Chapter 2

Let's Move On Together

The next day in the club room, it is time for Honoka to reveal her relationship to everyone else in Muse. Taking the quarter Russian's hand, she and Eli stand side by side with smiles on their faces.

"Attention, everyone!" She says. "I have an announcement to make! Eli-chan and I are going out! We're lovers now~!"

Everyone else gasps at this declaration, yet smiles of their own dawn on the faces of the other Muses.

"Congratulations!" Kotori cheers.

"This relationship is super wonderful!" Hanayo adds, clapping with glee.

"But that's not all, nya!" Rin chimes in. She shoots to her feet, taking both Hanayo and Maki's hands in the process and the three of them stand up to face their fellow idols. "Kayo-chin, Maki-chan and I are lovers as well nya~!"

"WHAAAAAAAAAT!?" Everyone else in Muse shouts in unison.

"Oh, my gosh!" Umi freaks out. "Wha?! You guys…are in a three-way relationship!?"

Maki blushes as scarlet as her hair, so she turns away to hide it with no success whatsoever. "I-It wasn't like I wanted it to be that way or anything!"

Rin giggles as she nuzzles against Maki's arm not unlike a kitten. "Oh, come on, Maki-chan-nya~! You know you love us very much! That's why you confessed to us first, isn't it-nya~?"

"Th-That's not true at all!" Maki flares up.

Everyone laughs until Honoka turns to the remaining members, Nico and Nozomi. Since the ginger's opening announcement, neither of them had said a word. The ginger-haired girl slowly walks up to the fortune teller of Muse.

"Nozomi-chan…Is everything alright?" she asks. "You and Nico-chan have…well, been kind of, quiet, all this time."

Nozomi just smiles at the ginger, eyes closed, expression serene as she shakes her head. "I'm fine. Some things have been on my mind, that's all."

"And Nico-chan?" Honoka acknowledges and then, turns to the petite girl.

"Hmph! It's none of your business!" Nozomi's fellow senior replies, turning away while crossing her arms. Honoka backs away a little with Eli placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's alright, Honoka-chan. I think it's time to leave anyways."

"But Eli-chan," Honoka says. "What about-?"

"I know they can work it out themselves, can't you, girls?" Eli says while eyeing the two with a gentle, understanding smile. Nozomi and Nico both give their third year comrade a knowing look and subtle nods in response. "Besides, even if you are concerned for them, there's nothing you can do, Honoka-chan."

Honoka lets out a soft sigh and links her arm with her girlfriend's. "I see. I understand." Her baby-blue eyes gaze at her older friends with evident concern.

Nozomi just smiles as she approaches the couple. "We'll be alright, Honoka-chan. You don't have to worry." She turns to the petite girl. "In fact, I plan on taking Nicocchi to my home after practice today." This makes Nico raise an eyebrow as she questions "You are?" only to gulp and agree with a "Oh! I mean, yes! Nozomi's taking me to her home today!" when she receives a smirk from the girl plus the tale-tell gesture "threat" of groping.

The violet haired girl nods in approval, turning to the rest of her friends while clasping her hands together. "So, let's all start practice, okay~?"

"Yes!" Honoka says, all ready to go. "Let's go!"

Later that afternoon, true to her word, Nozomi and Nico are on the way to the former nomad girl's apartment, though, it's an awkward silence every step of the way. For some reason, Nico couldn't understand why Nozomi seemed to be in such a good mood after seeing Eli with Honoka. Nico knows about Nozomi's love for the blonde. She knew for a long time and she can tell exactly how her busty fellow third year felt when she discovered Eli's relationship with the leader and center of Muse. Why won't Nozomi just admit it? Can't Nozomi trust Nico with this? Is she really going to let it slide and not let out her true feelings?

"Here we are," Nozomi coos serenely as she opens the door to her home.

Both of them enter and take off their shoes at the threshold. Nico looks around for a bit, noticing that it's really empty in there. Nico realizes that Nozomi is living alone now while her parents are away God-knows-where. The hostess turns to her guest and smiles.

"So, do you want anything to drink?" She asks graciously. "How about some tea?" She starts to walk over to the kitchen when Nico finally speaks up.

"Nozomi!" She yells with fire in her eyes. "Why?"

The violet-haired girl turns to the petite girl with a confused expression. "Why what?"

"Why in the world are you not crying? Are you just going to suffer in silence like this for the rest of your life?"

"What do you mean?" Nozomi raises an eyebrow.

Small tears form in Nico's garnet eyes as she shuts them tightly, clenching her fists at her sides. "Idiot! You loved Eli, right?! You always loved her, didn't't you!? So, why…?"

