Chapter Text
The words hung in the air like a thick blanket, a blanket ready to fall and strangle her by the neck. Saying that what she was feeling right now was shock, would be a major understatement. Nene could see the snow gushing past in a frantic flurry under the lamplight, but could barely hear or process it. Everything around her was drowned out by those three simple words. Those three, ever-so-special words. She felt denial beginning to pigment her tongue, but something in her chest was telling her it wasn't just a false, apocryphal murmur. Something was telling her it was real..
...
..She.. She loves me..?
The wind whipped at their bench like a rapid dog as Emu stirred in her arms. The streetlight overhead flickered for a moment, yet she barely even noticed. She couldn't feel anything but the girl coddled in her arms, the girl that might just be as lovestruck as her..
..She feels the same way as me..?
She could feel Emu's arms loosen their grip around her waist and the snow continuing its rampant tirade through the town. The stars overhead were barely visible, and she could feel a sharp vibration come from her bag, the source being her phone. She could feel and see it all, but barely paid any mind to it.
..To even have this chance..
...
...The chance to just stay with her, to keep being her friend or partner, to be by her side in her struggle.
..To see her smile.
The irony was not lost on her. She'd hid her feelings, hid the way she'd smile at her antics, hid the way she'd giggle at her terrible jokes. She hid everything, and somehow, it might have been all for naught. Emu, she just admitted what Nene had been so scared of telling her, in her sleep for god's sake! She felt strange, quiet laughter beginning to bubble up her throat.
Everything, everything might have just been a nonsensical, lying dance of avoidance, and neither had known they were sharing the rhythm together..
..To simply be there for her, I thought that it was out of reach, and that I'd just have to get over these stupid feelings..
And keep hiding it.. I thought I'd have to keep hiding all of this forever...
I can't believe this is happening..
She could feel a smile forming on her face and her heart pounding against her ribs only caused her elation to grow.
Emu began to shift. She lifted her head and her pink eyes met calm purple. Emu, once more, held that soft, somewhat-nervous look on her face, and she force-blinked her eyes a few times. Nene understood what that facial expression meant now, and she'd been too tied up in her own emotions to realize it before. It was a reflection of what she'd been bottling up for however long it had been since she'd first tripped over her heels for her. That sense of subtle worry that the other would figure out what she'd been hiding underneath her avoidant eyes and shaky words;
...It was love, and the fear of somebody else knowing of said love.
Emu's head lulled back once more as if sleep was trying to pull her under and her eyes closed a bit, but she quickly snapped her head back up. She shook her head like she was trying to shake off the unconsciousness.
She placed her hands on bench and pushed herself up to a normal sitting position with a little bit of confusion. The pink-haired girl looked around, trying to figure out her surroundings, too tired to even realize the way she'd been snuggled up against her friend a mere moment prior.
"Oh... -Good mo-morning, Nene..-chan" She yawned, slurring through her words and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. The pink scarf half-wrapped around both of their necks strained against the movement but she didn't seem to notice. She fully pushed herself off Nene and looked over to the green-haired girl, whom of which was smiling like a total loser, lost in her own little world.
"Nene, it's pretty cold outside, isn't it? When did the weather get this bad-" Emu started, beginning to shift back to her usual mood.
"..Nene-chan..-?"
Nene suddenly wrapped Emu in a tight, warm hug. She could feel Emu tense up under her hold, similar to how her-lovestruck-self had done so many times before, and Nene felt herself smile a bit at the irony. It was that subtle tightness, the little hitch in breathing, the stammered recovery... It told her everything. Everything she'd been too absorbed to see before. It really seemed they were in quite similar situations after all..
Emu was warm, so delicately warm, and she could feel her breathing on her shoulder, each one coming in soft and light. Her pink hair swayed in the wind and tangled against the sharp downfall of snow. She gently and hesitantly hugged Nene back, and the latter just buried her head into her chest. Emu flinched at the action but Nene didn't even care anymore. All she wanted was to feel her stupidly soft hands against her back again, to know they could finally just be together with each other without having to walk on eggshells anymore.
The vast drifts of snow surrounded them like a pack of dogs, and the stars flickered overhead. It was like those effects they used in their shows, the ones to mount and make the climax more effective and powerful. She was finally getting a climax of her own..
