Pain after pain. Fight after fight. It was all You was used to in her dating life. No matter how many times she put her heart on the line, it just never worked for her. She had tried just about everything and all that came from it was where she was now. All alone in the city of Tokyo. She had resided in Numazu for so long but it felt as if the dating pool was about as small as the town itself. You were always gonna run into your ex around every corner. With how many girls You dated however, that was fairly true.
She chose the city after she had freshly graduated college. Her big degree to her name allowed her to get a job working at Tokyo's largest aquarium. None of that mattered to her though. The city never felt more empty.
You had thought to herself many times that maybe she just needed to stick with friendships over relationships. However, she couldn't help her heart from falling and apparently the girls who she sought after couldn't help but take advantage of that.
At least You had one friend in Tokyo. Her friend she kept from school, Riko. She'd often visit her when You had yet another heartbreak. It felt nice to be comforted after yet another foreseeable future. Riko always warned her when she brought a new girl around, saying that they were no good, but You never listened.
Taking a deep sigh, You took a look at where she was. She had dozed off for a while as she was quite bored on this Friday night. Usually she was in town, socializing with anyone who would walk in her path, but recently she just felt, well, empty.
She wasn't living anymore, she was merely getting by.
Rolling over onto her stomach, You didn't want to think about these types of things. It just ruined her mood. Luckily, a familiar face popped into her head to distract her.
You smiled as she grabbed her phone off of her coffee table, already scrolling down her contact list. Riko wasn't ever doing anything on Friday nights anyways.
As she shot the girl a text, You jumped off the couch, already getting ready to crash at Riko's place. It was much cleaner and always had more food than hers. Plus, who else is there in Tokyo to give her that happiness she needs?
Grabbing her overnight bag from her room, You heard her phone go off. With a quick glance, You's mood already brightened ten fold as Riko confirmed she could come over.
—-
"You, please don't tell me you found another girl to gush about and that's why you're here?"
It was the first thing Riko said as she answered the door. Not a "Hello" or "How are you?" to leave her mouth. You put her hand over her chest as she slid past the door, walking into Riko's living room. As if hurt from her statement, You dramatically replied,
"Riko, how could you think so lowly of me? I can't come by to see a friend?"
Riko walked into her living room only to see You was already putting down her things, getting situated in her small apartment.
"There's always an underlying reason for your actions."
The red-haired girl stared at You with her arms crossed as the young girl flipped herself on her back, stretching herself on the couch.
"Well I just wanted to ask what you're up to on this fine Friday night?"
Riko laughed before motioning to her clothing. She sported a long pink t-shirt with baggy sweatpants topped off with her hair messily put into a bun.
"Does it look like I was up to anything tonight?"
You checked Riko out quickly before laughing,
"I guess not. Hey, let's do something tonight! Just the two of us?"
You exclaimed out loud as she jumped up from the couch into a sitting position. Riko, however, laughed at her this time,
"Yeah, no thank you. I'd rather not screw over my sleep schedule parading around town. Plus, these clothes are comfy."
Riko turned around, walking into her kitchen to eat her Friday away like usual. You jumped up to follow her.
"Come on Riko, we don't have to go anywhere. We can stay at your place. I won't even pressure you to stay up long, please? Just like old times?"
Riko stopped walking as she thought back to You's definition of "Old Times". They hadn't had a sleepover in so long, or even hung out in general. Work always became too much and promises were constantly broken on one another. Well, more on Riko's half. During the times they were together though, Riko could confidently say those were the best nights of her life. Back when she was much more carefree and unknowing of what would come in her future.
As if making up her mind, Riko turned around only to see You was much closer than she thought. She always trailed her just like a puppy. Looking at her eye to eye, Riko just couldn't resist those ocean eyes. With a final sigh she let out,
"Fine, but if I fall asleep first you better not draw on me."
You cheered out as she quickly went to Riko's living room again.
"You get the popcorn and I'll start renting the movies. Your credit card information is still on your account right?"
