Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

If someone were to ask Shiori about the most important people in her life, Elizabeth and Nerissa would be at the top of the list.

They were her best friends, the people she had practically spent every waking day with since she was sixteen. 

Before they were three, it was only her and Nerissa. 

They met on the first day of high school, but to say they had become friends since the beginning would be a lie.

Shiori had always been reserved; she didn't exactly have trouble talking to others, but if given the choice, she would prefer being on her own. Nerissa, on the other hand, was a social butterfly; she could become friends with almost everyone and wasn't afraid to reach out to people, regardless of whether they were considered popular or not.

With such a vibrant and friendly personality, it was no surprise that, once she saw a rather loner Shiori, who didn't talk to anyone or was part of any friend groups, she felt compelled to approach her.

Shiori couldn't deny that she wasn't that receptive to Nerissa’s attention at first, thinking she was just one of those shallow people who wanted to be liked by everyone, instead of being genuinely interested in establishing real friendships.

She wasn't hostile to the girl, but she didn't entertain her either, showing a certain coldness to her advances. But even then, Nerissa never stopped trying to reach out to her. She wasn't pushy, but every day she made sure to greet her and try to have at least a short conversation with her.

Her insistence should have been annoying, but Shiori found herself growing fonder of the cheerful girl. As such, her initial opinions of her changed, which led to her accepting the friendship she offered.

They grew close really fast after that, becoming quite an inseparable duo, that would turn into a trio a few months later.

Unexpectedly, a foreign student from England enrolled in their high school in the middle of the school year. Elizabeth was her name, and she was assigned to Nerissa and Shiori's class.

Due to her special circumstances, she would need the assistance of a few classmates to keep up with the assignments, so as not to fall too far behind. 

Before she was introduced to the class, the teachers had discussed who they thought would be best suited to take on that role based on grades and performance, concluding that Nerissa and Shiori were the aptest to help Elizabeth.

Despite the consensus amongst the teachers, they still wanted to hear Nerissa and Shiori's opinion on the matter before it was established that they would indeed assist Elizabeth. But since neither had complaints, the decision was made.

Maybe it was because she was in a strange environment, but Elizabeth was a rather timid girl. She didn't say much and avoided eye contact at all costs, but with each passing day, she started to open up more to them.

Shiori was sure such quick progression was thanks to Nerissa, after all, she had that special charm that very few could resist. If it had only been her helping Elizabeth, she had no doubt it would have taken them weeks to have a proper conversation, so she was glad Nerissa was there.

The longer the three of them got to know each other, the more they realized how many similarities they shared. It was nice to find people they could connect so easily with, which is why even after Shiori and Nerissa weren't required to continue helping Elizabeth anymore, they didn't stop hanging out.

Their friendship grew with each passing day, and before they knew it, three years passed by in a flash as they reached their graduation day.

Knowing that the next step in their life would be attending college, one might think they would have less time to hang out, but as it turned out, all three ended up attending the same university. They weren't classmates, as they were taking different classes, but they lived in the same apartment and were studying similar careers dedicated to music.

Their college years were the wildest but also most memorable years of their lives. They laughed, they cried, they got to witness each other's successes and failures, their first love stories and heartbreaks.

All in all, they were glad they were able to experience it all together, and they couldn't wait to see what was next for them. 

Although their future was uncertain, one thing was clear: they didn't want to separate. They were so comfortable living together that even after college was over, they continued sharing an apartment.

Six years later, and with their lives more established, they were still sharing a home.

If they wished, they could each live in their own places, as money wasn't exactly tight for them.

Nerissa and Elizabeth worked in a prestigious academy as vocal coaches, while Shiori worked as a composer.

Despite their successful careers, they were more than satisfied with their current living arrangement and had no plans of changing anything.

But even if that was their intention, Shiori wasn't sure their roommate's life as it was at the moment would last much longer.

You see, when you know someone for as long as Shiori has known Elizabeth and Nerissa, and on top of that, you also get to be with them almost 24/7. It goes without saying that you probably understand each other very well.

She could tell what they were thinking and feeling with just a single look, not needing them to tell her anything, and because she could read them so easily, she realized something was going on between Elizabeth and Nerissa.

It would be hard to pinpoint when everything changed, but things were happening that hadn't before.

Things like avoiding prolonged eye contact, or starting intensely when the other wasn't looking, and quickly glancing away when they stared in each other's direction. Acting awkward when they were too close, stuttering, and becoming uncharacteristically giddy.

Shiori tried not to think too hard about it at first, but eventually, she had to accept a reality that could no longer be denied.

Her best friends, the women she had known for more than ten years, were into each other.

What was even more astonishing was the fact that neither seemed to realize the other was into them.

Some would have found the whole situation amusing, not only how cliche the whole ‘falling for your best friend' thing was, but also having to see them acting like high schoolers experiencing their first crush, while being completely oblivious to the reciprocity of their feelings.

However, in Shiori's case, she felt conflicted upon such a revelation.

The reason for that had nothing to do with her disapproving of her friends’ feelings, and everything to do with herself, since Shiori was painfully and hopelessly in love with them.

And what sucked about that was knowing that, despite them having feelings for each other, and her having feelings for them, Shiori was well aware they only saw her as a friend.

Chapter Text

Shiori stood outside Nerissa's room, smiling as she watched her harmonizing while she wrote in her notebook. She was so engrossed in her activity that she hadn’t realized Shiori was there until she knocked on her open door to make her presence known.

“Hi Shiori, did you need anything?” She asked, putting her pen down.

“Yes, I was actually about to go grocery shopping, and I was wondering if you want to come along? But only if you aren't busy.”

She waved her hand. “Don't worry, I was just coming up with a few new vocal exercises for my students, but that can wait. I would love to go with you.”

“Awesome, do you need a few minutes to prepare, or are you ready to go?”

“I'm ready. Is Liz coming too?”

She shook her head. “I asked her, but she was in a meeting, so she won't be coming with us this time.”

“Alright.” Nerissa stood up, approaching Shiori and hooking her arm with hers. “It's just you and me then, Shiori.”

She rolled her eyes, faking annoyance at the touch, even though her heart fluttered at having her so close.

“Yeah, yeah, let's go.”

“Alright, what is next?” Nerissa inquired as she put a package on their cart.

“I believe that is all,” Shiori said, checking yet another item on her list. “My list is all crossed out. Is there anything else you wanted?”

Nerissa hummed, looking around until she spotted something that caught her eye. Picking it up, she showed it to Shiori, who saw it was a bag of candies, but not of any kind, as they were Elizabeth's favorite.

“I'm going to take these for Liz, I'm sure she will like them.” An enamored smile appeared on her face as she said that.

“Yeah, she will appreciate the thought.”

“I think so too, do you want any?” She glanced back at the variety of sweets.

Although Shiori knew Nerissa was just asking an innocent question without any malice, she couldn't help but feel a pang in her chest over the fact that she didn't hesitate to pick something for Elizabeth. But not for her.

“No, I'm good.”

“Okay, let's go check out then.”

Nerissa started walking away, not bothering to put the candies in the cart; instead, she carried them in her hand.

Even when they got back to their car and loaded the trunk, she didn't let go of them.

Back in their apartment, they were greeted by Elizabeth, who helped them carry the bags inside.

“Thank you.” Shiori thanked her, beginning to get everything out of the bags.

“Don't mention it, did you…” She stopped talking as Nerissa stood in front of her with her hands behind her back.

“I have something for you,” She said, showing her the candies.

Elizabeth's eyes lit up as she grabbed it. “I was just thinking I needed to go get more since I ate the last I had.”

“Well, it's a good thing I got them. The moment I saw them, I knew I had to bring some back home.”

“Thank you, that was nice of you.”

They shared timid smiles before falling into one of those awkward, charged silences where they just stared at each other.

Shiori, who had observed the whole exchange, felt compelled to burst their bubble.

“These bags won't unload on their own, you know?”

That made them react, as both offered her apologetic smiles before reaching for the full bags.

What happened was just one of the many examples of how her friends' behavior around each other changed thanks to their mutual feelings.

Shiori didn't know how she managed to withstand their poor counseled attraction for each other, as they were practically screaming their feelings, and she knew even less how neither noticed the obvious.

It was reaching a point where she was having trouble hanging out with them together, feeling exasperated with them.

“What is wrong? You have been blankly staring at your screen for the past ten minutes.”

“Mmm?” Shiori looked to the side, meeting Bijou's concerned face. “Sorry, Bijou, my mind is elsewhere.”

“That is obvious. Maybe we should take a break.”

Shiori sighed, “Yeah, I think that would be for the best.”

“I will get us some coffee.”

She returned a few minutes later with coffee and some sweets.

“When did you get these?” Shiori asked, picking up a chocolate chip cookie.

“I bought them this morning. I passed by a bakery coming to the studio, and the smell was so good I couldn't help myself.”

“Why am I not surprised? You and your sweet tooth.”

“Hey,” She scowled. “Don't act as if you don't have one too. Anyway, enough about that, are you going to tell me why you were so pensive?”

“Well, you know.” She gestured around. “The usual.”

Bijou nodded, leaning back on her chair. “So Elizabeth and Nerissa. What happened now?”

“What always happens. They act like fools in love, and it's becoming harder and harder for me to deal with that. I have found myself growing irritable with them, to the point I feel like screaming how obvious it is they are into each other, if only to stop this odd dance they have going on.”

“Why don't you do it then? That might finally knock some sense into them.”

“It just doesn't feel right to do that. I want them to have the chance to be honest with each other and finally talk about their feelings, but they are holding themselves back.”

Bijou hummed. “Well, you have been holding yourself back for years, so can you blame them for not finding the courage to tell each other what they feel?”

Shiori scoffed. “It’s not the same; in their case, their feelings are mutual. I know they only see me as a friend and nothing more, so why would I talk when it would only affect our friendship?”

“And there you have it, you don't want to ruin the friendship, and most likely, neither do they.”

What Bijou said wasn't news to her, as she had reached that same conclusion long ago, but still, the situation was frustrating.

“Even if they are afraid, it's reaching a point where their avoidance of what is happening is creating problems.”

“Then why don't you talk to them? Individually, I mean. Tell them you know what they are feeling and see what comes out of it.”

Shiori massages her temples. “I think I have no other choice, maybe that will get them to confess.”

Bijou shrugged. “Maybe, but what will be of you then? How would you fare by seeing them together?”

“I think I will manage. This wouldn't be the first time they would be in a relationship since I have realized my feelings for them. Nothing changed then, so why should it change now?”

“Because they wouldn't just be dating anyone, they would be dating each other. Are you truly prepared for that?”

She sighed. “For the well-being of our friendship. I hope I am.”

They stopped discussing the matter afterward, but even then, Shiori still thought of what she had spoken with Bijou.

She knew she had to talk with Elizabeth and Nerissa, but doing so wasn't as easy as she thought; that is why a week went by before she found the courage to reach out.

It didn't make much difference who she talked to first, but for some reason, she felt it needed to be Elizabeth.

For that, she chose a day when she knew Nerissa would be out of the house so they would have as much privacy as they needed.

She paced back and forth outside Elizabeth’s room for a few minutes, as she mentally prepared herself for what was going to happen next.

Alright, Shiori, you can do this. All you need to do is get into that room and tell your best friend, whom you are in love with, that you know she has feelings for your other best friend, whom you also love. Yeah, everything would go great.

Taking a deep breath, she gave herself one last push to knock on the door before she could decide to walk away right there and then.

“Come in, Shiori.”

She stepped inside, seeing Elizabeth on her bed with her laptop on her lap.

“Sorry, were you working? I can come back later.”

She shook her head, closing the laptop and putting it away. “I was just checking my emails. What brought you here?”

“I was wondering if we could talk.”

“Sure,” She patted the mattress by her side. “Hop in.”

Shiori did as she said, sitting beside her and leaning her back against the headboard.

Elizabeth smiled at her, extending her hand with her palm up, a gesture Shiori knew meant she wanted her to grab her hand, so that is what she did.

“What did you want to talk about?”

Shiori glanced at their clasped hands, enjoying the sight of Elizabeth's slightly bigger hand gripping her own. 

“I had a whole speech rehearsed on how I wanted to approach this, but I think I will just go straight to the point.”

She looked back up, meeting Elizabeth's confused gaze.

“Liz, I know you have feelings for Nerissa.”

Chapter Text

Elizabeth's reaction was immediate. Her eyes widened, and her mouth hung open, making her look like a deer caught in the headlights.

“I-I don't know what you mean.” She quickly blurted, but her stutter, coupled with the fact that her face had begun acquiring a reddish tint, proved she knew exactly what she was talking about.

“It's okay, Liz, you don't need to lie to me.”

Elizabeth pressed her mouth shut, letting a few moments pass before she released a big sigh. “Sorry, I didn't mean to, it's just,” she ran her hand through her hair. “I didn't expect you to tell me such a thing, but you are right, I do have feelings for Nerissa. How did you know?”

“Because I know you. I know how you act when you have a crush. The stutter, the blushing, avoiding prolonged eye contact, those were all things you started doing around Nerissa, so it didn't take me long to put two and two together.”

Elizabeth groaned. “I wasn't subtle at all, was I?”

“In the slightest. May I ask when it started?”

“I don't think there is a specific date. It’s just something that happened progressively, I guess, but if I had to say when, I would say around a year ago. You know how busy we were back then.”

Shiori nodded, “I do know, you were barely at home.”

“Yes. Anyway, at that time we were required to spend almost all day together working from sunrise to sundown, sometimes even later.”

“Amongst all the chaos and whatnot, I guess I started seeing Nerissa differently. There is no denying she is beautiful, and her personality is lovely too, but I never saw her as anything more than a friend until then.”

“When the way I used to see her changed, I started noticing other things I didn't before because now I was interested in her, and what began as a simple infatuation, with time, developed into something more solid.”

Shiori understood exactly what Elizabeth was talking about. After all, she had a similar experience when she realized her feelings for them. 

“How did you react when you realized you had those feelings?”

“Oh, I panicked.” She chuckled, making Shiori chuckle too. “I tried to convince myself I was just imagining things, that I truly didn't have those feelings, but I reached a point where I couldn't deny them anymore, so I had to accept my feelings were real.”

“It must have been pretty nerve-wracking.” She spoke from experience, as it felt that way for her, too.

“Quite so.”

“Have you ever thought about telling Nerissa how you feel?”

Elizabeth took a deep breath. “It has crossed my mind a few times, but I never did for fear of jeopardizing our friendship. What if she doesn't feel the same? What if she does, and we try dating, but it doesn't work out? The risks are far too high.”

Her answer confirmed Shiori and Bijou's suspicions that fear was the thing holding her back from expressing her feelings, and although she understood why, Shiori didn't think Elizabeth should let that stop her from confessing.

She knew she was being quite the hypocrite for thinking that way, but alas, her situation was different.

“I can't blame you for being scared, but I think you should tell her. I know Nerissa just as much as I know you, so I'm confident your feelings will be well received.”

“As for your fear of what would be of your relationship. It could go wrong, and it could go right, just like every other relationship. Still, you shouldn't let the what-ifs stop you from trying.”

Elizabeth pensively hummed, taking in Shiori's words. “Perhaps I need to think about this matter more.”

“Perhaps. If you need to talk, you know I'm here.”

She smiled thankfully, squeezing her hand. “I know I do, and since you brought this up, I also need to consider you.”

“Me, why?” She asked, feeling slightly nervous.

“Because whatever were to happen between Nerissa and I would also impact you, and I wouldn't want our friendship to be affected either.”

Her response made the nervousness fade. Of course that she was referring to her friendship, what else could she be talking about if not that?

“Forget about me.” She waved her hand dismissively. “You should focus on your feelings and what you want. I will be fine, and if I'm ever not, you know we can just talk it out; there is nothing to worry about.”

Elizabeth rolled her eyes. “Alright, I will take your word for it.”

She let go of her hand only to engulf her in a hug.

“Thank you, Shiori, I'm so glad to have a friend like you.”

Such a sentiment had brought happiness to Shiori so many times before, but this time, she couldn't find joy in her words.

And as she looked at herself in Elizabeth’s mirror, seeing the pitiful expression on her face, she could do nothing but hug her tighter.

Shiori jumped, feeling a pair of arms circling her neck.

“I'm so sorry, Shiori, I didn't mean to scare you.” Nerissa apologized, kissing her temple. “What are you watching?”

Shiori cleared her throat. “Nothing yet, I was just doom-scrolling. Want to join me?”

“Sure, I will prepare some popcorn.”

Nerissa returned minutes later with two bowls.

“Find anything yet?” She asked, taking a seat on the couch and handing Shiori her bowl.

“I think so, what do you think of this movie?”

She stared at the screen, reading the summary. “It sounds good to me.”

“Alright, I will press play then.”

In the first hour of the movie, they were completely immersed in the plot, but at some point, Shiori found herself getting distracted as she stared at Nerissa.

She didn't notice at first, but eventually, she couldn't help but feel her staring.

“What is wrong, aren't you liking the movie?”

“I am, it's just…” She frowned, taking a few seconds before speaking again. “Nerissa, are you in love with Elizabeth?”

The question took her so by surprise, she choked on popcorn, falling into a coughing fit.

“Sorry, I didn't intend to make you choke.” She apologized, giving Nerissa her glass, which she gladly accepted, taking a big gulp from it.

“It's alright,” She said once the coughing stopped. “I wasn't expecting you to say such a thing. What brought this up?”

Shiori stopped the movie, knowing neither was watching it now. “It’s just something I have been thinking about for a while. You have been acting differently around her lately, and I got the impression it is because you have feelings for her. Am I wrong?”

She knew the answer to that, but she still wanted to see if Nerissa would deny it.

Nerissa timidly shook her head. “You aren't wrong, I indeed have feelings for Elizabeth.”

“For how long?”

She shrugged. “I can't really put a date to it, but maybe for a year now.”

Based on her response and what Elizabeth had previously said, they developed feelings for each other almost simultaneously.

“How did you deal with the realization of your feelings?”

“Believe it or not, I didn't have trouble accepting my feelings. Once I realized they were there, they somehow made sense, you know? I don't know how to explain it, but I could see why I would fall for her amongst all people.”

Shiori hummed. “So you just embraced your feelings right away?”

“Pretty much.”

Shiori wished she could relate to being so at peace with her feelings from the beginning.

She could still recall how she tried to deny what she felt time and time again, attempting to convince herself she was just confused and didn't truly see Elizabeth and Nerissa as anything more than friends.

“That is rather mature, I suppose. Still, I wonder why you haven't confessed despite being so okay with what you feel.”

“For the same reason many people decide not to. Not knowing if your feelings are reciprocated. I'm afraid to say something and ruin what we have going on, so between that and continuing to be her friend, I choose the latter.”