"Nene.." Emu said with a hint of sadness in her voice, like she wanted to ask if everything was alright. She gently tapped her hand against her back, distant and detached, just like Nene had been before she'd found out the truth.
"Emu." Nene responded, feeling a familiar strawberry-bubblegum taste in her mouth and trying to suppress the smile on her face. She took a slow, shuddery breath.
"I-.."
"..I love you too..!"
She could feel hot tears beginning to prick her eyes as she finally spit the words out, yet refused to let them fall. Why were her eyes watering anyway..?
In the same moment, Emu gasped. She felt the pink-haired girl slip faintly out of her grasp, like she was backing away in pure surprise. Her mouth was agape and she seemed totally, entirely shocked, like she couldn't even process what was happening.
"Wha- wait.. Huh!? Eh!?! Wha-wha-wha-wha-what?"
Sounds of sheer confusion, shock, and surprise tumbled out of her mouth in a hurry. Her eyes held so much emotion in her eyes it made Nene's heart throb again, yet this time, it didn't hurt as much. It was because she knew Emu's voice - She could hear the subtle lift in her voice, that little lift of warmth and elation..
"..."
"..Really?!?!?"
Emu shifted to excitement and her eyes lit up. The pink-haired girl was jittery, not just from the cold and the encircling snow, but from pure happiness.
The streetlights twitched overhead, threatening to lose power in the sharp winds, as Emu jumped on her. Nene squeaked in surprise as she was lulled off the bench in a tight, chokingly-sweet hug. Emu spun her around and chorused a laugh. The street was cloaked with snow, but also a sense of shared joy.
"Hahahahah! I love you, Nene-chan~~!
Nene felt a pure, genuine smile form into place. Emu stopped the twirling of her friend and placed her hands in hers. Her loving, pink eyes were gone wet and Nene laughed, wiping her own. It seems they'd both started crying like idiots. Two idiots in love. Nene began to reach her arm out to wipe Emu's unfallen tears away, when Emu suddenly grabbed her wrist and did it herself, using the sleeve as a cloth to dry her eyes. Why were they crying? One could ask - And well, it was because they were relieved. Relieved they could stop hiding from each other, relieved they could just be themselves again, relieved the both of them were just as in love as the other.
She promptly fell into Nene's arms again, and the green-haired girl hugged her back with no hesitation. "Look at us... Crying in the middle of a snowstorm..!" Nene laughed, forgetting how she was cold. She ceased her crying and properly wiped the last of Emu's tears away, gently brushing her finger over her eyelids while the girl stayed wrapped tightly around her chest.
"Yeah.. But I'm happy, Nene-chan! Like, really, really happy..!" Emu softly let go of her, refusing to drop their hands apart.
"Me too.." Nene looked into her warm, beady eyes and knew, just knew everything was going to be okay for them.
"Are you ready to go home, Emu-chan?" She hummed to the smiling girl.
Another clumping of snow blew toward them. Emu turned around, probably trying to get a glimpse of the current weather state, still holding Nene's hands. She quickly retorted backwards after getting a face full of drifting snow. Emu then brought her hands up to her face to wipe away some of the frigid substance and took Nene's hands along with the movement.
"Yeah.. that's probably a good idea.." Emu responded hesitantly, seemingly upset by the state of the weather and that they’d have to end their day here.
They stood there in the gusting snow for another moment when Nene remembered something, something important...
"Hey, Emu? Could you close your eyes..?"
"Mhm!" The pink-haired girl seemed intrigued and did what she was being asked.
Nene reached into her pocket, and to her utmost delight, the small, pink carnation was still there. The petals were even still intact! She held it in her hands, the colour highlighted in the dim, skittish streetlight.
She gently placed it in Emu's bangs, hoping it would stay in place long enough for the girl to be able to see it.
"Okay, you can open your eyes now."
Emu opened her eyes, excitement radiating from them as she reached up into her hair to pull out the flower, just like Nene had done the same those few hours ago. She actually still had that purple lisianthus perched in her hair, and she didn't know if she'd ever willingly take it out again. She watched Emu's eyes catch the smooth petals of the flower in recognition.
