Okay guys I updated and added more to this chapter. Let me know what you think by leaving a review! :)
"Tsubomi! Are you listening?" The pink head jerked around to face Hanai who sat across the table from her gloomily. "You weren't listening were you?" She sighed heavily with the crooked guilty smile that appeared across her friend's face.
"Sorry. I guess my mind was somewhere else." She closed her book, no longer able to study efficiently.
"Your mind has been somewhere else since Yaya left a month ago. What's with you? I thought you said you weren't that close to her, and I'm fairly certain you mentioned her annoyance a time or two." Hanai closed her books as well, quickly realizing there was no chance of studying being accomplished at the moment. "Why don't we go get a snack from the cafeteria? It might take your mind off things." Another heavy sigh escaped her mouth, but Tsubomi agreed to trot along with her friend.
Not many girls occupied the cafeteria that afternoon. A couple did sit in the far corner, sipping tea and munching cookies happily. As they spotted the younger duo, Nagisa and Tamao waved them over with delight. "Tsubomi! I haven't seen you around much anymore. Won't you join us?" Tamao caught a glimpse of the half-hearted smile the younger girl tried to hide, but the two sat down anyway.
"I've just been busy with choir and all. Sorry." Her eyes never looked up from her plate. She didn't seem to show interest in anything anymore.
"So who's your friend Tsubomi? Aren't you going to introduce us?" Tamao looked the young girl up and down swiftly. "Hanai I presume?"
"Yes! How did you know that?" Hanai's eyes twinkled at the older girl in wonder.
"Yaya mentioned you a time or two. I figured Tsubomi would be with you when she left."
"Yaya mentioned Hanai?" Tsubomi's head shot up and her eyes dripped with excitement and wonder as well. "When? What did she say? Have you talked to her?"
Tamao's face turned grim with her new found energy. "Sorry Tsubomi, Yaya mentioned her long before break started a month ago. And what she said didn't pertain to much, only what could be taken as slight jealousy or envy. That's all. Honest." Tamao hated the pained expression on the pink head's face.
"So neither of you have heard from her? Hikari hasn't either."
"Well maybe she just got busy. I overheard one of the headmistresses say that her father fell very ill, and her family needed her to come over seas to help with the business. So maybe she's gotten so busy she hasn't really thought about it." Nagisa finished off her tea and stood swiftly. "Don't worry about it too much Tsubomi. You know Yaya will call. And if she calls anyone it will be you. So don't sweat it too much okay?"
Tamao stood as well. She took Nagisa's dishes to the counter before returning to sweep her off to their room. "You say that, but I know Yaya." Tsubomi mumbled under her breath. "Yaya hasn't thought about calling me because she just hasn't thought about me. Period." Hanai poked her sad friend's face.
"Come on Tsubomi, cheer up. You can have my cake if you want." She scooted her plate toward the sulking pink head playfully, but got no response. "Tsubomi I know you're upset about Yaya leaving, for reasons I can't gather, but all in the same. I know you're upset. But it won't help to set around moping all the time. We have to be happy to be together and have all our friends. Stuff like that. Don't let this get you down okay? Its been a month." Tsubomi sighed heavily with defeat. As much as she didn't want to, her friend was right. She needed to get back to life.
As they left the cafeteria, they bumped into some of their friends on their way to the lake. "Hey Hanai, care if I tag along?" Suzuki fell in strut with the strolling girls. "Miniko too?"
"I don't mind. We could use some good distractions. Right Tsubomi?" The young girl was off in thought again. Hanai always thought she looked so cute when she was thinking, but right now she'd prefer if Tsubomi was dreaming of her instead of Yaya. "Tsubomi, hey you in there?" Hanai playfully tugged on her shirt sleeve.
"Huh? Sorry, I uh… I didn't catch that." A light red spread of her face to match her pink hair.
"I'm used to it by now." A brilliant smile peaked over Hanai's face. "So want to go hang out at the lake with Miniko and Suzuki?"
"Sure, sounds good." Not much enthusiasm, but Hanai wasn't going to complain. The rest of the day was more or less a blur. It was rather uneventful for Tsubomi. Everything seemed to drag on and on, day after day, week after week. Without much notice the date, three months passed by Tsubomi in one fluid movement. She was now more active again, continuing with club activities and concerts, even continuing to make more friends that Hanai pushed her toward.
Hanai had become Tsubomi's caretaker more or less. Waking her up for breakfast every morning, helping her with homework, things she used to be good at. None of it seemed important anymore. Though Hanai kept things interesting. Without really having the title, she had become known as Tsubomi's girlfriend. Tsubomi could definitely see how that was possible. She doted on Tsubomi hand and foot, constantly hanging on her arm and kissing her cheek, even as far as telling girls who found Tsubomi attractive that she was taken. Not that Tsubomi minded. It was kind of nice to have a constant distraction from her aching heart.
