"You think that she'll be okay, nya?"
"I don't really know, to be honest."
Hanayo and Rin were sitting on the couch their three guests had occupied previously. Now that they were gone, all that was left were their open bags and a foreboding feeling in the depths of the girl's stomachs.
"You know what it means, nya! If they are dressing up like this… They picked their favourite suits. I'm worried about Honoka-chan, nya." Rin hid her face behind the pot of tea she was drinking. Just remembering how terrifying Umi had looked made her shiver. Maki and Eli hadn't been better.
"Well, Honoka-chan still has Tsubasa-chan with her. She'll be fine." Even though she tried to calm Rin down, Hanayo herself doubted that the former leader of Muse was going to be unscratched after the so called Soldier Trio was done with its interrogation.
Her day had started so good. She had woke up to the first rays of the sun, Tsubasa sleeping soundly beside her. Her breakfast had been really good, too. Self-baked bread always was the best. Her morning had been nothing but relaxation, with Tsubasa and her going out for a walk, getting something to eat and returning back home to cuddle on the couch.
So what had she done wrong to deserve this? Because everything had gone down to hell the moment Kotori had called her with tears in her eyes.
Now, Honoka was face to face with Umi "The demon" Sonoda who was backed up by Eli "Ice Queen" Ayase and Maki "Scarlet Princess" Nishikino. And they were wearing those suits. The black ones they had bought together and that meant nothing but trouble.
"Honoka, I'm sure you know why we are disturbing you at this time of the night?" The moment Umi spoke up Honoka swore that something of Kotori had rubbed of of her. The way Umi was able to sugar-coat her words while having this murderous expression was definitely a new skill.
"Y-You think… so?" Backing away would be a terrible decision, Honoka realized when the three faces in front of her darkened. "W-Well… it might be… possible that I… uhm… now why you came here? Uhm… you want some information, I guess?"
"Correct." Was the answer of three voices at the same time. But that didn't help Honoka. It only made it worse. So why not trying to get out of this unscratched?
"Ok, ok. I'll help you. But… promise me not be angry with me or anything. I didn't know anything until Kotori-chan called me this afternoon. I swear!"
Glancing towards her two companions who nodded, Umi turned back to Honoka, her gaze softening when she realized that they probably had scared the hell out of her childhood friend. "Sorry about that. We are just… confused and maybe a little bit angry that our wives plotted something like this."
"You are angry?!" A voice came from the living room. Not a minute passed until they all saw Tsubasa walking into the hall. She stopped right beside Honoka who just glanced back and forth between her friends and her girlfriend.
It had been as if someone had taken all the scary things from Umi, Eli and Maki and had transferred them to Tsubasa. Because now she was the one with the terrifying expression while the troubled wives gulped.
"You are honestly trying to tell me that you are angry?!" Tsubasa looked as if she was about to explode.
"Yes… ma'am!" Maki had flinched when Tsubasa had shouted at them.
"Don't 'ma'am' me…I'm not that old." Touching the bridge of her nose, Tsubasa sighed. She turned around and looked at Honoka, a wry smile on her face. "And here I thought just you were dense sometimes. They are even worse."
"Hey!" Pouting, Honoka crossed her arms in front of her chest.
Tsubasa giggled and kissed her girlfriend on her cheek. All the while Umi, Eli and Maki flushed a bright red. They felt like they saw something they weren't supposed to see.
"Anyway…" Turning back to her 'guests', Tsubasa's expression darkened again. "I guess you have absolutely no idea what you did wrong, am I right?"
Eli raised her hand as if she was in school again before she spoke. "Well… we figured that the only thing our three situations had in common were the fact that we worked overtime. So we thought it had something to do with this."
"Yeah." Maki interrupted. "But we weren't able to pinpoint what exactly was wrong. So we opted to go here because we knew that Kotori had called Honoka. We hoped she knows."
