Work Text:
It’s a bit too cold in Tsugumi’s apartment, but she wouldn’t dare unravelling herself from her mound of blankets. Christmas carols on the TV, a mostly empty glass of red wine in her hand, Momo unconscious and half fallen off her lap— and Tsugumi in her pjs, with as much hair as she can fit in an elastic pulled into a quarter of a ponytail.
She hasn’t lived at home in years, but this is the first Christmas she’s actually spending alone.
“Ah, well not quite alone, right Mo-chan?” Tsugumi laughs to herself, reaching to give her snoozing scottish fold a scratch on the head, right between her eyes— Momo beeps at her tiredly, unimpressed. “Alright, alright— sorry.” It’s not fair of her to disturb Momo’s well deserved sleep just because she’s a little lonely.
It’s not as though she hadn’t been given options, Himari had been kind enough to invite her over to spend the holiday with her and Tomoe— and Ako and Rinko, more likely than not. It had been a sweet offer, but Tomoe and Himari’s apartment is only so big. She could have spent it with Ran and Moca, had they not decided on a spur of the moment trip out of Tokyo— she’s happy for them, it sounds really exciting.
Really, Tsugumi could have just gone home if she wasn’t so stubborn; more than enough of her staff were willing to man the cafe in her absence had she chosen to take it. No; she needed to be around in case of an emergency, needed to prove she wouldn’t back down as soon as things got hard.
“Plus, I’m sure you’d be really lonely without me, Mo-chan!” Tsugumi chirps, smiling down at the sprawled cat. This time, she doesn’t so much as grace her with an angry beep. “Eh… fast asleep, huh…?” It’s okay, she deserves her sleep— she spends all day being so adorable, she deserves her rest. Plus, even if she isn’t actively being a companion, the steady rise and fall of her chest is still comforting.
It’s fine, apparently most people have a bad Christmas every year— she can manage a single one.
“This is definitely not Tsugurific…” she mumbles to herself, clicking her phone unlocked. There has to be someone else alone— maybe she can facetime Eve… if she can remember where Eve is right now, that is. Australia? What time is it in Australia? She knows Arisa is in town, but Kasumi is back in Tokyo for once, and she doesn’t want to get in their way.
Scrolling through her contacts, she hovers over one, her thumb obscuring the contact photo— [sayo~~ ❤]. It’s embarrassing that she hasn’t changed the contact name, hasn’t changed the photo from the lazy Sunday morning candid she’d taken; hair up, brows furrowed moments before she realized what Tsugumi was doing and threw a pillow at her.
Very lame, Tsugu.
Still, it’s not like it would really hurt to send her a quick text, right? Roselia isn’t currently touring, so she probably won’t be disturbing her from anything.
Tsugu! >> Merry Christmas, Sayo-san! {*≧∀≦}
On second thought, maybe the emoticon is a bit much?
Tsugu! >> Merry Christmas, Sayo-san!
Is Sayo-san too formal? Even worse; is it too informal? Has it been so long since they’ve seen each other that Tsugumi should refer to her as Hikawa-san, just to be polite? The idea of being so distant makes something miserable bubble up in Tsugumi’s chest, and she washes it back down with the remainder of her wine.
Tsugu! >> Merry Christmas!
That’s safe enough, right? Then she can wait to see how Sayo responds to her, and gauge from there— oh. What if Sayo doesn’t respond to her at all…? Tsugumi frowns at the bright little screen of her phone, lips pulled into a rare frown. “This is stupid,” she grumbles, dropping her phone onto her lap. It lands right next to Momo, who finally stirs, fed up of Tsugumi’s antics.
“Mo-chan, don’t go! I’m sorry!” Tsugumi cries out as Momo jumps off her lap, padding away towards Tsugumi’s room to get some real rest without Tsugumi’s constant interruptions. “Mo-chaan…” This sucks. This really sucks. “I hate this. Christmas sucks,” Tsugumi decides, huffing as she stands up and sheds her mass of blankets in favor of going to refill her glass of wine.
“Christmas sucks, and Momo sucks, and all my friends in relationships suck,” Tsugumi grumbles to herself as she pours another glass. “And Sayo? Sayo sucks !” She says it with a lot of conviction, but her declaration doesn’t actually make her feel all that much better. Himari’s right, being bitter doesn’t suite her— she doesn’t know what else to be.
