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Mizuki sighed, getting a real bad sense of deja vu.
Really, they should have expected this the moment that Ena had asked them to meet on the rooftop of Kamikou. Well, less ‘asked’ and more ‘demanded to meet on threat of Ena manifesting in their walls’, but still. Mizuki was no less worried by the meeting, which was strange, right? After all, this was just two friends meeting up for a nice friendly chat in a secluded location, where nobody else would be right now, where Mizuki already had one of the more harrowing experiences of their young life.
Fine, right?
“Alright, look.” Ena began with a huff, turning back towards Mizuki after leaning against the fence to calm herself down. Whatever this was, Mizuki figured that Ena wanted to be calm for this, which filled them with a decidedly uncertain amount of dread. “I know I said I would wait as long as it took, but… you’re clearly struggling lately.”
Ah, so Ena was worried about them. Somehow, Mizuki felt like that was even worse on their psyche than anything else Ena could have said as a reason. “So, I’m not gonna wait anymore. You gotta let me help you. I know I’m not the best one to help you with this sort of thing, but—”
“Aw, Enanan~” Mizuki turned on the charm, artificial it may have been. If nothing else, it might deflect from the issue and turn this into just a usual rooftop date. “You really worry too much about me. You’re gonna end up getting wrinkles on that pretty face of yours if you keep fussing over me~”
“Wh— oh, fuck off, Mizuki, that’s not the point!” Damn, Ena caught on fast. Mizuki supposed there was only so many times they could pull that trick to deflect. In a way, they supposed that was part of what they loved about Ena, even if that simple four-letter word left them coming up hollow.
Come to think of it, the exact nature of that love was also a bit hard to define for Mizuki, at least where Ena was concerned. She was loud, aggressive, and always seemed to save the worst of her venom for herself, with plenty to spare for everyone else. She was also, hauntingly, the most gorgeous girl that Mizuki had ever met, even if she liked to toss ninety filters on her social media posts to doll herself up as if she wasn’t.
It made Mizuki’s knees weak, but it’s also why Mizuki couldn’t tell Ena their secret.
“Oi, you have that look again.” Ena huffed, snapping Mizuki’s attention back to the brunette they were definitely just thirsting over internally. Dammit, Mizuki, now’s not the time to be a disaster lesbian, wait until you get home! “You know, that one you get when you’re about to try and run away from your problems again.”
“Ow, Enanan. That’s cold, even from you~”
“I only said that because I get that same fucking look whenever my dad starts yelling at me.” Ena sighs back, as if opening up would encourage Mizuki to do the same. It certainly made the offer a bit more… tempting, but Mizuki was far too deep and drowning in their own insecurities.
It was just easier to let people think otherwise — what the hell did Rui call it? ‘Faking it until you’re making it’, or something like that. Mizuki didn’t really get why he tried to tell them that until now, but hey, it was what Mizuki had to do to survive out here.
“Aw, Enanan~ You know, you should just move into Kanade’s house like Mafuyu did. I bet that’d help.”
“Hell no.” Ena replied sharply, so much so that Mizuki thought they fucked up a bit too badly — that is, until the artist continued. “If I took off from home anytime soon, I’d be bringing Akito with me, and there’s no chance in hell I’m having him & Mafuyu in the same room.” Ena let out a little giggle at the thought, and added, “Seriously, the amount of ‘fake-ass bitch’ those two can put out would make Kanade pass out.”
Mizuki snorted, in spite of their self. “Girl, standing up makes Kanade pass out sometimes.”
“Yeah, you’re not wrong.” Ena let out something of a wistful sigh, before she turned to look at Mizuki again, her mouth set in a thin line again. “You’re also deflecting.”
“Ena, I—“
The door to the rooftop flung open.
Mizuki’s heart sinks. Fuck, not these guys.
“Oh, heyyyyyyy, Akiyama!” Their leader — a lanky kid barely 140 pounds soaking wet, hair greasier than his voice was (somehow). And an utter bastard to Mizuki because he couldn’t help but spread rumours the way he kept wanting pretty girls to spread their legs for him.
And, luck be damned, a very pretty girl stood before him, utterly confused.
“Uh, Mizuki? You know this creep?” Ena asked, more curious than anything. Well, maybe a little judgmental, if this was a school friend, but Mizuki’s look made her realize this was not a friendly face.
“Ena, can we—”
“Aw, what’s the matter, Akiyama-kuuuuun? You don’t wanna stick around and be one of the boys?” He drawled out, and Mizuki felt their world constrict into their chest. No, fuck, this wasn’t happening, not here, not in front of her—
“Okay, dude, you’re making them uncomfortable, knock it the fuck off.” Ena sharply cut in, but damn if he wasn’t persistent in making Mizuki’s life hell on Earth.
