Authors Note: Sorry for the absence, very sorry! No excuses, this chapter just took a long time to make. As always, I hope you guys enjoy.
It was well into nighttime when Sayaka had begun her nightly hunt later that day. Her parents would be thinking she was sound asleep, and hopefully not enter her room to check on her. Thankfully it was a quick hunt that night, no witches were out and about, she liked to think it was because they were too scared because she was on the prowl. The only thing she had found was a lone familiar, which was a good thing for multiple reasons in Sayaka's book; a quick night and an easy kill were among them.
Well, it would have been an easy kill if a certain cape hadn't snagged onto a part of a building in the tight alleyway, leaving Sayaka stuck and struggling as the familiar ran off.
"Damn it! Let. Me. Go!" Sayaka yelled, trying to tug her cape free. Just what had she caught it on to get such a tight death grip? This was ridiculous and embarrassing; she was supposed to be a warrior and here she was, trapped because her cape got caught on a building, like a parody of what heroes are supposed to be. Pitiful and stupid!
After few more hard tugs and Sayaka had hit the ground face-first, her now freed cape falling over her head and covering her face as she growled in annoyance. Just her luck. There was no point going after the familiar anymore now either; it would have been long gone and Sayaka wasn't in any mood for a hunt without reward now. What a waste of time and energy this had turned out to be. She wondered, maybe if she just stayed down with her cape hiding her vision, she could pretend she was somewhere else and forget about this for a second.
A snort of laughter echoed in the narrow space and Sayaka threw her cape off from over her head to glare at the redhead staring right down at her.
"That was just hilarious," Kyouko said, a wide and fully amused grin upon her face, not even trying to cover her laughter at Sayaka. "Forget about witches and familiars, your greatest enemies are fire escapes."
As if Sayaka's mood hadn't been bad enough, "What do you want?" she demanded, pushing herself to her feet, her glare never easing up even if it had no effect on the other. She really didn't want to deal with Kyouko today. But if she had to, she would, and she would do her damned best to leave Kyouko black and blue by the end.
For her part, as usual, Kyouko didn't seem at all worried about Sayaka's hostility as her amused smile never dropped. "I'm here out of goodwill, Blueberry," she assured her, though the expression seemed to say otherwise. It was that of someone who just played a prank and was watching the chaos unfold before them. "I figured that you're just bad enough to need someone to train you on how to actually do your job, and who better than someone as good at the magical girl business as me?"
Oh now that was just uncalled for, Sayaka was doing a damn good job at this whole witch hunting business for someone who jumped into it without even knowing what she was getting into, at least she thought she was. Now her mood dropped even lower as Kyouko continued to demean her abilities.
"Yeah? Well I bet I'm doing a Hell of a better job at it then you were when you started out!" she snapped, getting up and starting to walk away, or rather stomp away. No, she wasn't going to give Kyouko the satisfaction of sticking around and arguing even if she oh so wanted to lash out at her for that comment. She had to at least try to be better than her.
The smirk never fell. Instead Kyouko began following after her, clearly enjoying the reactions she got from Sayaka. "Well, maybe you are, maybe you ain't. But I sure ain't 'just starting out,' I've been in this business a longer time than most, and fighting you is far too easy to try and enjoy."
Sayaka had to grit her teeth in frustration. "What, is that why you're 'offering' to train me? So you can actually get entertainment in our fights?"
"Well, duh," Kyouko said with a nonchalant shrug, still just a few steps behind Sayaka. "What's the point in fighting another magical girl if there isn't even a challenge? It's boring, no fun at all, and when I fight I wanna at least have to try. Makes it more exciting, you know? Besides, can't you see how this'll be a win for us both?"
Their pace never slowed down, not even as Sayaka's magical girl outfit dissolved back into her casual clothes.
"How is this a 'win' for us both?" she questioned, still walking with the intent on getting home quickly. "Sounds more like a win for you, and I still don't get why you're even offering something this stupid."
The redhead stuck her tongue out at her as she transformed back to her jacket and shorts, fishing a sucker out from her pocket. "You're the stupid one for not seeing the obvious benefits you get out of this," and popped the sucker right into her open mouth, her speech not even slurred, "you actually learn how to fight, increasing your own chances against the stronger witches. You get to fight me and let out some of that built-up Hulk Rage in you...and you gotta do something about that, going ballistic doesn't really save your ass as much as they act like it does on TV...and you get to spend time with your girlfriend instead of being kicked out of Mitakihara."
This again, calling Homura her girlfriend.
This time, without the anxiety and fear coursing through her, Sayaka couldn't stop her face from becoming dusted with pink.
"S-She's not my- we're not- she's just my friend, okay?" Sayaka sputtered, having nearly stumbled in her strides. What was with everyone thinking that she and Homura were dating? They were just very good friends! Not that Sayaka would be unhappy with Homura as her girlfriend, Homura was a great person and quite good looking - anyone who dated her should be grateful for it! - but that didn't mean they were dating!
