Cats and Cakes: A YuiAzu fanfic
She was in love with Yui Hirasawa.
Azusa Nakano, the twin tailed guitarist of the Houkago Tea Time, was in love with Yui Hirasawa. A host of emotions were felt by the kouhai as she sat up in bed; excitement, nervousness, sadness, happiness, panic, and peace. A part of her was still in shock of the realization, but a part of her felt that she knew the fact all along. If this would have happened normally, say during their school years, she would have liked to have taken her time, thinking long and hard about the whole predicament she was in before she came to a decision about what course of action to take.
But, she didn't have the luxury to do so, she had limited time. Yui would be leaving for college in a few weeks time. Whatever she needed to do, she needed to do it now. But she couldn't do it alone, she needed advice from someone who had done this before, someone she could trust and rely on. Picking up her phone from the bedside table, she dialed the number of the one person she knew would help her out or at least point her in the right direction: Mio Akiyama.
"Hello Azusa, this is a pleasant surprise. What's up?" Mio replied as she picked up her phone.
"Hello Mio-Senpai. I was wondering if we could meet up? I need to talk to you about something very important." Azusa asked in return.
"Uh, yeah sure. Ritsu and I are going to the mall for some shopping and lunch. You can meet us there at say… 1:30 pm at the burger place?"
"Yes, that'll be great Mio-Senpai. Thank You."
"You're welcome, Azusa. Though I am curious, is everything alright?"
"Yes, I think. I'll talk more in detail when we meet. There's nothing to worry about though."
"OK, I'll take your word for it then. I guess I'll see you at 1:30."
"Definitely Mio-Senpai, goodbye."
"Goodbye, Azusa."
Ending the call with a click on her phone, she got out of bed and started to get ready for the day. She was an organized girl, and the whole ordeal of getting ready and going to the burger place would have taken her an hour at max. She had a few hours until she would have to be at the burger outlet, so she decided to be lazy for once and take things slow for today. Maybe Yui was actually rubbing off on her after all.
The thought made her smile as she pictured Yui's reaction to the possibility of her becoming like her. She began thinking about how Yui would react when she told her that she loves her, that was, IF she told her that she loves her. She wasn't exactly sure what she wanted to do after this realization. Would she confess? Would she keep it to herself? Would she find ways to get rid of her romantic feelings? She didn't have the answers, but she was hoping that Mio-Senpai would be helpful in that regard.
"Thank you for meeting up with me, Mio-Senpai and Ritsu-Senpai," Azusa said as she sat down opposite from the couple at the burger place. The place was sparsely populated that day, which put Azusa's mind at ease to some extent as the three of them could have the privacy they needed.
"It's fine Azusa, we were shopping around in the area anyway. Now what do you need our advice on? You sounded a bit worried on the phone earlier." Mio replied opening up the wrapper for her burger.
"Oh, well…uhm…how did you two know that you liked each other… as more than friends?" Azusa questioned as she blushed.
"Oh, well, for us it just happened. Back when we had that small fight around the time Ritsu got sick, we realized how much we missed each other; how dependant we were on each other; how different our days were when the other was around. The days seemed dull and lifeless without Ritsu. When I went to see her when she was sick, it felt as if color had returned to the world and I could breathe again. She made me feel warm and safe, and I just never wanted to leave that feeling. We confessed the next day to each other and that's how we got together." Mio explained with a fond look in her eyes and a small smile, as a light blush colored her cheeks.
"Yep! Days are more fun with Mio; she gives the most cutest reactions when I tease her." Ritsu joked with a grin, earning her a glare and a nudge from Mio.
"In all seriousness, the moment Mio walked in when she came to see me, I too had a similar experience as she did. I was feeling pretty awful because of being sick; but when she came, that all just sort of faded away. I never wanted her to leave after that. Mio beat me to the confession the next day. I had fully intended to tell her how I felt about her then." Ritsu continued as she looked at Mio with a fond look on her face, causing the bassist to look down in embarrassment as she turned crimson.
Azusa looked down towards the table, to her half-eaten meal. It seemed that her nerves had affected her appetite. She thought for a bit, with the couple giving her time to process all of the information she received and to brace herself for whatever it was she wanted to tell them. It was clear she had a lot on her mind.
"Uhm, well the thing is that for the last few days I've been having some thoughts, much like the ones you two had experienced. I can't stop thinking about this particular person, and recently I've come to realize that I feel that I want something more than friends with this person." Azusa began, her embarrassment from sharing her intimate thoughts rising, apparent from the crimson shade her skin was turning.
"This is kind of silly, but I recently had a dream about them, and we were all cuddled up and kissing and it made me feel all warm inside. I felt this giddy feeling, like butterflies in my stomach, but I was also at peace like this is where I belong. Being together with this person is where I belong. But I'm also scared... very scared. I know this person quite well, and I don't have a lot of time left with them. I feel like I should do something. Do I confess? Or do I let them go or do I do something else entirely? I have no idea and I just feel…so confused." Azusa finally told them, keeping Yui's identity a secret, now completely scarlet. She was looking at the table, unable to look her senpais in the eye.