"…captivating." Tsubomi looked away from the window of the cafeteria, realizing she had wondered off again.
"I'm sorry Hanai, what did you say?" The brunette stared eagerly at the girl across from her. Tsubomi could see the burning, hungry flames flickering in her eyes.
"I said, have I told you lately that I find you captivating?" She placed her hand atop of Tsubomi's charmingly.
"Oh." She sighed slightly, knowing the routine that was about to ensue. Hanai had already confessed her feelings once Yaya had left and Tsubomi needed someone to lean on. Of course she gladly accepted her feelings to begin with, anything to take away the throbbing in her chest. But as the months passed, Hanai's insatiable hunger became more and more exhausting. Tsubomi wasn't prepared for more than kissing. She just couldn't imagine it. But it kept Hanai from leaving her too, so she was at least willing to do that much. "Yes, you've mentioned that." She turned her head back to the window, watching the girls breaking the horizon as they climbed the hill from the dorms.
"I'm a bit tired from classes today. Want to go take a nap with me?" Hanai playfully wrapped her legs around Tsubomi's under the table.
"I'm not really tired, but I'll go I guess." She knew they weren't actually going to take a nap. Hanai never really meant the excuses she came up with to get Tsubomi into her room. She had changed quite a lot from when they first became friends, more so after Yaya was out of the picture. Her aggressive side came out more, probably because Tsubomi didn't care enough to stop her. Maybe also because she knew Tsubomi liked when Yaya was being more aggressive and assertive with her.
Roughly pushing her girlfriend on the bed, the brunette climbed on top of a sea of pink hair, spread all around them. Pressing her lips firmly to Tsubomi's, she laid her body gently on her stomach. She moved to her ears, nibbling and nipping a trail from the lobe to the top. Tsubomi was silent and still, as per usual. Her hands rested on Hanai's thighs. Never moving, just placed delicately in the same spot every time.
Hanai was lost in the gorgeous girl beneath her. She wanted so much more than Tsubomi was willing to give at the moment, but she wouldn't let that stop her from trying. "Tsubomi…" Hanai breathed into her chest heavily. Fumbling for Tsubomi's buttons, she tried quickly to remove her shirt. The pink head snapped out of her daydream at the feel of her stomach being exposed.
"Hanai no…" The brunette froze.
"Why?" It was barely more than a whisper.
"B-Because… I'm not ready…" Her hands instinctively started to cover her exposed skin.
"No." Hanai stood swiftly from the bed, towering over the half-naked girl. "Its because you want it to be her, isn't it!" Tears fell from her eyes as she screamed.
"N-No! That's not it! I-" Hanai cut her off.
"Yes it is! I'm not her! I know that! I thought after months of dating you'd eventually come around to me though! But you haven't. You still dream of her every night and watch the hill pathway from the dorms every change you get, staring and hoping you see her come up. You aren't the same. I thought I could handle it… but I can't! You won't even give me a chance! I can show you! I'm just as good as she is! I can be her for you! If you would just let me-"
"No! YOU CAN'T! You can't replace somebody just because you love me! You aren't Yaya, you are Hanai. You are kind, and sweet, and take care of me. You've been by my side since I got to Astrea Hill. You are my best friend. I can't look at you the way you want me to. I'm sorry. I tried, but… even though I couldn't, I couldn't lose you either. I didn't want you to leave me like…"
"So as long as I stay by your side, I have a chance right? She's not coming back, and maybe someday you could love me the way I love you, right?" Hanai scooped up her hand tightly, her eyes as wide and hopefully as they could be.
"Hanai-" A knock at the door made both girls jump. After a very stern scolding about noise and appropriate behavior, Tsubomi was sent back to her room.
"Get in trouble?" Tsubomi's roommate Chiho looked up from her homework with a smirk. "We all heard it at this end of the hall."
"Oh great." Tsubomi threw her bag down by her bed and flopped down on her mattress. "I wasn't even the one making noise. It was Hanai's fault."
"Oh. You were doing something you shouldn't have been weren't you?" She raised an eyebrow toward Tsubomi playfully. "Naughty naughty, Tsubomi."
"Oh hush. It was nothing. I made her stop before anything happened. She's just relentless. She refuses to take no for an answer." With another heavy sigh that night, she rolled over to face the wall. She didn't care that her uniform would get wrinkled or that she wasn't actually in bed. She just wanted to sleep.