"Everyone knows, you three idiots!" There was this terrible urge to facepalm inside Tsubasa and she already felt the headache coming. How was it possible for the three members of Muse who were said to be the most intelligent and rational to be that dense?
"Maki!" Upon Hearing her name by the former leader of A-RISE, the redhead stood straight. "Do you remember when exactly Nico had her last really important concert?"
"Two months ago."
Tsubasa closed her eyes. "Unbelievable." She muttered. "One. Week. Ago. It was last week, Akiba Dome, sold out. The concert was a huge success and helped her forming a contract with one of the most famous TV stations in Japan. And you not only weren't able to attend. You've forgotten! Because nothing but the hospital seems to be of interest for you."
Maki's mouth formed a silent "Oh" as the information started to sink in. She knew she had messed up.
"Umi!" Reacting the same way Maki did, Umi stood like a statue in front of Tsubasa, back straight. "You know that the seasons are changing soon, do you?" When the blue haired girl nodded, Tsubasa continued. "For a famous fashion designer like Kotori, what does that mean?"
"She will work on a new collec-" Her eyes widened. No, she didn't. Umi didn't forgot.
"You did." Tsubasa read her thoughts. "She presented her new collection three days ago. A huge event, a lot of the most famous designers Japan have attended. You know who didn't attend? You. And she told you three weeks ago. I was present when she did."
Honoka watched in awe as her girlfriend literally crushed her friends. It was like a dream. The three soldiers stood in front of their general who told them how bad they had messed up.
"And now… to the probably worst of you. Ok, not probably. You are the worst of them, Eli." The blonde raised an eyebrow in confusion. "What date do we have today?"
"Why's that important?"
"I'll give you a hint." Tsubasa raised her left hand and pointed at her ringfinger. When Eli got as pale as a wall she knew that the blonde got it.
"Fuck it."
"Wow, you must have messed up really bad for you to swear in Japanese." Maki pointed out.
"You have no idea…" Eli answered, still as pale as a ghost.
"What are you guys waiting for here? Get your asses in the car and settle things right. Or do I have to deliver you personally?"
With that, the three of them were gone. Tsubasa sighed before she felt arms wrapping around her waist. She leaned back into Honoka who just giggled.
"I swear I've never seen them like this. Well, except if their wives scolded them."
"What should I say? It all depends on the way you pronounce certain thinks." Turning around in her girlfriends arms, Tsubasa smiled when she saw the affection in Honoka's eyes.
"As you say, general."
The drive had been silent as the soldiers tried to think of a way to set things right again. If they were honest with themselves, there was no way for them to make it up to their wives. Not in a million years. But they had to at least try to.
Now that Maki had dropped Umi and Eli in front of their homes, she drove home herself. Nico wouldn't be that forgiving, and her own temper was anything but patient. Gritting her teeth she knew that this would end up really loud if she wouldn't be able to control herself.
Parking the car, she saw that the lights were still on. Nico was still awake. Taking a deep breath she took the keys she hadn't dared to touch the whole evening. Once she stood in front of the door she unlocked it and entered.
She had expected Nico to enter the hall. But Maki was greeted by silence. Walking around the corner she looked into the living area. There she was, laying on the couch. The raven haired girl looked at a picture. Even though Maki couldn't see what was in the picture, the space on the table told her that Nico was looking a picture of their wedding.
"I'm sorry I couldn't live up to your expectations, Nico-chan."
"Maki-chan!?" Nico bolted up from her place, the picture landing on the small coffee table. The still visible stains of tears on her cheeks shone dimly in the little light that was providing at least some warmth.
"Sorry for entering. I bet I am the last person you want so see right now." A wry smile graced her face.
Without saying a word Nico turned around, about to walk back into their shared bedroom. It was obvious that she was still mad and hurt. But Maki was determined to apologize. Even if it meant to admit her own feelings. A thing she didn't like to do, even after all these years.
Maki hurried from her place in the doorframe over to Nico and grabbed her wrist. "Please, even if you don't want to talk to me, at least listen."
