Work Text:
Madoka and Homura sat next to each other on Homura’s bed. Considering the strange living(?) room that Homura had guided her through her bedroom was surprisingly normal, the only real part to note was her desk which was covered in wires, PVC pipes and some eggy smelling concoction. Her room was also quite purple, which Madoka liked. “Why did you want to come to my house today, Madoka?” Homura asked her.
“I mean… I’ve never been here!” Madoka smiled and gestured at the dim room. “We’re always at my house soooo I thought it’d be neat to go over your place!” Madoka’s bubbly tone radiated out through her voice.
Homura nodded. “I’m sorry that there isn’t much to do around here… I keep it well made for me as I… live alone.” Madoka heard the sadness that came from Homura with the final part of her sentence.
Madoka leaned over and rested her head on Homura’s shoulder. “Well, it’s not alone today.” Homura didn’t flinch this time when Madoka had rested her head on her shoulder. Homura’s hair was so soft today.
“Is there anything you’d want to do well here, Madoka?” Madoka gave that a thought… Hmm… I don’t think she has a tv… but she does have a laptop, we could watch something? God her hair is soft… Maybe I could run back to my house and grab my switch? I know she likes watching me play Animal Crossing… It smells like lavender toooooo… Hmm… A smile crept across Madoka’s face. “Do you think I could braid your hair?” She asked in only a slightly nefarious tone.
“Y-you want to braid my hair?” Homura sounded sheepish in her reply.
Madoka lifted her head and looked over at Homura. “I’d love to!” She beamed and after a few seconds Homura had nodded and moved to the floor so that Madoka could lift her hair up onto her bed. As Madoka looked at her deep black hair she noted the two segments that it was already split into. It looks like she’d braided her hair a lot a long time ago… Madoka took the left segment into her hands- IT’S EVEN SOFTER THAN I THOUGHT IT WAS!!!!!! -and split it into three smaller segments and started to braid them like she’d done for her friends many times before. Madoka was used to braiding shorter hair but the length of Homura’s wasn’t a challenge for her the true problem was- “Homura?” She seemed to have snapped her out of a trance. “Do you have anything to tie off the braid?”
Homura leaned over to her bedside table, Madoka followed her lean so as to not tug on her hair too hard. After a moment of searching Homura produced a pair of light lavender ribbons. “Use these to tie them off.” Homura’s face was hidden from Madoka, but she still took the ribbons and tied off the first braid. She started to repeat the process with the second braid. “How many times have you braided someone’s hair Madoka?” Homura asked.
“I used to do it with Sayaka and Hitomi!” She answered happily. “I remember that when we’d hang out and have sleepovers I’d usually spend at least an hour braiding their hair and then Hitomi would braid mine…” Madoka reminisce on that happy memory, she unfortunately couldn’t remember the last time Sayaka, Hitomi and her had all hung out outside of school, and at this point it was only during class as her and Sayaka would have lunch with Mami and leave school to do their magical girl duties with her. “I mean… you should’ve seen some of the styles we’d made during those sleepovers!” She masked that small bit of hurt with more of the then and the now as she finished braiding Homura’s hair. “It’s all done!”
Homura stood and Madoka scooted off the bed. Homura moved over to a mirror that was hung off of her door and stood there looking at herself, Madoka joined her and looked at her girlfriends new look. “Hmm… I feel like it’s missing something…” Madoka thought out loud. “Like, it already looks good but I just feel like it could look great!”
“I know what’s missing…” Homura’s somber tone scared Madoka a bit… What did she mean by she knew what was missing, in any case Madoka prepared to give Homura a pep talk. Homura walked back over to her bedside table and opened the drawer and produced a small sleeve. She took something out of it and placed it on her face, when she turned around she was wearing a pair of red wireframe glasses. “H-how do I look?” Madoka felt her face get hot, like hot hot, her heart started to beat at a mile a second. Was her nose bleeding? She checked just to make sure… no blood that’s good… was she drooling? She touched her chin and… no drool… good. “Uh… do- do you not like it?” Homura had gone from her usual stern and kinda cold self to a sheepish and insecure girl.
“N-no! I love it, Homura!” If only Homura could see into Madoka’s head, she’d be seeing Madoka doing flips and tearing off her shirt to reveal one that said ‘I LOVE MY GIRLFRIEND’ on it in big, bold letters. Luckily Madoka was trying to regulate herself. “I- I think you look beautiful…” The moment Madoka said that she covered her mouth with both of her hands. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She watched as Homura’s face turned the same shade of pink as her hair as she looked down and started pulling at the hem of her shirt. “I- I- I- I’m sorry if that’s too much Homura!" She panicly added to the end of that sentence.
“N-no it’s fine… it’s just… I’ve just never had anyone call me beautiful before…”
Madoka ran up to Homura and wrapped her in a hug. “Then I’ll call you beautiful a million times until you’re comfortable with it!!” She shouted around her girlfriend.
“Uhm… T-thank you Mrs. Kana-” Homura paused. “Madoka.” She returned the hug that Madoka had her locked in.
Madoka ran out of the house, ready for the school day. As she rushed down the street her mind was still stuck on how Homura looked the other day. It was truly all she could think about because all she did last night was look at the seventy-ish photos she took of Homura and think of different outfits that she’d wear with the braids and glasses. Just as she got to the path to school she heard a familiar voice from in front of her. “Mornin’ Madoka!” Sayaka greeted her near the small streams of their school.