As though she was trying to escape, and maybe that was exactly what she was trying to do, Sayaka picked her speed up to some point between walking and jogging.
She could hear Kyouko's not-so-hidden laughter behind her. "Okay then, you can spend time with your...whatever you call each other - honey, babe, sweetheart? - instead of being booted out of the city." Sayaka didn't need to look behind her to see the wide grin stretched across Kyouko's face.
Her own face was now burning, and she was too scared to turn to look at the redhead lest she see the blush. "We're not dating!" she yelled a little louder than she should have, but it didn't seem to change Kyouko's opinion at all.
Instead, she had a piece of candy tossed her way and more laughter at her expense.
"Whatever, lovebird. We can start training Saturday night, that oughta give you enough time to think the offer over," Kyouko said, already walking away, hands stuffed in her pockets. "Just keep your night open. I'll find you when it's time to start." From the way she talked and the way she left, it was clear she was certain of what Sayaka would choose.
If so, that would make one of them.
With a sigh, Sayaka pocketed the piece of candy and set to work trying to sneak back into her room.
It wasn't too hard, but she did topple over the window ledge. It was a good thing the resulting thud wasn't too loud; the last thing she wanted was her parents to come up wondering what was going on.
Groaning and sighing, Sayaka pushed herself back up to stand and walked the few steps needed to collapse onto her bed in an exhausted mess. For some reason, Sayaka couldn't put her finger on it, she'd felt so drained the past few days, mentally and emotionally speaking. She felt an unhappiness, a darkness gnawing at her heart from within. It must have been the stress she'd felt as of late. After everything that had happened, and in all honesty, who wouldn't have been more than a little stressed?
As of lately it felt as though the whole world was against her, and the only reasonable way to react to such a thing was to lash back against it. Witches weren't the only vile things in this world after all; the humans who inhabited it could be just as awful.
The only thing worth keeping safe in this world was Homura.
One eye cracked open as she came to a realization that surprised her enough to get her thinking, even if she was too tired to think very hard. Had she always thought like this? Such a negative, dark outlook? Sayaka wanted to say no, but she couldn't remember. She must have been happy when it had been her, Madoka and Hitomi. But now just the mention of Madoka's name was a bullet to her heart, and thinking of Hitomi still left a bitter taste in her mouth she thought she'd gotten over.
The only one who hadn't hurt her was Homura.
Homura, Homura, Homura. Sayaka wasn't going to deny that it was a beautiful name, and the face it belonged to even more so. Just thinking of her dear friend left such a warm fluttering feeling inside Sayaka's chest. Like a light to shine upon the darkness within her, a shelter from her own storm.
Her phone buzzed so the girl lazily drew it from her pocket, and one glance at the text had Sayaka give a soft smile. "Speak of the devil and He shall come," as the saying goes.
Sayaka, how are you feeling tonight? How was the witch hunt, are you okay?
She was worried about how Sayaka was doing, probably because Sayaka hadn't really spoken to her since she went out for her hunt. It wasn't anything major but just the small sign that she cared had Sayaka's smile grow. Rolling over on her bed so she was on her stomach with the phone held out in front of her, she began typing her reply.
I'm good! Thnx for asking! Hunt was a bust, got nothing. Pretty boring actually tbh. HRU?
It was probably for the best that she not mention Kyouko.
She didn't expect an immediate response, Homura was probably finishing up her homework after all, studying late into the night to catch up like the good girl she was. But she continued to lay there, staring at her phone as she waited in anticipation. Eyes blinking a few times against the bright glow of the screen in her dark room as it shined on her face. But sure enough, after a couple of minutes, her phone buzzed in her hands.
Good to hear, I'm okay. Sorry about the hunt, but I'm glad your safe at least!
She was happy Sayaka was okay, and the warm feeling in her chest began to intensify. Of course Homura cared about her safety, they were friends after all.
Sayaka was working on her reply to the message when her phone gave the telltale buzz of a new message from Homura once again. Deleting what she had originally been about to write, asking how Homura was doing with homework, she read the new text, and another one followed up shortly after.
I was thinking, tomorrow night maybe we could go see a movie?
Feels like it's been a while since we did something nice other than window shop or hang out at the mall.
A movie? Blinking, Sayaka pulled up her phone's web browser and quickly finding the site she scrolled through the lists of films that were playing. Usually the theater never played two of the same genre, and always of different ratings so that there would be at least one thing that someone would want to see, and sure enough it was the case for this round of movies as well. There was a generic slasher film, a comedic drama, and a historical reenactment. Jotting down their basic information to her memory, Sayaka quickly texted the list to Homura.
Any of them you want to see?
