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Kaede’s eyes were glued to the ceiling of the dark dorm room, impatiently waiting for the sleep that refused to come.
Miu, however, did not seem to be having the same issue, looking to be sound asleep next to the pianist. Miu was turned towards Kaede, and Kaede was finding it difficult to not steal glances at her. It would be easier if she could turn away so her back was to Miu.
It would be easier. If they weren't handcuffed together. By turning away Miu’s arm would need to be draped around Kaede’s back, and she didn't know if her heart could take that right now. It wouldn't be the first time they cuddled, being close friends they've of course done it before, but in the time between now and the last time they cuddled Kaede’s feelings about Miu have changed.
Miu and Kaede’s friendship took a while to kickstart. Initially, they couldn't stand each other, but a few months after they started their time at Hope's Peak they found themselves as very close friends. Close friends are all they’ve been for a while, but Kaede has been catching herself staring more at the inventor, she's noticed herself thinking about how pretty Miu is. Kaede turned her head towards the sleeping girl next to her. She was always so surprised at the difference between sleeping Miu and awake Miu, whereas awake Miu’s face was always so expressive and ever-changing, sleeping Miu’s features looked so soft. She looked so beautiful like that, Kaede just wanted to stare so long that she would burn the sight into her memories.
Kaede shut her eyes. It was too much, she had to stop thinking of Miu like that or else she would never get any sleep, but that was kind of hard to do with the constant reminder of her on Kaede’s wrist.
It was just meant to be a normal hangout. Kaede and Miu hadn't properly hung out in a while, even then it took Kaede by surprise when Miu was the one that invited Kaede to her dorm. Things went like they always did, both of them talking, joking around, and just generally enjoying each other’s company. Kaede didn't even think about her possibly changing feelings about the inventor as much as she thought she would. It was nice until Miu pulled out a pair of fuzzy pink handcuffs she recently bought. It was funny at first, handcuffing themselves together, dragging each other around Miu’s room by the wrists, but when Kaede wanted them off was when Miu realized she had no idea where the key was.
The inventor's room was cluttered with scrap pieces of projects scattered on the floor. That mixed with having to look while handcuffed together made the search for the key much more difficult than it should have been. They spent around an hour searching for the key, but with a mix of growing tiredness and Miu’s eventual constant complaining, Kaede had no choice but to give up the search for the morning.
She regrets that decision.
If only she was more persistent in the search then maybe she wouldn’t be going through a gay panic about one of her closest friends. She could have gone to her own dorm for the night and not dealt with sleeping next to the girl who she maybe probably might be developing a huge crush on. It was too late for any “what ifs,” and Kaede had to face her situation and hope that she could calm down enough for any sleep.
Exasperated by her thoughts, Kaede tried turning in the bed so that her back would be to Miu, electing to uncomfortably keep her cuffed hand behind her too. She must’ve overestimated how long the chain was, because despite trying to not move her arm that much she was sure she felt resistance in her wrist. It wasn't enough to wake Miu, right? It couldn't have been, but juuuust to be sure Kaede thought she’d check.
She looked behind her for Miu’s half-opened eyes to be staring right back. It’s fine! Miu was just going to go immediately back asleep of course! Nothing to panic about.
“Fuck’re you still doing up, Kaediot,” Miu groggily spoke. Miu’s tired, calm voice was another rarity that Kaede treasured much more than a person with normal feelings towards someone does. She just had to hope that it was too dark for any blush that was forming to be noticeable.
Kaede turned her body to face Miu’s. With the lack of light, the inventor's eye color looked pure grey. Kaede silently added it in her mind as another thing that she found incredible about Miu, then her mind quickly shifted to thinking up a quick lie so Miu didn't know she was the one keeping the pianist awake. Both Kaede and Miu didn't try in the slightest to hide their sexualities, but Kaede was still worried that Miu didn't like her the same way that Kaede liked her. Yeah, sure, Miu flirted with her, but Miu flirted with everyone . What made Kaede special?
She decided to give a simple answer. “Can’t sleep.”
“That's bull,” Miu replied. This wasn't the first time they had shared a bed before, so unfortunately for Kaede, Miu was well aware of her punctual sleep schedule.
“It's not bull, the handcuffs are uncomfortable.” Kaede lifted her hand which subsequently lifted Miu’s too to emphasize her point
“I was able to sleep. It's not a problem if you're not a pussy.” Kaede took no offense to the jab. Miu’s voice was still soft and full of sleep, something Kaede really wished she wasn't taking note of as much as she was. The pianist found the other girl's voice to be more soothing than any melody when her voice wasn’t raised.
“I think you're just weird,” Kaede spoke with a smile.
Miu shifted somewhat closer to Kaede. “C’mon what’s keeping you up? See a pair of cock and balls today?” Miu couldn’t be further from the truth.
“No”
“Then spill.” She shifted closer again. Kaede’s heart was racing and she had zero means of escape.
Well, Miu wasn't very bright when it came to social cues, so Kaede wondered if she could get away with indirectly expressing her issues. Maybe then she could gauge Miu and test if there was any hit of reciprocation.
