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The first thing Shiho noticed when she opened her eyes was the scent of honey.
She thought she might have still been dreaming — her vision was still white-blue and a wonderfully bright and soft voice caressed her ear, but when she blinked a few more times, she realized the white-blue was just starlight from outside the window, and the voice at her ear was Saki, happily clinging onto her and murmuring in her sleep.
She smiled softly at her and looked down at her hand, which was holding onto Ichika’s. She was sleeping peacefully as well, wrapped up in Saki’s shoulder and having her hair sprawled out in messy arrays. She looked quite disheveled, with her shirt crumpled and cheeks squished, but it added an odd domesticity to the atmosphere that made Shiho’s heart feel warm. Also, she looked cute.
She looked up, and found the scent of honey to be coming from Honami. It must’ve been the shampoo Saki had bought for her. That, or the apple pie they all had before getting ready for bed. Likely not, since they had all brushed their teeth, but Ichika had also wiped a crumb off Honami’s cheek afterwards, much to her embarrassment. (And Ichika’s, because she had instinctively eaten the crumb before realizing what she did and turning bright red.)
The stars were shining perfectly, casting a blue glow over the space of Honami’s bedroom. The quiet breathing of the four filled the room, along with the chirping of crickets and the occasional rustle of the leaves from the wind. Shiho felt a warm feeling settle in her chest as Honami shifted slightly, and she affectionately nudged her head with hers. She couldn’t feel anything but love when the three were with her.
…Except thirst, because her throat promptly burned with the need for water the second she swallowed, reminding her why her body chose to wake up in the middle of the night at all.
Her water, very inconveniently, was not placed by the side of the futon, so she couldn’t reach out to quickly drink and go back to sleep. She shuffled quickly and quietly so as not to wake her girlfriends up and tiptoed out of the bedroom. Her bag that she’d taken should’ve been in the kitchen.
The Mochizuki house had an atmosphere as kind as the girl it belonged to. They had chosen Honami’s house to have a sleepover at, as they hadn’t had one there in a while. She was glad they had decided to have it at her place. It always felt so warm and homely. A bit chaotic with Shibao around, when he’d suddenly jump on her and lick her face or try to sniff around in her bag, but it didn’t take away from it in the slightest.
Shiho made it into the kitchen and rummaged through her bag. Her schedule book, the leftover snacks Honami had made for anyone and then lovingly packed in her bag, and some matching bracelets Saki had gotten for all of them. And then her water bottle, somehow buried underneath her other things. She pulled it out, only to find…
There were a solid two sips left in there, because she’d drank the rest during practice.
Well, that was rotten luck. She knew she was forgetting something when she left home — an extra water bottle.
She drank the last two sips that were in there, because while it wasn’t satisfying, it was at least enough to make her throat feel less dry. The only other option was the tap water, and the tap water really wasn’t good unless it was boiled. And the house was still Honami’s parents’, even if she was their daughter’s girlfriend (and if all went well, their future daughter-in-law), so she didn’t want to take a pot at 1:00 AM to boil water with no permission.
She placed the bottle back into her bag to refill when she got home, and wiped her mouth of the remaining droplets that clung to the skin. She could make a trip to the convenience store in the morning for some juice, and for now, the amount she drank would have to do. Saki would be sad if she woke up without her in her arms, after all. Maybe she’d already woken up and came to drag her back to bed with a mischievous smile.
When she turned around, She was in fact met with her girlfriend’s eyes. Not the bright rubies of Saki’s, however, but the kind moon-sapphires of Honami’s.
In this lighting, with the stars and moon through the windows, and dressed in simple yet stylish pajamas, she looked even prettier than usual. Honami with her hair down was something that never failed to make her heart skip a beat no matter how many times she saw it.
“Oh, Shiho-chan, there you are,” Honami said with a soft smile. “I was wondering where you went.”
“Sorry,” Shiho rubbed her nape. “I needed some water. Did I wake you?”
“No, I just had to let Shibao out for a few minutes,” She assured, “He came to wake me up.”