Struggling at first, Nico gave in and silently nodded. With a deep breath, Maki prepared herself for what was next.
"As I said, I'm sorry. I know you wish for someone who shares those important moments with you. And your own wife missed those moments. I'm sorry that I couldn't attend the show to cheer you on. But at least…" Biting her lower lip, Maki restrained herself from continuing. If she rambled on like that it would definitely end up in a fight.
"You once told us that you wanted to become an idol to make the people laugh, to smile. And, even if you didn't know it until now, that inspired me. When we were on stage together with everyone else I gave all I could to make the audience smile just like you dreamed about. And even now… There is more way than one to make people happy again. Do you know how great it feels to see the smile on a patient when you tell him that everything's going to be fine? Or the smile family members greet you with after you successfully helped their husband, wife, son or daughter? I am sorry, but you can't expect me to stop. Not when I help them smile again and help them to be able to see the world once more."
She didn't know when both of them had started crying. But to Maki, it was now or never. "I promise I will try to be there for you more. I don't like to be apart from you either. But I can't promise to be there all the time."
"What you just said…" Nico turned around, facing Maki. The tears were trailing down her cheeks, dropping off of her chin and down to the floor. "Do you really mean it?"
"I know that I am not the best at expressing how I feel… But yeah, I do."
"Why didn't you tell me sooner, you idiot?" Walking over to Maki, Nico half-heartedly punched her little fists onto the red head's shoulders.
Chuckling, Maki pulled her number one idol closer until they stood in the middle of their home in a tight embrace. "Really? I just admitted that I'm bad at expressing anything else than annoyance and that's your comment?"
"Yeah, sorry." Nico buried her face in Maki's shoulder. "I know we are both busy and don't have that much time. But you can at least come home everyday, you know? All I wish for is for you to be here when I come home again, to greet me and make me feel like I'm back. And sometimes to watch me, so that I can give it my best on stage. Can I be this selfish?"
"I'll try. And when I won't make it, I will tell you and try to make it up to you."
The both of them stood there in comfortable silence until Maki broke it. "So, when is your next performance?"
When Kotori looked out of the window to close the curtains she furrowed her brows and wiped away the last traces of her tears. There was without a doubt light burning in the dojo. Only Umi had keys to this building, she had even refused to make some spare keys.
Going outside with a blanket around her shoulders, Kotori walked closer to the dojo until she was able to hear Umi scream. To her, this was nothing out of the ordinary anymore. She had watched her wife enough to know that she shouted with every strike she performed with the wooden sword.
She didn't know if she should enter. She was still upset, yeah. But Kotori missed Umi, the time they spent together was always rather short because of the both of them being so busy with their work. Though whenever they were together, she wished for nothing else in those moments.
With enough resolve to face their problems, Kotori pushed the doors to the dojo open. And then, there she was. Her hair was a mess and her suit jacket and tie laid forgotten in the corner of the room while Umi moved her body again and again. Kotori could tell that she was already getting tired, the sweat dripping down Umi's face and her pose being inaccurate.
She watched for what felt like hours before Umi dropped her arms, her breathing being heavy. When she noticed Kotori, she averted her eyes. "Why are you here?"
"I saw the lights. Knowing that only you can enter that late at night I came over." Kotori pushed herself away from the door frame and walked over. Getting closer she noticed Umi's arms shaking just from holding the sword. She couldn't help to get worried. "Why are you doing this?"
"To pay for my sins." The answer came in an instant, Umi's voice being way more serious than Kotori liked.
"It's not a sin to-"
"It is!" Interrupting Kotori, Umi shouted and dropped the sword.
Startled by how uncharacteristic Umi's outburst was, Kotori stepped back. "…Umi-chan?"
"I don't even have an apology, a reason why I've worked overtime. I just did, you know? I didn't even think about how you could probably feel. This is unforgivable."
