Work Text:
The moment Ena steps into her bedroom, she drops her school bag on the ground and yanks off her necktie. She’s so late for Niigo’s meeting in Sekai. They agreed to have a late dinner and eat with Miku and everyone else, and it was late enough that Ena should’ve had no problem coming home after art school and heading straight there. If only she had set an alarm to remind her to leave the studio on time.
After changing out of her uniform, Ena arranges her bed to make it look like she’s sleeping—an extra precaution she takes when going to Sekai during a time of day when someone in her house might try and find her. She fishes her phone out of the discarded bag and rushes over to meet the others.
The bright light fades with the warm familiarity of her room into an equally familiar cold. The dark coziness is replaced by a vast, feeling expanse. The distant ringing throughout the Sekai isn’t so eerie as it used to be; it’s become a different kind of comfort.
Ena scans her surroundings, trying to place the exact spot where she arrived. They’ve never ventured far beyond the few landmarks the Sekai offers them for fear of never finding their way back. Most meetings happen at the lake or near the raised platform that acts as the central point of the expanse.
The platform was some steps away behind Ena. Her stomach sinks when she doesn’t immediately see everyone waiting for her, but she has no one but herself to blame for being late.
Kaito and Luka are nowhere in sight. Meiko lingers far enough away to be considered not present. She leans against a precariously angled cell tower as if she’s asleep like Miku and Len leaning against each other with their feet dangling off the platform. As Ena approaches, it’s more obvious that Kanade and Mafuyu aren’t even here anymore. There’s only Mizuki, lying on her back and scrolling through something on her phone to show to a semi-interested Rin lying beside her.
“You’re here,” Rin sits up.
Without moving or looking away from her phone, Mizuki sighs. “Hm? Is somebody here? I wasn’t expecting anyone~”
Ena drops to sit beside them with a huff. “I said I was sorry. Didn’t you get my messages?”
“Maybe I did, maybe I didn’t. Who’s to say…”
“Listen,” Ena pushes Mizuki’s phone away from her face and pulls her upright without much resistance. “I’m sorry, okay? I know you were excited to show us your storyboards. I just got too wrapped up in my project at the studio. I would’ve stayed there all night if the building hadn’t closed.”
Mizuki pulls her knees to her chest, resting her head against them in a well-practiced pout—an expression Ena wants to pinch until it falls off of her. “Is that so? It sound like you didn't care about this meeting then—”
“No! That’s not it, I—”
Any rebuttal Ena could’ve come up with is cut short by the quickest peck on her lips, and Mizuki can’t fend off a smile with teasing any longer.
“I’m just messing with you.”
“Idiot.” Ena pushes her away and moves to lean her back against the platform wall. “I know.”
Rin stands to her feet and wordlessly walks away.
Mizuki calls after her. “Where are you going? I didn’t finish showing you all the references to—”
“Ena’s here now. She’ll keep you company. I’m leaving.” She does exactly that, leaving their line sight.
“Sheesh, she could stand to have a little more tact, you know?”
Mizuki laughs, charming and warm against the gray backdrop of Sekai. “Classic Rin.” She stands, straightening her outfit as she does. “Have you eaten yet, Enanan?”
“Of course not. I came right here.”
“It’s a shame you missed our picnic. Kanade and Mafuyu brought these yummy sandwiches for everyone, and I bought all kinds of snacks on my way home from school…”
“Where are they anyway?”
“You were taking too long, and Mafuyu was getting tired. She went back to take a nap, and Kanade went with her to keep working on the song.”
Ena didn’t pay attention to how hungry she was until Mizuki started running her mouth. It hits her as hard as it did quickly.
Mizuki sighs dramatically, the kind that always gets the attention it begs for. “I even went through the trouble of picking up a cheesecake to share…”
“Okay, now you’re just rubbing it in.” Ena hears her scowl in her own voice.
“So I guess it’s a good thing I saved a piece for you then?”
Ena pulls her lips into a thin line. From behind the corner of the platform, Mizuki grabs a couple of plastic store bags and sets them in front of Ena before joining her at her side. “You’re a brat.” The insult doesn’t come out with nearly enough fire, and Mizuki scooches closer next to Ena so that their shoulders touch.
“So they say.”
Inside the bags, Ena finds the remaining cheesecake along with some unopened snacks and sandwiches still wrapped up. She takes a sandwich and helps herself.
When a quiet moment goes by and Ena’s hunger subsides, she notices just how much better she feels. It makes her a bit too aware of how Mizuki knew what she needed.
“Thank you for waiting for me,” she admits quietly.
“Hm? What was that? I couldn’t hear you over how loud you’re chewing~”
Ena shoves her shoulder against Mizuki’s. “No. You heard me.”
Mizuki sighs, resting her head on Ena’s shoulder. “I’ll always wait for you.”