As she waited for a reply, Sayaka began scrolling through the show times for each one. Doubtful that Homura would choose the horror film, though the idea of her grabbing onto Sayaka in fear during the more violent scenes was one she wouldn't mind playing out...no, no, she had to mind Homura's heart. The adrenaline couldn't be good for it, right? The historical one sounded boring to her, she got enough history in school forced into her skull and Sayaka didn't really want to learn more in movies. That just left the dramedy out of the three, and it sounded at least okay from the description.
One thing was certain: Sayaka's mood had risen considerably now that she was talking to Homura again. She was still so thankful that their friendship hadn't ended in that labyrinth and that they could still text like this, still be friends, still be in each other's lives despite all that had happened.
Sayaka was snapped out of her thoughts as her phone vibrated, and her attention was instantly on the reply.
I think the second one would be best, I'm not good with horror movies and the historical one would bore you.
What time do you want to go?
She quickly recalled the show times and ran ideas through her head before typing. They couldn't go to the later shows, though Sayaka would be more than happy to skip a night hunting - Kyouko could have that night to herself - but they still had school the next day. Doubtful her mother or father would let her go out too late to watch a movie, not that they knew she was out much later most nights. So something earlier yet still sometime after class. One of its scheduled slots was around dinner time, so maybe they could head out then, and Sayaka quickly typed that suggestion to Homura.
The response was quicker than Sayaka had expected but not unwanted.
That sounds good, we can meet up after school and just find something to do until the movie then. Does that sound good?
Sounded like a great idea, essentially the entire day with Homura tomorrow. Those were the days that Sayaka loved, when she had the raven-haired girl all to herself for the day.
With a smile, she gave her happy response.
Sounds great! Tomorrows going to be a blast!
And it would be. This was something that Sayaka needed, she realized: a day of fun with the one she cared for most. No stress, no frustration, no responsibilities. Just hanging out with Homura, just like old times before anything had happened to them.
The two sent a few more texts, they would talk more about their plans at class tomorrow, and soon they said their good nights to each other. With phone still cradled in hand, Sayaka drifted off to sleep with a smile on her face, eager and excited for the joys tomorrow would bring her.
The next day, class was going about nicely. The pacing seemed to go quite fast compared to the previous day, something that Sayaka was more than thankful for: no anxiety and no distractions now that Homura was there with her and within reach. The protective side of her was happy because if there was danger, she was right there to keep Homura safe, and the dependent side knew that having her near her was all she needed to keep going.
She was in a rather good mood the entire day, an honestly good mood, with no fake smiles or hidden bitterness. To make it even better, confirming face to face with Homura over their plans for the movies later that day helped give it a boost. Not even the idea of Kyouko roaming the streets or even their confrontation the night prior was enough to bring her spirits down.
Throughout the class periods, Sayaka kept glancing at Homura, doing her best not to attract the teachers' attention. As expected she was taking notes diligently and focusing on the teacher, though Sayaka could tell whenever they hit something that she didn't understand. She could see Homura's eyebrows scrunch up in frustration and see the lost look she had on the more confusing bits. If Sayaka were to be honest, she would admit that the expressions Homura was making were actually rather cute.
Sadly she couldn't just spend the entire class time watching Homura; she had to return her attention to the teachers at the front of the room to avoid trouble finding her.
Thankfully the day was progressing rather quickly; the jolly mood Sayaka was in was possibly helping to make time move by faster. It had felt like only a short while, but before Sayaka knew it she and Homura were on their way to the usual meeting spot to have lunch. Each held their lunch in their hand as they walked down the halls. The school corridors were oddly full today, causing the two to press closer than usual as they walked and for a moment, Sayaka considered reaching out and grabbing Homura's hand, but as her own moved out to do so she thought better of it and brought it back to her side.
"Hall is kind of more crowded today, isn't it?" Homura said as they pushed past another group of students, quickly mumbling an apology to them.
Sayaka hummed in agreement, trying to peer over the sea of students to no avail. Something must have been going on, or perhaps a few classes got out earlier, she supposed. But it didn't matter, this crowd just meant a little more effort to the roof, but once they hit the stairs it was a rather smooth journey the rest of the way as they broke from the packed halls.
Surprisingly, Sayaka and Homura were first to the roof this time, neither Hitomi nor Kyosuke having made it yet. It was rare, but Sayaka felt a sense of minor victory as she sat down in her usual seat, as though getting to the roof first had been a race, though chances were with how the halls were, the other two were just slowed down due to the crutches Kyosuke was on.
Quiet as a mouse, Homura took a seat next to her, placing her lunch box onto her lap, though not opening it yet as she waited for the other two to arrive.
"We still set for the movie today?" Sayaka asked as she leaned back against the wall, glancing up at the sky. "I'm pretty excited about this, I did a little reading of the reviews, the spoiler-free ones mind you, and it's been getting some good ratings."