Shiori hummed. “What if I told you Elizabeth feels the same?”

“Did she say anything to you?” Nerissa quickly inquired, making her giggle.

“She hasn't, but something tells me you aren't the only one who has feelings for the other. Call it a hunch.” 

“Are you sure you aren't just saying that to make me feel better?”

“I'm not, I'm just telling you things as I see them.”

Nerissa narrowed her eyes, intensely staring at her, as if looking for something that would prove she was just baffling.

“Alright, let's say I believe you. Are you suggesting I should confess?”

“That is for you to decide.”

Feeling like now was a good time to drop this conversation, Shiori reached for the remote and started playing the movie again.

Thankfully, Nerissa didn't try to continue talking, proving her tactic to be effective.

Now that she had spoken to both Elizabeth and Nerissa, Shiori just had to wait and see if something came out of her intervention.

A part of her truly hoped they would talk, if only to get rid of the awkwardness surrounding them, but another part wished they never did. Since, as much as she wanted to be supportive, she didn't know how she would react seeing them together.

Chapter Text

Elizabeth stared at the blank document on her screen. She should be working right now, but no matter how much she tried to write something, she just couldn't concentrate.

This wasn't just a problem of today, but something that had been happening for a while, and it started right after her talk with Shiori about her feelings for Nerissa.

Since that day, her mind was constantly swarmed with thoughts of her, and no matter how hard she tried to focus on something else, it was all futile.

“Elizabeth.” She jumped, taken aback by Nerissa's voice coming from outside her room.

“Yes?”

The door opened as she poked her head inside. “Shiori just texted me saying we shouldn't wait for her since things are busier than usual at the studio, so she doesn't know when she will be back.”

“That sucks. This is the third time this week she will be coming home late. I hope they finish that project soon.”

“Me too. Anyway, I didn't come over just to tell you that, but to ask if you want to have dinner with me now.”

Although she wasn't feeling that hungry at the moment, between sharing a meal with Nerissa and staying in her room staring at her computer, she, without a doubt, would pick the former.

“Sure, I will be there in a second.”

Despite spending almost all day together, the friends always had something to talk about, and this time it wasn't different, as they spent the whole dinner just talking, mostly about their jobs.

Still, once their plates were empty, a silence, dripping with expectancy, settled between them. There was a palpable tension in the air, as if both parties wanted to say something but were having trouble finding the courage to speak.

“Elizabeth.”

“Nerissa.”

They spoke at the same time, making each other laugh.

“Please go ahead,” Elizabeth said.

“Thank you. There is something I want to talk to you about and I…” She cleared her throat. “Sorry, I'm a little nervous.”

“No worries, take all the time you need.”

Nerissa nodded, glancing down at her plate as she began pushing a lone pea around with her fork. “You know how important you are to me, right? We have been best friends for such a long time, and I truly value having you in my life.”

Elizabeth's gaze softened. “The sentiment is more than mutual.”

“I'm happy to hear that, but I must say I haven't been frank with you. While never in the many years I have known you, I questioned our friendship, not long ago, I began noticing that I was looking at you differently.”

“I still see you as my friend, and I love you dearly, but what I'm trying to say is.” She took a deep breath. “I like you, Elizabeth, not as a friend, but as someone I have feelings for.”

Nerissa never thought she would confess her feelings in such a way. She would have liked to express herself better, but her nerves were so high that this half-assed, poorly worded confession was all she could come up with.

Now, she was bracing herself for an imminent rej…

“I like you too.”

Nerissa almost hurt her neck from how fast she looked up.

“Wait, do you?”

Elizabeth nodded enthusiastically. “I do, I have liked you for a while, but I never said anything, fearing you would not feel the same. I didn't want to strain our friendship, so I kept quiet.”

Nerissa couldn't contain her excitement at hearing her say that. “Really? I was unsure of saying anything because I didn't want to damage our friendship either, but then I had a talk with Shiori, and it got me rethinking my silence.”

“Did Shiori know?”

“Yes, but not because I told her, she drew that conclusion herself; she also seemed convinced you felt something for me, too.”

“Huh.” Elizabeth furrowed her brows. “Is it funny you said that since Shiori came to talk to me not long ago and straight up told me she knew I had feelings for you, and also insinuated you might do too.”

Nerissa tilted her head. “Do you think she did it on purpose? She knew our feelings were mutual, but perhaps didn't want to say it so bluntly, so she spoke to both separately.”

“It seems like it, and judging by the fact we have just told each other what we feel, I would say her intervention was a success.”

“She is a smart cookie, isn't she?”

Elizabeth affectionately rolled her eyes. “The smartest of all. What do we do now? I mean, our feelings have been laid out in the open, but nothing has to come out of it.”

Nerissa sighed. “It doesn't, but would that be fair for us? We both tried to deny our feelings, but it clearly didn't work if Shiori was forced to intervene because we were being so obvious.”

“I can't lie and say I would like nothing more than to date you, but I'm scared of what could happen between us.” Elizabeth quickly waved her hands. “I'm not saying it will go wrong, but…”

Nerissa chuckled. “Don't worry, Liz, I know what you mean, and I feel the same way, but I think we shouldn't let that stop us from being together. We have known each other for years, so I trust that we will be able to communicate any worries or doubts we have.”

“I guess you are right.” She lightly tapped her cheeks. “You and I will be able to get through anything, so I shouldn't let my fears stop me.”

Nerissa nodded. “So…girlfriends?”

She smiled, “Girlfriends.”

Nerissa shared her smile, standing up from her chair and rushing to her side to drop on her lap. She began planting kisses all over her face, making Elizabeth laugh.

Her laugh was stopped, however, once Nerissa pressed her lips against hers, and although she only intended it to be a simple peck, Elizabeth chased after her, stretching the moment and properly kissing her.

Shiori clumsily reached for her phone, needing to pat her bedside table a few times before finding it. She opened her eyes with certain difficulty, noticing it was almost 10:30 am, and although she could sleep for a few more hours, she decided to get up.

Last night, she had arrived home so late she hadn't even bothered to eat something, going straight to bed and falling asleep as soon as her head hit the pillow.

Dragging her feet, she moved towards the kitchen, stopping halfway as she saw Elizabeth and Nerissa hanging out in the living room.

Her friends smiled at seeing her, thinking how cute she looked all disheveled and half asleep.

“Good morning, sleepyhead.” Nerissa approached her, cradling her face in her hands. “Is the pillow still stuck to your face?”

Shiori slowly nodded, making her chuckle. “Do you want me to prepare some coffee?”

“Please.”

“Alright, I will be back.”

As Nerissa took her leave, Shiori turned to Elizabeth, who opened her arms in a clear invitation. She approached her, melting in her embrace and burying her face in her neck.

When Nerissa returned, she regretted having her hands occupied, as she would have liked to take a picture of Elizabeth and Shiori cuddling on the couch.

“Here you go.” She set her cup and a plate down. “Elizabeth brought some pastries early today, and we made sure to save your favorites.”

“Thank you,” Shiori grabbed her cup, taking a long whiff of the freshly made coffee before sipping on it. “This is just what I needed.”

“What time did you come home last night?” Elizabeth asked.

“I think around 3. I didn't really look at the time; I was only preoccupied with getting into bed.”

“You didn't eat,” Nerissa noted. “I was going to scold you, but knowing you arrived so late, I can't blame you for not eating. Please tell me you are done with your recordings.” 

“Thankfully, I am, and because of how much trouble we had, the studio granted us three free days, so I will be able to rest and recover.”

They kept the conversation light as Shiori had breakfast, not wanting to disrupt her as she ate.

With her stomach full, Shiori was more alert now, and because of this, she could notice her friends looked rather…awkward.

“Are you two alright? You seem weird.”

Elizabeth and Nerissa nervously looked at each other, having some sort of silent exchange before the latter grabbed her hand.

“Shiori, there is something we want to tell you.”

Elizabeth nodded, reaching for her other hand. “Last night, Nerissa and I talked and we-” She swallowed, looking at Nerissa for support.

“We told each other about our feelings, and well, we are girlfriends now.” Perhaps that wasn't the best way to say it, but there was no point in being vague.

From all the things they could have said, Shiori never expected it would be something like this, not now at least, so she didn't know how to react.

Glancing at them, she saw they were looking at her with certain worry, as if they were afraid of what she could say. So, although she was feeling a turmoil of emotions inside her, she decided to push that to the side so as not to scare them.

She scoffed, letting go of their hands to cross her arms and lean back on the couch. “You took your time, didn't you?”

Both sighed in relief as if a huge weight had just been lifted off their shoulders.

“You aren't upset, are you?” Nerissa asked.

“Why would I? Wasn't I the one who went to talk to you about your feelings and…you did tell each other about that, right?”

“We did,” Elizabeth said.

“Okay, so that reaffirms my sentiment then. I wouldn't have talked to you if I had a problem with you getting together.”

“I guess it made sense, but there was still some doubt, you know, after all, the last thing Elizabeth and I would want to do is upset you.”

“Well, you can relax then.”

“Yes, but even if you are okay with this, Nerissa and I talked a lot about this, and we want to reassure you that nothing will change between us three,” Elizabeth affirmed, and Nerissa agreed.

“We won't stop hanging out or spending time together because of this. Elizabeth and I will find our own chances to hang out, just the two of us.”

“Yes, and we also want you to be honest with us if you are ever uncomfortable or anything similar; we will make sure to listen to you and do anything we can to change that.”

Regardless of whatever Shiori was feeling at the moment, she couldn't deny that their reassurance was rather sweet.

“I wasn't afraid of being pushed to the side, but I appreciate you worrying so much about me.”

“You are our best friend, and we love you, so we will always make sure to consider your feelings.”

Elizabeth nodded. “That we would, besides each other, you are our biggest priority.”

Although they were just being good friends, Shiori was starting to get overwhelmed, so before she did something she regretted, she had to leave.

She made a fake cringe face. “Okay, you are getting too sappy for my taste. I understand your point.”

“Are we good, then?” Elizabeth questioned.

“Yes, now, if you excuse me, I'd better go change. We are still going to the mall later, aren't we?”

“We are,” Nerissa said.

“Alright, see you in a while.”

The walk back to her room felt eternal. As soon as she made it there, she pressed her back against the door and slid down to the floor.

Although Shiori had managed to keep her composure, it felt surreal that Nerissa and Elizabeth were dating. Still, she knew she shouldn't be that surprised, as she was the one who gave them the extra push they needed to stop dancing around each other.

But even if this development didn't exactly come out of nowhere, she couldn't help the profound ache she was feeling in her heart.

Chapter Text

Shiori should have known she wouldn't find the peace she sought when she decided to get involved in her friends' love affairs. Yet, she had deluded herself into thinking everything would improve once they spoke about their feelings.

Although the awkwardness between Nerissa and Elizabeth didn't exist anymore, she was now forced to witness them together, which was, in all senses, exponentially worse.

It had only been a few weeks since she had been experiencing this new reality, and she was struggling to keep her composure.

Elizabeth and Nerissa had kept their word about not pushing her aside; they were even respectful of the space they shared, making sure not to get too handsy when they were together.

But even if that was the case, Shiori couldn't ignore the closeness that existed between them.

The cuddles, the hugs, the occasional kisses, sharing knowing smiles and looks. They were all things she wasn't a part of, and that, whether they intended it or not, made her feel excluded.

Sometimes she wished they were a bit more selfish and decided to take more time for themselves away from her, but since they were indeed respectful, Shiori had no valid reason to ask them to spend less time together.

So yes, her life sucked at the moment.

To make matters worse, Elizabeth and Nerissa were currently on holiday. They had finished all their examinations, which meant they wouldn't return to their classes for a month and a half. So, if it was already hard to deal with them, now that she had to see them more often, she didn't know what to do with herself.

“Shiori. Elizabeth and I were thinking,” Nerissa said in the middle of their dinner.

“Nothing good can come after the words we were thinking.” She sighed. “What is it?”

“Well, as you know, we will have quite the free time the following weeks, and so as not to stay at home throughout the whole month and a half, we came up with the idea of going somewhere for a week or two.”

“That sounds nice. Do you have a place in mind?”

Elizabeth nodded, “We looked through different options, and decided we wanted to rent a house by the beach. It would be 3 hours away by car from here, so we wouldn't have to worry about paying extra for the transportation.”

“So you plan to drive yourself there, and since you will have the car, you will be able to go to different places too, a smart choice.”

“Thank you. Anyway, we are mentioning this because we want you to come with us. We haven't made any reservations yet, since we didn't know when you would be able to take days off.”

In other circumstances, such a proposal would have been well received, not only because she would get to do something different with them, but also because she would be able to take a long rest from her work.

Unfortunately, with their current predicament, the last thing Shiori wanted was to accompany them in their romantic escapade.

“While I appreciate the thought and the offer, I don't think I will be able to go with you. The studio has been busier than ever, so the chances for me to take some days off are almost nonexistent.”

Nerissa pouted. “Are you sure there is nothing you can do?”

She nodded, “I’m positive, but don't feel too bad, there will be plenty of other chances for us to go on a trip together. For now, enjoy yourselves.”

“Will you be okay staying alone for a while? If not, Nerissa and I can postpone the trip for some other time, and you can go with us.” Elizabeth said, glancing at Nerissa to corroborate if she agreed with her words, which she seemed to, as she responded with an enthusiastic nod.

Shiori scowled. “You are talking as if I weren't capable of taking care of myself.”

“Well, considering you have a knack for showing up after midnight and skipping dinner. I suppose our worry is justified.” Nerissa quipped.

“That doesn't happen often. Anyway, that is not the point. I will be fine, so don't worry too much.”

Elizabeth sighed. “Alright, if you say so, we won't feel that bad by leaving then.”

Despite saying that, Shiori practically had to draw them out once the day for them to leave arrived, since Elizabeth and Nerissa wouldn't stop hugging her. They were acting as if they wouldn't see her again for months, when in reality, they would only be away for ten days.

Shiori couldn't deny her home felt far too empty without them, but she would endure some loneliness to have a respite from their couple affairs.

“How have you been doing now that you are alone?” Bijou asked.

She and Shiori were currently on a video call, reviewing some files for their next recording.

“Pretty good actually, I won't lie and say I don't miss them, but it's good to spend some time separated, for my own mental health and for them to have fun together without me present.”

Bijou scoffed. “I'm sure they are having plenty of fun.”

Shiori narrowed her eyes. “Why did you say it like you were implying something?”

“I mean, this is the first time they are truly spending some alone time since they started dating, so don't you think they would want to make the most out of it?”

“I still don't catch what you mean.”

“I mean that they are probably getting to fuck, a lot.”

Shiori's jaw dropped, not believing what had just come out of Bijou's mouth. “Bijou! Have some decorum, will you?”

“Oh come on, don't act like a puritan, you know that is what is most likely happening.”

“So what, why would I want to think about that?”

“I mean, since you are so in love with them, I assumed you would have had some fantasies about it.”

“I'm not a pervert. Now stop talking and focus on working.”

She raised her hands in defeat. “Alright, I won't say anything more.”

Although Bijou had kept her word, hours later, when Shiori was lying in bed, she thought of what she had said.

In the past, she had always refused to think of their friends in any intimate situations with their partners, as not only was that creepy, but she would also only hurt herself if she did. But now that the two people she was in love with were together, the situation was different.

She knew she shouldn't, but she couldn't prevent the images from conjuring in her mind, imagining their words. Their touches.

She felt her body growing warmer, and it was at that moment that a wave of guilt struck her. Rapidly sitting up, she roughly scrubbed her eyes, feeling disgusted with herself that she had gotten so far as to picture Elizabeth and Nerissa together.

Moving to her bathroom, she didn't bother removing her clothes before jumping right into the shower, hoping the cold water would wash away her thoughts of them.

Two more days passed before her friends returned, and although Shiori would have wanted to greet them properly, her plans were ruined as they returned sooner than she anticipated. 

She was still in bed when a body fell on top of hers.

“Shiori.” She heard Nerissa's voice in her ear as the last remnants of sleep washed away. “I missed you so much.”

“Don't squeeze her so hard, you will make her eyes pop out,” Elizabeth said, approaching the bed with more caution before lying beside Shiori and draping her arm over hers and Nerissa's body. “Good morning.”

“Good morning. Weren't you supposed to arrive in the afternoon?”

“That was the idea, but we ended up leaving early,” Nerissa responded.

“I see, did you have breakfast already?”

Elizabeth nodded. “We did, but it's clear you haven't, so let us prepare it for you while you change.”

She briefly kissed her cheek, standing up and walking out of the room.

“Take your time,” Nerissa added, kissing her other cheek and leaving too.

As the ones who went on a trip, Elizabeth and Nerissa had much to talk about, despite sending her daily updates of their activities. Shiori hadn't done much besides working, so she was more than happy to listen to their stories.

“It seems you made the most out of your time. I'm happy you had so much fun.” Shiori commented.

“We are happy too, although we would have had way more fun with you there.” 

Elizabeth nodded. “Nerissa and I can't wait for the day you can join us on our next adventure.”

Shiori rolled her eyes. “You can't stop thinking about me, can you?”

“Never.” Both said at the same time.

“How did your recordings go? You took proper rests and ate all your meals, right?” Nerissa asked.

“Yes, Mom, I did. As for how the recordings went. Tiresome, but we are getting the job done.”

“Good to hear, do you have any plans for the day? If not, do you want to spend it lying on the couch and watching movies?” Elizabeth proposed.

“I don't, and that sounds like a great idea.”

Although Shiori had appreciated having some alone time, she had to admit that it felt good to have Nerissa and Elizabeth back.

At least that was the case for a few days until…

Shiori woke up in a startle. Her heart was pounding, and sweat soaked her back, making her shirt stick to her skin. She had a moment of confusion, not knowing why she had woken up so abruptly, before she started having flashes of what she had been dreaming about.

She couldn't paint the full picture, but it wasn't necessary, as the little she could recall made it clear that she was having a wet dream that had her, Nerissa, and Elizabeth as protagonists.

Shiori didn't know what to feel upon such a realization, nor did she want to think about it, so she just worried about cleaning herself and changing her shirt before falling asleep again.

Despite wanting to brush the dream off, she continued to have similar dreams almost daily after that incident. She wasn't waking up in a sweat anymore, but still, it was bothersome that they were a thing to begin with, as they were starting to affect how she behaved around her friends.

Every time she saw them, she couldn't help but think of the compromising things she had dreamt about, which prevented her from being at ease in their company. 

They weren't able to tell she was struggling, since she was doing a good job at pretending nothing was wrong. But there had been moments when her mask had slipped off, and she had reacted with nervousness to their closeness.

If this continued happening, she had no doubt they would eventually ask about her odd behavior, and if that moment came, what would she say? 