"Woahhhh! It's so pretty..!" A gasp escaped Emu's throat.
Nene grinned at her elated face, but abruptly flinched when Emu half-squealed half-screamed. "Thank you so much!" She jumped up and down, the carnation held tightly in her hands. Her elation was undeniable, and she seemed carefree and unworried in a way Nene hadn't noticed she'd been lacking throughout the day. She really been too caught up in her own troubles, hadn't she? Nene looked back to the overly-energetic girl and hummed a reply, content that she was happy.
"I can put it back in your hair for you, if-if you'd like, that is."
"Okay~!"
Emu bounded over, gave her the flower, and leaned her head unnecessarily down. Nene placed the carnation back in her hair with performative enthusiasm, fluffing the petals out like she was a character in a children's play.
The weather gestured to them once more, and Emu glanced over to her, grinning mischievously.
"Ready?" Nene asked her.
"Yep!" Emu snickered, "Catch me if you can~~!"
Huh..?!
And so they went. Emu cantered down the street, running just fast enough so that Nene could keep up. Nene felt otherwise of course. She felt like she could barely breathe and like she was choking on the wind itself. They darted through the streets of their town, the snow squall looking less like a momentary concept and more like a pure, increasing storm. Every once and a while, the streetlights would dim for a moment too long and Nene would think she'd lost the pink-haired girl, but then just as abruptly, Emu would call out some silly joke to her or sing or talk. It made her happy to see Emu so lively again.
The sidewalks were practically invisible, coated in a thick, heavy blanket of snow, and Nene could taste the ice on her tongue. Her shoes crunched in a heavy and quick rhythm as she chased after the chaotic fool. What a poorly-chosen night for a tag game...
Eventually, Emu came to a gradual stop. The snow still reigned an angry torrent upon them and the sky was now completely dark. Due to this, Nene wasn't able to see the paused girl. It was only when she reached her that she realized she was even there, and while she tried to stop, she squeaked in surprise as she found herself crashing straight into Emu's halted-self.
"Gah!" The two skidded across a small patch of ice, the slipperiness probably being why the pink-haired girl had even stopped in the first place. Nene's shoes held no traction against the ice, and she was left spinning around herself. Her arms flailed up in an attempt to regain her balance, but to no avail. The sky tilted at a strange angle and suddenly she was very close to the ground, feeling the ice on her palms.
Emu had more luck than the green-haired girl, and had managed to center herself before she could fall. Nene, on the other hand, tumbled to the ground, surrendering against the cold, swift ice.
"I'm sorry! I didn't see that you'd stopped and I- ..I" Nene started.
"-No, its fine! Don't apologize!" Emu interrupted, beginning to make her way over to where Nene lay fallen on her knees, although at an uncomfortably fast pace for the circumstance. Her pink scarf rattled furiously in the wind, and Nene anxiously watched her walk a little too casually across the very slippery ice.
"Wait, Emu..! You're going to slip! Be careful-!"
"Waahh~!" Emu suddenly skidded across the ice, flinging her arms in the air. She slid forwards in a frantic flurry, her eyes going wide and her balance falling off-center. She flailed, her legs slipping out from under her causing her to buckle and let out a few squeaky noises of shock and surprise.
"Emu! Are you okay?!" Nene, being too nervous to stand, crawled over to where Emu was hunched over on her knees. The girl looked up and the call of her name, and smiled at the other.
She giggled childishly. "Awwwwww, Nene-chan's worried about meeeeeee!" She playfully teased, but Nene didn't really try to defend herself. She only gave her an awkward half-glare and promptly returned back to her concerned focus.
"I'm alright." She eventually answered, sitting up and crossing her legs as Nene came up by her side. "I didn't think that I'd just slip like that!"
Nene gently sighed in relief. "As long as you're okay." She hesitantly got onto her knees and began to stand, when Emu shook her head.
"No.." Emu exclaimed suddenly.
"N-No..?"
"As long as we're both okay!" Emu finished enthusiastically. Nene chuckled and stood up from the ground, extending a hand toward her.
"Whatever you say.. You chaotic fool..! Don't do that again.." She murmured as Emu latched onto her hand. The pink-haired girl pulled herself off the ice, squeezing Nene's hand tight and laughing her song-ish laugh once more.
