Chapter Text
"N.. Nene-chan…?"
Nene was asleep. Mostly. The room was cool and quiet and it took a moment for her to realize she was in their hotel room and another moment to realize Emu was standing next to her bed. Nene blinked, trying to focus in the soft gray light.
Emu was standing next to Nene's bed, looking hesitant and scared in her polka-dot pajamas and holding tightly to her taiyaki pillow and there were tears in her eyes and it was all Nene could do to avoid falling out of bed in the rush to comfort her.
"Emu?!" She tried to keep her voice quiet. She sat up. "What happened?"
Emu looked at the carpeted floor, squeezing her pillow. "I, ahm.. can I…"
It took a moment for Nene to realize her meaning, the way she was fidgeting and looking away but very subtly, hesitantly, moving closer.
Nene lifted up the covers, moving to the side. "Come here."
Emu nearly tripped as she rushed over. She sat carefully on the bed. She still wouldn't meet Nene's eyes.
After a moment, Nene moved over. She wrapped an arm around Emu. Emu leaned in, tucking herself against Nene's chest. Nene could feel tears soaking into her shirt. She squeezed Emu tighter.
"I'm sorry.. Nene-chan." Emu's voice was barely above a whisper, but it shattered Nene's heart all the same.
She pressed her face to the top of Emu's head. "You don't need to apologize. I want to make you feel better, okay?"
Emu sniffled. "...Okay."
"Do you want to tell me what's wrong?"
Emu squeaked, hugging her plushie tighter and squeezing her eyes shut.
Nene's heart squeezed painfully. "It's alright, I won't be mad at you. I want to help you with whatever's bothering you."
Emu shook her head frantically.
"...Okay. It's, it's alright. Let's-- should we just lay down? We need to get some rest."
After a pause, Emu nodded.
"Okay." Nene pulled the blankets over the two of them and started to lay down. Emu quickly followed her, burrowing under the covers and hiding in Nene's arms.
"Okay."
Emu was shivering slightly, and still definitely crying. Nene pulled her closer, rubbing her back.
"...Did you have a nightmare?"
"...Mn."
Nene sighed softly. She wanted to know what was troubling Emu, but she didn't seem willing to talk. At least if it was only a nightmare then she wasn't in any danger. But still…
Nene let her hand move up, sinking her fingers into Emu's hair. Emu gasped softly and leaned into the touch. Nene kept running her fingers through her hair, but after only a moment Emu was crying more intensely again, moving the stuffed taiyaki out of the way to hold onto Nene and squeeze her tight.
Nene was frozen for a moment, uncertain, but she soon kept stroking Emu's hair, cradling the back of her head ever-so-gently. The way she shivered at the touch, somehow snuggling even closer made Nene's heart feel like it was falling apart. Emu's arms were wrapped around her, hands gripping her shirt as if for dear life.
If she listened closely, Nene thought she could hear Emu mumbling something.
".... Don't leave..."
All Nene could do was hold her tighter. "I won't. Of course I'm not going to."
Emu pulled back, suddenly, momentarily, staring into Nene's eyes with what looked like guilt or panic. "But you--!" Emu seemed to catch herself, cutting herself off. Her face twisted into a painful expression before she hid it in Nene's chest once again, her body shaking with tears.
"Emu.. will you please tell me what's wrong?" Nene pulled her closer. "I want to help you, I want to make you feel better, but I can't--"
"I.. I had a nightmare…" Emu's voice was so soft, barely there. "You guys.. you, and Tsukasa-kun, you left. And you didn't want to see me anymore. And-- and I was busy, and I couldn't do shows anymore, and so Rui-kun---" Emu choked on a sob. "He-- he was really not doing okay, and.. and the dream just ended."
Nene could feel her heart sinking through the floor. "That-- that won't happen. I promise. Even if we--"
"But--!!" Emu sniffled. "That's your dream, isn't it?! You want to go and be an amazing actress, and Tsukasa-kun does too, and you have to go because that's your dream, and I want you to be successful and be happy and--"
"Emu!"
Emu's breathing was fast and shallow now, and she was looking at the design on Nene's shirt, eyes unfocused and not really seeing.