“Good. He’s struttin’ around in that skirt like we can’t see the bulge from the other end of the classroom, and we’re just supposed to deal with that?” He strode forward, bearing down on Mizuki. “I oughta just throw this fuckin’ freak off the roof and get rid of one more tr—”
CRACK!
Mizuki thought that was their heart shattering into a million pieces, and could barely open their eyes and ears.
Instead, the crack was the guy’s nose shattering against Ena’s fist, now bloodied — a shame, to ruin such meticulously maintained and flawless skin on such a nuisance. Mizuki had no idea what to think anymore, especially since they could practically see Ena’s breath as she huffed, angrily, sneering down at the bully who’d caused them so much torment all year.
All that disdain, all that mocking, all the cries of ‘kill yourself, you fucking freak!’, beaten back by an artist a good foot shorter than him going swinging for the fences.
“Fuck you.” Ena spat — literally — at the douche now crumpled at her feet, as she grabbed Mizuki’s hand, venom still coursing through her gaze. Mizuki couldn’t help but shiver — never before had so much of Ena’s vitriol been seemingly directed at them, and it made their knees weak in a very different sense than usual.
“You. You’re coming with me.” Ena left no room for debate, as she practically yanked Mizuki’s arm out of its’ socket, dragging them to what Mizuki assumed was their execution. And yet, Mizuki couldn’t help their thirsty little brain, as the first words out of their mouth were not an apology, but rather—
“Y-you’re… buff as heck.” Mizuki’s breath was still ragged, though they didn’t know if it was from fear, arousal, or some strange mix of both.
“Who do you think spots Akito when he works out? Toya?” Ena scoffs, and Mizuki wonders if maybe she’s got beef with Lil’ Bro’s partner, before adding, “He’s a twig, and he never calls Shiraishi over for that shit.” Mizuki had to stop themselves from suddenly thinking about An working out — dammit, they thought they got over that crush months ago! — before Ena added at the look on Mizuki’s face, “It’s okay. I don’t know anyone who’s met that girl who doesn’t have at least a little crush on her. Well, except Aki, but he’s fruitier than you when he thinks nobody can hear him ‘cept Toya.”
For a moment, it felt like normal banter, before Mizuki remembered that Ena had their hand in a death grip and was dragging them… to her house?
Mizuki had even less clue what was going on when Ena pounded her fist — that same bloodied fist from before — against a bedroom door that wasn’t her own. “Oi, fuckass! Open up, it’s an emergency!”
“What the fu— Ena, fuck off, I got Toya over! Can’t a guy get some damn privacy with his partner?!”
Ena sighed, a deep, angry sigh. Mizuki almost wanted to bolt right then & there. But then…
“Code pink.”
Within seconds, the door flew open, and Akito made a face at seeing Mizuki on the other side. Curiously, to them at least, it wasn’t the same face as Akito usually made upon seeing them. “Willingly?” Ena shook her head, and Akito grumbled. “Fuck.”
It was Akito’s turn now to drag Mizuki inside his room, as Ena came in right behind them — a proper Shinonome sandwich, to ensure they wouldn’t run. Akito rooted around under the bed, while Ena rubbed her sore knuckles, the adrenaline evidently having worn off.
“Here. Some bandages, because you’re a fuckin’ idiot that still can’t punch safely.” Akito scoffed at Ena, albeit with the siblings’ usual vitriol absent, much to Mizuki’s continued confusion.
“Fuck off. Guy was threatening to toss Mizuki off the roof, and nearly called them a slur too. I wasn’t gonna stand for that shit.” Ena practically growled out, and Akito merely ruffled her hair — almost proud of her for swinging first and asking questions later. Mizuki didn’t know what to make of that.
“Hello, Akiyama-san.” Toya waved from the bed, and Mizuki took the chance to slide over to the bed and sit next to Toya. Albeit, only for a few seconds, as Akito nudged them over to lean against his partner again while reaching under the bed for… a small bag, of some kind.
Seriously, what the fuck?
“Here. Congrats, you’re part of the squad now, I guess.” Akito rubbed the back of his neck, and Mizuki looked inside the little bag to find… a pin, and a few pieces of paper with some numbers on it. “S’my number, Ena’s, and the numbers of everyone else in our little group. Guess you don’t need Ena’s again; that one there’s Momoi’s number, don’t sell it off to some idol freaks; and I got no clue if Hinomori’s one of your friends like he is with An, so—”
Wait.
“Hold on, what the— Lil’ Bro, you too?”
Akito clicked his tongue. “Yeah. Used t’be Akiha, ‘til I decided I wasn’t. Ena got all my old clothes and bought me new ones.” Mizuki’s eyes almost glazed over, as Akito continued on. “Ever since then, Ena’s kinda been… trying to be a supporter for any of us who pop up in our lives.”
“Wh— holy shit, I’m such an idiot.”
Ena’s eyes narrowed. “What, did you keep this shit from me so long because you thought I was a fucking transphobe?”