"Oh?" Homura returned, tilting her head curiously. "I didn't check out the movie at all so I don't really know what it's about, but do you really think it's going to be a good one?"
Sayaka nodded, stretching her arms over her head. "Well, with so many people saying good things about it, unless all the reviewers have poor taste in movies, then the chances are that it's going to be a good one," she explained, which earned an understanding nod from the girl beside her. Smiling, Sayaka glanced up at the sky once more and a topic that had been nagging at her from the back of her head became louder. Honestly, she didn't want to talk about it, but she also didn't want to keep Homura out of the loop; she had a new understanding of what that felt like. "You know...that Sakura girl offered to train me."
For the most part, Homura wasn't completely pretending when she looked at Sayaka with a surprised expression, though for different reasons than Sayaka would think. "What? She did?" She hadn't expected her to offer so quickly; they had only made the deal yesterday after all. A feeling of dread came quickly, worry that Kyouko had given away the deal. But Sayaka didn't look angry at her, in fact she didn't look too upset at all.
"Yeah, came up to me last night while I was on my hunt, made it sound like I couldn't handle myself," Sayaka grumbled, the bitterness was starting to come and this was starting to ruin her good mood already. That wasn't what she wanted, and she tried to force the annoyance away, but once it started brewing, it had been getting harder to-
"I," Homura began, pausing to look down, trying to find her words, "I think you should take her up on her offer."
"What?!"
At Sayaka's yell and incredulous stare, Homura flinched slightly. "I just, well she's been a magical girl a lot longer, don't you think it would be beneficial if you learn something from her? It's better than being her enemy, right?" she offered, hoping Sayaka would agree. "That way you don't get hurt fighting her, and you'll be better at fighting, not that you're bad at it or anything but, you can always get better, and if you have to fight for your life, you have to get better!"
It was a simple truth, "the better you fight, the less likely you'll die," but Sayaka still had a problem with working with Kyouko. Even if she did agree, it was going to be a rather short partnership as she could easily see them killing each other, or at least trying to.
Homura must have caught the expression on Sayaka's face and gave a small, but understanding, smile to her. "I really think this could be a good opportunity for you, but just think about it, please? For me?" she asked.
Sayaka wanted to groan in exasperation. There was no way she could honestly say no to this girl, not when clearly wanted her to do this. "Fine, fine, I'll think about it," Sayaka muttered in defeat and shot Homura a glare, "no promises though."
"You'll think about what?"
Both Homura and Sayaka jumped in surprise at the sound of Hitomi's voice, and they turned their heads to watch as she and Kyosuke approached. Both were smiling, though Hitomi had a curious look on her face, wondering what the two were talking about before she arrived.
"Ah, well," Sayaka began, not sure what to say, as she watched Hitomi and Kyosuke take their seats beside her and Hitomi.
Thankfully Homura came to the rescue. "I'm trying to get Sayaka to get along with a new friend of mine, the two don't really like each other," she explained, opening her lunch. It wasn't a complete lie, and it sounded believable enough that Hitomi was nodding her head.
"Well, I do hope you two can become friends," she said to Sayaka, and with that out of the way, the group was able to shift into other topics, filling the air with short stories and jokes as they chatted and ate.
Sayaka had probably said this before, and she would say it as many times as she had to, but this was what she loved. She loved being able to sit up here with her friends, laugh and joke with them without a care in the world. To be able to forget about everything else for a little while, to feel normal and to feel happy with those who cared about her. She would always cherish these happy moments with the friends she had come too close to losing.
Eventually, the topic of their conversation was shifted to Kyosuke, and rather stories of what he did while hospitalized, while the girls shared laughs at his expense or glares at him for his hostile behavior back then.
"You know, when we were in Kazamino I would call him and update him on the trip and let him know what's going on every night. Kyosuke would get so mad that by the end he was yelling at me on the phone for it," Hitomi said, muffling a laugh as Kyosuke looked away, embarrassed and ashamed, though it made Sayaka glad to know Hitomi had a glimpse of what Sayaka had met head-on. "He truly did become rather temperamental while in there."
That was an understatement, he was downright wrathful, and Sayaka could remember how his words had cut her like a knife.
"I said I was sorry," he whined, ducking his head down apologetically before looking straight at Sayaka, "and I know it's been a while, but I'm still sorry for yelling at you too. You two had been so kind to me and all I did was lash out. I should have apologized sooner." At least he felt sorry for what he had said to them, and it felt nice to receive an apology after so long. "I'm, well, I'm honestly surprised you two decided to remain with me after that, most would have just walked and ditched me after all the things I said to you two."
If he had been anyone else, Sayaka would have stopped talking to him after his stint. But a part of her could understand why he had been so upset and lashed out. Didn't make it okay though, and knowing that he'd lashed out at Hitomi as well was as much of an annoyance as it was a relief.
