, that no one should ever bring it up or speak of it, so that everyone could just ignore that it had been real and try to sweep it under the rug.

But that would mean only the person who had remembered it all - only Nana - would bear the burden of the responsibility of such a crime. It was too much for one girl to shoulder alone, and yet she'd been doing just that for so many years, without anyone else knowing…

At last, Nana finds a tiny bit of her own courage, or perhaps she borrows some from Junna, but she eventually replies.

"Not… always…"

To answer the question - to officially acknowledge the reality of what she had lived through - is terrifying. And yet, it's also liberating. Her tears continue as she speaks, but they are from relief more than anything.

"There were slight differences most of the time. Sometimes Maya-chan would have a banana muffin for dessert, or sometimes on that same night she'd have blueberry instead. Sometimes Kaoruko-chan would go home to visit her family for one day over break, and sometimes she went for two. Sometimes Mahiru-chan got paired up with Karen-chan for her end-of-term dance exam, and sometimes she was paired with Kuro-chan… There were a lot of little changes, all the time…"

She tapers off, and Junna can only imagine how many things only she remembers. Junna wishes this could be enough, but she knows better. They've only scraped the surface of what is a very deep chasm. She doesn't want to ask the difficult questions, but if it means letting Nana be free of keeping everything to herself, it was worth it.

"Did… did anything bad ever happen? Did anyone ever fight or get hurt, and that's why you had to rewind again…?"

Relief washes through her when she feels Nana shake her head.

"No. Nothing bad. Maya-chan and Kuro-chan would argue, and Kaoruko-chan slipped once and sprained her ankle. But never anything out of the ordinary. Everyone was always very close. That's why I wanted to keep reliving it." She smiles, clearly reminiscing. Junna smiles too, for a second. She wants Nana to keep those good memories… but not if she'll drown in them. She gives her friend a small shake to draw her back to the present.

"So for the most part then, none of us changed that much?"

"Not really." Nana's grip on her clothes loosens, just a little. "Karen-chan was always energetic, Mahiru-chan was always cheerful, Kuro-chan was always motivated, Kaoruko-chan was always stubborn…"

She goes on, and Junna listens. She asks Nana about the everyday classes, the mundane and the boring times that Nana came to treasure so dearly. She asks about the revues, which Nana reveals always ended the same, even if the opponents did often swap. She asks about the exam days, the performances, the holidays.

Nana tells her everything. Her favorite versions of certain days, the funniest outcome, or a sweet moment that didn't always happen.

She tells about a time when Kaoruko tried to secretly surprise Futaba by doing all the laundry herself, but as she opened the door to proudly reveal the surprise, she accidentally spilled her juice right on the pile of laundry she'd so tirelessly worked on. Futaba had laughed merrily, ruffled her hair, and thanked her before helping her redo it all.

She tells about the time Mahiru had shown off her baton in the courtyard one day, how she'd tossed it high and Karen had run to catch it like a dog playing fetch. She'd caught it somehow and then proclaimed to the whole school that it meant she'd be getting married to Mahiru, as if she'd caught a wedding bouquet.

She tells of the time when Claudine was supposed to fly home to France for her mother's birthday, but bad weather had canceled the flight. Maya had pulled some strings by using her family name and gotten her a new flight a few days later, and Claudine had cried in sheer happiness.

She tells of their trainings, their mishaps, their successes, the little things between the major events that no one else remembered.

As she recounts everything, Nana smiles as she relives the memories. Junna stays quiet and listens all the while.

Nana talks for hours, until her voice starts going hoarse.

And yet, Junna had realized right from the start that there was one person Nana never really talked about.

Hikari hadn't been a part of their friend group until the year the rewinds had stopped, therefore it made sense why Nana never mentioned her. But…

"Hey, Nana…?"

Nana had been finishing up telling about her favorite Starlight Festival. By now, a bit of moonlight has come into the room, right between the two girls.

"Mm?"

Junna swallows, but her mouth and throat have gone dry.

"What about me…?"

She feels the change in Nana, how she stiffens slightly.

"You? I…"

Nana had been smiling. She'd been freeing herself to finally talk about all of this. The atmosphere had been so light and liberating until now. But suddenly, it becomes heavy again in an instant. Junna quickly shakes her head.

"N-Never mind…"

"Junna-chan-" Nana calls for her, but still won't reach out. She gives a sheepish laugh. "If I talked about you, then I'd be talking all night. I'd never stop!"

"But you didn't even try to start…" She'd wanted to drop it, but the stinging response just comes out on its own. "You've talked about everyone else except for me…"

"Because I didn't think I needed to talk about you, Junna-chan. Honest. You know how we are, and how we've always been. I didn't think I needed to tell you. I'd just be telling you everything you already know, right?"

Nana is being genuine. Junna can tell as much. She's honestly confused and didn't see a point in talking about her when Junna already knows everything involving herself. Even if she didn't remember every single loop, she still knows the outcome and retains all of her own memories and feelings.

"Sorry. I don't know what I'm saying anymore. I think I'm getting tired..." She hates this. Whatever feeling that's come over her now is even worse than the pressure she'd felt earlier in the day. She pulls away from Nana, ready to go back to her own bed.

"Junna-chan-?" There's real hurt in Nana's voice, and Junna can't blame her. Nana had finally opened up to her, and now Junna was the one closing herself off.

Junna can't even make sense of what she's feeling right now. It's like they aren't even her own feelings, though she knows they can't be anyone else's.