“Uh… well, I was really worried that you would be.”
Ena wanted to scream at Mizuki, but instead she just sighed. “How long?”
“Huh?”
“How long have you had to put up with this alone? With guys like that, with always getting looked at like you’re some kind of monster for wanting to feel happy in your own skin, with—”
“O-okay, Enanan, I get the po—”
“No, you don’t.” Ena growled out, and Toya shifted a little closer towards Ena in order to restrain her if needed — not that it’d work. “You don’t get the point, because I could have been there this whole time for you. But you— you just, kept it bottled up this whole time, and I could have helped.”
“W-well… you’re not the only one at Kami who knows.” Mizuki sheepishly remarked. Ena didn’t look hurt, instead seeming relieved. Mizuki looked down, before noticing another paper, their eyes widening. “H-hey, Lil’ Bro. I, uh, don’t need this number, either.”
Akito looked nonplussed, instead just taking the slip wordlessly from Mizuki’s hand. “Right. Forgot you n’him were close.” Akito muttered, sliding the paper back into his desk. “For the record, I kinda figured you’d end up here one’a these days, but Rui threatened to shoot me out of a cannon if I tried to ask you about it.”
“Doesn’t he do that to Tsukasa-san all the time?”
“Yeah, but he also puts all kinds of safety shit in to keep Tsukasa-senpai from getting hurt. He wouldn’t for me if I hurt Mizuki like that.” Akito snorted, before adding, “‘Course, that’s also assuming I’d even try ‘n out someone like that. Fuck kinda guy does he take me for?”
Ena tries to chime in, only to be cut off with a glare that makes the artist giggle. Instead, she just climbs onto the bed, over next to Mizuki, and leans against them, her head resting gently on their chest, which coincidentally might be about to burst from seeing Ena so soft and cute — far unlike how she usually is with Mizuki.
“You feel any better, knowing you’re not alone?”
“I’m— I, uh— Ena, you—”
Ena shut them up by taking the initiative, bringing her lips to meet Mizuki’s own chapped ones. Mizuki’s mind was certainly firing into overdrive now, paranoia and jubilation clashing for supremacy until Ena pulls away, her cheeks flushed with delight.
Turns out, confusion won the tug of war in Mizuki’s head.
“Uh.”
“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that.” Ena began, only to be cut off before long by Akito.
“Okay, out. M’not gonna be playing fuckin’ third wheel to you two gay asses.”
“You’re just mad that I’m confessing first~”
“Out. Now.”
Ena let out a hearty laugh, exiting the room. Mizuki followed suit, but not before Akito put a hand on their shoulder — not an angry one, but more meant for comfort.
“Oi. Call one of us if you need it.”
“Y-yeah. Thanks, Lil’ Bro.”
Akito nodded, and gave them a light shove out the door — a rather literal final push to confront their feelings. And Ena’s, too, come to think of it.
“Full disclosure, I've wanted to kiss you like that since we first met in SEKAI.” Ena began simply, much to Mizuki’s confusion. They almost felt like an NPC in a video game that didn’t get programmed right, with how much things weren’t making sense to them. “Before I found out you were trans, I mean. So don’t go thinking I’m some kind of chaser — I’ve knocked out a few people pulling that sort of shit on Akito in the past.”
“Holy shit, really?”
“Everyone thinks Akito’s the one who’ll throw hands first, but nah, it’s me. Hell, why do you think I’m in night classes instead of day ones?” Ena smirked, before giving Mizuki another peck on the cheek. “Point is, I love you, for you. Whatever gender you wanna be, you’re still gonna be the same Mizuki, and I fell for that.”
“Wh— oh, god dammit, Enanan…”
“What the hell— oh, shit, you don’t—”
Mizuki cut her off with another kiss, this one fully reciprocated. For a moment, Mizuki swore there was tongue, but Ena certainly wouldn’t be so bold, right?
…
Okay, yeah, they’re filing that one away for later.
“No, no, I totally do. Have for a while.” Mizuki laughed breathlessly, and yet it never felt more natural than it was now. “You’re really sweet, and, like, stupidly hot. I’m super jealous, and super down bad, and—”
“So, what, we’re girlfriends now?” Ena asked simply, and Mizuki… couldn’t answer. Ena asked again, “You’re my girlfriend, right? Or do you… wanna be something else?”
Oh. Mizuki got it now.
“I, uh… I like the sound of girlfriend.”
“Girlfriend it is. And damn it all if you’re not the cutest girl I’ve ever met.”
Mizuki laughed, another noise that made them feel better than they had in years. Maybe it’s because they found a whole lot of support, and love, all in one go. Or maybe it’s because everything just felt so unreal to them. Or maybe it had something to do with the way Ena’s gentle touch tickled their skin and left little goosebumps trailing along their body.
Ah, hell with it, they’d figure it out later.