"Sometimes hospitals are places where there's good news...and sometimes they aren't. You'd be surprised by how many angry people are in the hospital, so don't worry about being the only one who lashed out at the world while you were on the bed," Homura offered.
That earned a small smile from him, and also seemed to remind him of something as his face brightened up after she spoke. "That's right, and you guys know how I had a doctor's appointment yesterday, right?" he asked, earning a few nods from the girls. "Well, my doctor said that if I don't agitate my recovery at all, there's a chance that I'll be able to play the violin again."
It was like a light was shining from him as he said that, and the ones around him could only stare incredulously at his announcement.
"No way, you'll be able to play again?" Sayaka said after staring at him with her mouth agape for a few moments. "That, I thought they said it was permanent? That's just amazing!"
Hitomi was nodding quickly, hands over her mouth, so happy for him that tears were actually forming.
Nodding proudly, Kyosuke's smile only grew. "It's not a good chance, and I'll have to be careful. There's a lot of 'maybes' in this too, and it'll take a while, it won't happen within the year that's for sure. But if there's even a chance I'll be able to play, I just, I..." He seemed at a loss for words to describe just how great this made him feel, and instead turned to Homura. "Looks like you might not be the only one with a miraculous recovery."
"Seems not, I hope that yours goes well," Homura said, nodding her head with a smile of her own.
As the group continued to congratulate Kyosuke on the future recovery, Sayaka couldn't help but think of what would have happened if she had made her wish to help him instead of Homura. He would have been able to play his violin without waiting for a year for a snowball's chance.
But no, there was no sense going back to that now, she had been given something to hope for and she was going to embrace it. She was glad she healed Homura with her wish instead of him. He would have recovered either way, and he was still happy; it would have been a waste to wish to speed up his own recovery.
Conversation between the four continued on, shifting from one subject to the other with a natural grace and ease as they laughed and teased. Bits of food were shared and stolen among them, and before they knew it, it was time to head back to their classes.
"I hope you two have fun at the movies tonight," Hitomi said as she collected her and Kyosuke's bags while the former violinist fumbled to stand up with his crutches.
Grinning, Sayaka nodded. "Thanks, you guys have fun today too," she said as she and Homura headed off to the stairs and the pairs went their separate ways.
After several more hours of class that had sped by just as quickly, the end of the school day was approaching and Sayaka was happily bounding over to Homura's desk. They still had a couple of hours to kill before the movie started, so they could hit someplace up to grab a snack while waiting. Or maybe go to the arcade and hang out. It didn't matter to Sayaka where they went so long as she and Homura had fun, and she was practically hopping about already.
"Are you ready to go?" Sayaka asked as Homura began packing her bags, smile wide as can be. All the excitement that she'd been keeping under control all day was bubbling up and ready to burst forth now that school was out.
But all Homura did was give her an apologetic look and Sayaka felt her excitement drain into dread. Homura must have noticed the change in her expression and quickly tried to ease the worry. "It's nothing bad, I promise. It's just that Nakazawa asked to talk to me after school, so I'll be running a little late. We can meet up at the gates after I'm done or I can give you a call and we'll meet up somewhere? I'm not canceling our plans, nothing like that," she said, and it took all Sayaka had to keep her smile from falling.
"Oh," Sayaka responded, she wasn't sure what else to respond with, and after a few moments of thinking she shook her head. "Nah, just give me a call when you're done."
Though she was trying to play it cool, at hearing that Nakazawa wanted to talk to Homura her mind could only go to all sorts of assumptions, and she didn't particularly like the most obvious one, which stuck out thanks to her talk with Kyosuke the other day.
"Alright, I'll see you later," Homura said, picking up her bag and making her way out of the classroom.
With a scowl, Sayaka glared at Nakazawa's empty desk, imagining the boy there. He wasn't a bad kid by any means, Sayaka knew that. He'd been on friendly terms with Homura since day one, being one of the few that she talked to in the beginning. Nice and smart, if not a little easily flustered even if that was maybe thanks to their homeroom teacher - or was he already like that and that was why she kept calling on him during her rants... - and certainly not bad to look at.
...Whatever.
This was wrong, and Homura would not like what she was going to do, and if things went the way she feared then Sayaka was not going to like what she saw. But she needed to know what was going to happen to prove her fears wrong.
Grabbing her bag, Sayaka left the classroom and went on her hunt for Nakazawa and Homura.
There were thankfully few places to check, knowing Nakazawa would want somewhere more private if it was important. That narrowed down the locations pretty well, so Sayaka went through the rooms inside first, which was only the library and its private side rooms. But nope, they weren't there and the librarian hadn't seen them. A minute later and, nope, the roof was clear too.
