Chapter Text
Minori had broken down sobbing a year’s worth of heartache. Ami could do nothing but stay by her side and listen. Her cries, sniffs, and hicks. Her quivering, almost cathartic breaths. Her vulnerable voice laid bare to only Ami.
“What are you doing? Did you want to show me your crying face or?”
It was a dumb and tactless question but Ami couldn’t think of anything else. Never had she saw Minori in such a state.
“Crying is a nosebleed of the heart...”
”So why are you crying? Because Taiga took Takasu away from you? Or—” Because Takasu took Taiga away from you?
”I’m not even sure myself...Even though I decided to never cry again...”
”...You’re so embarrassing.” She was, and foolish, to lay herself so bare to someone like Ami. She sat by Minori. A space was carefully left between them.
“But I’ve understood something. If you trip while running down a hallway, you’ll get a nosebleed. If you trip in life, you’ll cry.” First-hand experience, probably.
“Stupid. It’s too early for us to be talking about life. From now on, for ten years, for twenty years, for sixty years, life will go on.”
A strange yet familiar feeling urged her shoulder toward Minori. Ami had no time to question it before she nudged. The heartbroken girl slightly jumped but didn’t look back. Even so, Ami could see tears still streaming down her face, and opened her mouth. Nothing came out, and even if it was something; what would it be? Condolences? Sympathies? More comments?
My shoulder?
But the trapped words weren’t needed, as Minori took the offer and curled up against Ami.
They sat close as physically possible, unwilling—or unable—to break the fragile world that stood silent and still. Hearts beat loud and uneasy. Each quivering breath prickled their ears, amplified by the same strange yet familiar sensation that compelled Ami forward. The connection lasted for an eternity before Minori sprang up, blurting out something about a bath and dinner. A cherry red painted her face as she rushed off, wiping her eyes. Words still lodged in Ami's throat refused to come out and her face burned. She fixed her stare to her shoulder, soaked and warm. It smelled of coconut.
Details were murky, but in the end, she slept over.
It was terribly awkward. After Ami took her shower, she was greeted with the long missed smell of curry. If she hadn’t been careful enough, she would’ve gotten sentimental.
Despite being her guest, Minori had made dinner. Ami’s protests about house formalities were quickly swept aside by Minori’s overbearing insistence, and so they ate—quite quietly for what had just taken place. When words were occasionally exchanged, they spoke in stammers. Ami noted the curry, while spicy enough, had much, much more than just a pinch of sweetness. Regardless, it was delicious.
Finally, sleep came and with it—the tired argument concerning the rules of guest hospitality. Well, what would’ve came, as both of them somehow ended up sleeping on bed.
The snowy night took the room, dark and cold. The only warmth came from each-other, but they dared not. Of course, this futile resolve crumbled when their backs touched. Still, neither could sleep.
"Amin?" Minori's barely audible voice joined their breaths in piercing the silence.
"Yeah?" Ami was just as uneasy and quiet.
"Sorry."
"For what?"
"Getting all weepy on you. It's pathetic, since I pretty much brought it on myself. Sorry, for making you listen to all of that."
"...It’s fine,” she said inconclusively.
As a consequence, silence made the passing few minutes feel like hours and Ami still laid wide awake.
Thankfully, Minori’s voice broke it. "...Amin?"
"I’m deep in sleep,” Ami quipped.
“Oh? Then.” Minori wrapped her arms around her waist and squeezed tight. Despite the winter temperature, Ami’s face caught fire.
“Thank you,” she whispered. Her breath was a candle flame in Ami’s ear. “And sweet dreams.”
Now, she smelled of lemon.
Ami sighed a deep sigh, sour at being pulled out of that sweet memory for what it seemed like the fiftith time. She stumbled into her room in a trance and yielded to gravity. The soft, cool sheets threatened to envelop her in slumber, back to that night. A part of her mustered what little strength she had left in an attempt to fight it off. She still needed change, eat, shower, and brush her teeth. But a long day's weight felled her eyelids and her body refused to even budge. Left thoughtless of all things but the lingering warmth of Minori's hand, she shut her eyes.
In her dream, Ami drank coconut water mixed with lemon and ate a side of sports deodorant. It was gross.