No, she couldn't let it reach that point, so she better do something to find a solution to her problem.

Chapter Text

“This is all your fault.” Shiori fisted Bijou's shirt, bringing her close and glaring at her.

“Wh-what did I do?” She stuttered, not understanding why Shiori was being so aggressive.

“Come with me,” Shiori said between gritted teeth, letting go of her shirt and walking away, forcing Bijou to follow her.

They got in the elevator, where Shiori pressed the button to the terrace.

Luckily, they were the only ones there, so they had plenty of privacy to talk.

“Did you bring me out here to throw me off the building? Homicide won't look good on your resume.”

“While the idea is tempting…” Bijou made a scared face. “I'm joking, I'm not going to kill you, but I'm angry at you, or well, because of you.”

“I got that impression. Will you tell me what I did to make you feel this way? Because I can't think of anything I would have done that would make you be this worked up.”

“Gladly.”

Although it was embarrassing to admit she was having wet dreams about her friends, she needed to mention it for Bijou to understand what she had done.

“I’m certain this all started because you made that comment about them fucking while on their trip.”

“Wait a second. You think I'm responsible for your fantasies about the women you are in love with?”

Shiori crossed her arms. “That is exactly what I'm saying.”

“You must be out of your mind. Whether I made that comment or not, I don't think I would have influenced anything. Sooner or later, you would have thought about it, and you know why?”

“Why?”

“Because you aren’t getting any action, tell me, when was the last time you slept with anyone?”

Her cheeks blushed. “That is none of your concern.”

“Come on, you have just admitted you have wet dreams about Nerissa and Elizabeth, answering my question can't be that hard.”

Shiori sighed before she muttered something.

“Sorry, what was that?” Bijou put her hand in her ear. “You need to be louder.”

“Right before realizing my feelings for Nerissa and Elizabeth.”

Bijou opened her mouth in shock. “But that was years ago. You are telling me that after that, there wasn't even a one-night stand.”

“Nop.” She popped the p.

“Huh.” Bijou leaned against the railings. “That explains so much.”

“What do you mean?” Shiori frowned.

“I mean that, no wonder you are having dreams with the amount of pent-up sexual frustration coursing through your body.”

“Bijou,” She slapped her arm. “Don't be so crass.”

“I'm sorry, but there isn't a gentler way to say it.”

“Whatever,” She rolled her eyes. “Can we drop this subject now?”

“Nuh uh, you were the one who brought me out here and accused me of poisoning your mind, so now that I know what ails you, I think I know what could help with your dreams.”

Shiori shook her head. “I hope I don't regret this. What do you have in mind?”

“Well, since it has been quite a while since you have been…involved with someone, why don't you try to go on a date? You don't need to sleep with them or anything like that, but just putting yourself out there would be a great first step.”

Although she was confident with her idea, Bijou spoke with certain weariness, afraid that Shiori would react badly, but she offered no reaction.

“Don't you have anything to say?”

Shiori hummed. “I'm just thinking, your proposal isn't bad, it's just… Don't you think it would be unfair to put myself out there as you say it, when I know I'm in love with someone?”

“It's not about fairness, but doing something to get you out of your predicament, or do you expect to wait till your feelings are gone to try to go out with others? What if that never happens? Will you just live the rest of your days single and miserable?”

“I'm not that miserable.” Shiori babbled, earning a deadpan look from Bijou.

“Sure you aren't. Anyway, the point is, you never know what could happen until you try. Perhaps the love of your life is out there, and you haven't met them yet because you are hooked on your best friends.”

“That is a bit far-fetched, but supposing I heed your advice, where could I find someone to date? You know I'm not fond of dating apps, and I don't know anyone whom I could think of asking out.”

Bijou thoughtfully hummed before a lightbulb lit up in her head. “I think I have an idea. Do you remember Zeta, my ex-coworker and friend who recently moved into the city?”

The name sounded familiar, so after digging through her memories, Shiori recalled exactly who she was talking about. “I do, didn't you meet with her a few weeks ago?”

“I did. Anyway, you know how I used to tell you that if you ever met, I thought you two would get along since you are similar in many aspects? Well, I know for a fact she is single, and since you are looking for a potential date, why not her?”

Shiori hummed, unsurely. “I don't know, I have never spoken to her before, don't you think it would be weird if I just randomly contacted her?”

Bijou shook her head. “Not at all, she has heard some things about you, too, and said she would love to meet you someday. I can give you her contact info, and you can talk to her. You don't need to ask her out right away, but try to have a chat at least. I know you two will hit it off, and even if you never go on a date, you will at least gain a new friend.”

“You seem really sure we will get along.” She sighed. “Alright, give me her number and I will message her.”

“Awesome, I will text you her number later.”

Despite having her contact information, Shiori didn't text her right away, debating for a few days on what to say before finally reaching out to her.

She didn't want to give the wrong impression, so she used Bijou as an excuse for contacting her, citing her belief that they had a lot in common and would get along if given the chance to interact. 

Although Zeta didn't have to text her back, she was really welcoming to her, answering with warmth since her first reply, saying she was happy she had contacted her.

As a first interaction, Shiori had just intended to introduce herself and perhaps have a brief talk, but she hadn't anticipated that she would connect with Zeta so well that they would spend hours getting to know each other.

They only stopped talking because both needed to rest, but they promised they would continue texting once they were available.

In the following days, the texting between them became a routine as they would talk to each other daily without fail. Both found joy in this newfound…friendship? So it didn't take long for Zeta to invite Shiori to an exhibition in a museum.

They didn't refer to it as a date, but there was an implication that it could be that. Although Shiori wasn't that sure she wanted to take that route with Zeta yet, she did want to see her, so despite her doubts, she ended up accepting her invitation.

Now that she had plans, there was something else Shiori had to do: tell Nerissa and Elizabeth about it. She didn't need to inform them of everything she did, but since she would be meeting with Zeta on Saturday, which was the day she and her friends usually spent together. She had to tell them she wouldn't be available to hang out.

Despite knowing she had plans for days, she waited until Friday to tell them.

“I didn't mention it before, but tomorrow I will be going out.”

“Oh,” Nerissa furrowed her brows. “With Bijou?”

“No, with someone else.”

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as if she were scrutinizing her before making a smooth face. “Don't tell me you are going on a date. Who is the lucky guy?”

“Sort of and…” She averted their eyes. “It will be with a woman.”

The reason she was acting so avoidant was because, despite being in love with Nerissa and Elizabeth, Shiori had never gone on a date with a girl, let alone been in a relationship with one. So, she had no doubt such information would be shocking for them. That is why she had waited so long to mention her outing with Zeta, knowing she would be questioned about it.

“Anyway, that is all. I'd better leave now. See you later.” She didn't wait for their response, practically running away.

Minutes had passed since Shiori left, and Elizabeth and Nerissa hadn't said anything yet. The first one to get out of her stupor was Elizabeth, who shook her head before glancing at Nerissa.

“I don't think I imagined it, but I must ask, did Shiori say she would be going out with a woman?”

Nerissa hummed, staring at nowhere in particular. “She did.”

“Yeah, I thought so… We are going to talk about this later, aren't we?”

“Yes, we will.”

Shiori opened the apartment door slowly, trying to make as little noise as possible so as not to alert her roommates that she was back. Once inside, she intended to tiptoe to her room, only to stop after taking three steps as the lights were turned on.

“Trying to sneak in?” Nerissa asked, leaning against the wall.

“Maybe, I saw everything was dark and just assumed you would be asleep, so I tried to be stealthy.” She came up with that lie on the fly, feeling thankful that everything had been dark inside, which supported her statement.

“We weren't asleep.” Elizabeth appeared from behind Nerissa. “We were watching some TV on the couch.”

“I see, well, I will let you continue doing that. I already ate dinner, so I will just go to bed.” She walked past them but didn't manage to get too far before Nerissa's voice stopped her in her tracks.

“Before you do that, can we talk?”

She made a wince face, which they missed, since she was with her back towards them. The last thing Shiori wanted to do at the moment was to talk, as she knew exactly what they would be discussing. But even if she managed to avoid it now, sooner or later she would need to have this conversation with them.

“We can, just let me change into my pajamas. I will be back in a few minutes.”

When Shiori returned to the living room, they were waiting for her on the couch. They had left a space between them, which was clearly for her to take.

“So, what did you want to talk about?” Shiori asked, folding her hands on her lap.

Nerissa and Elizabeth exchanged glances before the latter spoke. “It's about what you said this morning, about going on a date with a woman.”

“What is it you want to talk about?”

“Well, for starters, the fact that it's with a woman. Since when are you attracted to them?” Nerissa intervened.

Shiori shrugged. “A while.”

That's the best she could come up with, because answering ‘since the moment I realized I had feelings for you’ wouldn't do.

“What do you mean by a while? That is it?”

“Pretty much.”

Nerissa huffed, not liking her short answers. “Why didn't you tell us anything?”

“You know that after my last relationship, I decided I wanted to focus on other things, and because I wasn't planning to date anyone, it's just something that never came up until now, I guess.” 

“Did something happen that made you change your mind on dating again?” Elizabeth asked.

Yes, you getting together happened .

“Not really, it's not something I have been thinking about or anything like that. It just happened, and now that I'm talking to Zeta, it feels right to try.”

“Zeta?” Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. “Is that the woman you will be going out with? How did you meet her?”

“Yes, that is her name, and I didn't meet her per se. Bijou gave me her number. She is an ex-coworker and friend who recently moved to the city.”

“Bijou mentioned her in the past, saying that if we ever met, we would get along really well since we are similar. One thing led to another, and I ended up contacting her. I didn't expect to connect so well with her, but it feels nice to talk to her. For the past week or so, we have been texting each other nonstop.”

From everything she had said until now, this was the most truthful she had been, as she did feel that way about Zeta. She couldn't confirm she was interested in her on a deeper level, not yet, at least, but she did enjoy their interactions.

Nerissa hummed. “Who asked who out?”

“Zeta did. She invited me to see an exhibition in a museum, and afterward we will go eat somewhere.”

Nerissa and Elizabeth exchanged glances, knowing the other was thinking it was a solid date plan, especially for someone like Shiori.

“That sounds great,” Nerissa said.

“It does.” Shiori fidgeted with her hands. “Is there anything else you want to know?”

“No, I think that is all,” Elizabeth said. “Thank you for your honesty. I hope we didn't make you feel uncomfortable with so many questions.”

Shiori giggled. “Don't worry, you didn't. What about you, Nerissa?”

She glanced at her, noticing Nerissa seemed to be distracted.

“Nerissa.”

“Hmm? Sorry.” She shook her head. “I have no more questions.”

“Alright, if you excuse me.” She stood up. “I'm going to sleep now.”

“Of course, goodnight, Shiori,” Elizabeth said.

“Goodnight.”

Well…that went better than she expected. 

At least, Shiori had managed to keep her composure, allowing her not to raise suspicions about the veracity of her statements, which was all that mattered.

Chapter Text

Although Shiori didn't have regrets about accepting Zeta's invitation, she couldn't deny she was feeling nervous.

Regardless of the whole date affair, this was the first time in a while that she was going out with someone who wasn't Nerissa, Elizabeth, or Bijou, so her nervousness was justified.

What if she and Zeta didn't connect as well in real life as they did over text? If things were awkward or worse, she made a fool of herself?

She tried not to worry too much about the what-ifs, convincing herself everything would be okay, but it was hard to fight against her inner turmoil.

She looked at herself in the mirror for what must be the hundredth time in the past hour. She had gone through three different outfits until she settled on a plain black skirt with black sheer stockings and a beige off-the-shoulder sweater. It was a simple but effective fit, and with added accessories to enhance the look, Shiori was pleased with the final product.

“You look beautiful.”

She looked back, seeing Elizabeth resting against the door frame. She was looking at her with a warm smile, which sent flutters to her stomach.

“Thank you, I got through so many outfits before I settled for this. Now I'm only missing the shoes. Which ones do you think will be best?” Shiori asked, picking two pairs in each hand.

Elizabeth thoughtfully hummed. “The ones on the right fit the most with the outfit, but they will probably bother you after a while. The ones on the left, however, are perfect to walk around, so knowing what your plans are, I would choose those.”

Shiori nodded. “I will go with the ones on the left then.” She sat on her bed to put them on.

“Have you already decided where you will go to eat after the museum?”

“Not really, but since Zeta is still getting to know the city, I was thinking I could be the one suggesting the place.”

“That is a good idea. How are you feeling?”

Shiori let out a long exhale. “Nervous but also excited, I guess.”

“That is to be expected, but I know you will be fine. You two seem to be already getting along nicely, so you have nothing to worry about, just focus on having a good time.”

Her words did offer her some reassurance. “I will try. Anyway, I should get going now.”

Elizabeth nodded. “Let me walk you out.”

They passed through the kitchen, where Nerissa was reading recipes, as she felt like baking something. When she saw Shiori, however, she forgot about the receipts in favor of admiring her.

“You look beautiful.”

Shiori rolled her eyes. “Elizabeth said the same thing. I'm glad you two approve of my look.”

“If your date doesn't fall head over heels for you, there is something wrong with her.”

Shiori brushed off. “Please stop, you don't need to inflate my ego.”

Nerissa shook her head, offering her an earnest smile. “I'm not, I'm just speaking the truth.”

Shiori cleared her throat. “Anyway, I was just leaving. I don't know when I will be back, so don't worry about me.”

“We won't, but we will be patiently waiting for you to get back so you can tell us how the date went,” Elizabeth said.

Shiori rolled her eyes. “I will see you later then.”

Since she had left her home earlier than anticipated, Shiori was the first one to arrive at the museum. Still, she didn't have to wait much since a few minutes later, she saw Zeta approaching her.

Shiori didn't know how to greet her, but she didn't have to worry too much about it since Zeta took care of it, going in for a quick hug, which she gladly reciprocated. They exchanged compliments and whatnot before entering the museum.

Elizabeth glanced down at Nerissa. They were currently cuddling on the couch, watching a series they had been following for days, or at least, that was what they were supposed to be doing. Elizabeth had been paying attention to the TV when she noticed Nerissa seemed to be distracted. Her eyes were focused on the screen, but it was as if she were just staring instead of watching.

She didn't think much of it at first, but after a while of noticing she was still acting the same, she felt compelled to say something.

“Are you okay?” Nerissa looked up at her.

“Yes, why do you ask?” She tried to give her a reassuring smile, but Elizabeth wasn't buying it.

“Because you aren't paying attention. You seem to be lost in your thoughts.”

Nerissa glanced down, letting out a sigh before sitting up. Elizabeth sat up too, pausing the series and giving Nerissa a concerned look.

“I don't know how to explain it, but for some reason, I can't stop thinking of Shiori. I'm wondering if she is okay, if she is enjoying her date, and if this Zeta girl is treating her right.”

Elizabeth hummed. “You are worried about her, believe me, I am too.”

Nerissa raised her eyebrows. “Really? You didn't give me that impression, since you seemed super supportive from the moment we found out she was going on a date.”

“I mean, how else could I react? This is a new experience for Shiori, so I wanted her to feel at ease. Still, that doesn't mean I'm not scared of something potentially going wrong.”

“But I think that is normal, you know. Shiori is our friend, and we love her, so of course we don't want anything bad to happen. I genuinely hope this date goes well for her, and if it doesn't, we will make sure to uplift her spirit.”

Nerissa giggled, falling into her arms again. “You are right, sorry for dampening the mood with my worries.”

“Not at all,” She kissed her temple. “I'm happy we were able to discuss this, so we will be less nervous as we wait for Shiori to get back.”

“True, now press play. Despite seeming distracted, I was following the plot.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “Alright, you better not ask me to go back later.”

They managed to go through three more episodes before Shiori came back.

“Don't tell me you spent the whole evening lying on the couch and watching,” Shiori glanced at the screen. “I have heard of that one. Is it good?”

Nerissa nodded. “Yes, but the series can wait.” She patted the couch between her and Elizabeth. “We want to hear it all about your date.”

“Impatient, aren't you?”

“Very, now start talking.”

Shiori shook her head as she dropped onto the couch. “Where do you want me to start from?”

“From the beginning, but before that, give us a little spoiler, did everything go well?” Elizabeth asked, as she knew her and Nerissa would be too preoccupied with the date's outcome to pay attention to anything else.

“It did.” Both sighed in relief. “Don't tell me you were worried?”

“Of course we were,” Nerissa said. “Now give us all the details.”

For the next hours or so, Shiori gave them an extensive recount of their date from their meeting until they parted ways. For obvious reasons, she couldn't mention every single thing that happened, but she made an effort to highlight the most interesting moments.

“Before we met, one of my fears was that we wouldn't connect as well in person as we did over text, but I was pleasantly surprised to see our interactions didn't feel that different. Zeta acted exactly like how I imagined she would, based on the few times we talked, and I can confidently say I had a great time hanging out with her.”

“I want to believe she did, too, at least, that is the impression I got.”

“I'm so happy for you. With everything you told us, it is safe to assume you are going on a second date, right?” Elizabeth asked.

Shiori's shoulders slumped before she leaned back to rest her head on the backrest. “To be honest, this wasn't a date date to begin with; we never referred to it as one.”

Nerissa turned toward her. “Even if you didn't put a name to it, it felt like it was a date. Didn't it feel that way for you?”

“Kind of, but although I had a great time with Zeta, and it can't be denied that our chemistry is good. I haven't felt that spark yet, you know.”

Zeta was a wonderful girl, but Shiori couldn't lie to herself and say she was interested in her that way when it wasn't the case.

Elizabeth hummed. “Well, the spark doesn't always happen on the first date, you are still getting to know each other after all, so just give it some time, unless you have decided you don't want to try further.”

“I haven't decided anything, all I know is that I still want to talk to her, but I guess I should take things slow and see what happens. If we don't continue this whole dating thing, at least I hope she can become my friend.”

Nerissa nodded. “That is fine, just don't pressure yourself, and remember, always be honest. If you don't feel that connection, don't continue going on dates and give Zeta false hope.”

“Of course, I wouldn't dare do that to her; she deserves nothing but the truth, and I also wouldn't be fair to myself if I continue doing something I don't want, but thankfully, that is not a problem for now.”

“But besides whatever I'm feeling at the moment, we still agreed to meet again in two weeks, for a second date not date.”

“Uhhh.” Elizabeth wiggled her eyebrows. “Where are you going this time?”

“I was thinking of taking her on a little sightseeing trip throughout the city. Based on the little I know about her, I can think of a few places she would love to visit.”

Nerissa put her hand on her heart. “That is so cute, who knew our Shiori was such a romantic.”

“Hey.” She lightly slapped her arms. “You say that as if I were a bitter person.”

Nerissa hugged her by the shoulders. “Of course you are not, my sweet, sweet Shiori.” She cooed, starting to give her kisses all over her cheek.