But she was not deterred from her search as she made her way out the school doors, slowing her pace just enough to not garner any attention as she began searching the school grounds. In the back of her mind, a voice was telling her to stop and let it go. It was just a talk they needed and nothing to be worried about, no need to go. But Sayaka did her best to ignore it; she didn't have the best track record with her friends as of late after all and she couldn't help the painful paranoia.
Not too long after, Sayaka found them around the back of the school.
Sayaka was quiet as she leaned against one of the trees that were scattered along the property, staying as out of sight as she could while watching as Nakazawa and Homura sat at the bench and talked, and though she was too far away to hear what they said, it didn't matter as she could get a good enough idea of what was being said as she watched the two interact. This was giving her flashbacks to when she had spotted Kyosuke and Hitomi and learned about them being together.
She could see Homura smiling, covering her mouth to hide it in vain...was she laughing? Her shoulders were shaking so she must have been. Nakazawa must have said something funny, he always did have a good sense of humor. Sayaka was never around him much and barely paid him any attention outside of class, but she knew that he and Homura got along well enough. But how did this happen? Had they been closer than she had realized?
Yesterday and what Kyosuke had said came to mind once again, and then she remembered all the sidelong looks Nakazawa had given Homura the past few weeks. Actually, even before her return from the hospital he always seemed to be looking at her. She'd always brushed it off, never noting it as worth mentioning but...
This was what Kyosuke was talking about, wasn't it? He was friends with Nakazawa so he would have known...
Watching from an outsider's point of view, the relaxed and friendly air around them was clear. There was no awkwardness, there was no tension. It was at ease, it was happy, they were happy. They were; Sayaka wasn't. It made her tense and angry knowing that Nakazawa was going to confess his feelings to Homura here, or had he already? From the way the two were acting, it wouldn't be surprising if he already had. After all, wasn't one supposed to be a nervous and flustered mess when trying to confess, and the calm came after?
Hands clenched into fists, and nails dug into her palms, just a bit more pressure was needed to break the skin.
This was just like Madoka and Mami. This was just like Kyosuke and Hitomi. Yet again Sayaka was going to lose someone she cared deeply for to another.
Why her? Why did this keep happening to her? Did God just not want Sayaka to be happy, did He not want her to have the ones she cares about at her side? Was that why He kept having others take them away from her?
Her teeth ground together as she watched Nakazawa take one of Homura's hands, clasping it between both of his. This was the moment of truth, wasn't it? Kyosuke had warned her about this, and now it was happening right before her eyes.
There was something dark bubbling up inside of her, something horrible wanting to burst and break out, something alien yet familiar.
Taking a deep breath, Sayaka turned around, unable to let herself watch the scene any longer. Tears stung at her eyes, tears of anger, tears of sorrow, tears from a heart being broken for the third time. A cry wanted to escape her lips, her hands wanted to tear something apart. Maybe she could find a witch, maybe she could find a familiar, maybe she could find Kyouko.
She needed to find anyone or anything in the wrong place at the wrong time to vent on.
It had only been a short while after talking with Nakazawa that Homura had returned to her apartment. She had a small smile on her face that she couldn't remove. She had never been confessed to before, not long ago she wouldn't have even considered it, and it was a startling experience, one that she didn't know how to react to. Awkward for both once he had stopped the jokes and told her what was up, and while it was flattering, Homura couldn't accept his feelings. But she was glad that despite the rejection, Nakazawa had been respectful of it, accepting that she didn't like him that way and that they could remain friends.
He was a good person, and perhaps if her heart didn't already belong to another, she could have given him a chance.
She knew that her answer had hurt him, but he had given her a smile, telling her that it was okay. He understood when she told him she was in love with someone else and had even wished her luck in her own attempts.
It was sweet of him, and very much appreciated. She was confident he'd find some girl he'd be happy with, but it couldn't be her...and she chuckled a little at thinking of all the relationship "advice" their homeroom teacher had given them.
"You're finally back," Kyouko called out from the living room when Homura closed the door, nearly sending her into a fright-induced heart attack.
Putting her bag down and slipping off her shoes, Homura hurried to the next room where the red-haired magical girl was sprawled across the couch, Ganko sleeping on her stomach while one hand held the remote, the other digging into a bag of potato chips. Homura could only breathe in deeply to hold back irritation at the mess of crumbs over the area. If Kyouko was going to come over, couldn't she at least keep it clean?
"How...how did you even get in my house?" Homura asked. Her door had been locked and her windows only opened from the inside.
But Kyouko turned to look at her, giving her a smile that would make the Cheshire Cat proud as she gave her answer, "Would you believe magic?" And then the girl went back to channel surfing.
Believable enough. Homura didn't know the full extent of Kyouko's magic, in fact she barely knew anything about how magical girls did their thing, so it was completely possible that Kyouko could have used magic to get in too. Then again, it was just as possible that she knew how to pick a lock and had locked the door again when she got into the apartment. The "how" part of the question wasn't too important, was it? Just so long as her uninvited guest didn't steal anything.