She nodded in relief, because she’d hate to be the reason Honami’s sleep was disturbed. A comfortable silence set over the kitchen. Silences with them used to be awkward and tense, once upon a time, but now, they were much warmer and more relaxed. They could lean against each other and just be without worry.
Then, she spoke up, brows furrowed in concern. “Are you okay? You’re swallowing a bit more than usual.”
Leave it to Honami to catch even the finest details about her girlfriends. There wasn’t any point in hiding it, so she replied, “There were only a couple sips left in the water bottle. Drank too much after practice.”
“Ah… it was hot out today, so you needed more water,” She gave a sympathetic smile. “I’d offer you mine, but that’s all finished too. How about I make us both some tea?”
“You sure?” Shiho tilted her head. “You should probably get back to sleep too.”
“It’ll only take a few minutes,” She assured, “Shibao will want to run around for a bit longer, anyway.”
The corners of her lips turned up at those words. She couldn’t say no to Honami’s tea, or her kind eyes. “I’ll take you up on that offer, then.”
She beamed a smile as bright as the moon she was named after, and pulled out a kettle.
Shiho watched as she placed tea leaves in with water, setting it on to boil. Things like this always felt so domestic. They were still just seventeen, but wanting to stay together forever was a given between them, even before they all started dating. Things like this gave her visions of their own apartment, with Honami cooking for all three of them every day. The visions brought a pink blush to her face, which thankfully wasn’t visible in the dim starlight. Honami was too focused on tea-making to notice, anyway.
Honami had always liked cooking and baking, simply as a hobby and as practicality. She was an amazing cook, too — her girlfriends and probably others could confirm. Shiho remembered the very first time she had tried to cook, however. It was when they all were young, and had no idea what they were doing. All Honami had to go on was how she’d seen her parents cook, and unfortunately, it turned into a disaster, with the oatmeal she’d attempted to make boiling over and making the entire kitchen smell like burnt milk and berries.
Thankfully, Honami’s parents were kind people, and after cleaning up the stove and reassuring them all it was okay, they taught her how to properly cook, and the end result was a delicious bowl of oatmeal that Saki had pleaded for seconds of, and the start of amazing cooking skills.
The thought made a fond smile spread across Shiho’s face. Things were different back then, yet not so different even now. And she’d say she quite liked this “now”.
Her thoughts were interrupted by Honami pouring her tea and blowing on it, before holding it out to her. “Here you go.”
“Thanks.” Shiho said, taking it and drinking it, feeling the warm liquid soothe her dry throat. Delicious, just like everything else Honami made.
She poured herself a cup as well, before leaning against the counter next to her and giving her a small peck on the head. Upon pulling back, she asked, “What are you thinking about?”
She probably noticed the fond smile on her face. That knowledge brought a bit of redness to her cheeks, and she rubbed her nape. “Not much. Just some stuff in the past.”
The fact that Shiho was smiling was hopefully enough to wordlessly communicate that her thoughts weren’t negative. It seemed to be, since Honami didn’t look worried, and instead returned her gentle expression with a soft smile. “What stuff?”
“Like the first time you ever tried to make oatmeal.”
Honami paled, all the color from the rest of her face flowing to her cheeks and concentrating there. "Why that?!”
“You did ask.” She retorted, her arms crossing and the corners of her lips turning up.
Saki was normally the playful one out of the four of them, but the others had their own moments as well. And as she’d grown with the three of them, Shiho had gotten more comfortable letting that side loose, even if it wasn’t terribly often. Usually it was between banter the others started, but with Honami she found herself doing it a bit more. Maybe it was because seeing her blush could give the most weary soul motivation for a whole day.
“I think there are less embarrassing memories to think about,” Honami frowned, before lighting up as one came to her. “Ah! Like the tea party we had for Saki-chan’s birthday.”
She nodded as the memory came to mind. They all were still kids at the time, about seven. “Right. It was raining, but we couldn’t let her have a birthday without a celebration, so we brought some tea and snacks over.”
“I had so much fun making them,” Honami took a sip of her tea. “My mom had to supervise, because I was still just starting out with baking, but they turned out beautifully.”