“Stop it.” Shiori expressed fake annoyance. “Elizabeth, tell your girlfriend to stop.”

Instead of doing that, Elizabeth joined in Nerissa's attack, kissing her other cheek until all three broke into a fit of giggles.

Chapter Text

Nerissa annoyingly huffed, something she had found herself doing quite often lately. The reason for her irritability was sitting in front of her, smiling and giggling at her phone. 

“What is so funny?” Nerissa asked with a certain poison in her tone, which went unnoticed.

“Oh.” Shiori looked up from her phone. “Zeta just sent me a cat video. See?” She briefly showed her the screen before she started typing a response.

That whole exchange only served to annoy her further, so Nerissa left the room before she said something she regretted.

Instead of going back to her room, she took a diversion towards Elizabeth's.

“I don't like her.” She said, closing the door behind her and resting her back against it.

Elizabeth frowned, glancing away from her computer. “Who don't you like?”

“Zeta.”

Elizabeth's frown deepened. “I might sound repetitive, but why?” She tensed up. “Did something happen between her and Shiori?”

Nerissa huffed. “Nothing happened. Shiori is completely enamored with her, and that is the problem.” She approached her bed, dramatically falling on it. “I'm tired of constantly hearing about Zeta. Zeta said this, Zeta likes that, look what Zeta sent, everything she said is just Zeta, Zeta and more Zeta.”

Nerissa didn't know why she was so annoyed. When she first found out about Zeta, although she was worried about how she could treat Shiori, she quickly got over those worries after their date, feeling genuine happiness for her friend that she had found someone who seemed so nice. 

However, as the days passed and Shiori did nothing but talk about her and look far too happy staring at her phone, Nerissa began feeling a certain disdain forming against Zeta.

She didn't want to have problems with the girl who made her friend so happy, but she couldn't help feeling this way, which annoyed her even more.

She heard Elizabeth snorting before she started laughing. Nerissa glanced at her, seeing her doubled over in her chair.

“Why are you laughing?”

“Sorry is just…” A cackle interrupted her, so she didn't attempt to talk again until most of her laughter had passed.

“Oh, I hadn't laughed like that in so long.” She wiped a few tears that had fallen from her eyes before focusing her attention on Nerissa, who had a cute pout on her face.

“I must clarify, I wasn't laughing because I thought what you told me was silly.”

She crossed her arms. “What were you laughing about then?”

Elizabeth didn't answer right away, choosing to join her in bed. Now both were lying on their sides, looking at each other.

“I laughed because of the way you said it. Do you realize how utterly jealous you sounded?”

“I didn't sound jealous.”

“Yes, you did.” She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. “Are you jealous of the attention Zeta is getting from Shiori?”

Nerissa opened her mouth to refute, but quickly stopped herself once she saw Elizabeth giving her a knowing look. “Maybe I am.”

“Thanks for your honesty. Want to talk about it?”

She sighed. “I guess. I'm supposed to be happy for her, and I was at first, but now I'm just angry, and every time she starts talking about Zeta, I just want her to stop.”

“I think it is because, deep down, I feel as if I were losing priority in Shiori's life, as if Zeta were replacing me. I know it is stupid to think that way, but I can't help it.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I don't think it is, but we are Shiori's friends, and that isn't going to change if they become girlfriends.”

“But what if it does?” Nerissa frowned. “What if Shiori pulls away from us and leaves us because of Zeta? I don't want anything to change between us.”

“I don't want that either, but do you expect Shiori to spend her whole life beside us and never find a love of her own? We have each other, and she deserves someone, too. It's selfish to think she has to renounce that just because we don't want to feel left aside.”

Nerissa sat up, feeling offended that Elizabeth would even suggest such a thing. “Of course I want her to find someone, too. It’s just…” She choked up. “I'm not prepared for that to start happening now. I thought we would have more years to spend together before I would have to worry about us having our separate lives.”

Elizabeth sat up, too, pulling Nerissa in her arms. “It's okay to be afraid, Nerissa, and believe me, I don't want to think about that scenario either, but we can't put our feelings before Shiori's. If whatever is happening with Zeta becomes serious enough, we can do nothing but support her. We owe her that much.”

Nerissa hummed, pulling away from her embrace. “You are right, Shiori deserves my support, not my pettiness.” She chuckled. “I guess I will have to work on myself, so my feelings for Zeta will change, but for now, I will allow myself to be bitter about the attention she gets.”

“That is fine, just let it all out. It would be worse if you kept it inside.”

“Yes.” She kissed her. “Thank you for listening to me and for your advice. What would be of me, without you?”

“I don't know, but something tells me you would have probably snatched Shiori's phone from her hands and thrown it against a wall by now.”

Nerissa chuckled. “I did think about it a few times.”

She rolled her eyes. “Of course you did.”

Despite what Elizabeth said and the reassurance she had tried to provide to Nerissa, the truth was that their talk had raised some doubts within her. 

Knowing Shiori, she wanted to believe that regardless of how her relationship with Zeta progressed, she wouldn't cast them aside, but what if Nerissa was right? What if Shiori and Zeta getting together changed everything between them? 

They never had that problem in the past, but for some reason, there seemed to be something different about the way Shiori behaved when it came to Zeta, in comparison to past lovers. 

She spoke with such enthusiasm about her, bringing her up in almost every conversation they had, and when she wasn't saying anything, she was indeed stuck to her phone chatting with her. There had even been a few occasions when the three of them were hanging out, and she had pulled out her phone to talk to her; it's not like she started having a full-blown conversation and ignored them since she just sent brief texts before focusing on them again, but that had never happened before.

Elizabeth didn't think anything bad of her behavior, nor did she feel a particular disdain towards Zeta, unlike Nerissa, since she could understand the excitement that came with getting to know someone you are potentially interested in, but perhaps she ought to pay more attention.

For now, she would just allow things to remain as they are, not wanting to judge Shiori for the novelty she was experiencing. But if she starts to notice Shiori pulling away from them in the long run, she will have to talk to her and express her fears and concerns to avoid creating a rift between them.

“This ice cream is amazing; it easily enters the top three of the best ones I have ever tried.” Zeta complimented, getting another spoonful from her cup.

“See? Now you understand why I was so insistent on bringing you here.” Shiori responded.

“I do, I'm glad we came all the way over here. How did you discover this place?”

They were currently hanging out in one of Shiori’s favorite spots, a cozy ice cream parlor by the seaside. Because of its location, they had to travel for almost an hour and a half to get there, but it was a worthwhile trip.

“When I was little, I used to live close by, so to say I came over to these parts quite often would be an understatement. I especially loved coming here in the summer, just to have some ice cream as I stared into the ocean.”

“That sounds really nice. I'm assuming that stopped once you moved away.”

Shiori nodded. “Yes, but I still come over here every once in a while, which actually made me appreciate this parlor more. I always made sure to savor the ice cream to the fullest, since I never knew when I would be coming back.”

They continued exchanging childhood stories, discussing their favorite places, and sharing amusing anecdotes as they enjoyed their ice cream.

After a while of chartering, they fell into a comfortable silence, staring into the sunset.

“Shiori.”

“Hmm?” She glanced at Zeta.

“There is something I have been meaning to talk to you about, and I think now would be a good time to do so.”

Hearing that made her feel nervous all of a sudden, but she tried not to show it. “Of course, what is it you want to tell me?”

“This past month or so that we have been talking and hanging out has been nothing but the best. I have loved getting to know you, and I'm not ashamed to admit that I like you a lot.”

“We never spoke about what the intention behind our outings and whatnot were, but I want to know if you are only looking for a friendship, or if there is a possibility for something more to happen between us.”

Shiori shouldn't be surprised this moment had finally come; after all, she knew they would be having this talk sooner or later, and although she hadn't anticipated it happening today, she knew what she had to say.

“Thank you for being so upfront. I knew we would be talking about this at some point, but I was waiting for you to bring it up.”

Shiori took a deep breath. “I must admit that when I first contacted you, I never expected to form such a special connection with you. Talking for hours, getting to know each other and going out together, I have loved all of it, more so because it's with you.”

“You are gorgeous, funny, smart, and I could continue naming more qualities that only add to your charm, but…”

“You aren't attracted to me.” Zeta chimed in, understanding where this was going.

Shiori gave her a sad smile. “Believe me, I would like nothing more than to feel that way, to say yes, but it wouldn't be fair for you or me if I said that.”

It pained Shiori to admit that, since Zeta was indeed wonderful. She had tried to like her beyond a friendly manner, but it just didn't happen.

“I won't pretend like your rejection doesn't hurt a little, but it would hurt even more if we tried something, and then I found out you were just forcing yourself, so thank you for being honest.”

Shiori winced at that, making Zeta frown. “What is wrong?”

She didn't answer; instead, her gaze drifted towards the water.  There was something really calming about the way the sun reflected on the surface as the waves gently swayed back and forth.

And it was thanks to that calmness that Shiori found the resolve to speak her mind.

“The truth is that I haven't been entirely honest with you.”

And with that proclamation, she told Zeta everything about her feelings and her current predicament. How she was in love with her best friends and how miserable she was because of it.

She also told her about Bijou's advice, revealing that she had contacted her in hopes that she could forget about Nerissa and Elizabeth.

Shiori didn't leave anything unsaid, finding immense relief in being able to speak that out loud, but also feeling deep guilt.

“I'm sorry for having lied to you. I'm sure you probably hate me now, and I don't blame you for it, nor do I regret telling you all this. You have been nothing but amazing to me, so you deserved to know the whole truth and…” She was cut off as Zeta did something she didn't expect.

She circled her arms around her, pressing her body against hers as she engulfed her in a tight embrace.

“This has been eating you from the inside, hasn't it?”

Zeta's question was a mere observation, and yet it caused a turmoil of emotions to start stirring within Shiori. She felt a knot forming in her throat before a sob cursed through her body, then another and another, until she wrapped her arms around Zeta and hid her face in her shoulder before she started to cry.

She wept like a baby, finally letting out everything she had been holding onto for so long. Despite how odd the whole thing was, in the end, she was glad that her breakdown happened with someone like Zeta by her side, as she offered a comfort she hadn't realized she needed until then.

When no more tears fell and her cries calmed down, Shiori let go of Zeta.

“I'm sorry about that.” She apologized, whipping her face.

“There is nothing to be sorry for; it's clear you needed that.”

Shiori nodded. “Are you mad at me?”

“I'm not,” She brushed Shiori's hair, as it had gotten a bit messy with her crying. “Whatever reason you had to contact me is irrelevant; you never gave me false hope and showed yourself as you were, plus, knowing what is happening to you, I can do nothing but sympathize.”

“I have never been in a similar situation myself, but I have no doubt it sucks. You are doing your best trying to maintain your friendship with Nerissa and Elizabeth, even though it hurts you to hide your feelings and see them happy with each other.”

“You even pushed them to be together, knowing what it would do to you. I find that incredibly honorable, yet it doesn't make it any less sad.”

She dropped her hand. “You ought to take more care of yourself. I know you want the best for them, but that doesn't mean sacrificing your own happiness for theirs.”

Zeta didn't mean to chastise Shiori for her actions, far from it, actually, as she just hoped she would prioritize herself more.

“I know I shouldn't, but old habits die hard.”

Zeta hummed. “Is there any way I can help you? I know our circumstances are a bit strange, but despite everything that happened, I would love to continue being your friend, if you are comfortable with it, of course.”

“I should be the one saying that, but yes, I would love to be your friend still. As for helping, you already do in some ways.”

“Really? How?”

“Just by being my friend. Your presence is a good distraction. I have to admit that since we have been talking, it has become a little easier to be with Elizabeth and Nerissa as I'm not constantly aware of them.”

Zeta smiled. “Well, I'm happy I can do that for you, and now that I'm aware of your circumstances, if things ever become too much, just reach out to me; you can even come over to my house and take some time for yourself. You will always be welcome.”

“Thank you, Zeta, for everything. I'm so glad I met you.”

“I'm glad, too.” She shivered. “Now let's get out of here, it's getting cold, and I'm not looking forward to getting sick.”

Shiori laughed. “Sure, let's go back.”

Chapter Text

“Did you see we got sent the email with the theme for the party?” Shiori asked, glancing at Bijou.

“I didn't, let me check.” Bijou opened her email to see a new message in her inbox.

“Well, this theme is simpler than last year, at least.” She commented after reading through it. “Are you inviting Elizabeth and Nerissa?”

Shiori nodded. “What about you?”

“I told Zeta about it, and she told me she will make sure to clear her schedule to assist.”

“That is awesome.”

“Yep. I was thinking. Since we will probably need to go shopping for the party. Do you want to come with us?”

Shiori thoughtfully hummed. “I usually go shopping with Elizabeth and Nerissa, but why not? I can go with you two for a change.”

“Great, I will need to discuss with Zeta first to see which day will be best for her, and then I will tell you. Sounds good?”

“Yes, I will be waiting.”

As it was customary for these dates, their studio would be throwing a party to celebrate the anniversary of its founding. Although it was for employees only, a few had the benefit of inviting a plus one or two, which was the case with Shiori.

In all the years she had been working there, she had always invited Nerissa and Elizabeth, as she wasn't too fond of these kinds of events, so she always appreciated having the company of her friends rather than dying of boredom alone.

“Liz and I saw your message about the party earlier. This year's theme seems to be a bit more… relaxed than last year.” Nerissa said, sitting in front of Shiori.

“Thankfully, it is. I don't think I could have handled two extravagant parties in a row.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “It might not be that extravagant, but I still think I will need to go shopping for some clothes.”

Nerissa hummed. “Me too, what about you, Shiori? If you need them too, we could all go shopping.”

“I do need clothes, but I'm already going shopping with someone.”

“Who?” Nerissa frowned.

“Bijou and Zeta.”

“Why is Zeta going?” Elizabeth bumped her leg under the table, making Nerissa rephrase her question. “I mean, how is she going if she doesn't work at the studio?”

“The same way you are going, as a plus one for Bijou.”

“I see, this is the first time Bijou will bring in a plus one.”

Shiori hummed. “Well, Zeta is a very close friend of hers, and now that she is living here, I guess it makes sense for Bijou to invite her. Anyway, if you excuse me, I have to make a call.”

Elizabeth watched Shiori leave before she turned to Nerissa. “What was that?”

“What was what?”

“The way you reacted when she told us she would be going shopping with Zeta, you practically spat out her name. Didn't you say you would try not to think so negatively of her?”

“I am trying, that is why I didn't say something worse.”

Elizabeth gave her a deadpan look. “Nerissa…”

“Don't sound so disappointed with me, when Shiori is the one ditching us for her new girlfriend.”

“Firstly, she didn't ditch us; she made plans beforehand. Second of all, Bijou will be there too; it is not only her and Zeta, and third, they aren't girlfriends yet, Shiori would have mentioned something by now.”

Nerissa scoffed. “Right, just how she told us she liked women.”

“That is different, and you know it.”

“Is it really? Because, as I see it, it’s just another instance of Shiori hiding things from us. You need to stop making excuses for her and start to see that we are slowly being left behind.”

Not feeling like continuing this conversation anymore, Nerissa left the room, leaving a rather dumbfounded Elizabeth behind.

Despite how that conversation ended, they didn't talk about it again. Nerissa, on her part, didn't think that anything Elizabeth said would change her mind about how she felt regarding the situation. As for Elizabeth, she felt conflicted.

A part of her believed Nerissa wasn't being fair. But another couldn't deny that it did sting a little when Shiori told them she wouldn't be going shopping with them, even though it wasn't something that serious, and she only did it because she had made plans beforehand.

“Nerissa, hurry up, our ride is here,” Elizabeth screamed as she and Shiori were outside their apartment waiting for Nerissa to come out.

“I'm ready. Wow, my girls look so beautiful.” She complimented, looking them up and down, before kissing Shiori on the cheek and Elizabeth on the mouth. 

“Thank you, so do you. Now let's get going before the cab leaves without us.” Shiori urged them on.

Fortunately, their ride was still there when they went outside.

“This year they changed the location of the party, right?” Nerissa asked as she sat on the right, while Shiori took the middle seat and Elizabeth the left.

“Yes, it will be held in some residence, which I suppose fits with the ball-like theme they were going for this year.”

They reached their destination 20 minutes later.

Dozens of cars came and went in and out of the establishment as people started to arrive for the party.

“Invitations, please.” Shiori handed their invitations to the staff, who checked their name off the list before granting them entrance.

“Oh, it feels like we have just stepped into another era. They went all out with the decorations.” Elizabeth exclaimed in awe as her eyes scanned their surroundings.

Nerissa nodded. “I agree, when I saw what the theme was, I thought the party would be more relaxed, but I was clearly wrong.”

“Well, you know they…” Shiori trailed off, breaking into a big smile. “I see Bijou and Zeta. Let's go say hi.”

Since Shiori had her arms hooked with theirs, they had no other choice but to follow her. She let go of them once she was in front of Bijou and Zeta to give each a hug.

“You look gorgeous.” Zeta complimented, kissing her hand, which made Shiori roll her eyes.

“There is someone I would like you to meet. Zeta, meet Nerissa and Elizabeth.”

She offered them a polite smile. “It’s a pleasure to meet the friends I have heard so much about.”

Nerissa hummed. “Likewise, Shiori talks so much about you, I feel like I already know everything about you.”

“Really?” She glanced at Shiori. “I didn't know you liked me that much.”

Nerissa opened her mouth to say something, but Elizabeth interjected. “Tell me, Zeta, we know you are new to the city. Have you adapted just fine?”

She nodded. “It was a bit hard at first, but I have settled in perfectly by now.

It certainly helps to have such good guides like Bijou and Shiori, who have offered great aid to navigate the city.”

“I'm glad to hear that.”

They spent a while more just chatting before they separated to greet other people.

“You seem angry,” Elizabeth noted. “It can't be because of Zeta, right? I know you don't like her much, but she was nothing but nice to us.”

Nerissa sighed, turning towards Elizabeth. “That is exactly why I'm angry; it would be much easier to justify my disdain and feel better about it if she gave me reasons to.”

“Would you honestly have preferred she wasn't so kind?”

“The most selfish answer would be to say yes,” She sighed. “But thinking about Shiori, I want the person to be with her to be good, and she seems to be that.”

Elizabeth nodded. “That is what I think too, and if they ever get together, we will know that…” she trailed off. A scowl appeared on her face as her gaze settled on something.

“What is wrong?” Nerissa asked, but she received no answer, so she followed her line of sight, only to see an image that made her heart stop.

“Would I be wrong to assume you don't like these types of events?” Zeta asked, appearing beside Shiori.

“What makes you think that?”

“I don't know, maybe the fact that you are keeping your distance from everyone and look like you would rather be anywhere else.”