What mattered more was the feeling Homura was getting that coming home to find that Kyouko had broken in and was eating all her food was going to be a regular occurrence.
With a sigh, Homura shook her head and set about picking up the trash left around her guest. She should set up rules for Kyouko when the girl visited, but she had a feeling that even if she spent the time to make rules and explain them to her, Kyouko wouldn't bother to follow them.
She wasn't going to complain though, no, Homura would bite her tongue about any annoyances she had with Kyouko. After all, Kyouko had agreed to not only share the city and not kill or kick Sayaka out, something she could easily do with their differences in power and experience, but also agreed to train her, and it looked like Kyouko making Homura's place a second home might be part of the fine print. Well, "agreed" wasn't right, Homura was paying her to do so after all. Not that Sayaka needed to know that little tidbit. She also hoped that Sayaka didn't happen to come over on one of the times that Kyouko broke into her home. Now that would be an awkward and tense scene.
Speaking of Sayaka.
"Have you seen Sayaka?" Homura asked after she disposed of all the wrappers into the trash. She had tried calling her after talking with Nakazawa, but her friend had never answered. She at first assumed that Sayaka was out on a witch hunt or had sought out Kyouko to give her answer on the proposition, but she doubted that Kyouko would be bumming out on her couch if the latter had happened.
Kyouko hadn't moved as she spoke, either too comfortable sprawled on the couch or not wanting to disturb the sleeping kitten using her as a bed. "Haven't seen her since yesterday. Why? She ditch you or something for some boy?" Homura could practically feel the snarky smile on her face after she said that.
"She's probably at home," Homura decided, ignoring Kyouko's own question as she glanced at her phone. Sayaka hadn't responded to any of her texts yet, it wasn't like her at all and it had Homura rather worried.
She probably left her phone off, or it died. At least, that's what Homura tried reasoning with herself, trying to keep her mind off the possibility that Sayaka could be hurt. It wasn't really a scenario she wanted to think about. But the more she thought about it, Sayaka charged her phone every night so it wouldn't have died, and she wasn't one to ignore texts from Homura unless something was wrong. The more she tried to ignore it, the stronger the feeling that something was indeed wrong became.
"I'm going to head over there to see if she's in. When you head out, if you head out, remember to lock the door." Simple enough instructions that she hoped were remembered as Homura herself went out the door.
The sun was still up and bright, and as Homura made her way down the familiar route from her home to Sayaka's, doubt began gnawing inside of her. She had a sinking feeling that when she got to the door, Sayaka's mother would tell her that the girl was not there. She had a terrible, terrible feeling that where Sayaka was was inside of a labyrinth and in danger.
The farther she got from her own home, the stronger the dread became. As though she had a sixth sense for danger, or maybe she was just overly worrying for Sayaka. After all, Sayaka was a big girl, she could take care of herself, right?
It was times like this that Homura would have been glad to have Kyubey was around. For all her mistrust and discomfort around the wish-granting cat thing, he always had a knack for knowing what was going on and where. He could easily tell her where Sayaka was and what condition she was in.
But to be honest, Homura had seen neither heads nor tails of him since he led her to Sayaka and Kyouko's fight the other day.
Still, being able to quickly and easily find Sayaka would have been appreciated. Even if Sayaka was alright, Homura would have loved to be able to find her and confirm it for herself...and maybe scold her a little for getting Homura so worried in the first place.
It felt like a wild goose chase, Homura didn't even know where to start looking and none of the regular places she and Sayaka hung out held home to the blue-haired middle-schooler. She'd even checked at her apartment, but Sayaka's mom said Sayaka hadn't been back yet and Homura had to quickly lie to make sure that the woman didn't get worried either. A few hours had passed, a few texts from Kyouko asking how everything was going, and by the time Homura had reached the train station, her legs were sore and tired from all the walking and running.
But that's where she found her.
Sitting at one of the benches on the far side of the area was Sayaka, hunched over and glaring at the ground. Or staring into space; she didn't look all there.
Homura couldn't help the fuzzy and warm feeling of relief that blossomed in her chest and coursed through her body. Smiling a tired but victorious smile, Homura slowly approached her, assessing for any damage Sayaka might have as she drew closer.
"Sayaka?"
The girl perked up, glancing at Homura for a moment before returning to her staring match with the floor.
Well, that wasn't the reaction Homura expected or wanted and her smile dropped down into a frown. "Sayaka, are you okay?" she tried again, taking a seat next to her friend.
"Just peachy," was the angry and sarcastic remark.
Homura glared at her for a moment, the sarcasm not appreciated, but let it soften back into worry. "No, you're not. Sayaka, what's wrong? Did something happen?" she asked. If she knew what was upsetting Sayaka, she would have some idea of how to make her feel better.