With held hands, the two inched their way off of the icy patch of sidewalk. She could hear and feel her phone buzzing in her bag, but decided that now was not the time to answer it. She felt rightfully so of it, too! It was one thing that she was literally moments away from possibly getting hurt on an ice patch, but she mainly, embarrassingly, just wanted to spend as much time as she could with her dear friend.
Actually, no..
This isn't 'embarassing'. She's a nice girl - and while she's a little weird at times - it's no wonder I want to spend more time with her..! She's lovely to be around, and she makes me feel warm inside..
Eventually, the pair were off the ice patch and continued their path home, minus a game of tag, and walking like a normal couple.
They walked hand-in-hand, talking about everything and nothing at the same time. Overtime, their conversation ceased and they simply walked together in a gentle, comfortable silence. The only sounds were the gusting, violent winds, and the chattering of teeth, as they were both still shivering.
Finally, they arrived in front of the large, vast, sprawling estate of the Otori's. The building looked daunting in the snowstorm.
Nene turned to Emu and held both of her hands, meeting her warm, pink eyes.
"Th-Thank you for spending the day with me, Emu." She chattered through a shiver. She still couldn't get that awkward smile off her face, or her cheeks to return back to their usual pale.
Emu giggled and slid herself into Nene's arms, turning the gesture into a hug. "Thank you, too." Her voice was like honey but tasted like strawberries and bubblegum combined.
Nene smiled and the two held still a moment longer. She was as soft and as warm as ever, even more so in the blizzard-like conditions.
Emu eventually snickered in her hold and pulled away with a mischievous grin on her face. Before Nene could even process it, Emu suddenly grabbed her face and kissed her cheek.
"..."
"E-Eh??!"
"Heheh! Just felt like you were missing something~!" Emu cantered toward the door of her house. "See you at school tomorrow!"
And with a quick wink, she was gone. The door closed abruptly and loudly, but it still couldn't shake Nene from her sheer bewilderment.
"Wh-what?!" She half-shrieked to absolutely no one.
Did she just kiss me?!?!?
...
What!?!?
Is this really happening?!?!
Nene was stood there for a moment, absolutely speechless and turning what she'd deem an unnatural shade of red. She was shocked, confused, and slightly dazed. She threw her hands up over her face and tried to stop herself from smiling.
She looked at the white, solid door of the house, and could already imagine Emu laughing to herself on the other side. She pouted, and in a silly, childish kind of spite, decided that she'd do something to leave Emu in the flustered state she was in now. She wasn't sure what it would be yet, but knew she'd at least do something.
Her phone vibrated once more, and this time she checked the small, cellular device, beginning to walk home. It was when she went to type in her passcode that she received a call from her mother.
...
Oh..
Oh no...
Nene paused a moment, bracing herself for what was to come.
She answered the phone, placed it on speaker so she could hear the call over the loud wind, and bolted down the street.
"KUSANAGI NENE, GET YOUR ASS HOME NOW!"
"I'm almost home mom..!"
"..-I'm coming!"
"YOU BETTER BE, YOUNG LADY!!!"
Nene rounded the corner to her street, the snow beating down on her back like a hammer. She affirmed to her yelling mother that the house was in distance and gracefully hung up the phone, her lungs burning as she came within a few houses of her own.
She slid past Rui's neighboring house in a frantic, rushed hurry, and hobbled up to her own, tripping on the bumpy sidewalk. She stood outside her door for moment before reluctantly opening the door.
Nene regretted that decision instantly.
It was quite long past her curfew, and to add to that, there was currently a snow squall-turned-storm actively happening outside. Those two things simply are not very enjoyable in the eyes of a parent. She knew she shouldn't have been out so late, but hey, it wasn't entirely her fault, right?
It wasn't entirely her fault that her friend had fallen asleep in the midst of a supposed snow squall, or that said-friend had confessed her love for her in her sleep, or that they'd finally realized that they were both just two stupid fools in love, right?
She opened the door and was kindly met by the shouts and yells of her mother and the concern of her father. Her mother practically grabbed her and pulled her inside, while her father went to make tea unnecessary for the situation.