The spiritual girl just stares at her.

"Why can't you let it all out, Nozomi?!" Nico shouts, shedding the tears that she was too stubborn to hold back. "Why hold it in?"

The violet-haired girl just smiles a smile laden with regret and silent grief. "At times like this…it's better to just move on, wouldn't you agree?"

"But holding in all your suffering…the pain that you've been feeling all along…" Nico says. "Why? You would rather just pretend to move on? Would you rather hide it all with a fake smile?"

Nozomi's turquoise eyes glisten with unshed tears begging to be let out, gently placing her hand on the petite girl's shoulder.

"Yes. I have no other choice, Nicocchi. You know I don't have a choice…besides…what about you, hm? I've noticed it, too. You're not subtle like you think you are. It's something about love, right?"

"Wh-What are you talking about?" Nico replies with annoyance evident in her voice, annoyance at both Nozomi's cheeky answers for everything and her own stubbornness. "Why are you changing the subject all of a sudden?!"

Nozomi's response is a sigh and a soft, understanding "I see. So, it is love."

"I didn't say that!"

"Nicocchi, I know you just as well as I do Ericchi. Your expressions, every one of them, always give you away. You got rejected, didn't you?"

Nico bites her lip, feeling like she couldn't hide it anymore. Trying to hide it would be pointless anyhow. Not to Nozomi. "Yes."

"By who?"

"Maki-chan," Nico replies. "She told us earlier, didn't she? Well, Rin-chan did, but you know what I mean! Maki-chan, Hanayo-chan and Rin-chan are all in love. Maki-chan told me everything. She was in love with them since they really became friends. Love at first sight…or whatever. I…I had no choice."

"I see…" Nozomi says softly, realizing that Nico had it just as bad as her. Those small tears she was too rebellious to let out finally break the dam of her will and the droplets start falling from glistening turquoise pools. Nico was already shedding tears, but she's aware of arms being wrapped around her and the warmth of another maiden wrapping around her like a blanket.

"Nozomi," she says as she puts her hands on the violet-haired girl's ample chest, fists softly hitting the taller Muse. "I…I loved her! I loved Maki-chan. But…then, why does it have to be Hanayo-chan and Rin-chan?! Just…what?! Why can she love two people?! How's that even work?! I mean it's just…this isn't fair!"

"I know," Nozomi whispers. "Those were almost my exact same thoughts when Eli-chi rejected me and I learned that she was in love with Honoka-chan. I loved her very much since she became my first friend. I thought…I thought I had the chance to be with her. I really thought so. But I was too late, Nico-chi. Way too late. When I heard her tell me how much she loves Honoka-chan…it was like my heart sank to the very bottom."

"Nozomi…"

More and more tears fall from the fortune teller's eyes as she tries very hard not to cry, but the girl knows it is all to no avail. "Now that Eli-chi's with Honoka-chan…" a sob. "I…don't…" Finally, she could only fight for so long. She starts crying loudly, her lyrical, heavily-accented voice heavy with regret and a maiden's heartache.

"Y-You idiot!" Nico shouts as Nozomi's arms seemingly try to crush her in her embrace, desperate for comfort and the warmth of another kindred spirit. "If you start crying, then I'm…" A new flow of tears fall from the petite girl's garnet eyes and she buries her head in her buxom friend's warm, welcoming chest.

At last, the two girls sob their hearts out, finally letting out everything they've been holding back the second they were rejected by the girls they loved simply because they were too late. They wanted to be with their loved ones, yet when they took their shot, they learned that their loved ones already had their own beautiful romances. The questions are plenty as the maidens cry their hearts out and share each other's pain. Were they not good enough for them? Were they just considered friends? Had they not done enough to deserve love?

Minutes pass, the sobs and wails of agony and heartache make time stretch on and on, yet eventually, the crying becomes reduced to simple, soft sniffles and slight hiccups as the two finally calm down, having let it all out just now.

"Nicocchi," Nozomi says, cradling her fellow third year. "I've decided to move on."

"What?!" Nico gasps, looking up at the fortune teller. She wipes some more stray tears from her eyes. "After going through all this?"

"I told you earlier, didn't I? It's better for me to move on than have to cry every day, better than to live with regret. I don't want that anymore. That…wouldn't be healthy for me...it wouldn't be healthy for either of us." She caresses Nico's cheek gently with the back of her fingers. The girl herself leans into the touch after Nozomi turns her hand to cup the girl's delicate, cute face with her palm. "And I've already found a kindred soul."

Nico gasps again, pulling back to glare at Nozomi. "W-Wait! You aren't treating me as Eli's replacement, are you?! I refuse to-!"