Shiori clicked her tongue. “Nothing escapes your keen eye, does it? You are right, I'm not the biggest fan of these parties, but they aren't the worst.”

“I get what you mean. I used to have to go to similar parties at my old job, and let's say that I felt great relief every time they were over.”

They laughed at that, knowing they had found a kindred spirit in each other who understood their dislike for these events.

“So, those are the roommates,” Zeta said, briefly glancing at Nerissa and Elizabeth. “I can't say I blame you for what you feel; they are objectively gorgeous.”

Shiori sighed. “Yes, they are.” Her eyes settled on them too, and as she stared at them, Zeta stared at her, unable to ignore the obvious smittenness reflected in her face.

“I must admit that, whether you had told me you were in love with them or not, I would have figured it out the second I saw you together.”

Shiori scoffed, shaking her head. “Is it funny you say that, because I didn't tell Bijou about my feelings either. She figured it out on her own, too. It seems everyone else can see my feelings but them.”

“Well, more often than not, the object of our desires tends to be oblivious while everyone in their surroundings can tell what is right in front of them, so I can't say I'm that surprised.”

“That is true,” She looked back at her. “And all things considered, I'm glad they don't notice.”

Zeta nodded. She was going to say something else, but she got distracted by noticing there was something on Shiori's eyelash. “Hold still for a moment.” She said, cradling her face.

“Is everything alright?”

“Yes, you just have…” She leaned close, carefully extracting a speck of fluff from her left eye. “There we go.”

Shiori watched as she blew the fluff away. “Thank you, I didn't even notice I had something on my eye.”

“Don't mention it.” Zeta let go of her face, glancing away to see Nerissa and Elizabeth looking at them with expressions she couldn't decipher in their faces.

She decided to pay them no mind, ignoring their looks in favor of continuing to talk with Shiori.

What Zeta didn't know, however, was that from where Nerissa and Elizabeth were standing, the whole exchange of getting the fluff off Shiori's eyelash looked to them like they had been kissing.

Nerissa scoffed, swallowing hard. “Is there anything you have to say, or do you believe me now when I said they were together?”

Elizabeth's shoulders tensed. “Shiori must have had her reasons not to have told us anything.”

“Right, keep on repeating that. Just don't act surprised when the inevitable moment for Shiori to put distance between us comes.”

Chapter Text

Shiori wasn't someone who liked jumping to conclusions without having solid proof to back up her claims. Still, she currently found herself facing a situation she didn't have much clarity on, but was sure she wasn't imagining it.

Something was wrong with Elizabeth and Nerissa; she couldn't identify exactly what, but it was clear that there was an issue. 

For the past week or so, she had been noticing them acting odd. They often seemed deep in thought, and they also didn't engage in long-lasting conversation, choosing to give short and vague answers. Seeming disinterested overall in what was being discussed.

Shiori had no idea what could possibly be causing such behavior; she knew nothing was wrong with their work, nor could she recall any particular incidents that could prompt such an attitude.

Nothing had happened between them, and although Shiori had considered the possibility that the issue was within the couple, she hadn't noticed any changes in their behavior around each other. No, the problem was with her, even though Shiori was completely unaware of what the problem was.

It was frustrating, so although she would have wanted to have more clarity on what was going on before she mentioned anything, she couldn't let things continue as they were.

Shiori walked into Nerissa's room, where she and Elizabeth were working together.

“Sorry to interrupt, but I want to talk to you.” She deliberately phrased it as requested and not as a question to convey the urgency of the matter.

“What do you want to talk about?” Elizabeth asked as Nerissa closed her laptop.

“I want to talk about you. Are you okay? Because I couldn't help but notice you have been acting odd lately.”

Nerissa crossed her arms. “Odd how?”

“I don't know, just…” Shiori shrugged. “You seem distant from me. Did something happen? I have been racking my brain trying to find a reason for your actions, and I can't come up with anything.”

Nerissa's jaw briefly clenched while Elizabeth avoided her gaze, and those reactions were enough to conclude something had indeed happened.

“Did I do something wrong? Because if that is the case, I want you to tell me.”

Elizabeth sighed as she began to play with her hands nervously. “You didn't do anything wrong, per se. The issue is something else.”

“Alright, what is it then?” As she finished asking that, her phone went off in her pocket. Shiori made no attempts to reach for it, waiting for the ringing to pass, but since it seemed to be an upcoming call, it only continued going off.

“You might want to pick that, it could be your girlfriend.”

She frowned, finally reaching for her phone, not to pick up the call, as Nerissa suggested, but to turn it off.

“I can worry about whoever is contacting me later, but what do you mean by girlfriend? I don't have one.”

Nerissa scoffed. “Sure you don't.” She said through gritted teeth, only increasing Shiori's confusion.

“I really don't. Who do you think is my girlfriend? And how does that relate to what we were previously discussing?”

Her gaze flickered between them. There was a certain desperation in her eyes that was exacerbated by the fact that neither was offering her an answer.

“And? Say something.”

Elizabeth's shoulders dropped. “You don't need to lie to us, Shiori. We know Zeta is your girlfriend.”

“No, she isn't. Yes, we went on a couple of dates, but we are just friends.”

Nerissa shook her head in disbelief. “Lies and more lies, we saw you kissing her at the studio party.”

Every new thing that came out of their mouths only increased her confusion. “We didn't kiss, you…” She ran her hands through her hair in frustration. “Regardless of whatever movie you have invented in your head, why would it be an issue if Zeta were my girlfriend? Weren't you both happy that I was getting to know her?”

“We were, but then you started to make everything about her, and we lost importance, didn't we?” Nerissa spat. Voice laced with poorly concealed venom.

“Are you being serious right now? Does that mean you expect me to spend all my time on you, is that it? I can't have other friends or a partner because you feel left aside?”

Shiori shook her head in disbelief. “That is hypocritical coming from the people dating each other, you can have one another, but I'm not allowed to have that, am I? I have given you space, reassure you it's okay to take more time for you two, and yet, you can't do the same for me?”

“You don't get to decide who I keep in my life or not as if you owned me, I'm your friend, not an object, and…” She took a deep breath. “I have heard enough. You know, I thought I had done something wrong. I was going crazy trying to think what exactly I did to make you act so cold towards me, but now I see you were just being childish.”

Elizabeth made a pained expression. “Shiori, we didn't…” She tried to approach her, but Shiori raised her hand to stop her.

“I don't want to hear it. Just leave me alone.” She left the room before they could try to argue.

Elizabeth fell back into the bed, hiding her face in her hands and groaning. “That went as badly as it could have.”

“It's mostly my fault.” Nerissa sighed. “I should have spoken more kindly, but I just threw accusations at her.”

“I won't argue on that. When things calm down, we should try to talk to her again and properly explain ourselves.”

Shiori paced around in her room. What just happened with Nerissa and Elizabeth had left her feeling on edge, and she didn't think she would calm down anytime soon. On a whim, she decided she had to get away from them to rearrange her thoughts before she could face them again.

Preparing a bag, she called Zeta and asked if she could crash at her place for a few days. She didn't provide much of an explanation, besides saying she had argued with her friends, but that seemed to be a good enough reason for Zeta, as she didn't ask any further questions and simply told her she would be waiting for her.

Not wanting them to notice she had left, Shiori made sure to make a quick escape. Still, she left a note behind so they wouldn't be that worried about her disappearance. After all, no matter how angry she was with them, she wouldn't subject them to such a bad experience.

“Do you think now would be a good time to talk?” Nerissa, unsurely asked. “I mean, a few hours had passed, and although we could wait until tomorrow, I would rather not go to sleep upset with each other.”

Elizabeth hummed. “Yeah, I wouldn't like that either. Let's see if Shiori wants to talk; if not, we will have to wait regardless.”

Since their fight, Shiori hadn't left her room, so they didn't bother looking for her anywhere else.

“Shiori, can we come in?” Elizabeth asked, knocking on her door.

A few seconds passed, and there was no response.

Nerissa and Elizabeth glanced at each other before the first decided to knock this time.

“We just want to talk about what happened.”

Again, no response.

Nerissa frowned. “Is she purposely ignoring us?”

“Maybe or maybe she is listening to something and can't hear us knock.” After saying that, Elizabeth reached for the handle, turning it and opening the door just enough for them to poke their head inside, only to open it fully once they saw her room was empty.

“We are sure she was here, right?” Nerissa asked.

“Yeah, you can go check around just to be sure.”

“I will.” 

A few moments later, Nerissa returned to the room. “She effectively isn't…what is wrong?” She furrowed her brows, noticing Elizabeth was looming over Shiori's desk, looking crestfallen.

She didn't answer with words; instead, she handed Nerissa a note.

She read it once, but it was as if the words written on the paper didn't make any sense, forcing her to re-read them a few times over until she understood that she wasn't imagining anything, and in fact, it did say what it said on the note.

In a few paragraphs, Shiori communicated to them that she had left the apartment and would be staying somewhere unspecified until she felt ready to come back home and talk to them.

She also asked them not to contact her and said that if anything were to happen requiring their attention, they would hear from her. Until then, she requested that they give her space.

The paper in Nerissa's hand trembled. “This is all my fault. I let my feelings get the worst of me, and it ended up driving Shiori away.” She choked up.

Elizabeth pulled her into her arms as the tears started to fall. She buried her head on her shoulder, seeking comfort in her embrace. It didn't erase the sadness and guilt she was feeling at that moment, but at least it made her feel supported.

“I'm partially to blame for this, too. I might not have had an outburst as you did, but I still called her a liar.” 

Nerissa pulled back to look at her. “What are we going to do now?”

Elizabeth wiped her tears with her fingers. “All we can do is give her the space she asks for. She mentions she will come back to us when she feels ready, so let's wait for her.”

“So that is it? We just wait?”

“What else can we do? You read her note. If we reach out, we will probably make everything worse.” She sighed. “Believe me, I would like nothing more than to apologize on this instant, but we have no other choice but to respect her wishes; otherwise, we will keep driving her away.”

As much as Nerissa would have liked to argue back, she knew Elizabeth was right.

She groaned. “I hate having to wait, but if by doing so we will have a chance to mend this, then so be it.”

Zeta opened her door. She had just received a text from Shiori telling her she was outside, but she wasn't prepared to see her looking so…broken.

“Oh, sweetheart.” She grabbed her bag from her hands, hugging her by the shoulders and leading her inside.

“Can I get you anything?” She asked as Shiori sat on her couch.

Shiori shook her head. “I don't want anything, just…can you hug me?”

Zeta's heart broke a little at hearing her sound so small. 

She quickly sat by her side, opening her arms for Shiori to fall into them.

She had many questions, and yet, she didn't ask any, giving Shiori the chance to speak when she felt like it, something she ended up doing after minutes of being in her arms.

Chapter Text

“I'm worried about Shiori.” Bijou sighed. “It has been days since her fight with Elizabeth and Nerissa, and she still looks very down.”

Zeta hummed. “She isn't used to having such arguments with them, so it's understandable that it will take her longer to bounce back from it.”

“I know, and I don't expect her to be okay so soon; it's just that I think this whole thing is childish, not on Shiori's part, but Elizabeth and Nerissa's actions.”

“I think so, too, and I hate that they fought because of me. I can't help but feel partially responsible for Shiori's pain.”

Bijou offered her a sympathetic smile. “No one likes to be put in such a position. I still can't understand why they behaved in such a way. Having fears about your friend tossing you to the side, especially when they get a partner, it's valid, but the way they went about it was wrong, and I feel they overreacted.”

Zeta nodded but didn't say anything, as she looked lost in thought.

“Is something wrong? You seem pensive.”

“It’s just…” She made a conflicted face, as if she were debating with herself whether to speak or not. “Tell me, Bijou. I know you have known Shiori for years, and in those years, you probably saw her interacting with Elizabeth and Nerissa quite a few times.”

“I did, you know that is how I was able to figure out she had feelings for them. Once you see Shiori beside them, it is hard not to notice she is completely smitten. Why are you mentioning this?”

“I have a theory, but first I want to know if you ever noticed something that made you think they could feel something for Shiori, too.”

Bijou's first instinct was to answer no, but instead, she took a moment to think about that properly.

“I mean, their closeness showed they cared deeply for Shiori, but I never got the impression they felt something romantic for her.” She frowned, tilting her head. “Do you think they do? Is that your theory?”

“Maybe, call it a hunch or whatever, but this whole thing seems to be more than simple jealousy and worry over losing a friend. And the thing is, that I don't think Nerissa and Elizabeth are even aware of that, let alone Shiori.”

“Okay, that is…” Bijou shook her head in disbelief. “I don't know if them possibly having feelings for Shiori is a good or bad thing. How can you be so sure of this? Hunch or no, there must be something else that made you reach this conclusion.”

“Besides the whole situation seeming iffy, there was something that happened before which I couldn't explain then, but that it sort of made sense now.”

Zeta leaned forward in her chair. “You know how Shiori said they told her they saw us kissing at the party, right?” Bijou nodded. 

“Well, I think I know when that was. Shiori and I were talking when I saw she had something in her lashes. I took care of that, and afterward, I noticed Elizabeth and Nerissa looking at us.”

“Their expressions were hard to decipher before, but knowing what I know now, I think that because of the angle and the fact I grabbed Shiori's face, it looked like I was kissing her from where they were standing, and I think their expressions not only denoted shock and hurt, but jealousy, and why would that be if…

“They didn't have feelings for her.” Bijou finished for her. “Right, I see where you are trying to get to. Still, we can't affirm they indeed feel something; it's all suspicions for now.”

Zeta nodded. “That is true, but I think there might be a way to confirm said suspicions.”

“And that is?”

“I need to talk to them, that way I will be able to tell if everything is just my imagination or if there is something real there.”

“You are insane.” Bijou massaged her temples. “You are aware they don't exactly like you, right?”

“Very much so, but since I was involved in the problem, I think it is only fair I talk to them, not only to find out more about their feelings, but also to clear things up regarding my relationship with Shiori.”

“Do you think that would be wise? What about Shiori? She wouldn't let you do that.”

She scowled. “That is the only part I don't like. I will have to hide this from her. She can't know what I'm planning to do.”

“I suppose Shiori is already dealing with a lot, so keeping this a secret is okay. Still, are you sure you want to talk to them?”

She nodded confidently. “I am, hopefully, my intervention will help fix this mess, and not create even more problems.” 

Fairly, Zeta was gambling with her luck. She was aware of how risky it was for her to reach out to them, but if her hunch was right, she could set something in motion that would hopefully bring happiness to Shiori in the future. 

Zeta stood outside Shiori’s apartment. Although she had shown up there, she wasn't sure her friends would be at home since she didn't exactly have the means to check, so she could only hope that once she knocked, someone would answer.

A few moments passed before she started hearing some movement coming from the inside, and soon after, the door opened.

Nerissa stuck her head outside. There was an air of hope in her expression that got quickly wiped out the moment she saw her, being replaced with poor, concealed disdain.

“Oh, it's you. Shiori isn't here.”

Zeta contained the need to roll her eyes. “I know, I'm not here for her but for you and Elizabeth, might I come in?”

Nerissa frowned. It was clear the prospect of inviting her in didn't delight her, but she also seemed curious to know why she was looking for them.

After a few seconds of consideration, she moved back, allowing her to come inside.

“I will go get Elizabeth, sit wherever you like.”

Zeta nodded, taking a seat as Nerissa wandered deeper into the apartment.

Unlike Nerissa, Elizabeth was more receptive to her. She greeted her with a small smile and even offered something to drink, which Zeta politely declined.

Still, it was clear she was wary of her presence, which Zeta couldn't blame her for.

“Well, we are both here now. What did you want to talk about?” Nerissa said, showing quite the impatience.

Zeta grinned. “You want me to get out of here as soon as possible, don't you?”

Nerissa didn't answer, but she didn't need her to.

“I'm aware that I have been the focus of an argument between you and Shiori.”

Nerissa rolled her eyes. “So she told you.”

“She did, after she showed up at my home looking quite distressed, mind you.”

Elizabeth frowned. “Is she staying with you?”

She nodded. “She is. Right after you fought, she called me and asked if she could stay with me. Even through the phone, I could notice her distress, so I didn't hesitate to say yes.”

“What a good girlfriend you are. “ Nerissa said, voice dripping with sarcasm.

It would be so easy to answer with some witty remark, but Zeta knew that if she did that, it would only make everything worse, so although Nerissa wasn't cooperating, she kept her composure.

“You seem under the impression that Shiori and I are together, and although I can't say I wouldn't want that, she and I are just friends. I already confessed, but she turned me down.”

For the first time since she was there, Zeta noticed a crack in Nerissa's facade, as she appeared genuinely surprised by her words. Not only that, but for a moment, she also thought she saw a glimmer of relief.

“When did that happen?” Elizabeth inquired.

“Me confessing?” She nodded. “When she took me to the ice cream parlor by the coast.”

“That was weeks ago,” Elizabeth affirmed. “Why didn't she say anything?”

Zeta had a good idea why, but she would fake ignorance. “Who knows. Anyway, I just needed to clarify we are just friends since the prospect of us being together seems to bother you so much.”

Elizabeth had the decency to show guilt at hearing her say that. “We…

“There is something I still don't understand. You are saying you confessed, and she rejected you, but why did you kiss at the party?” Nerissa interrupted.

“We didn't, did you ever see us actually kissing, or did it only seem to you like we were?”

Nerissa wanted to retort that they knew what they saw, but the truth was, they never witnessed a kiss, per se.

She huffed. “We might have concluded you were based on your closeness and not because we saw you actually kissing.”

“See, you misinterpreted the situation. The only moment I got into Shiori's space was because I was getting something out of her eye. I saw you looking at us afterward, so I'm assuming that is when you thought we had kissed.”

Elizabeth shook her head in disbelief. “So basically, you are telling us we read the situation wrong, not only the kiss or no kiss, but assuming Shiori was in a relationship with you.”

“Precisely, you were so set on the fact that you believed Shiori was pulling away and hiding things from you, that you created this whole narrative about our relationship that wasn't true, and as a result, you unfairly accused her of being a liar and a bad friend.”

Zeta couldn't help but feel a certain pleasure, seeing the moment it finally dwelt on them, the huge mistake they had made. After the unnecessary hurt they caused Shiori, they ought to feel remorse for their foolishness.

Elizabeth opened and closed her mouth. “We owe you an apology. We assumed Shiori was pushing us to the side for you and, in turn, created a whole issue out of it.”

“You don't owe me anything. I'm not the one you hurt.”

Elizabeth winced. “We went about this wrong; there were better ways for us to talk to Shiori and express our concerns.”

“On that we agree. Anyway, now that I have clarified my relationship with Shiori, there is something I'm curious about.”

“What is it?” Nerissa asked.