It was a few moments after which Ritsu spoke up, surprising both Mio and Azusa.
"I think you should tell this person. It's clear you feel quite strongly for them, and they mean a lot to you. Just by looking at you I can tell you desperately want to tell them, and you want to be together. You're scared because you feel you have limited time and you might lose them when it runs out. But if you don't tell them, you will end up spending a lot of time thinking about the 'what if's'. What if you told them, What if they accepted, what if you made it work, etc. But no matter the result, telling them will give you closure that you did tell them." Ritsu spoke as she grabbed onto Mio's hand under the table, surprising both the dark haired girls who had dumbfounded expressions on their faces.
"I mean, that's what I did. I had no idea how Mio would react when I confessed, I was afraid she'd get embarrassed, close off and run away, and I would have ruined everything I had with her. But we took the risk, both of us did, and look at us now. I'd tell them, Azusa, because something tells me that hearing you say those words will make them very happy." Ritsu's words, although very unexpected and uncharacteristic of the girl, held truth in them and they hit the mark for Azusa.
A million cogs were turning in her head; a million thoughts passed through her mind and all of them lead to one conclusion. She would confess to Yui today.
"Thank you, Mio-Senpai, Ritsu-Senpai. Your advice has helped me a lot, and I think I've made my decision; I'm going to tell them, and I'm going to do that today." Azusa stood up with newfound resolve as she took her tray, now filled with empty wrappers and trash, to the waste bin.
"Atta girl, Azusa! Remember to just relax, take a deep breath, and say it. Whatever happens, happens. But I have a feeling it will be good. Now go out there, and get 'em. Oh, and say hi to Yui for me." Ritsu replied with a knowing grin and a wink of her eye.
With determined steps, a heart that was beating wildly, and butterflies in her stomach, Azusa Nakano was making her way to the Hirasawa household. Her talk with Ritsu and Mio had been most enlightening. She was happy she consulted them as they already were in a relationship, something she craved for with Yui. Though she was still in shock how Ritsu had figured out who she had feelings for so quickly.
Being so immersed in her thoughts, she had not realized that she had already arrived at Yui's house and was standing at the doorstep. It felt as if just a few seconds had passed, while the actual journey took some time. With a deep breath she rung the bell, and just a few moments later Ui opened the door.
"Ah, Azusa, what a pleasant surprise. Come on in, make yourself at home." Ui opened the door and welcomed her in.
"Thank You, Ui. Sorry i dropped by unannounced, i should have called you to let you know" Azusa apologized for her unannounced visit as she took off her shoes at the door and entered.
"Its fine, its fine. Can i get you anything? Tea? Soda? Some snacks? I was going to make Onee-chan some." Ui waved off her worries as she made her way to the kitchen to prepare some snacks for Yui.
"No, thank you, that won't be necessary. Is Yui-senpai home? I wanted to talk to her about something." Azusa replied, grateful for her hospitality but she politely turned her down; she was here for another reason.
"Ah, Onee-chan is up in her room. Could you bring her down on your way back? The snacks are almost done, i just need a few more minutes" Ui said from the kitchen as she went back to making snacks.
"Sure, will do. We'll be down soon." Azusa said as she climbed the stairs to Yui's room, each step she took made her more and more anxious; this was it, the moment of truth.
Azusa entered inside to find Yui sitting on the floor surrounded by photographs and deep in thought as she pondered over them, it looked as if she was selecting them for an album. As Azusa closed the door with a click, Yui looked up to her interrupted by the sound of the door closing. As her brain registered that it was 'Azu-nyan' who just entered, she immediately got up from her place on the floor and all but tackled the twin tailed guitarist right then and there.
"Azunyaaaaaaannnn!" Yui exclaimed in her signature fashion, as she smothered the younger girl in affection. For once she didn't fight it, for once she didn't tell her to get off, for this time she held onto her drawing strength from her touch. Yui had that power over her, as soon as she would touch the twin tailed guitarist, she would calm down instantly.
"I missed you, Azunyaaan!" Yui whined.
"I missed you too, Yui-senpai" Azusa replied, with a small smile on her face. They hadn't seen each other a lot after the graduation, they did talk over the phone a few times but that was nothing compared to the real thing. They parted after a few moments, though reluctantly.
Yui took her by the arm as they both sat down and started looking over the photographs she had laid out on the floor. By the looks of it, they were all pictures they took over the course of their time at school. And for some reason, there were a lot of pictures of Azusa and Yui.
"I was making an album for you Azunyan, filled with pictures of just us two. A way for you to remember me by. I liked the time i spent with you Azunyan." Yui explained her purpose for the photographs, while having a slight blush on her cheeks, a fact that Azusa found a bit surprising.
They spent a few minutes browsing through the pictures as Yui reminisced and offered commentary. She was having fun, spending time like this with Yui, but she was here for a purpose and she had made up her mind to do it, there was no backing out now. Remembering the advice Ritsu gave her, she turned to Yui and braced herself for the confession.
"Yui-senpai, i have something to tell you," Azusa began, her heart beating wildly in her chest. She could have sworn she was blushing.
"Hm? What is is Azunyan?" Yui turned to her with a slightly puzzled expression on her face. Azusa took a deep breath before continuing.