—
One a.m. was as long as Watanabe You could stay up as she quickly realized it herself. Her long work hours had definitely taken a toll on her youthful self when she could get by with only six hours of sleep. Every shut of her eyes lasted longer and longer. She laid in Riko's bed as she could hear her washing up in the bathroom. It was at these hours You let herself succumb to everything around her.
She took a look at her friends room. It hadn't changed much since You helped her move in. The walls were still white. Her single desk still sat at the corner of the room with her dresser on the opposite. You moved around, getting a feel for the covers. With her fingers sliding over the soft fabric You came to realize that even those hadn't changed.
Riko was so settled in her ways. How could she be so content with one thing all the time? She always ordered the same things when they would eat together, cooked the same things. It was all oddly boring, yet consistent.
Everyone around her was always coming in and out of her life while Riko stayed. She always greeted her with the same smile, laughed at her same jokes, even hugged her ever so tightly around her shoulders when she had to say goodbye.
Finally thinking about it all, You could help as she felt a strange realization that she couldn't quite describe. All there was, was a deep warmth within her chest, making her fingers and toes feel tingly. It was almost like she could breathe a little lighter.
"I must be really tired."
You whispered to herself as Riko stepped out of the bathroom in her silk pajamas. The red-haired girl had offered You a pair earlier but she could barely walk to her room, it would be a nightmare letting her try and change into some different clothes.
In her groggy voice, You didn't even have to look as she let out,
"You look really pretty Riko."
Riko giggled at the comment as You's words slurred together. She sounded like a wreck.
"Thanks. You look pretty as well."
You grabbed one of Riko's pillows, holding it tighter to herself before muffling out,
"Yeah, I know."
Riko let her eyes follow the adorably exhausted You as she got into bed.
You felt the dip in the mattress as she turned over to face Riko. Being uncoordinated from her tiredness though, she didn't realize how close she was. As she stopped in front of the red-haired girl, each of them could feel each other's breath on their skin.
While You couldn't comprehend how awkward this truly was, Riko could. Her face had burst into a blush as she looked at You. Before either could back away though, You reached out to Riko, grabbing the hand that laid by her side.
"You know Riko, I feel like all of my life has been heartbreak weather. I'm always left by myself and to my own thoughts. Each day I want to give up, not in life but in finding my missing piece. Everything is just so everchanging, I just want things to stay the same sometimes."
Riko's heart felt like someone was pinching it. She didn't know You was slowly giving up on love.
You's final blink kept her eyes shut as Riko watched the girl before her slowly succumb to her slumber.
"I can't explain it, but it feels so different when you're with me though. I don't know what I'd do without you, Riko. I feel like you keep me sane in this uncertain world. Say, can we stay like this forever?"
You could barely keep her eyes open as she asked her final question. Riko however was wide awake. Her tears had silently fallen down her face before she even realized it.
She thought she had run out of them by now, but apparently she never could.
Riko didn't want to admit it but she had long fell in love with You. How could she not? You had given her her best memories and honestly was the only person who she could call her first love. It was why Riko tried so hard to be there for her, it hurt however knowing that You still couldn't see her in the light she wanted.
You had shown her every side of her from her best days to her worst as well as vise verse with herself. She thought she was making some type of progress towards You's infinitely loving heart, yet, the grey-haired girl she yearned for was slowly giving up.
Riko just wanted a chance, she knew she could change You's perspective of her. Yet, she was always beaten to the punch every few months. It stung every time You fell in love with a new girl. What did they all have that she didn't? A part of Riko wanted to be happy each time they broke up but it also hurt to see You go through another month of self loathing on her couch.
You loved unconditionally. While Riko felt selfish for thinking it, she just wanted that love for herself.
It truly felt like the one person in her life that brought her happiness from slipping from her fingers.
Riko was brought from her thoughts as she heard a soft snore in front of her. She softly smiled at the peaceful You who had dozed off into slumber. Wrapping her arms around her, Riko brought their foreheads together.
Heartbreak weather was common for Riko too, but unlike the girl before her, she wasn't ready to give up just yet.