She's about to get up until Nana finally reaches for her hand. She holds on, keeping Junna beside her.

"Junna-chan… What's wrong…?"

Junna bites her lip and looks away.

"I don't know…"

That was a lie. She does know, she just can't bring herself to say it. She can't possibly voice these feelings…

"Junna-chan…?"

Nana waits patiently, just like Junna waited for her. Junna curls her nails into the blankets. This isn't fair of her. Nana had been honest with her. She should have the decency to do the same.

"It's just…" Junna draws in a deep breath and lets it back out. "I-"

"Hold on," Nana says. "You were upset before because I didn't talk about you, right? So let me do that. I'll tell you everything that happened between us over the past sixty-two years. From the first day of school to the Starlight Festival, and everything in between."

"Nana, you don't have to-"

"Let's see… Well, there wasn't a single year when you weren't our class representative…"

In spite of Junna's efforts, Nana goes on anyway. She tells Junna everything about every moment they'd spent together. Of course Junna remembers a certain version of all of those moments, but Nana informs her of the few differences here or there.

Once, Nana had tripped at the end of their dance, but Junna caught her.

Once, Nana had caught a cold, so Junna had taken over making sweets for their classmates before nursing her back to health.

Once, Nana had flubbed a line in a play, so Junna had covered for her perfectly.

Nana hadn't been kidding earlier. She really does end up talking about Junna all night. The moonlight fades, and the dark room is slowly filled with a milky morning lightness, the kind that's still colorless just before dawn.

Once, Nana hadn't been able to sleep, so Junna had broken some rules with her and gone for a late-night walk around campus.

Once, Nana had shed tears of frustration over a script she couldn't get quite right, so Junna had made her some tea and talked with her about funny movies instead.

Once, Nana had been bored at lunchtime in the courtyard, so Junna had offered her a dance, and they'd caught the whole school's attention.

As Nana recounts each and every memory, Junna realizes her partner was right all along. Junna knows how all of them end. Even the ones she doesn't remember, she still somehow knows. Her mind couldn't retain all of the memories, but her heart didn't seem to have an issue.

She pictures every scene perfectly, she remembers every sound and scent and smell and touch.

The first rays of sunlight slip into the room, and everything turns gold.

"And then…" Nana says through a yawn. "There was a time when I was hurting really bad. And you sat with me all night and listened to me, Junna-chan. And before we knew it, it was morning…" Nana leans over, resting her head on Junna's shoulder. She yawns, and Junna yawns right back.

"Silly," she mumbles. "That wasn't a part of the time loops."

"But it was still a precious memory I have with you, Junna-chan."

Junna closes her eyes, nuzzling softly against Nana's hair. After all this time of hearing Nana talk about her, it's suddenly easy to get to the heart of the matter. Suddenly, the real question Junna had been wanting to ask all this time that had been causing her so much turmoil… Just like that, it comes out.

"Hey, Nana… did you ever fall in love with me…?"

The room is quiet, save for a few birds outside that begin chirping. Junna isn't scared or nervous, because she already knows the answer. She always has.

But even so, Nana does her the service of telling her anyway.

Straightening up, Nana lifts her face until her nose is brushing with Junna's. Two similar shades of green meet as their eyes lock. Nana chuckles.

"Only sixty-two times."

Junna sighs, and the breath tickles her partner's lips.

"Thank goodness."

"You never needed to worry about that, Junna-chan."

"I just needed to be sure. Did you ever kiss me?"

"Not yet."

"Now that's a tragedy if I've ever heard one."

Nana laughs outright, loud and hearty, with the rasp of her voice in it fully. Junna laughs too, and they laugh until their laughter is overlapping, bubbling at their lips that trap the giggles between them. The kiss lasts until the laughter turns into yawns, at which point Nana locks her arms around Junna and pulls her down onto the bed in a hug.

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to do that."

"Actually," Junna touches their noses together. "I think I have a pretty good idea. About sixty-two years."

"Sixty-two years to finally kiss my crush!" Nana exclaims. "That's gotta be a new record."

"And we're only seventeen," Junna chuckles. Cupping Nana's face, she leans down to kiss her again.

They close their eyes to savor it, and then the night and all its emotions finally catch up to them. Mid-kiss, the two girls fall asleep in each other's arms.

At last, Nana can rest easy knowing she could tell someone every last detail about those decades she'd spent trapped by her own greed and guilt. She might still feel upset and disgusted with herself when looking back from time to time, but she would always have Junna to turn to.

And Junna could take comfort in the fact that she was the person Nana could confide in. And it was also nice to know that she hadn't been the only one who had fallen for her partner time and time again.

From now on, they can look back on the past while facing the future, take the old memories and feelings with them on their way to forging new ones.

It's a start to sixty-two more years together, and then some.

Things they'll always share and never forget.


A/N: Initially, I'd wanted the "did you ever fall in love with me?" question to come earlier, and end up being a very tense scene. But as I was writing, it just didn't fit in until the very end, and I think it makes much more sense there, after the anxiety has faded. Because it's true, they both definitely already knew the answer to that question, and there was no point in either of them being frightened about it. Only comfortable and content. It's just who they are together!

I feel several of my Junnana stories have this theme of angst and tears which then turns to fluff and comfort. Their dynamic is perfect for those tropes and I love it.

Muldoon chose the title based off the line of Nana saying she would protect her friends forever. So this is after that "forever" has ended. When the loops come to an unexpected end, the aftermath is that Nana's friends are still there with her, no matter what.

Hope you enjoyed!

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