Raising the glass to her lips again, Tsugumi freezes as she hears a sound directly outside her door; it sounds like someone trying to open the door, trying to force the lock…? That’s stupid, no one’s trying to break into her apartment— it’s someone who’s drunk and has mistaken her apartment for theirs. That’s super all it is.
The door handle rattles, and Tsugumi puts the glass back on the counter, rounding the island over to her drawer. She’s not paranoid, and she’s definitely not afraid, but she pulls out the largest knife she owns and holds it at the ready. It’s nothing— they’ll realize the mistake and leave.
They don’t— the lock makes a noise like it’s been unlocked, and Tsugumi ducks down to hide behind the counter in her panic. She is so, so brave. Are break-ins more likely on Christmas? It seems to make enough sense to her to further send her down the spiral her thoughts are currently following; worsened by the sound of the door opening, and then closing again.
Footsteps across the floor of her apartment grow nearer to her, and it doesn’t register to her that it’s very unlikely someone would be robbing her in high heels— she’s too far gone for that kind of rational thought. She hasn’t even written her will— who’s going to adopt Momo?
“ Meow~ ” Momo not now !
Momo, having apparently finally finished her nap, pads across the floor, pausing to look up at the intruder before wandering over to Tsugumi, giving her position away. Actually, maybe it doesn’t matter who gets Momo— the little traitor.
The footsteps finally close in, and she prepares to strike, before— “Tsugu?”
Tsugumi’s neck snaps up, and all of a sudden she is making eye contact with a pair of very confused olive eyes. “Sayo?” It all really sinks in; the fact that Tsugumi is currently curled in the fetal position clutching a knife, the fact that Sayo is here in here apartment, the fact that she was willing to disown Momo over her betrayal. There’s a lot going on.
“I’m… sorry?” Sayo says slowly, like she isn’t really sure that’s what she should be saying. “I called, but you didn’t answer. I still have a key, so I thought it would be okay if I let myself in.”
Sayo kept her key— Sayo’s here on Christmas?
“Sayo, what are you doing here?” Tsugumi asks, slowly standing up from her defensive stance and laying the knife flat on the counter.
“Roselia isn’t on tour right now.” Tsugumi already knows that, thanks to Lisa and Ako, but she doesn’t bother saying that. She really, really wants Sayo to finish whatever explanation is currently coming from her mouth, heart beating fast in her chest. “I… missed you.” Tsugumi blinks at her like she doesn’t quite get it , and Sayo sighs. “I want to try and make things work. I was very selfish, and I made a mistake by leaving so abruptly.”
“You’re… coming back?” Tsugumi nearly says home , but stops herself, as though the word will scare Sayo back out the door.
“I’m not leaving Roselia— I’ll still be gone on tour at times, and we’re always busy.” This time, none of it sounds like an excuse. “I want to try and make things work, though. You are… important, in my life.”
“You’re coming back,” Tsugumi echoes again, less of a question and more of an acknowledgement that, yes, this is really a conversation they are having.
Sayo nods. “If you’ll have me back,” she mumbles, eyes hovering somewhere to the left of Tsugumi.
The fact that Sayo’s not focused squarely on her gives Tsugumi a distinct leg up as she lunges forward, wrapping her in a vice. Sayo lets out a surprised noise, stiffening in Tsugumi’s arms abruptly, before slowly relaxing into them. Tsugumi’s grip is tight enough that it takes a fair bit of skilled wiggling to get her arms free enough for Sayo to wrap them around her wait, resting her chin on Tsugumi’s shoulder as the smaller girl buries her head in Sayo’s neck.
“Wh— Tsugu, are you crying?” Sayo pulls back from her, looking down. Tsugumi is most definitely crying.
“Yes! I am!” Tsugumi answers, a bit louder than necessary, before rolling onto the tips of her toes to press an uncoordinated kiss to Sayo’s lips. “You’re— I’m so happy.”
“You’re so—” Lame, Tsugumi autocorrects— “adorable.” Tsugumi beams up at Sayo, cheeks pink, before burying herself back in her arms.
“Welcome home, Sayo.”