As she expected, her mother lectured her on the importance of curfew, contact, and answering her phone when receiving a message from her parents. She knew she should have been paying attention to her mothers' concerns, she really did, but her mind was in an entirely different place..
She kept thinking about the way Emu would reach for her hands to hold them, or the way she would melt into her arms, or the way she'd kissed her before she left. The way she could finally look her in the eyes without feeling ashamed over the way she loved her and her silly little antics. When Nene thought about the night as a whole, she could barely even believe it herself. It was just so unbelievable to her that her feelings were reciprocated and that everything turned out in the way she only imagined it would. She wondered if Emu felt the same about the whole scene, and she found herself smiling again.
"-Nene, are you even listening to us?"
Uh oh..
Why is it that when the one good thing is finally happening I mess up everything else..?
"I'm sorry, mom, I'm just a little tired and can't seem to focus well." She mumbled and scratched her head.
Her mother sighed and began to stand up from the table they were sitting at.
"We're going to have a talk about this tomorrow and you know it..!" Her mother said. "Go to bed, and you're not leaving that room until you have to go for school!"
Nene exhaled a sigh of relief, much to her mothers' annoyance. She guiltily looked toward her mother before slipping out of the chair she was sitting on and retreating to the stairs.
"Got it. Thank you, mom."
She slinked up the steps, entered her room, shut the door, and melted onto her floor.
She wasn't entirely sure how long she was lying there, star-fished on the cold, wooden floor, but eventually, her phone screen lit up and illuminated her dark room with a message.
Nene sat up and pushed herself onto the wall. She typed in her passcode and was greeted by dozens and dozens of notifications. That's when she remembered that the phone call from her mother come in before she could check any of them.
She scrolled through the various messages of her mothers' escalating fury and her fathers' vivid concern. There were even a few from Rui, stating how her mother was frantic to get a hold of Nene and had resorted to asking him, of all people, to try and reach her.
Eventually she reached the messages that had just pinged her phone, and her face lit up when she saw it was from Emu. She quietly laughed.
She's so sweet, and it makes me wonder what I'd ever do without her.
Nene stood up and sat down on her bed, thinking back to a specific day, remembering...
I remember the day, the day where all of this started..
Emu had come over to the Sekai, since we normally do so after school, and she was buzzing with excitement and stuff. Even before that, I'd started feeling warm around her, strangely warm, but I just remember her face. Her stupid little face. She was all giddy over some poses she'd found online and insisted we as a troupe take a bunch for 'memories'.
She'd brought her silly manual camera, and we laughed at the pictures together as a troupe, but for some reason, I just couldn't get my heart to slow..! It wasn't until I watched her brush her fingers over one particular photo, one of the two of us, that I realized it. I realized that maybe I wanted to be with her as something more than a friend..
I kind of startled everyone that day, actually, because I'd ran back to the dressing room right after I finally figured it out. I don't think I'll ever forget the way my hands were shaking as I sat behind the locked door. I didn't know what I was doing, not really, but I just needed to hide for that little while to sort my thoughts out. I needed the moment alone to see that it wasn't just anxiety or fear, it wasn't just my chest hurting or my throat going dry whenever she came near me; It was love and I'd been too dumb to realize it before..
She mustered a half-hollowed laugh, imagining herself hiding under one of the vanities. She was happy this whole thing finally resolved, though. Resolved in the way she so desperately wanted it to..
I'm so stupidly in love with her, aren't I..?
She shook her head a few times, a smile falling into place as she looked back down to the text conversation open on her phone.
But maybe that doesn't have to be a bad thing anymore..
Emu: Heyyaaaa, Nene-chan~! Did you get home okay?
Nene typed out a reply.
Nene: Yep, I'm just getting ready to go to bed now.
It wasn't necessarily a lie, nor the truth. She really didn't have anything else to do, so she could go to bed, but she probably wouldn't get much sleep. The typing bubble from Emu appeared on the screen before her, the dots jumping up and down just like her heartbeat.
Emu: That's good! I hope you sleep amazingly~~!
Nene: You too.
...
She paused for a moment, typing and deleting her next message over and over again, trying to find the best way to say her words.
Nene: Emu
Emu: Mhm?
...
Nene: I love you.
Emu: I love you too~!
Emu: nighty night!
Nene: Nighty night.