Chapter Text
Upon waking up this morning, with a few rays of sunlight peeking through the window, Dalia was ready to start her Saturday just like any other – get out of bed, eat, go for a jog…the usual. She wasn’t so sure what to do this afternoon, but she considered hitting the gym for a bit, maybe even inviting Ibuki to come along with her.
Her steps were slow when she got out of bed, stumbling along the hallway as she ran her hand through her messy silver locks. She could barely repress her yawns and ultimately had to pinch the brink of her nose after she stopped — her head wouldn’t stop spinning.
She would have cursed herself for being so careless with her sleep schedule had she not known what exactly led her to this — as little as she wanted to admit it, she had been thinking about Rika a lot the past few days. More than she should.
There was worry in her mind, of course, since she had no idea how her meeting with Tsubaki went. But…maybe there was something else. She couldn’t be so sure — and perhaps she didn’t want to think about it. She dreamt of Rika’s smile, of her laugh; of her being happy, and she had no idea where these came from.
Wanting to see a friend happy was normal, right? Even in your dreams, right?
The smell of pancakes coming from the kitchen woke her body up — or her nostrils, at least, and her awkward walk shifted into a quick, confident one as she made her way through. It wasn’t that it smelled bad, but she wasn’t so used to this either. She certainly wasn’t the type to bake pancakes, the only time she did was for Marika, when they had a sleepover at her house.
She stopped right away when she saw just who was waiting for her behind her kitchen counter.
“…Rika?”
The redhead turned around immediately at the sound of her voice, a cooking pan in one hand and a plate full of freshly-baked pancakes in the other. She was wearing one of Dalia’s spare aprons, pastel pink.
Putting the pan back on the burner stove, she skipped over to her friend with a bright smile on her face, sliding the plate on the nearest table and jumping in her arms.
While hesitant, Dalia silently patted her head and let Rika’s warm breath tickle her skin as her cheek rubbed against her chest. She seemed happy today, maybe even more than usual — though she didn’t think that was even possible.
“What are you doing here?” was the first thing that escaped Dalia’s mouth, and not the last one, “and what’s all of this?”
She tugged on the apron and pointed at the pancakes, to which Rika only smiled. There was a mischievous spark in her eyes, one that foretold a bigger story — something that Dalia was all too eager to listen to.
“Weeeell…” the redhead twirled after slipping away from Dalia’s arms, dramatically pointing at the delicious, mouth-watering pancakes she finished baking. “Thought I’d make a delicious breakfast for my dear friend!”
Dalia chuckled — she looked so proud of herself. Seeing her like this…made her happy. This warm and fuzzy feeling was in her chest again as she stared at Rika’s expectant face, eager for her to taste her cooking.
…Perhaps she stared a little bit too long, as Rika’s cheeks turned a warm pink under her gaze.
“Da-li-a!” she reprimanded her with her mouth in a pout, “you’re supposed to look at the pancakes! C’mon, eat ‘em!”
This childlike behavior was so familiar to her, yet it was like she was discovering it all over again. She wasn’t exactly sure why she was feeling this way, but there’s one thing she was certain of: she loved this warmth in her chest every time Rika was being herself, and she didn’t want it to stop.
“Right, right,” she chuckled, admiring the other’s bright eyes once more before digging into her plate, carefully slicing the pancake tower and taking the small portion into her mouth.
A pleased hum escaped her as she let the sugary taste hit her throat. “It’s delicious, Rika.”
The cook looked absolutely delighted, if her sudden small jumps and giggles were anything to go by.
“Great!” she calmed down a bit, putting her hands on her hips and adopting a confident stance, “Hehe, I’ve cooked plenty for Marika, so my pancakes are unbeatable!”
Staring at the food, at the small hibiscus flower gracefully placed atop the tower like a chef’s signature, and soon enough the vision of Rika in a frilly apron cooking for her everyday invaded her mind.
She snorted, ignoring the heat that spread across her face; maybe they should organize another Merm4id slumber party soon, to have an opportunity to all bake together and have fun.
“However,” she snapped her fingers before pointing her index at Rika. “Your delicious cooking doesn’t explain why you’re here.”
Rika settled down on the chair before her, quickly drumming her fingers on the wood and grinning at her friend with a toothy smile.
“Hehe, surprised, are ya?” she sounded so proud, Dalia couldn’t help but huff humorously, “I woke up extra early to come see you!”
“Oh? Why is that?”
“I have super-duper amazing news for you!”
That piqued her interest, and she leaned in over the table, cheek resting on the back of her hand. Rika sure was enthusiastic about this, whatever it was, which was enough to convince Dalia that this news was bound to be fantastic. She waited a bit, letting her friend do her little drumroll once more — because there was no harm in being extra sometimes — before she opened her mouth.
“I talked to Tsubaki yesterday!” she exclaimed, her eyes beaming with light and sparkles, waiting for Dalia to answer or, in that case, react.
The dancer had to wait in silence for a few seconds, using this as an opportunity to blink more than she needed to in order to take in the information.
A silent gasp escaped her now parted lips as she processed the news – she immediately felt a need to know more, to know how it went and what Rika had managed to say. Even small details like how Tsubaki was dressed, she’d listen to it all as long as she had the certainty that it all ended well and that her friend’s troubles were over, that she would have the strength to move on now and be happy again.