"Lately i've been having certain thoughts, regarding you and me and i've also had a dream about you, about us as well, and we were doing...certain things. All of this has lead me to the conclusion that..that..i..I have feeling for you Yui-senpai! I like you!" Azusa blurted out nervously, as she turned a shade of crimson and closed her eyes in embarrassment. For some time, no one said anything, it felt like an eternity had passed for Azusa, the silence was deafening for her.
"Please say something Yui-senpai, anything, just say something." Azusa whispered gently, her inner resolve shaking with every second that passed.
"You...you like me?" Yui finally whispered in disbelief. She was having trouble grasping the concept. Didn't they already like each other? Why else would they spend so much time together, if they didn't like each other, that would have been unpleasant if they didn't.
"Yes, Yui-senpai. I like you. I like you like a lot. I like you more than friends, like how Mio-senpai and Ritsu-senpai like each other, like a boy likes a girl. I look at you and think about you and i want to do things with you. Just the thought of you gives me butterflies in my stomach and i feel excited and happy whenever you're around. You make me feel like i'm the only girl in the world whenever we're together, and i want to be with you. I want us to go on dates with you, and hug you, cuddle, i want us to hold each other, i want to hold hands, and maybe...kiss?" Azusa tried to explain her feelings to Yui, she should have known that Yui would have trouble getting the whole concept of it.
"Dates?...Cuddling?...Holding hands?...Kissing?...You want to kiss me, Azusa?" Yui repeated her words slowly, trying to comprehend what she had said. As she asked that question, a strange look came over her face that was foreign to Azusa.
"Yes, i do." Azusa replied, this was it, now or never.
"Okay" Yui replied, much to Azusa's shock who had clearly not thought this through, as she was panicking. She had not prepared for this. Yui turned to face her, both of them were blushing quite heavily not prepared for the moment, as they stared into each other's eyes.
Slowly they began to move their heads towards each other, inch by inch they came closer and closer and closer until their lips were almost together. A single twitch and they would be kissing, the moments that followed were agonizing, both of them wanted it to happen but were afraid to make the first move.
After what felt like eons, their lips were finally joined. They didn't know who leaned in first, they didn't know who made the first move, all they knew that they were kissing, nothing else mattered. Soft and tender lips met each other as euphoria coursed through both their bodies. For Azusa, it was exactly as she thought it would be, in fact it was better, much better than she could have anticipated.
For Yui, this was a new experience, she was feeling things she didn't know she could. It was very hard to think with Azusa's lips on hers. Gradually they deepened the kiss, as they wrapped their arms around each other, now laying down on the floor. Mouths parted to make way for their tongues as they fought for dominance, all thoughts escaping their minds except one to get as close to the other as possible.
Eventually the need to breathe was too great, as the two girls broke off and panted for much needed oxygen. They looked at each other through hooded eyes, as Yui smiled her usual goofy smile that Azusa had begun to love, she was really cute.
"Ehehehe, what's this, Azusa. I think i like you too." Yui said in her slightly embarrassed manner.
"Huh? You like me too?" Azusa couldn't believe what she was hearing, a part of her was overjoyed, while a part of her was still bracing itself for the impact, the rejection...that never came.
"I guess. When i kissed you, i felt the same feeling as you said. I felt a funny feeling in my stomach and my skin felt hot wherever you touched, but it was a good hot. Like getting in your blanket on a cold day. I felt the same when i get to eat Mugi-chan's delicious cakes and drink her tea, no, even better than that. I guess i liked you all this time and never really realized it." Yui explained with a smile that only grew wider with each word that she spoke and with each realization that she made, she really did like Azusa.
"Being with you makes me happy Azunyan, and I want to be with you more. I would love to go on dates with you, and hug you, and cuddle with you, and kiss you lots and lots." Yui tried to explain her feelings, which Azusa fully understood. She was overjoyed, Yui had returned her feelings, they both liked each other and Yui wanted to be with her. All she needed was to ask her one tiny question.
"So back in school, when you hugged me and smothered me, you didn't feel anything like this?" Azusa asked her, it wasn't really important, not compared to what she just learnt but she was curious to know the answer. Yui didn't answer right away, she looked deep in thought for a few moments before replying.
"I guess it's just because you're so cute that i feel the urge to hug you and pet you all the time. It made me feel warm and fuzzy inside, its great to hug you Azunyan" Yui replied giving her one of signature smiles, an action that Azusa mirrored as well.
"Its great to be hugged by you Yui-senpai. So...i guess we're girlfriends now? Like Mio and Ritsu senpai?" Azusa asked, still a bit unsure.
"I guess we are Azunyan, we're girlfriends now!" Yui explained and enveloped the younger girl in a hug. She was about to kiss her again, when Ui called from below to tell them the snacks were ready.
They were slightly disappointed, but then laughed when they realized how silly it was. They were together now, as girlfriends, as lovers, the loved each other and they had all the time in the world for all the hugs and kisses and beyond. Their bond would be tested, they had limited time together after which Yui would go off to college and Azusa still had a year of high school left, but they would pass every test life put them through, together.