“Morning Sayaka!” She waved as she approached her friend. “Is Mami already at school?”
“Eh probably, you know how her and Nagisa always get there early.”
“I guess we’ll see them later today so it doesn't really matter.”
“C’mon, I know you want to know what dessert she’s made for us today.” Sayaka shot a cheeky grin at Madoka. Madoka gasped at Sayaka’s deduction. “Oh don’t act surprised, I’ve seen how you act around her food.” Sayaka started doing her grabby hands at Madoka and she immediately knew to duck as Sayaka lunged to grab her.
They continued this old charade for a bit. “Sayakaaaaa stooooop!” Madoka laughed as she ducked and weaved from her friend’s grasp. “Just because Kyoko isn’t here doesn’t mean you can chase me!” She continued to laugh.
Sayaka shared a laugh with Madoka then lunged and wrapped her arms around her neck before swiftly releasing her. “Yeah fair we're also all like that with Mami’s food though.” The two girls nodded because they all did like Mami’s desserts that she’d prepare for them.
“Good morning Madoka. Good Mourning Sayaka.”
“Homura!” Madoka spun around and was stunlocked by Homura's appearance.
“Whoa! New look!” Sayaka exclaimed “So that’s what you two were doing yesterday!”Madoka was still surprised that Homura had kept the braids in even after she went home, but she also wasn’t complaining. “Didn’t know you needed glasses either, guess I’m learning new things about you still…” She said to herself.
“Oh… uhm… do you not like it?” Homura sheepishly asked.
“Oh, no! I think the braids suit you! And the glasses are a nice complement to them!” Sayaka gave Homura a smile. Homura blushed a little at being complemented, Madoka loved when that happened.
Madoka and Sayaka had to practically pry Homura from the other girls (and a few guys) in class to get to the roof. When they had all successfully hidden their "contraband" from the other kids at school they were greeted by Mami on the roof. “Oh there you are… Homura! I love the new look!” Mami greeted them with a warm complement.
“O-oh… t-thank you Mrs. Tomo-” Homura paused. “Mami.” She said firmly.
Mami’s reaction was a surprise to all of them, she laughed and for a while. Just as they were about to question her she said. “Sorry, I’ve just only ever had adults call me ‘Mrs. Tomoe’ because I’m ‘so grown up for my age’...” She sighed. “If only they knew…” Just by her facial expression the three of them could tell she hated being called ‘grown up for her age’ by people.
“Enough of this!” Sayaka declared. “Let’s have lunch!” She lofted her lunch to the sky like it was a holy relic. The four of them all went to sit on the benches that were dotted around the roof and unfurled their lunches. Madoka had some leftovers from last night’s dinner complete with her dads fried chicken, some fried rice and a small salad. Sayaka had some rustic looking rice balls with a dipping sauce. Mami had curry and her signature thermos of tea. Homura had some warmed soba noodles with a sprinkling of green onions on them. “Uhm… Madoka… c-could I have so-”
“Of courses!” Madoka scooped up some of her chicken and placed it on the side of Homura’s noodles.
Homura blushed. “Thank you.”
“It’s no problem! I always have extra for you!” What Madoka kept hidden from Homura was that she’d been requesting extra chicken in her lunches so that she’d be able to give some to Homura, but Homura didn’t need to know that for now.
“UGGGGGGH that day was taking foreverrrrrr!” Sayaka moaned as they left the front gate.
“Maybe if you paid attention in class it’d go faster!” Madoka giggled.
“Never!” Sayaka hit a very distraught pose.
“I agree with Sayaka! School days are too long!” Nagisa hollered from the other side of the group. The group all laughed, besides Sayaka and Nagisa, at the conversation at hand. Homura’s laugh was something that Madoka loved to hear, she only did it occasionally but Madoka could listen to it all day and night, seven days a week, 365 times a year. Nagisa reacted to something. “Oh! Mami! I’m gonna go hang out with my friends!” She started to run towards her name callers.
“Okay, if you get home before we’re back, text me!” Mami shouted to her.
“I will!” She shouted back.
As if Nagisa leaving changed the balance of the universe, Kyoko came sprinting up to the group to reset the balance. “Hey…” she huffed as she stopped in front of Sayaka. “Sorry I’m late. BUT! I’m late for a good reason!”
“And that is?” Sayaka asked her.
“Snickers. They were half off at the store, I know you love em.” Kyoko handed Sayaka two huge snickers.
“Dude. I think I love you??” Sayaka took her gift.
“Well you better mean that in a completely platonic way.” Kyoko leaned forward with her hands on her hips.
“Of course. Very platonic we are.” Sayaka nodded at the bit they were enthralled in.
“So, we’re just gonna go to the… You need to wear glasses?” Kyoko’s thought were cut off by her seeing Homura’s new appearance.
“Oh… uhh… I was wearing contacts for a long time, I’m sorry for not telling you…” Homura replied.
“Do the glasses change your personality as well?” Kyoko seemed very confused at how Homura was acting.
“Nah, she’s just been like this all day.” Sayaka responded. “I’m pretty sure Madoka’s been loving it.”
Homura looked over at Madoka. “Uhh… Caught red handed?” She shrugged.
Homura laughed a bit. “It’s okay Madoka, I liked this too.” Homura bent down and pecked Madoka on the cheek. Madoka felt her already removed soul leave her body. So THAT’S what she felt like that night… What Madoka didn’t perceive was the panic that Homura was having at breaking her girlfriend.