“Saki was so happy,” Shiho smiled fondly.
“She was,” She giggled, “She all brought royal-themed costumes out for us to wear. I remember how cute you looked in that knight outfit.”
Red spread across her face as she looked to the side, her hand going up to scratch her nape. “Well, it was either that or the pink frilly dress Saki picked. The choice was obvious.”
Ichika and Shiho had dressed up as knights, while Saki and Honami had dressed up as princesses. She remembered seeing Honami with her hair tied into a bun, dressed in a pretty red gown and thinking the material of the costume was irritating her skin because of how warm she felt. She knew what that meant now.
“What other memories are on your mind?” Honami asked.
Shiho tilted her head in a questioning manner.
“If you’re reminiscing, I want to do it with you,” She explained with a loving smile, shifting the teacup in her hands. “We’ve been so busy lately that we haven’t had a late night talk in a while. I’ve missed them.”
“You could’ve just called me if you did.” She huffed lightheartedly, but she didn’t protest. She looked out the window, towards the stars, hand on her cup.
“The weather reminds me of that one sleepover we had when we were eight,” She said, “The one in the beginning of June.”
“I remember that!” Honami nodded, “It was really hot that day.”
“And Saki still insisted on cuddling.” Shiho complained, though she knew well she had given in and enjoyed it after three asks.
“I had a lot of fun that day,” Honami sipped her tea, her cheeks pinkening in fondness. “Even if most of the time was spent sitting by the fan and eating ice cream to cool down.”
“Me too,” She agreed. “Glad it’s cooler this time, though. Even if it’s just as humid.”
“Probably because of the rain,” Honami said, before looking up from her tea. “Oh, speaking of which, it was raining on our first day at Miyajo, right?”
Shiho nodded, smiling at the memory. “Yeah. Ichika was so excited she forgot to take an umbrella and I had to share mine with hers.”
“I nearly forgot mine before my little brother reminded me…” Honami blushed in embarrassment. “We were all really excited that day.”
She laughed, and Shiho couldn’t help but blush and laugh as well. Honami’s laugh had always felt like a melody, warm and kind and just the right amount of brightness to feel like home. Though, everything about Honami felt like home. Leo/need was home.
“I remember we all bought so many matching things for middle school,” She continued, “We never ended up getting to use them, though…”
Ah.
She knew well what she was talking about. Saki getting hospitalized, their own hardships taking over, and their friendships cutting themselves apart as a result.
The atmosphere turned a bit melancholy, though it wasn’t as painful as it used to be. Over the years, they learned to embrace the pain of the past as part of themselves, and they were able to talk about those years without feeling their chests ache.
The Shiho of the past would have died before ever opening up. But the Shiho of the present was different.
“Do you still have all of it?” She asked, taking another hesitant sip of tea. “The things we bought.”
Honami looked up at her, eyes like sapphires in the moonlight as they crinkled and her lips turned up. “I do. I kept them safe.”
Relief flickered in her heart. She never doubted her, of course. She was the kindest person she knew. But hearing it verbally was nice. “I’m glad.”
“Do you?” Honami returned the question.
“I do,” Shiho nodded. “I put them in a storage box, but they’re still there. I never could’ve gotten rid of them.”
Once upon a time, looking at them was painful. But even then, she never would have kept them anywhere but safe and easy to access. Even in her middle school years, her worst years, she could never completely let go of Leo/need. Of them. She had always loved them, since she knew what love was. And that love never disappeared.
“I’m glad,” Honami smiled. “Even if we never got to use them, they still mean the world to me.”
“Me too,” She replied. “I’d use them now, but they all had “welcome to middle school” written on them. Bit too late now.”
Honami giggled at that, and Shiho’s heart filled with warmth once again. Even though the subject matter was sad, she still felt comfortable with Honami around. She always had that effect on people.
“We went through really painful times.” Honami breathed.
“We did,” Shiho nodded, setting her already-finished tea to the side. “We both made a lot of mistakes back then. But… Well, I guess we never gave up on each other deep down.”