But Sayaka said nothing, still glaring at the ground.
So Homura said nothing either, just sat there next to her, staring up at the ceiling as she waited. That's all she needed after all, wait and Sayaka would tell her what was bothering her soon enough. She was patient and could wait however long it took for Sayaka to tell her what happened.
Thankfully, it didn't take long at all, as was typical for Sayaka.
"Shouldn't you be with Nakazawa?" she asked, though it sounded more like a demand.
Homura could only stare at her in confusion. All this because she agreed to talk with him? That couldn't be what was upsetting Sayaka, at least not the full reason. "We finished up quickly, why?"
But Sayaka refused to look at her, frozen in place with an air of gloom about her like some kind of gargoyle. "He's not bad looking, he's a nice guy, and I know he confessed to you," she grumbled, and it was becoming more clear just how upset she was over this, "so shouldn't you be with him? You guys would make a cute couple." That last bit was said bitterly, as though she couldn't make it any clearer how much she hated that idea.
Once again all Homura could do was stare, her confusion growing. Had Sayaka seen them talking and she just guessed accurately or had someone told her? Either way, why was Sayaka even upset over it, it wasn't as though Homura had said yes.
...Ohhh.
As soon as that thought crossed her mind, the answer sprang up and Homura's confusion shifted to happy, hopeful, surprise. "Sayaka, are you jealous?" she asked, her concern fading away to teasing now that she understood why Sayaka was upset over it.
"Of course I'm not!" Sayaka responded with a shout, glaring at the paved ground below even harder, but her cheeks were now dusted with pink, which only helped prove Homura right.
In hindsight, it must have been obvious why Sayaka would be jealous, and Homura could barely suppress her laughter. No, she shouldn't be laughing right now, but she couldn't help it. Even if her friend was now glaring at her for it.
"Sayaka, Nakazawa did confess to me," she said, calming down her laughter, and before Sayaka could say or do anything, she hastily continued, "but I turned him down."
That got her attention, and it was Sayaka's turn to stare at her in a mixture of confusion and surprise. "What? You turned him down? But why?" she asked, and it was clear that she had honestly not expected Homura to reject him.
"Well," Homura began, and now her cheeks were turning pink, "I told him that I liked someone else already, and he said that he understood."
Sayaka's budding good spirits were again crushed to hear that, and she slumped back against her seat. "Oh, well..." she mumbled, not sure what else to say. But, no, this was Homura, so if she had someone she already liked, Sayaka had to be supportive...even if it hurt, she had to push away the bitterness she still felt. "He must be a complete idiot if he hasn't made a move yet."
"She is kind of an idiot now and then," Homura responded, watching Sayaka perk up in confusion and interest and, dare she say, hope at Homura's correction of gender. No turning back now. She leaned back and looked up at the ceiling as if she were musing on her thoughts. Her own heart was a pounding drum in her chest as she continued to talk; it was so tricky to do this and act like it was nothing that should be surprising. "And it's actually really adorable. But, apart from that, it's kind of hard for me not to love her. She's been there for me since the beginning, and I've tried to be there for her too. She's strong, she's brave, yet she's had her weak moments too."
"Homura," Sayaka interjected, her expression showed that she didn't quite get who Homura was referring to, but it was slowly dawning on her, or maybe it would be more accurate to say she was slowly processing who it was Homura was talking about.
"She's been the greatest friend I've ever had when I needed one most," Homura continued and turned to look at her with a smile, "and lastly, we already have a wonderful family together: her, me and our baby Ganko. We're co-moms after all; she refused to let me be a single parent, so she's not allowed to back out now."
That finally turned on a light bulb in Sayaka's head as she stared at her with wide eyes. "Homura?" she asked.
Wrapping her arms around Sayaka and pulling her into a hug, Homura just smiled and gave a laugh. "I-I'm in love with you, you big dummy," she said, feeling Sayaka return the hug tightly, "so stop worrying. I'm not going to leave you just because someone else asks me out, my feelings for you are for aren't flimsy like that."
Sayaka just held her tighter, burying her face in the crook of Homura's neck. There was a light dampness forming as Sayaka must have begun to cry.
"I'm sorry, I'm such an idiot," she said, though it was somewhat muffled. When she pulled away, still holding onto Homura, the expression she had was the happiest Homura had seen in a long time. "I-I'm...I...I love you too, and I'm such an idiot for not realizing that sooner." Wow, she'd called herself that plenty of times the last month or two, but now it felt like it actually fit. After all by now everyone must have known how she felt before she even did,
Homura just smiled, pulling her back in the warm embrace. "Didn't you hear me? You've always been an idiot, Sayaka. But that's part of your charm."
"You bet it is!" Sayaka laughed, though her voice was shaken by the crying. Finally, for once in oh so long, everything was going right it seemed.