Kaede exhaled sharply before starting, “Have you ever… liked a friend as more than a friend? And didn't know how to tell them.” she thought that was vague enough for Miu to not catch on.
Miu shot up, her cuffed hand uncomfortably tugging Kaede’s. “Holy shit do you like Saihara,” a frown flashed across her face before quickly shifting to a mischievous grin. “I fucking knew it!”
Miu didn't catch on, which Kaede was thankful for, but she really didn't want to talk about Shuichi right now. Shuichi was probably her closest friend and Kaede really would prefer to not think about what Miu was imagining between the two. Besides, Kaede was trying to figure out if Miu liked her, Shuichi doesn't have a place in that conversation and she would rather it stay between the two girls.
Kaede sat up. “No! It’s jus-”
“You guys are always thirsting over each other-”. Kaede realized Miu wouldn't drop it and she really didn’t want to yell at the inventor at this hour. Might as well rip the bandaid off. Not like they can’t talk it over if things go wrong, heck they can’t even get a foot away from each other.
Kaede stared at Miu, “I like you.”
Miu shut up her previous rambles mid-sentence. Her eyes caught Kaede’s. “Huh?” she squeaked out.
The two girls stared at each other for seconds which felt like hours. Miu’s eyes were wide but she seemed entirely frozen like a deer in headlights. In contrast, Kaede felt a lot calmer than she thought she would. Earlier she was stressing out so badly about this that she couldn't sleep but getting it out of her system seemed to relieve most of that stress. She felt confident.
Eventually, Miu broke the silence. “O-of course you like me! Who couldn't like a gorgeous genius like me!” she let out a laugh that was far too loud for the time of night.
Kaede smiled. She knew when Miu was deflecting, the girl couldn't be serious if her life depended on it. Kaede would need to push her a little harder.
Kaede placed her hand over Miu’s. “I like you more than a friend, Miu.”
Miu was paralyzed once more. Her eyes flashed from their hands to Kaede’s boobs to her lips to her eyes then back to their hands. Hesitantly, she threaded her fingers through Kaede’s.
Miu glanced back at Kaede’s eyes. “L-like,” she swallowed before continuing, “Like in the homo girl on girl way?”
Kaede leaned forward, inches between her and Miu’s faces. She saw Miu somewhat lean in too. Kaede looked at their hands and lightly tightened her grip on Miu’s.
“Yeah,” Her voice was hardly above a whisper, but every word made Miu clench Kaede’s hand a little more than before. “Like gay girls that like girls.” Kaede used her hand that wasn't holding Miu’s to gently cup the inventor's face. Under her palm, Miu’s face felt incredibly hot. Kaede was glad she wasn't the only one blushing hard, the obvious effects she was having on Miu only raised her confidence. Kaede’s smile grew and she used the hand on Miu’s cheek to push a strand of hair behind her ear.
Kaede leaned even closer, eyes locked on Miu’s lips now. “Like girls that kiss girls,” she breathed out. Kaede moved to close the distance between them, keeping a feather touch on Miu’s face in case she wanted to back out.
Kaede’s lips met Miu’s, the latter girl melting into the pianist's touch. Miu’s hand drifted up to where Kaede’s was on her cheek. Gliding her hand along the girl's arm, the inventor brought it to the back of Kaede’s head and used it to deepen the kiss.
It was over as quickly as it started with both girls separating themselves from each other and using the faint moonlight to look into each other’s eyes.
Kaede was expecting something vulgar, yet endearing out of the inventor's mouth, which is why she was shocked when Miu lunged forward to wrap her arms around Kaede and hold her tightly. Kaede welcomed the embrace and hugged Miu back just as tight. They sat in silence illuminated only by the moonlight pouring in through the windows, nothing on their minds but each other. Their cuffed hands were awkwardly put off to the side, but neither of them cared.
Kaede felt Miu shift in her arms. Miu’s chin moved to rest on Kaede’s shoulder, the inventor's grip tightening on the back of Kaede’s shirt.
“Kaede.”
“Hm?” Kaede could’ve sworn her heart skipped a beat then and there. Miu’s calm voice combined with not using any of her weird nicknames and actually saying the pianist's name was something Kaede thought was one of the best things she’s ever heard.
Miu moved her forehead down to Kaede’s shoulder, muffling her words in the pianist's shirt. She said something that vaguely sounded like “I love you.”
Kaede took back her previous thought, because that had to be the actual best thing she's ever heard.
Before Kaede could begin to think up a response Miu dragged the both of them back down to the bed, still clinging to each other. Miu’s face was buried once more in Kaede’s shoulder, their handcuffed arms resting uncomfortably between them. Kaede couldn’t care less about the handcuffs anymore and only paid any mind to the girl she was holding close. She finally felt calm, at peace, like she could finally get some sleep.
Kaede pressed her lips to the inventor's head before whispering, “I love you too, Miu. Goodnight.” Before finally drifting off into the sleep she waited so patiently for.