“I never did,” She answered, placing her own teacup on the counter next to hers, “You three were always in the back of my mind. Even when I tried to distance myself from you all, I thought about you every day. I’m so glad we found our way back to each other in the end.”
“Yeah,” Shiho’s heart beat a bit faster. Not from anxiety, but from love. “And we were able to grow from it, too.”
“You helped me grow a lot,” Honami intertwined her hand with hers. “You helped me see that I had to be more courageous and not let my fear hold me back. You’re a big part of why I want to be strong.”
Her heart stuttered and melted at the touch. Honami’s hands were a bit calloused from practice, yet they always felt so gentle and guiding. Like the true leader she was. Because to her, Honami had always been amazing, and she’d always been strong. That strength had once been shackled by fear, but it never disappeared, and she only became stronger after Leo/need reunited.
“You are strong,” Shiho squeezed her hand in return. “You helped me grow, too. You helped me see that I needed to stop pushing people away. That it was okay to lean on others and not handle everything on my own. That’s thanks to you.”
Honami beamed with apple-colored cheeks, and she swore she fell in love all over again. “Hearing that means the world... You’ve become so much more open, Shiho-chan. It makes me so happy I was able to contribute to that.”
It was true. A year and a half ago, Shiho would’ve never been this open. She never would’ve smiled this much, or let Shizuku hug her for more than three seconds, or laughed more than a short chuckle. She never would’ve allowed herself to rely on others, or express her worries. She had quite a few people to thank for the fact that she could. Miku and the other Virtual Singers, her family, the friends she’d made in 1-A and 2-B, and of course, Ichika, Saki, and Honami.
“Well, our growth doesn’t stop here,” Shiho gave a determined smile, leaning her head on her shoulder. “We’re all pros now. We’re going to keep climbing, and we’ll shake the hearts of everyone in Japan.”
“Right,” Honami returned the look, placing her hand on her chest. “I won’t let you all down. We’ll keep going, together.”
“Counting on you, leader.”
The road ahead wasn’t going to be easy. Shiho knew that well. But if she had Honami and the others by her side, she didn’t care how much pain she’d face. She could overcome it all, as long as she had them.
The moment would’ve been perfect if sealed with a kiss, but before either of them had a chance, a small bark interrupted them.
There stood Shibao, wagging his tail and panting happily.
“Oh, Shibao!” Honami kneeled down towards him, scratching under his chin and patting his head. “You’re back. I’m sorry, I should’ve greeted you when you walked through the screen door.”
“Well, he doesn’t seem too mad,” Shiho gave his back a quick couple of pets. She’d always liked Shibao, even if she refused to outwardly state how adorable she found him. “Need any help?”
“I’m good, I’ll just tuck him back into bed,” Honami shook her head and stood back up. “You should go back to bed as well. I’ll come join you in a minute.”
Shiho nodded, because the band had an early start for a meeting with Shindou the next day. “Night, then. Thanks for the tea.”
“You’re welcome,” Honami leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her temple, one hand on her shoulder and the other on her cheek. “Goodnight. I love you.”
“Love you too.”
Honami planted a quick peck to her lips before pulling away. The two would’ve kissed for longer, but poor Shibao would’ve had to third-wheel and wait to be tucked into bed. The quickness of the kiss made it feel a bit more natural anyways, and domestic, and it somehow still had her face red. They’d have plenty of time for longer kisses later.
She gave Shibao a quick goodnight pat on the head (kisses for him were saved for private) and walked back into her bedroom, quietly shuffling into the futon so as not to wake Ichika and Saki. They stayed asleep, but Saki clung onto her tightly in her sleep. Her face reddened, but she hugged her back anyway.
She was somewhere between dreaming and half-lucidity when Honami came back and wrapped her arms around her. All she knew was that she felt comfortable. At peace. Home.
Whatever awaited her in the future, be it hardships, growth, or both, she knew these three would always be there. As long as she had them, nothing could break her.
The Leo constellation smiled upon them through the window as they slept in a pair of four as one.