“Do you feel less threatened by me now that you know we are just friends, or does the prospect of me being in her life still bother you?”

The answer they gave next would determine whether her theory about their true feelings was right or not. 

“Between me and Elizabeth, I was the one who always showed more rejection towards you, rejection that was prompted by my own insecurities and jealousy. I felt like I was losing Shiori, like you were taking her away from us, but now that I know you are just friends, for some reason, I don't feel that way anymore.”

Zeta hummed. “I see, what about you, Elizabeth?”

“I suppose it is the same for me. I have to admit, I also felt a certain relief when you clarified what your relationship is truly like, but it also made me feel bad for jumping to conclusions and assuming Shiori was hiding things from us.”

Zeta took her time to properly digest their words before responding.

“I'm going to be very blunt with you. Judging by everything that happened and the way you speak, it doesn't seem to me like you were jealous because a dear friend was prioritizing a possible partner over you, but rather, because the woman you are in love with was with someone else.”

Zeta didn't know what reaction her words would evoke. Would they be scandalized? Say she was just spouting nonsense. Would they get mad and kick her out? Or would they agree with what she says?

There were many possibilities, yet none of them were correct, as Elizabeth and Nerissa showed no reaction at all—no anger, no surprise, not even acknowledgment. Their expressions revealed nothing, but she still wanted to believe her words made an impact, whatever that might be.

Zeta sighed. “I don't expect an answer from you, but I genuinely hope you think about what I said, for you and for her.” She stood up. “Thank you for allowing me inside. I'm glad I was able to clarify the misunderstanding about the nature of my relationship with Shiori.”

She didn't wait for them to walk her out, leaving on her own.

Zeta's departure left behind questions and doubts that they knew couldn't be ignored.

“So…” Nerissa tentatively started. “We should talk about what just happened, right?”

Elizabeth slowly nodded. “I think so, yes.” She turned her body towards her. “Do you…was she…”

“Yes?”

“Shiori, do you love her?”

“I-” Nerissa frowned. “I love you.”

“That is not what I asked, I'm not doubting your love for me and know that my love for you hasn't wavered either, but is there a chance Zeta was right on her assessment?”

“I don't know,” Nerissa ran her hand through her hair. “I mean, of course that I love Shiori, but am I in love with her? That is the complicated part. What about you? Are you in love with her?”

“That possibility hadn't crossed my mind until now, so my answer is as unclear as yours.”

“Well, the fact that we aren't straight up refusing that notion says something, right? We wouldn't be doubting otherwise.”

Elizabeth couldn't deny that, as Nerissa was making a fair point; if neither of them felt anything beyond friendship, they would just say so, but their uncertainty showed there was something there, whatever it might be.

“What do we do? I don't want to rush anything and reach the wrong conclusion. What if we are just confused by Zeta's words, and then we realize there are no feelings?”

Nerissa hummed. “And what if we do have feelings? What do we do about Shiori then?”

“I don't know, there is much to consider. I think we both need some space to think, get our feelings in order, and then see how we go from there. What do you say?”

“Yeah, I think that would be the best.”

Chapter Text

Elizabeth tossed around in her bed, unable to fall asleep. She sighed, throwing the covers back and sitting up against the headboard.

It had been hours since Zeta had been in their home, yet she kept replaying the last part of their conversation about her and Nerissa's potential feelings for Shiori.

Her mind drifted to her. Even after all these years, she still remembered her first meeting with Shiori.

Elizabeth was very shy back then, which made sense since she was adjusting to a new country and a new school. She was worried about not fitting in since she started halfway through the school year, but she was lucky to be paired with two very kind, if a bit odd, pair of students.

Nerissa was bubbly as bubbly could get, so warm and welcoming that Elizabeth immediately felt safe around her.

With Shiori, it was different. She didn't reject her or make her feel bad; quite the opposite, actually. Still, there was something about her that made her seem intimidating, so Elizabeth found it harder to interact with her.

She never knew how to act around Shiori, afraid she’d say something that would upset her, but the more time she spent with her, the more she realized nothing was intimidating about Shiori.

She was reserved, yes, but besides that, she was incredibly kind, as she always made sure Elizabeth understood what was explained to her and even offered to stay after school to help her with assignments.

There was a memory in particular she could recall of a day when only she and Shiori were working at the library, since Nerissa was busy and couldn't stay with them. They were studying for the most part, but at one point, Elizabeth cracked a joke that made Shiori laugh so loudly they were almost kicked out, and while that was the first time she saw her laughing in such a way, what truly stunned her was the smile she gave her afterward.

Elizabeth was so charmed by that smile that from then on, she made a point to try to be as funny as she could, just to get to see that smile again.

“Fuck,” Elizabeth whispered to herself, leaning her head back.

While the redhead was dealing with her own inner turmoil in her room, Nerissa was facing a similar situation.

Unlike her girlfriend, she hadn't even attempted to fall asleep, knowing it would be useless to try, so she was just lying on her back, staring at the ceiling as thoughts swirled in her mind.

She was also reminiscing about the times she and Shiori first met, how she had been so insistent on getting along with this girl who clearly didn't want anything to do with her, and yet, she never mistreated her or asked her to stop talking to her.

This girl, who gradually opened up to her, accepting the friendship she offered and giving her own in return.

Although Nerissa might have seemed like someone with many friends, the truth was she hadn’t experienced such a deep connection with anyone until Shiori.

She had been a beacon of light in her life back then, and she still was one now, always there for her when she needed her, offering encouraging words and advice. Yet, she repaid her with petty jealousy and a desire to control who was in her life, almost as if she owned her.

The worst part was that Nerissa didn’t feel disgusted with herself for thinking Shiori was hers; she was angry because she felt compelled to treat her as if she couldn't make her own decisions, but not because of her possessiveness.

Did this only happen with Zeta, or was the prospect of her being with others also make her feel this way? To answer that, she imagined different scenarios where Shiori was with other people, whether they were new friends or lovers.

By the end of it, she realized that while the idea of Shiori hanging out or talking to new friends didn't bother her, when she imagined her with a partner, her blood started to boil.

Those different reactions should have been enough to conclude her feelings, and yet, there was something else she wanted to test before, and that was imagining Elizabeth and Shiori together.

She expected to feel jealousy and anger, but those feelings never came. There was no disdain or rejection; instead, the more she pictured them together, the more she liked what she saw.

She felt warm and fuzzy. Her heart thumped in her chest, and her stomach fluttered with butterflies.

Right then, she knew she didn't need to dwell on hypotheticals anymore because the answer was clear.

The next morning, Elizabeth and Nerissa approached each other cautiously and fearfully, not because of their feelings, but because they were afraid the other didn't feel the same.

Yet, the moment they laid eyes on each other, no words were needed to know they were on the same page.

“So, Shiori...” Nerissa hesitantly began. “We are in love with her.”

Elizabeth sighed. “We are. What do we do now?”

Nerissa shrugged. “First, we need to fix things. The wait was torturous before, but now that we know how deep our feelings are, I don't know how much longer I can wait.” She exhaled in frustration. “Why did Zeta have to say anything?”

“Whether she did or not, sooner or later, we’d have realized we had feelings for Shiori. As shocking as this is, I'm glad it’s happening now, instead of when she’s actually dating someone.”

Nerissa made a sour face. “Don't even manifest that, just thinking about Shiori being with anyone else besides us makes me sick.”

“Believe me, it doesn't thrill me either, but it’s a possibility we need to consider.” 

Nerissa frowned, her voice lowering. “Do you think Shiori doesn't feel the same?”

“I-” Elizabeth shook her head. “I don't know. Wishfully speaking, I hope she does, but the chances are slim. Besides, even if she did feel something, we made a huge mistake; how could she want to be with us after how badly we treated her?”

“She might not want to be with us now, but we can work hard to fix our mistakes and show her how much we care for her until we can earn her trust back. We ought to do that regardless of whether she feels the same or not.”

“That’s right. Maybe we should start being a little more assertive and woo her, show we are interested in her.”

Nerissa furrowed her brows. “You mean like flirting and stuff?”

She nodded. “Exactly, but we need to be subtle. We don't want to come across as too aggressive and accidentally weird her out; when the time is right, we should tell her how we feel. If she feels the same, then that is great for all of us, and if she doesn't… Well, I guess we can worry about it then.”

“Yeah, let's not get ahead of ourselves. First, we apologize, then we woo her, and last, we confess.”

Zeta leaned against the door frame, watching Shiori as she finished packing her bag.

“Are you sure you are ready to go back?”

Shiori closed the zipper and turned to her. “Yes, I have taken enough time for myself, and although a part of me wants to keep on delaying this a while longer, it is time to face the problem head-on. Besides, I can't continue living here rent-free; that would be taking advantage of you.”

Zeta chuckled. “You know that I don't mind; you are free to stay as long as you want, but I understand you have to return home.”

“I do, if I'm honest with you, even if some of my hurt and disappointment persist, I have started to miss them.”

“That makes sense, fight or not, they are still your best friends and housemates,” Zeta glanced away. “We are still good, right?”

“We are, you know it didn't thrill me to discover you went behind my back to talk to Nerissa and Elizabeth, but I can't fault you for doing that. After all, you were unfairly dragged into this mess, so I can understand you wanting to clear up any sort of misunderstanding.”

“I'm happy to hear you say that, although I don't take pride in my actions, I still think my interference was necessary not only for me but for you.”

“I suppose that is fair, and since they heard from you that we are just friends, there are fewer chances for them to twist my words and make me seem like a liar since-” Shiori sighed, receiving a sympathetic look from Zeta. “Sorry, I'm still feeling a certain way about all this.”

“Nothing to be sorry for, misled or not, they still unfairly accused you and will need to give you a proper apology for it. Try not to get too persuaded by their pretty faces; make them work for that forgiveness.”

Shiori chuckled. “I make no promises.”

Since Shiori had driven herself to Zeta's house, the latter couldn't accompany her back home.

With a hug and some words of encouragement, Zeta said her goodbyes to Shiori as they parted ways.

The drive back home was silent. Usually, Shiori liked to have some music on, but this time she just wanted to be alone with her thoughts.

When she parked in her spot, she took a few minutes to mentally prepare herself for what was coming next before finally getting out of the car and into the elevator.

She observed the numbers changing on the digital panel, feeling her heartbeat increasing the closer she got to her floor. When the doors opened again, she hurriedly abandoned the elevator as someone was waiting to come in.

Now that she stood in the hallway, her eyes drifted to her apartment door.

She only needed to take a few more steps to be standing in front of it, and yet, her feet weren't moving as she felt rooted to her spot.

Come on, Shiori, you are already here, don't chicken out at the last second.

She gave herself one last extra push as her body finally responded, walking forward and putting her keys in the door lock.

Chapter Text

Crossing the threshold of her home, Shiori was met with silence, as if no one were inside. Considering she hadn't exactly announced her return, neither Elizabeth nor Nerissa might be at home.

Still, it was too early to conclude that was the case, as she hadn't explored their apartment yet, so perhaps they were just in their rooms. Dropping her bag on a nearby chair, she then went to the nearest room, which was Nerissa's. Unfortunately, there were no signs of them there, so she moved to Elizabeth's, finding it empty too.

Having no clue when they would be back, Shiori went to grab her bag, intending to return to her room to begin unloading it, only to stop dead in her tracks once she made it there.

The reason for her stillness was in her bed, as both Elizabeth and Nerissa were lying on top of the covers. Elizabeth was hugging Nerissa from behind, hiding her face in Nerissa's shoulder. Nerissa had one arm draped over the one pressed to her stomach while she was holding a plushie with the other, which had been one of the first gifts she received from them many years ago.

While seeing them in the room like that was puzzling, Shiori couldn't deny that the image was endearing. She could feel her resolve faltering as the walls she had built around her heart began to fall, which wasn't something she could allow to happen yet.

Shaking her head to get out of the trance of watching them, Shiori loudly banged on her door to wake them up, something that proved effective as they practically jumped from the bed the next second.

They panickedly looked around until their eyes settled on Shiori.

“Are you real or am I still dreaming?” Nerissa asked, unsure of what she was seeing.

“I'm very much real. I will wait for you in the living room. Go find me there once you finish waking up.”

Nerissa and Elizabeth turned to each other once she left.

“Shiori is back,” Elizabeth said.

“Hmm, she is.”

“And she saw us sleeping in her bed.”

Nerissa brushed her hair back and rubbed her eyes. “That she did.”

Elizabeth sighed. “We are so screwed.”

Shiori glanced to the side, watching Elizabeth and Nerissa approaching her with certain caution before they sat opposite her.

Even if they were now here, they avoided looking at her, as their gaze were cast downwards and their shoulders hunched. All in all, they looked like they were about to be scolded.

“Could you two just look at me? I'm not going to scream at you if that is what you think.”

Even with her reassurance, they still seemed wary when they finally looked at her.

Shiori crossed her arms. “When I decided to come back, I never expected to find you cuddling in my bed.” She raised an eyebrow. “Were you thinking of taking over my room?”

“Of course not.” Nerissa quickly answered. “Since you left, not a day has passed without us wishing for you to be back. We just…” She glanced at Elizabeth, hoping she would help her out.

“We miss you, as Nerissa said, you haven't left our minds, so we just wanted to feel close to you.”

Shiori narrowed her eyes. “So your way of feeling closer to me was to sleep in my bed?”

“I guess.” She answered in a small voice, retreating into herself.

A beat of silence passed between them as Shiori didn't know what to say, which made sense, since how was one supposed to answer that?

She didn't have to worry much about that, however, as Nerissa spoke up.

“Shiori, I'm sorry.”

She was momentarily confused by her apology until she remembered what she was truly there for.

“You are sorry? For what exactly?”

“For everything, saying hurtful things, accusing you of being a liar, forcing you to drift away from us. You didn't deserve any of that.”

Elizabeth hummed. “You didn't. Nerissa and I handled that argument terribly. All we wanted was to express a concern we had, but we went about it wrong, and we ended up unfairly attacking you.” 

“You are right, I didn't deserve to be treated that way. It hurt me a lot being accused in such a way, especially when I never gave you reasons to distrust me before, or maybe I did and I ju-”

“You didn't.” Elizabeth intervened. “We were just being stupid. We allowed our own insecurities to poison us, and we lashed out when all we should have done was be straightforward and ask you stuff instead of assuming the worst.”

“That was mostly my fault,” Nerissa admitted. “Elizabeth always defended you and your truthfulness. I was the one whose jealousy and distaste were getting the worst of me. She only started to doubt when we thought we saw you kissing Zeta.”

“Which I never did.”

“Which you never did. Did you ask her to come talk to us?”

Shiori shook her head. “I didn't, she came here out of her own volition without me knowing. I didn't take kindly to her going behind my back, but I understood why she did it. After all, I couldn't expect her to stay away from the problem when she was unwillingly involved in it.”

“I must admit she was valiant in coming here knowing we didn't have the best opinion of her, only to clear your name. She seems like a good friend.” Nerissa recognized, since it couldn't be denied that very few people would have done what Zeta did.

“She is, I'm lucky to have her in my life.” A beat passed before she asked. “When we fought, why were you so set on the idea that I would push you aside for Zeta?”

“I don't think there is a logical answer for that. You had other partners before, but something about Zeta made us feel insecure and jealous, as if her presence would break us apart, even though we always knew how to manage our friendship and relationships.” 

Nerissa hummed. “Elizabeth couldn't have said it better. It was basically all in our heads. We created this problem out of our own negative feelings, and we projected the idea that you were prioritizing her over us, when that wasn't the case.” 

Those were the best answers either could come up with since saying ‘Actually we felt so insecure and jealous because we are so deeply in love with you that the idea of you being with anyone else but us make us sick, but we had no idea those feelings were there until a few days ago, so we acted really stupid because we were still in denial’ wouldn't do.

“I mean, our minds can play tricks on us, so I can't fault you for feeling that way. I just wish you had come to me sooner so we could have discussed what was troubling you, instead of allowing those negative thoughts to keep on growing.”

Nerissa offered an apologetic smile. “That was an oversight on our part, mine in particular, since I was the one who began feeling this way first. I should have told you what I was feeling way sooner instead of lashing out. You deserved better from me.”

“And me,” Elizabeth added.

“Thank you, I appreciate you saying that.” She paused, taking a deep breath.

“When we argued, you made me feel…unwelcome, as if I didn't belong here anymore, that is why I left.” Their hearts ached hearing her say that.

“I was so miserable, I couldn't understand why you talked to me the way you did when I never thought I prioritized Zeta over you, and-” A sob rippled through her, followed by another and another until she was full on weeping.

Elizabeth and Nerissa immediately bolted from their seats, wrapping their arms around her. They whispered apologies and reassurances as their own tears fell, feeling so guilty that they were the reason for Shiori's cries.

When everyone calmed down, Shiori let out a weak chuckle, prompting Elizabeth and Nerissa to give her some space. “This is so embarrassing. I promised myself I wouldn't cry.”

“Nothing is embarrassing about that,” Nerissa reassured, reaching for Shiori's face and wiping away the remnants of her tears. “Elizabeth and I cried, too, and this wasn't the first time. When I found out you left, I couldn't hold back my tears.”

“We knew we were in the wrong the moment you bolted out of my room.” Elizabeth intervened. “At that moment, we wanted to chase after you to say how sorry we were, but we knew that if we did that, it would only make everything worse, so we decided to give you some space.”

Nerissa hummed. “Sadly, when we went to look for you hours later, you were already gone, and that only made the guilt grow. It was so hard not reaching out to you, and it became even harder the moment Zeta came here and further proved how wrong we were.”

“It was hard not to reach out, too. Many nights I looked at my phone as my fingers hovered over your numbers, but I never found the courage to contact you since I was afraid you would still be angry at me.”

“We were never angry.” Nerissa grabbed her hand. “If anything, we were just worried for you since we only had a note and no idea where you were.”

Shiori winced. “That was an oversight on my part; regardless of how I was feeling, I should have texted you afterward and told you I was okay, so I apologize for causing you unnecessary worry.”

“It's fine.” Elizabeth smiled. “We won't hold that against you.”

Nerissa hummed. “We won't, and I know we said this a million times, but we are truly sorry for everything.”

“I know you are, and I forgive you, but there is something I need you to promise me.”

“Anything,” Elizabeth said for both.

“Please don't hide your feelings from me anymore. If there is something you don't like, be honest with me from the start instead of bottling it up. That will save us a lot of trouble in the future.” 

Neither had any objections to that since her request was more than fair, considering this could have all been avoided if they had expressed what was bothering them early on, instead of allowing everything to turn into a big misunderstanding.

“Thank you.” Shiori reached for Elizabeth's hand so that she could now hold both, “I missed you.”

“We missed you, too.” Nerissa interlocked their fingers. “The weight of your absence was heavy.”