"Hey, hey, breathe, okay? You need to breathe."
Emu looked up at Nene's face, scared and unfocused and uncertain.
Nene crushed Emu's face to her chest, holding her as tight as she could. Rubbing her back as firmly as she could. "Take.. take deep breaths, okay? Slowly."
Emu sniffled. "M--mhm." She took slow breaths, shaky but certain.
"Good. That's good." Nene kept rubbing her back, one hand drifting up to stroke her hair again.
Emu's breathing was beginning to even out. She melted into Nene, still sniffling quietly.
"I'm sorry…"
"Hey. Why are you still apologizing?"
Emu was fidgeting with the sheet, rubbing it between her fingers. "I.. I don't wanna make you upset…"
Nene knitted her brows. "We've been over this, haven't we? I want you to tell me what's bothering you, we all do--"
"But this is different!" Emu winced at the volume of her own voice. "Sorry. I-- I don't ever wanna discourage you. I want you to go follow your dream and be happy! I know you can do it, you're so talented and incredible and your voice is so beautiful, but--" Emu took a deep breath. "But I don't want you to leave!"
Nene blinked a few times, unsure what to say.
"You, and Tsukasa-kun, and Rui-kun.. I want you guys all to stay with me. And it's selfish!" She pulled back, meeting Nene's gaze with tears in her eyes. "I want you guys to be happy, but I don't wanna be alone again! I don't want us to… lose each other…." She looked down at the blanket, tone growing quieter.
Nene had no idea how to respond, and even less of an idea how to fill the growing pit in her stomach and the emptiness in her chest. "That's-- that won't happen, I--"
"But I want you to go pursue your dream!"
"... Even then, I.. I won't let us grow apart. I won't." Nene squared her shoulders, looking right into Emu's eyes. "I still haven't even decided what I want to do in the future, but…. I. I care about you. I care about us too much to just let it all disappear. I won't let that happen. I can't." She sighed softly. "I don't think I ever could."
"But!" Emu glanced up at Nene's face for a moment then looked down again. "I'm. I'm scared."
Nene wasn't sure what to say. "I… am too. I…" She pulled Emu tight to her chest. Her hair smelled like strawberries. "I just… I want to go, it's what I've always wanted, and now I finally have the confidence, but that's all thanks to you all! I can't just leave after that, and I'm beginning to realize…. I love making shows with you guys. I love being with you guys. And I don't think I could bear to lose that."
Emu didn't respond for a long moment.
Nene's face began to warm as she realized what she’d said. "I-- I…"
Emu sniffled. "Me too. Nene-chan." She settled back into Nene's arms. "You and Tsukasa-kun, and Rui-kun. I love you guys too much. I'm sorry…"
"What--?"
"Just.. please." Emu was staring into Nene's eyes again, their heads side by side on the pillow. "I don't want you to stay just because you think leaving would make me sad. Even Rui-kun--" Emu winced, like this hurt to say. "I want you to go for your dream. That's what will make you the most happy, and if I stopped you from being happy then--"
"Emu!!"
Emu blinked at Nene, looking guilty.
"I--" Nene's heart hurt. "I care about your feelings, though.. if.. If that influences my decision, that's because I chose to care, right?"
Emu was still just watching her, eyes teary.
"I-- I don't know what the future will look like for us. But I just.. I will make my own decision. And if I decide to stay so that you won't be lonely, that's my decision too. So please--" She grabbed Emu's hands. "Will you trust me on that?"
Emu was looking back and forth between their joined hands and Nene's face. Tears began to overflow from her eyes once again. "I… Okay! I trust you! I--" She choked on her words.
Nene could feel tears forming in her own eyes. She buried her face in Emu's hair. "We'll-- we'll figure things out… The future. I'm sure, somehow..."
Emu just sniffled, snuggling closer. She was so soft. Her movements were so gentle and timid, nothing like her usual self. Nene pulled the blankets tighter around them and squeezed Emu to her chest.
Emu sighed. “Nene-chan… you’re warm.”
Nene had no idea what to say to that. She hugged Emu closer and shut her eyes.