“How did it go?” she finally asked, holding her breath.
Seeing Rika’s smile grow, it was like she already had her answer. Still, she let her tell the story, as she hastily tapped her hands against the table in a quick rhythm.
Y’know, it was weird, at first. I asked Tsubaki to meet me at the park, and she was all awkward with me. I mean, I was awkward too, but, like, not in the same way, I guess…
So, anyways.
We stayed silent for a while, without finding anything to say. To be fair, I had no idea how to even start the conversation! Nor did I know what to do…
And then Tsubaki…
She just said she was sorry.
Frankly, I didn’t get it. I thought I was the one who had to apologize!
Because, you know…I said all those embarrassing things to her, and I made her feel bad…
But she didn’t care about that part—she only cared about how I felt these past few days, how much I’ve been hurting, and if she could do anything to make it better.
Then…she apologized again.
I didn’t know what to say—I felt kinda stupid. There was nothing intelligent that would come out of my mouth, I just knew it.
So…I just spurted out everything that was in my heart, without thinking.
I told her that I’ve been in pain.
That I thought I would never move on, at first.
But most importantly, I told her that I was happy…Happy that she wasn’t mad at me. And happy that she still liked me as a friend.
I mean, I said that, but I was still afraid to be physical…she often complained before, so…
But I didn’t even have to think about it, because Tsubaki…she hugged me.
It’s the first time she ever did that! Can you imagine?! That’s huge!
And, you know…
“…Somehow, it was like everything was okay again. Like nothing bad ever happened.” Rika finished, a soft and warm smile on her lips.
Dalia stared at her blissful expression, finding herself mesmerized by that genuine, gleeful grin—there it was. Her happiness.
Without thinking, she reached out and superimposed her hands over Rika’s, rubbing her thumbs over the other’s skin. Butterflies in her stomach that wouldn’t stop flying, a feeling she couldn’t explain filling her with warmth.
“I’m glad,” she exhaled, unable to look away from the other’s face, “I’m really glad.”
Rika took in a deep breath, face falling flat on her friend’s hands and a dorky laugh echoing in the room seconds after. It’s been a while since she looked so at peace, at least in Dalia’s eyes.
“It’s insaaane,” she whined childishly, pouting, “It’s like someone lifted, like…ten tons off my chest! I feel so light!”
Dalia couldn’t help a giggle, “I think you’re exaggerating a bit. But I get what you mean.”
Rika nodded, solemn. Her serious air was unusual, yet pleasant to see, for a change. “I think it’s gonna take some time before Tsubaki and I are totally comfy with each other again, but…I’m happy I didn’t lose her.”
“You’re never going to lose anyone,” Dalia brought the girl’s hands to her lips, planting a kiss on the flushed skin, “You’re precious to us.”
While this gesture came to her almost instinctively, she didn’t think it would bring much out of Rika—at least, nothing more than a giggle and a smile, like usual. However, upon seeing the girl’s reddening face, she began wondering if she did or said something wrong.
The ginger hastily slipped her hands out of her friend’s grasp, a couple of coughs escaping her suddenly dry throat. Her finger caught a sole strand of hair, and pulled on it with unusual nervousness.
“Are you alright?” Dalia asked, unsure of whether or not she should try physical contact.
Weakly, Rika hummed her response. “Yup! Yup. That just, uh. Caught me off guard.” She flapped her hands around. “It’s all good, don’t worry!”
With that, the girl sunk in her chair, her chest heaving with exertion, like she had just ran a marathon—she must have had a short night, not to mention the emotional fatigue…she deserved a good rest.
“Want to take a nap? I can lend you my bed.”
Rika perked up, “Really?!”
“Sure,” she elegantly rose from her chair, offering her hand to her friend and watching with a satisfied smile as she took it, “It would be rude of me to only let you use the couch.”
As she guided Rika down the hallway leading to her room, she took notice of the girl’s hand, and how warm it was in hers—quite soft as well. It was fitting perfectly against her palm, their thumbs rubbing gently against each other.
It all felt weirdly intimate. Not that Dalia minded. Quite the opposite, in fact, there was something soothing about the situation. Sitting Rika on the edge of her bed, she let a playful smile appear on her lips seeing her friend's head collapse onto the pillow almost immediately.
Well, at least she was making herself at home.
Part of her wanted to properly tuck Rika in, but stopped that thought after considering it unnecessary—the ginger was already fast asleep, holding on to the white pillow like her life depended on it. No one would want to disturb such a peaceful moment.
Still, unable to completely suppress her worries, Dalia snatched a spare blanket from her wardrobe and placed it over Rika, making sure her body was properly covered.
Dalia crouched, taking a moment to watch the girl sleep—there was no wrinkles on her face, all as smooth as it could be, and there was even the beginning of a smile creeping on her lips.
Rika was unbothered. Simply happy.
And, as Dalia softly ruffled her friend's bangs, the heart in her chest hammering on and making all the butterflies in her stomach go wild, she realized something.
Rika’s happiness…Before she knew it, it became her happiness, too.