“It was.” Elizabeth agreed. “But we are glad that is over, and you are finally back.”

“I'm glad to be back, too.” A beat passed before she said. “I love you.”

Hearing those words made their hearts burst with joy.

“We love you too, right, Liz?”

“Yes, we do.”

Shiori nodded, taking a second to enjoy the sight of their clasped hands before letting go. “Alright, that was enough sappiness for the day. I'd better go back to my room and start unpacking.”

“Do you want help?” Nerissa asked.

“No need, although I would appreciate it if you called that pizza place around the street and ordered something.”

Elizabeth chuckled. “I'm on it.”

They watched her disappear down the corridor before leaning against each other.

“We have her back, and she forgave us.” Nerissa couldn't hide the happiness in her voice.

“It feels surreal.” Elizabeth circled her arm around her shoulders. “We have to make sure we do right by her; we can't hurt her like that again.”

“No, we can't.” She sighed. “What are we going to do about our feelings? Should we start being more assertive or give it some time?”

“I think we should wait. She had just forgiven us, so let's make sure things go back to normal before trying anything.”

Chapter Text

The thing about realizing you were in love with someone was that, whether you wanted it or not, you couldn't help becoming hyperaware of them.

Elizabeth and Nerissa knew this very well, for they had experienced it with each other. While they had grown accustomed to it after months of dating, they weren't prepared to experience all that over again with Shiori.

Every touch, every look, every shared moment became all the more meaningful and intense now that they were aware they were in love with her.

However, as much as that was a blessing, it also had its cons, since Nerissa and Elizabeth had started to notice a growing struggle in having her so close yet so far.

Nerissa huffed. She was seconds away from throwing her computer when Shiori walked into her room.

“Are you alright? I heard you complaining from the hallway.”

“I am not. I have been trying to make this one program work for minutes, and it’s still not running as it should.”

Shiori frowned. “Do you want me to take a look? Maybe I will be able to figure out what is wrong.”

“Yes, please.”

Since Shiori had offered to help her, Nerissa was going to give her her chair so she could work comfortably, but Shiori stopped her before she could stand up.

“You don't need to move.” She stood behind her before leaning down, caging her body between her arms. “This will hopefully be quick.”

Nerissa swallowed hard, feeling herself going rigid. She tried to ignore Shiori's closeness, but it was impossible not to be aware of her warmth, the sweet aroma of her perfume, and her voice in her ear as she whispered to herself.

Without her wanting to, her head turned to the side and…oh, what a mistake that was. From this distance, Nerissa could make out every feature of her face. Her eyebrows were slightly furrowed, as the lines of a frown marked on her forehead. Her eyes flickered from left to right, moving throughout the screen, and her bottom lip was trapped between her teeth.

She was so focused on her task that she couldn't even tell that Nerissa wasn't paying attention to what she was doing. Nerissa, taking advantage of this, allowed her eyes to continue wandering, taking on the delectable sight of her uncovered neck as she had moved her hair to the side. She licked her lips, as she zoned in on the tensed tendon by the side of her throat, feeling the need to…

“I think I fixed it.” Shiori straightened up. “The issue seemed to be that another program wasn't allowing this one to run smoothly, but now it should be fine.”

Nerissa cleared her throat, quickly glancing at the screen before Shiori could notice her reddened cheeks. “Thank you for helping me. You saved me from having a meltdown.”

“No worries, just call me again if there is another problem.”

Nerissa managed to keep her composure until Shiori left her room before she collapsed forward, hiding her face in her arms.

Later, when she told Elizabeth about what had happened, her girlfriend couldn't help but tease her, not knowing that a few days later she would be caught in a similar situation.

Elizabeth dragged her feet through the floor as she made her way outside her room. She was still not fully awake, but when she opened her door, she immediately sobered up.

The reason for that was standing in front of her, as Shiori was inside their bathroom, with only a towel wrapped around her body.

She seemed to be talking with someone over the phone, but Elizabeth wasn't able to pay attention to what was being said when her brain couldn't register anything besides what her eyes were seeing.

By the looks of it, she was fresh out of the shower, her skin had a pinkish tint to it, and the water still clinging to it made it glisten. Elizabeth couldn't help but trail the path left by the droplets as they slid down her cleavage and tights, feeling herself getting hypnotized by the enticing sight.

“Did you need to use the bathroom?”

…

“Elizabeth!”

She jumped, eyes snapping back up to Shiori's face. “What did you say?”

“I asked if you needed to use the bathroom.” She raised an eyebrow. “Are you still asleep?”

“I-” She fake yawned. “I'm still waking up, and yes, I need to use the bathroom.”

“Well, that sucks since we don't have any water. That is why I look like this.” She gestured at herself, and Elizabeth had to make an inhumane effort not to look down. “I barely managed to finish showering before it cut off. I just called the maintenance staff, and they said they would send someone to check out what is wrong.”

“I see, glad to know that, at least, the water didn't cut off when you were in the middle of shampooing.”

Shiori chuckled. “Believe me, I'm glad for it, too. I will finish drying up, and once I'm dressed, I will deal with the maintenance guy. Feel free to stay in your room if you want.”

“Will do, just call me if you need anything.”

Elizabeth backtracked into her room. She leaned against the door once it was closed, putting her hand on her chest and feeling her heart racing underneath. She was lucky to have been able to justify her distraction by pretending she was still afflicted by sleep; otherwise, she didn't know how she would have justified her very obvious ogling.

What happened to both Elizabeth and Nerissa wasn't just isolated incidents; since then, they've been involved in other situations that tested their resolve, making it increasingly difficult for them to keep their cool around her.

“We can't keep getting all flustered every time she is around us,” Nerissa said.

She and Elizabeth had been discussing their current predicament, taking advantage of the fact that Shiori wasn't home because she had gone out with Zeta and Bijou.

Elizabeth sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I know we can't, but how do we expect not to react to her? She is just existing, and we are acting like complete fools. The other day, she was wearing her hair up and her glasses, and I almost started stuttering the moment I saw her.”

Nerissa groaned. “She looked so good, and when she gets all focused and starts talking smart, I just stare at her, completely smitten. I'm surprised she hasn't realized how utterly in love we are with her. We aren't being exactly subtle.”

“I mean, we aren't being obvious either; we might look more nervous around her, but that is it. Do you remember when you asked me if we should be more assertive?”

Nerissa hummed. “I do. Do you think now would be a good time for us to start?”

“I think so, yeah, we need to start being clearer with our intentions.”

“What do you have in mind? Considering we needed Shiori to help us get together, I don't know if we have the best qualifications.”

“That was different; we weren't flirting with each other, just being overly awkward.”

“I-” She shrugged. “Yeah, you are right, we should do better now.”

Elizabeth nodded. “That’s the spirit. Going back to your question, I was thinking that…

Shiori hummed a tune as she moved around the kitchen, preparing breakfast for herself.

“It looks like someone woke up in a good mood.”

She looked to the entrance, seeing Liz leaning against the door frame.

“You could say that. Coffee?”

“I would like that.”

Shiori opened the cabinet over her, stretching to grab a cup. Unfortunately, no matter how much she moved her hand around, she wasn't able to find anything.

“Let me help you.” She heard Elizabeth's voice behind her before she felt her putting her hand on her hip, while she reached for the cabinet with the other.

Shiori's breath hitched, not being able to think of anything but the feeling of being trapped between Elizabeth's body and the counter.

“Here you go, sweetheart.” Even if she set the cup down, Elizabeth lingered a while longer before she finally moved back, squeezing her hip as she did.

Only then was Shiori able to breathe again.

She cleared her throat and began to pour the coffee.

“You two tall girls seem to forget that not everyone in this house has your height. More often than not, I need to get on a stool to get things out of the cabinets.” She complained, passing Elizabeth her cup.

Elizabeth giggled. “Sorry, it's just a force of habit. I promise I will remember to leave everything in a more Shiori-friendly reachable distance.”

“Thank you, I will certainly appreciate it.”

“No worries.” She took a sip of her coffee. “Might I know what you were so happy about?”

“Oh, that. I just received an email from Bijou regarding a project we will be working on soon.”

Since Elizabeth wasn't aware of what project she was referring to, Shiori took the time to explain it to her.

“It's exciting to get to…” Shiori trailed off, noticing Elizabeth was smiling at her. “Why are you smiling?”

“Because you are adorable. It is endearing seeing how enthusiastic you get when talking about something you are passionate about.”

Elizabeth mentally patted herself on the back when she saw a blush arising on her cheeks.

“My beautiful Shiori.” Nerissa dropped onto the couch beside her. “Do you want to go shopping with me?”

Shiori looked up from her phone. “Sure, why not. What are you going to buy?”

She shrugged. “I don't know yet. I was thinking it would be good to start renewing my wardrobe, so I will just have to see what clothes I like.”

Shiori squinted. “So, what are you saying is that you plan to spend the whole day shopping. In that case, I pass.”

“It wouldn't be the entire day, just a few hours,” she scooted close, resting her head on her shoulder. “Come with me. I promise to invite you for some ice cream afterward.”

Shiori looked down at her. “If I don't say yes, you will continue pestering me, won't you?”

Nerissa grinned. “Maybe.”

She sighed. “Alright, I will go with you.”

“Thank you.” She grabbed her face, quickly kissing her cheek before standing up. “I will go get ready.”

Nerissa didn't glance back at her, but if she had, she would have seen Shiori looking like a deer caught in headlights.

Although Nerissa had promised they wouldn't be shopping the entire day, it had been four hours since they were at the mall, and she was still trying on clothes.

Shiori knocked on the fitting room’s door. “Nerissa, will you be taking much longer? You said this was the last place.”

“It is, I'm just having trouble with this dress. Can you come in and help me zip it up?”

“Yes, open the door for me.”

A click was heard as Nerissa took the safe off before opening the door. Shiori should have stepped in then, but instead, she remained frozen in her spot. 

Shiori knew what kind of dress Nerissa would be wearing, after all, she had been beside her when she had picked it from the racks, but it was one thing to see the dress on its own and then see it on Nerissa.

She looked breathtaking, as if the dress had been specifically made for her.

“Shiori?”

“Mmm?” Her gaze snapped back to Nerissa's face, noticing she was looking at her with quite an amused expression plastered on it, which made her realize she had just been standing there like an idiot.

“Sorry.” She quickly stepped into the cramped changing room.

Thankfully, Nerissa didn't make any comments about the awkward moment; instead, she turned around and got her hair away from her back.

“As you can see, the zipper is quite low, so it's hard for me to reach it.”

The zipper was, in fact, too low, as it started right above her ass. Shiori tried to avoid getting distracted by the view of her bare back, making quick work of zipping up the dress.

“There you go, I will go back outside.” Shiori had reached for the doorknob, but before she could turn it, Nerissa placed her hand on top of hers.

“Aren’t you going to tell me how I look first?”

Shiori had to fight back a shiver as Nerissa was practically speaking into her ear.

“You look great. I think you should get it.” She said without turning around.

“Are you sure? How can you tell if you aren't looking at me?”

“Because I saw you before I came in here. Believe me, it suits you very well.”

Nerissa hummed, pulling her hand away. “Alright, if my Shiori says I look good, I should definitely buy it. Help me unzip it.”

“Are you sure? You have just now zipped it up.”

“I am sure. I know what I want.”

Shiori sighed. “Alright.”

Once more, she tried not to stall too much, quickly unzipping the dress before leaving the fitting room in a hurry.

Chapter Text

Bijou and Zeta glanced at each other; concern was evident on their faces as they mouthed words of encouragement to each other to say something to Shiori, who was staring into the distance absent-mindedly.

After a while of back and forth, Zeta conceded to be the one to speak.

“Shiori, is everything alright? You have been dozing off for a while.”

She hummed, turning to them. “I'm fine, just lost in thought.”

“Want to talk about what's on your mind?” Bijou asked.

“I suppose I could.” She leaned forward in her chair, resting her elbows on the table. “I'm worried about Nerissa and Elizabeth.”

Bijou rolled her eyes. “What happened now? Are they acting jealous again?”

“No, but they have been acting weird.”

Zeta frowned. “Weird how?”

“I don't know how to explain it, but they seem clingier.” She sighed.

“Not only have they become more physical with me, but they also ask me to hang out more often, and have also started to give me gifts. The other day, Elizabeth gave me a vinyl I have been wanting to get for months, and Nerissa gave me a box full of all the sweets I like.”

Bijou and Zeta looked at each other, knowing they were both thinking the same thing.

“And why is that weird? Haven't you always been close?” Bijou said.

“We have, but it has never been this way.”

“Do you mind giving us a few examples of what exactly they are doing? You say they act more touchy, and want to spend more time with you, but in what ways?”

Although Zeta was sure of what was going on, she wanted some further clarification, if only to strengthen her suspicions.

“Well, they compliment me almost daily, calling me sweetheart, my Shiori, and other sort of endearing terms. They are also constantly hugging me, grabbing my hands, or cuddling with me when we are close, and yes, those things happened before, but not with this frequency.”

“As for hanging out, they have started to ask me to spend time with them one-on-one. We usually do stuff together as three, but lately, both have invited me to do things as a pair.”

She shrugged. “I think that is pretty much all I can say. Do you understand where I am coming from now?”

Zeta hummed. “Yes, I can see why you would think there is a hidden intent to their actions. Why do you think they are acting differently now?”

“If I had to say, I think it is because they feel like they have to make up to me for our fight.”

“You-” Bijou hissed, she was going to say how she was sure Nerissa and Elizabeth weren't acting like that because they wanted to make up to her, but she didn't manage to do so, since Zeta stomped on her foot under the table. “Sorry, my foot cramped. If they are doing such a thing, why would that be bad?”

“Because they don't need to do that, we have already moved on past our disagreement.”

“Tell them to stop then.”

Shiori clicked her tongue. “It's not that easy. I don't want them to get offended or think I don't appreciate what they do because I do. It's just that it is not necessary, and I'm starting to feel bad that they have this idea that they must get on my good side.”

“They shouldn't get offended if you tell them the same you are telling us now.” Zeta intervened. “If they doing all this it's genuinely bothering you, they need to know.”

Her shoulders dropped. “I suppose you are right, maybe I could bring my concerns up on our vacation. We are leaving in a few days anyway, so I wouldn't be waiting much longer.”

Zeta nodded. “Whenever you feel ready. Where are you going by the way? You told us you were still deciding on the place, but where you will be staying.”

“Yeah, we didn't know whether to go to a hotel or not, but in the end, we will be renting a house by the beach, close to where they previously stayed. Here,” She pulled out her phone. “Let me show you some pictures.”

The conversation then moved to discussing Shiori's plans for their upcoming vacation, before she took her leave, while Bijou and Zeta lingered behind.

“Why did you stomp on my foot?” Bijou angrily asked.

“Because you were going to say something you shouldn't.”

“Something I shouldn't? I was just going to say how obvious it is that Elizabeth and Nerissa are flirting with her. You heard what she said. There is no way they aren't blatantly hitting on her.”

Zeta scoffed. “Believe me, I have no doubts they are, but Shiori clearly doesn't see it like that, and although I'm all for her knowing the truth, I feel like she needs to reach that conclusion herself. I don't think us telling her the truth would end well.”

Bijou frowned. “Do you think she wouldn't believe us?”

“I think that since Shiori has spent years living with the idea that she was the only one in love with them, she wouldn't truly believe they could harbor any romantic feelings for her until she hears it from them. So you telling her they were flirting would have only led to her saying you were crazy and dismissing you altogether.”

“I-” She puffed her cheeks out. “I can see where you are coming from. Still, I'm surprised that someone who could tell her two best friends were in love with each other isn't able to tell they like her too.”

“Well, it ties back to the point I just exposed, she isn't going to think they do simply because it was never in the realm of possibilities.”

“Yeah. I can't believe you were right, though. I admit I wasn't convinced when you first told me you believed they had feelings for her, but I was clearly wrong.”

Zeta shrugged. “What can I say, I'm good like that.” She laughed as Bijou rolled her eyes. “Being serious now, I took a big risk by not only going to talk to them but telling them what I thought about the nature of their feelings for Shiori.”

“That you did, but it seems to have paid off. While the timing of their increased attention to Shiori can be justified by them just wanting to make up for their mistake, it is clear they have started being so bold because they have admitted to themselves what they feel.” A few seconds passed before she giggled.

“What are you giggling about?”

“Nothing, I just find the whole situation amusing. They are trying so hard to woo her when that isn't necessary since Shiori already is hopelessly in love with them.”

“It is kind of funny, yeah.” Zeta shook her head. “How I wish I could be a fly on the wall the moment Shiori confronts them.”

“Same here, my friend. Same here.”

Chapter Text

“There you are.” Elizabeth moved away from the car, grabbing their bags to begin loading the truck. “I was about to go get you. What took you so long?”

“I was ready long ago. Nerissa was the one taking her sweet time, as usual.” Shiori said, glancing at her sideways.

“I didn't take that long.”

Shiori giggled. “You already input the direction on the GPS, right?”

Elizabeth nodded. “Yes, we are ready to leave.”

“Good, let's depart then.” Shiori was going to get into the backseat, but Nerissa stopped her. 

“Shiori, do you mind going as a copilot? You are better at that than I am.”

“Sure, no problem.” 

Her explanation made sense, so she didn't see why she should deny her request; however, after being on the road for about an hour, Shiori glanced at the backseat, noticing Nerissa was asleep.

She chuckled. “So that is why she wanted me to be a copilot.”

Elizabeth frowned, not understanding what had prompted the comment until she looked at the review mirror.

She smiled. “She had trouble falling asleep last night.”

“Really? Why couldn't she sleep?”

“Because she was too excited about this trip, as I am.” Elizabeth placed her hand on her thigh. “I'm sure we will have a great time.”

Shiori hummed. “I think so, too.”

She expected Elizabeth to move her hand away after that brief exchange, but she kept it there for the remainder of their ride.

“Do you mind waking her up as I start taking the bags inside?” Elizabeth asked, turning off the engine.

“Not at all.” Shiori hopped out of the car, opening the back seat and gently nudging Nerissa, who only groaned before turning the other way.

“Nerissa, we are here.”

“Five more minutes.”

Shiori rolled her eyes. “You can get as many minutes as you want inside. Come on.” She tugged on her arm, but she wasn't budging.

“What now?”

“I don't want to walk.” She made grabby hand motions. “Carry me.”

“Carry you? What are you, five?”

“I'm not. Elizabeth would carry me, don't tell me you are too weak to do so.”

She rolled her eyes. “Are you really going to pull that trick on me?”

“Maybe.” She opened one eye. “Is it working?”

“No.” And as she said that, she hooked one arm under Nerissa's legs, picking her up with ease.