"This is so like you, Umi-chan." Walking closer again, she tried to look into Umi's eyes. When her blue haired wife averted her gaze everytime, she took her by her cheeks and finally forced her to look at her. "You're always so responsible." She caressed Umi's face. "What did you do when you were working late?"
From all the questions Kotori could possibly ask her, Umi didn't think it would be this. "I wrote some feedback under my student's works, to encourage them and tell them where they should probably try to improve. Why?"
Kotori giggled. "As I said, you're so responsible. This is just the way you are and how you've always been. Remember how you always scolded Honoka-chan? You just tried to make her do her best because you thought you had to be the one doing so. And now it's the same. But you always lost focus on what was important, even back then."
"What do you mean?"
"When I was about to leave for America to study in our second year, you slapped Honoka-chan, didn't you? You wanted to show her that it was her duty as the leader of Muse to hold us together and that she was the only one who could fix this. But you'd forgotten that you were friends, too. And that she needed you as exactly that. You'd realized it later, but still. Now it's the same. You want your students to understand their duty, what they have to do to improve. But you've lost sight of something else. Something important." Kotori paused. She wanted to make sure that Umi understood. "Us."
"Kotori…"
"I've probably reacted in the wrong way. But I was just… so hurt, you know? Our time is so precious because we don't have this much with all the work around us." The tears were escaping Kotori's eyes again. But this time, Umi was right there with her to wipe them away the moment they ran down her wife's cheek.
"I'm sorry, I truly am. I'll try not to make the same mistake a third time."
"I know. And I will try to organize myself a little better. So that we'll have more time together."
"Sounds good to me." Umi gathered Kotori in a tight embrace and the both of them stood like that until the cold night air forced them inside.
When Eli took the spare key from underneath the plant they had in front of their door she realized how nervous and afraid she was. Her hands shook and her mind was occupied with ideas how she would be able to live without Nozomi. To be frank, she had none. She couldn't picture a live without the other woman.
Once she entered the apartment, she tried to listen to any sounds. But there were none, not even sobbing. Going straight into the living area, she saw the couch being occupied by no one. Eli worried more and more with every passing second that Nozomi had already left.
When she turned around she felt her heart sink. Nozomi sat at the kitchen counter, her head resting on her left arm. The steady rise and fall of her form told Eli that her wife was sleeping. Approaching her, Eli saw the still fresh trails of tears all over her face. Nozomi had probably cried herself to sleep. But what hurt the blonde most was the fact that Nozomi had took of her wedding ring. It laid right in front of her.
Taking a shuddering breath, Eli grabbed the little item and slid it in her pocket. Afterwards she turned to Nozomi and slid one arm around her back and the other under her knees, lifting her up bridal style. The purple haired girl unconsciously snuggled a little closer to Eli as the blonde carried her over towards the bedroom.
Once they entered, Eli laid Nozomi down onto their bed before covering her wife with covers. She sat down beside her and gently moved some purple strands out of Nozomi's face, all the while taking in each reaction.
"I'm so sorry I've hurt you, Nozomi." Eli whispered. "You deserve better than an idiot that even forgets our wedding anniversary."
When she stood up, Eli felt someone softly grabbing her hand, stopping her from moving further.
"So you remembered." Hearing Nozomi's low voice, Eli's heart clenched. The other girl had cried so much that she was barely able to talk right now.
"How long have you been awake?" Sitting back down, Eli gently caressed Nozomi's face.
"I woke up shortly after you pulled me up." Nozomi lifted her own hand up to hold Eli's in place and leaned into the touch. "Tell me, you remembered?"
"Not without Tsubasa telling me." The hurt look and the fact that Nozomi pulled her hand away told Eli enough. But there was no other way than to be honest. "I'm sorry I've forgot." Nozomi turned around, facing the wall instead of Eli, and started to sob. "Nozomi, give me five minutes, ok? In five minutes, come into the living room. Please." The blonde kissed the back of her head before pulling away. "I'll explain everything."
