A/N: Thank you very much to Drinkie, Rayze0792, S4kuR41, TheShadowHunter0547, Radioactive Secrets, Minalara, shiiro01, and birdy1564 for following and faving this story! I hope that you'll continue to enjoy these short stories! :D

setting: AU, High School, during summer break

category: Angst/somewhat-fluff, Romance

Madoka was bound to see the scar eventually, Homura had been long aware of that.

Homura had also been panicking about it for a long time.

Ever since Homura had transferred in during the previous winter and became friends with Madoka and the others, then more than friends with Madoka at the beginning of spring, Homura knew that Madoka would eventually have to see it.

"Madoka doesn't like you for your looks," Homura advised herself every single time she felt the fear creep up on her, "she likes you for who you are."

But sometimes fear can take control of you. Such as, the fear of never taking things farther than kissing when the two were alone. Homura would assure Madoka that it wasn't her fault and that she could never do anything wrong, but that she was just nervous.

"Ok then, I won't pressure you.", Madoka would say with a soft smile and lightly press her lips Homura's cheek, to which the raven-haired girl would return with a kiss on the lips…. but Homura would still beat herself up over this ridiculous fear getting in the way of their developing relationship.

"I hope she doesn't think that I don't like her…" Homura thought to herself as she waited on her girlfriend in the local Mitakihara park. It wasn't as hot as it had been the past several days, so the two decided to go outdoors for today's date as a change.

"Madoka's a little late…", Homura thought aloud as she glanced at the time on her phone. "I hope she's ok- "

"Homura-channnnnnn!"

Before Homura could do or say anything, her girlfriend had tripped and fell down on the taller girl, sending the two falling and tumbling down in the field of flowers.

"Whoopsie…", Madoka said as she sat up so that she wouldn't make Homura suffocate. "Are you ok? Did I make you wait long?"

Homura honestly had no idea what to say. "Let's see, you appeared out of nowhere to surprise me with a hug, which resulted in us both falling into a field of flowers, and I was panicking about you seeing- Oh, no!"

"Homura-chan, are you ok?! Did you get hurt in the fall?!", Madoka worried as she noticed a part of the scar in view from Homura's now un-buttoned blouse.

"It's alright, Madoka. I'm not hurt." Homura assured her girlfriend as she hurriedly buttoned back up her blouse. "Are you alright?"

"Phew, thank goodness! Oh, I'm fine, no injuries.", Madoka finished by pumping her fist up in the air making her girlfriend giggle.

An awkward silence grew over the two as they still stayed seated in the field, surprisingly not holding hands. The two teenaged girls would glance at each other with a quick smile, but struggled to keep it on.

"This is so awkward….", they both thought in unison.

"Umm… Homura-chan? Can I ask you something?", Madoka broke the silence between the two with her curiosity.

Homura nodded nervously. "I guess… is it about…", she glanced down at her blouse before she continued, "this?"

"It happened before you came here, didn't it?"

No response.

"She probably doesn't wanna talk about it…" Madoka thought to herself before noticing that both of Homura's braids had come undone, probably during the fall.

"Oh dear…" Homura sighed over the price of having long hair. Before Homura could begin braiding, Madoka had already swooped in and started.

"Don't worry, I'll fix it since it was kinda my fault.", she said with the sugary smile Homura knew and love, making the tall girl blush.

"It's ok if you don't wanna talk about it," Madoka assured her girlfriend as she began finger-combing through Homura's hair. "but you said you had surgery before transferring here, right?"

Homura gazed up at the sky, watching the summer clouds pass by as she answered. "Yes, it was before I met you and the others when it happened. It's kind of embarrassing to say this, but I'm supposed to be in the same grade as Tomoe-san. But because of my heart condition and the surgery, I was held back."

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about, Homura-chan. But I don't think you should beat yourself up about having a scar. I mean, you can't help it, right?"

"How can you say that with such ease?", Homura asked in a trying-not-to-sound-bitter tone.

"For starters, you shouldn't worry about your outer appearance like that. I-I mean you shouldn't walk around n-naked in public! Oh, it's like how I can't help that I'm tiny and mistaken for a grade schooler all the time, so I'll just accept it and be happy with who I am!"

Madoka paused. She had finished the first braid and began working on the other one.

"Catching your breath?", Homura asked and received a headshake from a blushing Madoka.

"No…. it's just… I don't know how to say this."

"Take you time."

Madoka gulped as she finished up the last braid. "Please don't think I'm making fun of you, but…I'm grateful for your scar, because… thanks to this scar we were able be friends and…", she finished with a shy whisper, "fall in love."

Madoka tied the purple ribbon back in place, having finished braiding.

"Madoka…", Madoka had shifted her position so that she was now in front of Homura, and hugged her warmly.

"Homura-chan, the reason why I fell in love with you isn't because you're pretty, which you are, well, very beautiful I mean, but that's just a bonus! But I love you for who you are. You're kind, gentle, and a strong person. Even if you can't see it, I know you are."

Homura felt tears welling up in her eyes as she sniffled. "Oh, Madoka….", Homura choked as she wrapped her arms tightly around her girlfriend to return the hug. "I love you too.", she whispered into Madoka's ear.

Madoka shifted her position and pushed Homura down on the grass, resulting in Homura holding the girl tighter as she muttered nervously, "P-please don't send us falling again…"

Madoka giggled as she pressed her lips to her nervous girlfriend. "Don't worry, I won't be too clumsy.", she rolled off of Homura so that the two could stare at the sky side-by-side, and so that she wouldn't make Homura suffocate.

Homura looked down at their intertwined fingers and smiled softly as she spoke: "So it really was a silly fear…"

Madoka disagreed. "I wouldn't call it silly since it scared you, oh!"

"What is it, Madoka?", Homura asked over the pink-haired girl's surprise.

Madoka cupped her hands around Homura's ear before speaking the words that turned Homura into a tomato.

"So that was why you never wanted us to go any farther than kissing!"