"No, I'm not," Nozomi replies in an instant, holding Nico tightly get gently, giving ample room for the girl to fully leave her embrace if she so chooses. "I mean it, Nicocchi. You and I are the same. You felt it too, didn't you? We shared our pain together just now. I know how you feel, and you know how I feel."

"Nozomi…damn it…" Nico can't quite believe it, yet she can't quite argue that her fellow senior isn't wrong. After all this, her walls can't quite keep standing, not with that look in the turquoise eyes of her old friend, the compassion, understanding, desire to give it a try… "I don't know what to say. I mean…can we really…do this? Nozomi, are you sure you could give this a try?"

Nozomi nods. "Of course." She slowly removes the ribbons from Nico's hair, gently, calmly combing her nimble fingers through the girl's silky, rich-black tresses. "So, please…let's move on together. Every journey begins with a single step. Won't you take that first step alongside me?"

"N-Nozomi…" A new batch of tears make Nico's vision blurry, yet these aren't tears of sorrow, at least, not after all that she and the self-proclaimed Mother of Muse just went through. She buries her face in Nozomi's warm chest again, nuzzling into her friend.

"Ok, Nozomi. I'll walk with you. I'll give this a try if you will, too."

Content, welcoming silence and warmth envelops the two after Nozomi hums her consent and agreement, stroking the petite girl's silky hair and makes her promise.

"I'm glad. We can both move forward."

The Next Morning

Even after the darkest night, morning always comes.

Once dawn arrives, as the sun shines through the window of the Tojou child's room, the violet-haired girl slowly opens her eyes and finds her brand new girlfriend sleeping soundly next to her, arms loosely wrapped around her midsection and the girl's adorable face nuzzled into the side of her chest. Smiling, she gently strokes her hair for a bit before Nico rolls on her back, still snoring away.

"Hehe~!" She giggles, a sweet coo. "Nicocchi, it's time to wake up~!"

"Mm…" Comes a mumble as her response.

"Come on~! It's time to get up," Nozomi prods again. Just then, Nico rolls over again and once more wraps her arms around her girlfriend, tighter this time, burying her face into Nozomi's large chest. She mumbles into the soft fabric covering the fortune teller's ample bosom. "Let me sleep a little more…Mama..."

"Mama?" Nozomi gives her a questioning look and then smirks. "Hehe~! Geez, if you're not going to wake up, you'll give your sweet Mama trouble~"

Nico then opens her eyes and backs away, a hilariously shocked look on her face puts a sly-as-can-be grin on her bed partner. "N-Nozomi?!"

"Good morning, my darling daughter~!" Nozomi cooes, smiling away. The petite girl huffs and swiftly climbs out of bed, making a bee line for the bathroom, shouting with bravado to save whatever is left of her pride. "I'm not a kid! I'm going to take a shower!"

Nozomi climbs out of bed as well and says, "Aw~! Are you not going to cuddle with Mommy some more~?"

"Seriously? Shut up!" Is the girl's comeback.

"Or do you want Mommy to breast feed you~?"

"…WHAT?! Seriously, woman?! I SAID SHUT UP!" She shakes her head, sending bed-hair in every direction, her hands covering her ears. "You did NOT just say that! You know you're not my mother!"

Nozomi pouts, sitting at the edge of the mattress, legs and arms crossed, her eyes shining with mirth, mischief and affection. "But you just said that I was your mother a minute ago~"

"I was half-asleep, okay?" Nico replies, her cute face alight with a burning blush, turning around and crossing her arms over her chest in the process. "I was probably dreaming or something, so you can stop pretending to be my mother now!"

Nozomi just smiles as she covers the distance between herself and Nico, wrapping her arms around her lover from behind. "Come on. Give your mommy some love one more time~?"

Niko hesitates for a moment before huffing and turning in Nozomi's embrace to kiss the young woman on the lips, if only to shut her up…but she enjoys it all the same and the fortune teller reciprocates immediately. Both maidens tighten their embrace on each other as they deepen their passionate, heartwarming kiss before eventually pulling away to catch their breath. They look each other right in the eye as they pant for breath and rest their foreheads against one another's.

"I love you, Nicocchi,"

"I love you too, 'Zomi."

A/N: Well here ends our Nico x Nozomi tale of how our lovely couple got together. It . . . may not be the best I've written, but this pairing really needs some more love. And I would like to thank Major Mike Powell III for beta reading this again. And also, that last part is from another comic from Dynasty Reader, though the last panel was cut out, according to the comments and someone had translated the rest.

Feel free to give out any suggestions, questions or concerns and don't forget to review! ;)