It was hard to resist Eli if she was so sweet and sounded so sad herself. Nozomi knew that her blonde lover was truly sorry, but it just hurt. Being alone most of the time, without friends and her parents out for work, left its traces so that being forgotten by the one person you loved hurt exceptional more.
After three minutes, Nozomi heard the squealing of furniture. "Elichi?"
"Don't come in. I'm not finished yet." The short reply came, followed by more noises.
Nozomi waited patiently, sitting on the edge of their bed and looking at the closed door. Once Eli entered again, she noticed that the blonde had undressed her suit jacket, loosened her tie as well as rolled up her sleeves. She held out her hands for Nozomi to take them and pulled her up, guiding her into the living room.
When they entered, Nozomi's eyes widened. Eli had hung up various pictures of them on a thread across the room. All of those were taken during their honeymoon. They had saved up enough money to make a little journey through Europe. It had been one of the most happiest times in Nozomi's life. Because she had spent this time with Eli.
"Why did you…?"
"Because I need them to explain everything." Eli let go of her hands and stepped back under some of the pictures. "You know that my company pays some extra money for working overtime. I wanted to save this money up… so that we can go on a another vacation." She took one of the photos and looked at it with a soft expression. "Revisiting all those places, you know? I know how happy you were, even though you never said it. Your smile was enough to tell me."
"Elichi…" She couldn't stop the tears that were falling freely now. All this time, Nozomi had thought that maybe Eli didn't care anymore. How wrong she was.
"I'm sorry I've forgotten everything else. I didn't want to hurt you."
Falling forward just to be caught by Eli's strong arms, Nozomi continued to cry, out of happiness this time.
Eli softly kissed her temple. "Happy anniversary, Non-chan."
"And again the saying was right. Communication is everything." Tsubasa sighed for what felt like the thousandth time in just a couple of days. "I'm not defending you guys, actually I never was. Just throwing these dense idiots out wasn't a solution."
"Well, but it helped achieving the wished result, didn't it?" Trying to defend what proved to be her idea, Nico interrupted. "Sometimes it just needs a little shock for things to work out."
"This little shock almost ruined your relationships."
"That's why I didn't want to participate. But when Elichi just…" Looking down at the floor, Nozomi tried not to think of this evening again. "It just happened."
"Tsubasa-chan, don't be so harsh to them." Hanayo put her cup down and smiled towards her friends.
Falling back into the cushions of her couch, Tsubasa rubbed her temples. "I'm sorry."
"We were just worried about you all. We are friends, so we were afraid that you might not be able to work this all out." Honoka came back from the kitchen, a tablet with freshly prepared snacks in hand. Right behind her were Maki, Umi, Eli and Rin, each of them carrying a glass with water.
"Uhm, Nozomi-chan?" When Rin put down her glass, she was able to take a look at Nozomi's hands. "Where is your ring, nya?"
"I don't know. I couldn't find it after Elichi and I made up again."
"Oh damn. I'm so sorry." Eli facepalmed as she remembered something. She got her wallet out and looked around the coins until she finally found what she was looking for. "When you were sleeping in the kitchen I took it and slid it in my pocket. I didn't remember until I found the ring again the next day at work and put it into my wallet. And… after that I kind of forgot again." Taking Nozomi's hand, Eli slid the ring back where it was supposed to be.
"Maybe you should go to a check up. You are forgetting quite a lot, Eli." With the retort of Maki, the members of Muse all started to laugh before each of them started to enjoy the evening together at Honoka's house.
Said girl leaned closer to Tsubasa, a smirk on her face. "Tsubasa-chan? Do you know what today is?"
Raising an eyebrow, Tsubasa looked at her girlfriend confused. "Nothing. Right?"
When Honoka didn't reply and just stood up, Tsubasa couldn't shake off the feeling that she indeed forgot something. "Honoka? Honoka?!"
AN: That's it. I hope you liked it. A happy new year to all of you and may this year be a good one as well.