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It was pouring outside.
Yuu could hear the rain’s pattering from her room. She hadn’t expected very much to come of that day — after all, most of her friends were either sleeping or busy. Most of the day came and went, and then, after dinner, she sat down and started doing some homework.
No, she’d not expected much from that day. Which is why she was surprised when her sister called her name from the other room. Yuu rose to her feet and went to go check out the situation.
And there, standing soaking wet in the middle of the dining room, was a drenched Touko Nanami. Yuu’s sister eyed them both for a moment, and then left, leaving the two girls alone. Yuu looked at Touko. There was something distinctly downcast and empty about the way she blankly stared at the floor. Yuu quickly grabbed a towel and instinctively began drying her senpai off as best as she could. Touko pulled the towel close to her face, like some obscuring cowl.
“T-touko-senpai?”
There was no response. The two stood there for a minute, until Yuu cleared her throat.
“Should we go to my room?”
Slowly, Touko nodded, eyes dull and dead-seeming. They closed the door behind them. As Yuu shoved homework to the side, Touko stared blankly at the floor. Finally, Yuu sat down next to her senpai. There was silence for a second, until Touko looked up at Yuu.
“Yuu.”
Touko briefly paused, sighing.
“I just... feel so empty. And… I didn’t know where else to go. I’m sorry. I’m being selfish.”
Yuu frowned, not sure what to say.
“... Don’t you live far from here?”
Touko nodded slowly. “I walked.”
Blinking, Yuu looked down at the floor. Touko rose her head, scooting closer to her junior all the while. Yuu wrapped her arms around her in response, pulling the girl in a little closer. There was an audible, albeit faint, gasp.
Touko was still a little wet, but Yuu didn’t care.
“Is there anything I can do to help?”
Resting her head on Yuu’s shoulder, Touko smiled in a way that didn’t quite reach her eyes.
“I don’t know,” she admitted. “But you being here helps a lot.”
After a brief rain-marred silence, Yuu nodded.
I wish you were happy with yourself.
“Senpai, I... like you.”
Confused, Touko blinked.
“Not any of your masks. I like the real you. The you that shakes when she’s about to talk to the entire class and tells me ‘I love you’ like it’s nothing and turns red when she sees me.”
“Is that the real me?”
“Do you want it to be?” she whispered into Touko’s ear. Even in her messy state, the soft breaths lightly brushing against Touko’s ear caused the girl to go a little pink. Touko took in a shaky breath.
“Yes. ...No? I... I don’t...”
Yuu pulled her senpai in closer as her heart dropped with every second of Touko’s broken confusion. They sat there together, wrapped up in each other, for what seemed like an eternity, but for what was probably only a few minutes.
“It’s okay if you don’t know. Whatever you feel comfortable with is fine by me, Touko...”
Touko mumbled something too quiet to be heard, and placed a trail of kisses along the side of Yuu’s head. She giggled at the contact, and, just a little bit, the curtain over her eyes began to rise.
Then, two pairs of eyes shot wide open.
“T-touko?? I thought...” Touko stared at the other girl.
Yuu flushed red, and tried to push away from Touko. The dark-haired girl only grinned brightly in response, and captured her junior up in her arms.
“That made me super happy, Yuu. Thank you.”
Yuu blinked. Then, she nodded. Then, she smiled. She supposed it was okay. It just felt so right.
“I’m glad, senpai.”
Touko’s eyes glinted with a certain color and life that had returned to them.
“Yeah?”
Yuu grinned. “Yeah.”
They sat there together listening to the pouring rain for a while. Neither of them could judge how long or short it was accurately. They just enjoyed each other’s company, and basked in the shared warmth. Finally, Touko grabbed Yuu’s hand, leaning against the back of the junior’s bed.
“Yuu?”
“...Yeah, T... Touko?”
Even the very word made Touko grin uncontrollably.
“Is it okay if I maybe... stayed the night? ... I don’t want to go.”
Yuu smiled softly.
“Of course.”
Touko smiled so wide Yuu was sure her face might break. “Really?!”
Yuu grinned. “Yeah.”
~
It was at three o’clock in the morning that Yuu, nuzzled up against Touko, was finally struck by revelation.
Oh.
This is what it feels like, isn’t it.
Yuu’s eyes flicked over to where she knew Touko’s stargazing gift to be sitting across the room from her. She smiled in the dark.
It’s been inside me for a while, huh.
She hadn’t realized.
“Senpai... forgive me,” she muttered under her breath. “I forgot not to fall in love with you.”
And then, to Yuu’s immense soul-freezing surprise, Touko rolled over and grabbed her hands in the dark.
“I forgive you.”
Yuu flushed dark red. Oh god. She heard that?
... It didn’t feel as scary as she thought it might’ve.
“Wait, hold on.”
Touko fumbled around with something neither of them could see, and then light poured upon them both from Touko’s phone. Touko grinned sheepishly.
“... I wanted to see your face.”
They were both smiling. A euphoric warmth and excitement and passion and energy flowed through Yuu’s body suddenly. She didn’t understand it, and she did.
It almost happened in slow motion. Yuu’s eyes closed, and she tipped forward. Touko took in a sharp breath of surprise.
Yuu kissed Touko, and Touko kissed Yuu.
It was a perfect bliss. Yuu hadn’t known just how right this must’ve felt to Touko all this time. They slowly separated, just a little breathless. Touko smiled softly.
“How could I ever not forgive you?”
Yuu snorted.
“I suppose it would’ve been pretty hypocritical of you. But, I’m glad.”
Touko raised an eyebrow in confusion.
“Huh?”
“Now I finally understand why you blush so much when you see me.”
Touko laughed. There was a peaceful quiet — it had stopped raining. They lay on the bed, cuddled up against each other. Warm and comfortable and oh-so-wonderful.
“Yuuuuuuuu...” Touko cooed in a singsong voice.
“Huh?”
“I loooooove youuuuuuuu...”
Yuu grinned, and got an idea. Suddenly, she grabbed Touko by the wrist and pulled her in for a kiss. Startled, Touko dropped her phone, and it fell face-first into the sheets. They were cast into darkness.
“I... I love you too.” It felt so freeing, so relieving, to say that and mean it. “But we should probably go to sleep, huh?”
Yuu felt Touko nod against her.
“... Thank you, Yuu. For letting me be me.”
“Of course, senpai.”
“Touko.”
“... Touko.”
Touko sighed dreamily.
“Goodnight, Yuu.”
Yuu snuggled up close to Touko, smiling to herself. She felt like she’d been swept off her feet, but never fallen — like she start flying at any given moment.
“See you in the morning, Touko.”