Nerissa yelped, quickly circling her arms around Shiori's neck as she closed the car's door with her free hand, before she began walking towards the house.

They met Elizabeth halfway, who stopped in her tracks as she saw the way Shiori was carrying Nerissa.

“She wouldn't get out if I didn't carry her.” 

Shiori must have misunderstood her stillness as confusion, which is why she explained why she was carrying Nerissa. However, the whys were the last thing on Elizabeth's mind, and judging by the look on Nerissa's face, it was the same for her.

“I see. I put mine and her bags in the room by the end of the corridor, just turn left.”

“Got it.”

Shiori moved past her and entered the house. 

Before returning to the car, Elizabeth looked back, meeting Nerissa's gaze, who mouthed the words ‘oh my god’ to which she responded with a ‘I know’ as they disappeared down the hallway.

“Alright, here you are.” Shiori set Nerissa down on her bed. “Happy now?”

“Very.” She leaned back, looking at her from head to toe. “I didn't know you had become so strong. That was impressive.”

“Well, you know I have been consistently going to the gym for a while. Anyway, I'd better take a tour through the house so I can pick what room I want. Is there anything else that you need?”

“No. Have fun.”

She nodded. “I will.”

Moments after Shiori left, Elizabeth walked into the room.

“I thought you would be sleeping; you seemed pretty tired.”

“That was the initial plan, but-” She stretched. “I feel suddenly energized.”

“Right.” Elizabeth crossed the room and sat beside her. “Does that have anything to do with the scene I witnessed before?”

Nerissa shrugged. Resting her head on her shoulder. “Perhaps…it was so hot how she picked me up one-handed as if I were nothing. I must confess I almost started kissing her neck, but I contained myself.”

Elizabeth cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks heating up. “It was indeed attractive seeing her carry you in such a way, especially because she is so tiny compared to you.”

Nerissa smirked. “Did you imagine her carrying you, too?”

“Perhaps.” Elizabeth took a deep breath, pressing her chin to the crown of Nerissa's head. “I'm nervous about telling her what we feel. I know we said this trip was the perfect chance for us to confess, but now that we are here, I'm scared for when that moment comes.”

“I’m scared too, but we can't keep delaying this any longer.” She moved back. “Still, we have just arrived, so let's focus on having some fun first.”

“On that I agree. After we are done settling down, we should go out and eat something.”

She hummed. “Sounds good.”

After they ate, they explored the town for a while before returning to their home, where they stayed for the rest of the day.

The next day, however, they woke up early to go to the beach.

“It's a beautiful day,” Nerissa commented as the sun shone brightly, and the sky was devoid of clouds.

Elizabeth nodded. “It is. Where do you want me to set the beach umbrella down?”

Shiori looked around before pointing somewhere. “What about there?”

“I like it,” Nerissa said, looking to where she was pointing. “Let's settle down.”

Once Elizabeth made sure the umbrella was well secured, she went straight into the water.

Shiori chuckled. “She was dying to get in, wasn't she?”

Nerissa smiled. “Yes, and since she left, do you mind applying sunscreen on my back?” She asked, pulling out the sunscreen from her bag.

“Sure, no problem.” Shiori grabbed the bottle, but when she was about to position herself behind Nerissa, she moved, lying flat on her stomach, and unhooking her top. 

“You can sit on top of me if you want; it might be more comfortable for you.”

Shiori gulped, avoiding staring for too long before she kneeled beside her. “No need, I can work fine like this.”

She hummed. “As you wish.”

Shiori poured a generous amount of sunscreen on Nerissa's back, beginning to spread it all over. While she was working, Nerissa, who was wearing her sunglasses, took the chance to observe her.

There was something so endearing about the way she looked when she was focused, with her brows slightly furrowed and her mouth set in a straight line. Nerissa could truly spend hours just staring at her.

“Alright, I'm all done,” Shiori said, hooking Nerissa's top.

“Thank you, darling.” She sat up, grabbing the sunscreen. “It's your turn now. Do you want to lie down?”

“No need.” Shiori turned her back to her. “Like this is fine.”

Not wanting to think too much of the feeling of Nerissa's hands on her as she spread the sunscreen, Shiori's gaze drifted to the water, seeing Elizabeth swimming around.

“She really likes the water, doesn't she?”

Nerissa followed Shiori's line of sight, seeing her girlfriend. “She does, but can you blame her? She didn't exactly have many chances to enjoy the beach when she was a child.”

Shiori giggled. “That she didn't. I still remember the first time we took her to the coast. She looked so excited, we practically had to drag her back home, otherwise she would have stayed there forever.”

Nerissa smiled, pausing her sunscreen application in favor of resting her chin on Shiori's shoulder and circling her arm around her midriff.

Shiori's breath hitched, but she quickly relaxed in Nerissa's embrace, hoping she hadn't noticed the small hiccup.

“When we were young, did you ever think we would be here?” Nerissa asked.

“On the beach?”

“No, dummy, I mean us being close still.”

Shiori hummed. “I don't know, sixteen-year-old me wasn't thinking this far into the future, but I was happy having you in my life then, and I hoped you could be in it for a while more. Why the sudden question?”

“No reason, I was just thinking how fortunate I am to be with the women I love right here, right now.”

She pulled back, resuming her task, while Shiori was left to ponder her words.

“Nerissa, there is…”

“Which one of you is joining me, or do you plan to sunbathe only?” 

They turned towards Elizabeth, who had sneaked up on them without them noticing.

“I might go in the water later,” Nerissa said, putting the sunscreen away. “I'm all done with you, Shiori.”

She nodded. “Thank you.” She then glanced at Elizabeth. “I can join you if you want, but I can't promise I will stay too long.”

Elizabeth smiled, extending her hand towards her to help her stand up. “That is fine, you can come out whenever you feel like it.”

“Have fun, you two.” Nerissa waved her hand as she lay on the sand. “I will start working on my tan.”

Elizabeth and Shiori shared knowing looks, shaking their heads, before they headed to the water.

“Oh, it's cold.” Shiori hissed, beginning to walk in slowly.

Elizabeth laughed. “It’s not that bad, you will acclimatize soon.”

“I suppose. It has been a while since I have been in the ocean.”

“It has, hasn't it? I don't even remember when was the last time.”

Shiori hummed. “Almost a year ago, when we went to the Caribbean. I have been back at the beach, of course, but I haven't gotten into the water since.”

“Well, these waters might not compare, but they are still good. Want to go for a swim?”

She groaned. “I'm not in the mood to exercise, but feel free to swim if you want.”

Elizabeth shook her head. “I can swim later; I want to spend time with you.” Her gaze briefly drifted to Nerissa. “I know we just arrived yesterday, but are you enjoying yourself?”

“I am, are you?”

“Yes, how can I not when I'm accompanied by my two favorite girls in the whole world. It doesn't even matter that we are out here. Although I'm glad we get to enjoy spending time in such a beautiful place, what makes it so good is that I get to be here with you. I wouldn't be having such a good time otherwise.”

Shiori rolled her eyes. “I suppose it’s the same for me, the company could be a bit better, but-”

“Hey.” Elizabeth splashed water on her, making her giggle.

“I'm joking, I'm glad I can be here with you, but I can't deny that I feel a bit bad.”

“Why is that?”

She waved her hand dismissively. “Just silly thoughts, don't worry about it.”

“But I do.” Elizabeth drifted close, a scowl settled on her face as she looked at Shiori. “Silly or not, I want to hear what is troubling you.”

“I wouldn't say it's troubling me, but-” She glanced away. “In a way, I feel like I'm intruding on yours and Nerissa's relationship. I know you don't feel that way and that you want me here, but sometimes I think you would be having much more fun if it were just you two, and you didn't have to mind me.”

Shiori didn't often have these thoughts, mostly because she had never gotten the vibes that she was a bother from Elizabeth and Nerissa; on the contrary, one thing they had been consistent about since the moment they started dating was their reassurance that her presence was more than welcome. 

Still, she wasn't above letting the brain worms get to her, making her think she was overstepping into their relationship, and preventing them from enjoying themselves to the fullest.

A hand grasping her chin made her head turn forward, meeting Elizabeth's gaze, who was looking at her seriously. 

“You are wrong. Nerissa and I wouldn't have more fun if it were just us two, quite the opposite, actually, as we would constantly be thinking of you, wishing you were with us.” She took a pause, as her gaze briefly shifted down to her lips, before looking up again. “We are the happiest when we are with you.”

Shiori's heart skipped a beat. She knew her face would start burning at any second, so not wanting Elizabeth to notice her blush, she broke free from her grasp and shook her head.

“Wow, you’re obsessed with me, aren't you?” She jested, trying to lighten the mood.

Elizabeth, quickly catching up on what she was trying to do, decided to play along. “Of course, who wouldn't be obsessed with the Shiori Novella?”

“I know, right? I'm impossible to resist.” Both laughed before an idea crossed Shiori’s mind. “I know I said I didn't want to exercise, but what about a swimming race?”

“Sure, where should our ending point be?”

Shiori hummed, looking around the beach. “What about that lifeguard's tower?”

“Sounds good, whenever you are ready.” Elizabeth moved beside her so they would be at the same starting point.

“Alright. In your marks, set…go!”

Chapter Text

Shiori paced around in her room, having just gotten off a call with Bijou and Zeta. 

After days of pondering, she had finally decided today was the day she would confront Elizabeth and Nerissa regarding her worries about their strange behavior.

Her fear of having a repeat of the last time she expressed her concerns kept holding her back, but Shiori knew she couldn't continue delaying this any longer; as such, she had to act like a big girl and talk to her friends.

Since they had been on vacation, they rarely spent much time at the house they rented, as they were usually out and about. However, tonight they would be staying in, as Nerissa had decided to cook dinner.

Knowing they wouldn't have to worry about their surroundings and having all the privacy they needed, Shiori couldn't let this chance pass. Once they finished eating, she planned to ask about her concerns.

But before she could think about all that, she first had to leave her room. She had reached out to her friends, hoping they would give her the reassurance and last push she needed, and although they were usually able to calm her down, this time, their words did nothing to appease her.

Regardless, there was no going back now, so as much as she felt as if her heart might jump out of her chest at any moment, she took a deep breath and, with unsure steps, walked out of her room.

She could hear the distant chatter of Elizabeth and Nerissa, so she followed their voices, which led her to the kitchen.

“Hello, Shiori, dinner is almost ready,” Nerissa said once she appeared. She was currently stirring the food in the pot, making sure it didn't burn.

“It smells great.” Shiori complimented, sitting beside Elizabeth. “Should we start setting up the table?”

“There is no need for that. I already took care of everything.” 

“You should have told me to help you. Now I feel bad that you two did everything while I just chilled in my room.”

“There is nothing to feel bad about. You should only concern yourself with enjoying dinner.” Nerissa reassured, turning off the stove. “Now, let's wait a few minutes before serving this.”

Shiori had been extremely nervous before, but once she started talking to them, she was able to temporarily forget about all of her worries and enjoy the meal. However, when their stomachs were full and their plates were empty, she felt her nervousness return in full force.

“Shiori, is everything alright? You have been quiet for a while.” Nerissa inquired, not missing her silence. “Did the food perhaps upset your stomach?”

She shook her head. “No, the food was delicious, and my stomach is feeling fine. I'm just lost in thought.”

Nerissa frowned. She briefly glanced at Elizabeth, who simply shrugged, before she looked at Shiori again. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I wouldn't say I want, but I should.”

“You don't. If you really don't want to talk about what is on your mind, we won't pray.” Elizabeth intervened.

Nerissa nodded. “We won't, we will just move on and pretend I never mentioned anything.”

Shiori gave them a lip-tight smile. “Thanks for giving me an easy escape, but I already made up my mind that I would do this.” Her shoulders sagged. “There is something I have been meaning to talk to you about for a while now, but I keep on avoiding mentioning anything since I was afraid that you wouldn't take kindly to my words, just like you did the last time I voiced my concerns.” 

Noticing how that might have come across, she quickly clarified. “I'm not reproaching you for what happened or saying you are at fault for this, but…” She stopped her rambling as Nerissa leaned over the table, grasping her hand.

“It's okay, Shiori, you are just stating a fact. We overacted back then, and I'm sorry that you now have this fear that we will do the same if you talk to us.”

Elizabeth hummed, reaching for Shiori's other hand. “Your uncertainty was justified, so you don't need to give us any explanations.”

She squeezed their hands, feeling relieved that they understood where she was coming from. “Alright, that does make me feel a bit better.” She said, letting go of their hands.

“Since we mended our differences with the whole Zeta situation, I couldn't help but notice you two have become…too nice.”

Nerissa arched an eyebrow. “What do you mean by 'too nice'?”

“Well, you always treated me kindly and did things for me, but since our fight, it's like everything has been potentiated by a hundred, the compliments, the gifts, the coddling by taking care of my chores, amongst other things…it's a lot.”

“Do you dislike that?” Elizabeth asked, sounding almost sad, which in turn made Shiori panic.

“Of course I don't, I appreciate everything you do, it's just that,” She sighed. “I can't help but feel like you are doing all this because you think you need to make up to me for what happened, and that is not the case. I have forgiven you already, and I don't harbor any hard feelings.”

Although Shiori was trying to offer reassurance with her words, for some reason, Elizabeth and Nerissa looked distressed.

“Did I say something wrong?”

Elizabeth and Nerissa looked at each other. They didn't say anything, but judging by the way they stared into each other's eyes, Shiori could conclude they were having some sort of silent exchange.

After a few seconds of silence, Elizabeth nodded before Nerissa turned to her.

“Shiori, do you really think we are doing all that stuff because we feel like we need to make it up to you, as you said?”

“I do, what other reason could there be for your strange behavior, if it's not that? You only started acting this way after our fight, so I think it's safe for me to assume you are just trying to get on my good side, which once again you don't need to do, I truly don't…”

“Shiori,” Elizabeth calling for her made her stop talking. “Although it can be denied that the timing of it all might make it seem like those are our intentions, that isn't what we were trying to do.”

Shiori furrowed her brows. “Is it not? Then, what are you doing all that for?”

“Well,” Nerissa sighed. “We thought we were being kind of obvious, but it seems you didn't get the message, so I guess we will have to say it out loud.”

Nerissa squared her shoulders, sitting up straight before clearing her throat. “To put it plainly, we were doing all that because we were flirting with you.”

Elizabeth hummed. “As Nerissa said, we thought we were being clear or at the very least not subtle, but it's evident you weren't catching up with our intentions.”

Although their words were clear and didn't leave room for misunderstandings, it was as if Shiori couldn't fully comprehend them.

“Flirting? Why would you want to do that?”

Now it was Nerissa’s and Elizabeth's turn to be confused.

“What other reason could there be for us to do that besides showing we are interested in you?” Elizabeth asked.

“Yes,” Nerissa said. “We like you, Shiori, I would even dare to say we are in love with you.”

Shiori couldn't lie to herself and say that in her wildest dream she hadn't imagined hearing those words coming from them, but hearing them now, she didn't feel elated or like she was on cloud nine; if anything, it was as if someone had dropped a bucket of cold water on her.

“No,” She gasped.

Nerissa frowned. “What do you mean by no?”

“You aren't in love with me.”

Their confusion now turned into worry.

“But we are,” Elizabeth said, simply stating the truth.

“You can't, you-” She sighed, rubbing her face and standing up. “I need a moment.”

“Are you going to run off again?” Nerissa asked, not hiding the panic in her tone.

“Not this time.”

That's all she said before she started to head out to the patio behind the house. 

The decision to go there instead of leaving the house altogether was to show that she truly meant she wasn't going to run away; besides, she could still get the space and silence needed to gain the clarity of mind she desperately sought.

It would be unclear to say how much time she spent alone with her thoughts before the door to the house opened as Elizabeth and Nerissa stepped outside.

“Can we join you?” Nerissa timidly asked.

Shiori nodded, allowing them to sit at each side of her.

Even if they were all together now, a few moments of silence passed before Elizabeth found the courage to say something.

“Why can't we be in love with you?”

Shiori closed her eyes. She took a deep breath but said nothing otherwise.

“Does the prospect of us having feelings for you trouble you that much?” Nerissa inquired.

“It does, but not for the reasons you might think.”

“What do we think? We haven't said anything.” Elizabeth said.

“You haven't, but I know. You felt your heart dropping to your stomach when I said you can't be in love with me, followed by a deep panic that made you wish you hadn't said anything at all.” She looked down at her lap.

“Then, when I left, you started to think of ways in which you could fix this. You are ready to give me a million options not to lose me, even if doing that would hurt you because you think I'm disgusted and offended by your feelings,” She sighed. ” Isn't that right?”

Her gaze flickered between them, and judging by the expression she saw on their faces, she knew everything she had said was spot on.

Nerissa scoffed. “You seem to know a lot.”

She hummed. “I do, I have found myself thinking the same things.”

Elizabeth frowned. “You speak from experience. When did you find yourself in a similar situation?”

“I didn't, but I did consider the ‘what if’, if the worst ever came to pass,” She sighed. “There is much we need to discuss, much I need to explain, but first I must know…since when have you been harboring those feelings for me?”

Nerissa and Elizabeth glanced at each other, neither knowing who should go first, but after a while, Nerissa decided to take the floor.

“I can't give you a specific date because I don't think there is one. What I can tell you is the moment I realized I had those feelings. It was around the time you left after our discussions about Zeta, who, funny enough, was the one who made us realize what we felt when she came to us.”

The mention of Zeta made Shiori perk up. “Zeta? But how?”

Elizabeth briefly smiled. “What did she tell you about that encounter?”

“She just told me that she had clarified we weren't in a relationship. Isn't that what happened?”

“Yes, but that wasn't all. Before she left, she said that the jealousy we showed didn't seem to her like it was because a friend was prioritizing a partner, but rather, because the one we are in love with was with someone else.”

Shiori's breath hitched as she wasn't prepared to hear such a revelation. All this time, Zeta knew about their feelings for her, and yet she had kept quiet. She had many feelings about her friend's silence, but that was a matter for another time.

“Did her saying that make you re-evaluate your feelings?”

Nerissa nodded. “Yes, I think we needed to hear that from someone else to realize the true nature of our feelings; we just didn't expect that someone to be Zeta, but Elizabeth and I are glad for her intervention.”

“That we are, I would have taken us way longer to realize what we feel otherwise. Anyway, once we fully accepted we were in love with you, our focus then was to mend things between us, and when we did, the next step was to try to woo you.”

Shiori arched an eyebrow. “Woo me, really?”

“What? Would you prefer me to say, rizz you up?”

Elizabeth's comment made everyone giggle. When the laughs passed, Shiori cleared her throat.

“While I appreciate your intentions, you didn't need to do that.”

Nerissa tried her head. “Do what?”

“Woo me, you didn't need to because… I was already in love with you.”