A/N: This was meant, originally, as a VERY long one-shot but decided against it. So, it'll be a three-shot now. Hope you enjoy it!
edit: fixed some typos.
Edit no.2: fixed, thanks curiousmouse
Summary: Having lost inspiration, Mio is in search for a boyfriend both to experience what love is about and in hopes to trigger a new song. Ritsu, however, seems to have something else in mind to help her friend. R&R
Disclaimer: K-on is not mine!
Edit: Seems some of you guys are confused. Never meant to take the whole idea as mine, so yeah, I was inspired by chapter 2 of the Clover manga, just to clarify. If it bother you, don't read. I just thought the plot bunny suited Mitsu, and applied it. (The idea didn't leave me alone for weeks!)
So, thank you in advance!
Special dedication: To my wonderful, awesome, (insert lots of other nice adjectives), beta, Little Donkey! Like I've told you, I'm eternally grateful for helping me out and getting me into the goodness that is Mitsu.I hope master is pleased. 8D
Go check out her stuff! :D
How to get inspiration for a song
Chapter 1: Listen!
"We want to know…to live…to love"
Akiyama Mio was not inspired today. In fact, she had not been inspired for a while now and hence was in her current predicament. Mio rolled on the bed to face the ceiling. None of the activities that usually stirred her into writing had proved productive in the last couple of weeks. None at all! And it was winter! And winter always motivated a melancholic mood in her, which was much more prolific with writing! Still, she couldn't even get to finish that one song 'Winter Days' she'd given Ritsu a couple of months ago. She never understood her best friend's frantic reaction to her unfinished song. The lyrics weren't half bad...
Mio sighed. She knew better than to ask Ritsu for her opinion on any of her lyrics. She always dismissed her work as cheesy and overly girly. Now that she thought about it, she couldn't help but wonder why she had given those lyrics to her in first place. And where did that inspiration come from anyway?
She didn't know any guys, nor was she particularly interested in meeting any. Yet, all she could write about was about love. But what did she know about love? Nothing! All she knew was related to fairytales, shoujo manga and TV dramas. In fact, her mom would frequently scold her with a light, incredulous frown.
"Love is nothing like you imagine, Mio-chan," she'd tell her. However, Mio couldn't help but to wonder…She'd never gone on romantic dates. She'd never held hands with her significant other. She'd never been kissed! It was all so embarrassing!
Mio could hear her heartbeat forcibly resonating inside her ribcage and felt stupid. She suddenly turned on her bed and buried her face into her pillow. She couldn't help but feel excited about the idea of love. Not a potential lover perhaps, the possibility of getting a boyfriend scared her out of her mind for some reason, but the idea of sweet, cute love.
Why did she had to think such embarrassing things? !
Maybe all she had to do is to look for a boyfriend…and stop Ritsu from rejecting people for her or scaring away any guys that looked particularly interested in her. Maybe…if she gave one of those guys a chance, she'd get her inspiration back? And know what love is really about? And write more love-inspired lyrics for the band?
Yes, maybe that was what she had to do.
Mio muffled an embarrassing yelp into her pillow.
What had she gotten herself into?
Ritsu's laugh was so loud Mio could've sworn anyone in the vicinity of Max Burger had heard it. Had she not felt particularly bashful at her best friend's reaction she wouldn't have doubted to cover her mouth with both of her hands.
"Ritsu, shut up!" the dark haired girl yelled, cheeks in flames.
Said person snorted, "I-I'm so...s-sorry, Mio," she struggled with laughing, "I just—it's so funny!" she doubled over again and continued her taunting.
Mio gave her a distasteful look. She had not skipped her study session and called her friend so her idea could get laughed at. Stupid Ritsu! Why did she have to laugh at her? Always?
"You're so immature," she jabbed, "I didn't ask you to come here so you could laugh at me." Mio stood up from her place with the intention to leave. A look of fear suddenly crossed Ritsu's face but as soon as it appeared it banished.
She suddenly moved forward and grabbed the bassist's hand, with her usual carefree smile. Mio's blush multiplied with the touch. Ugh, she really hated how any indistinct kind of contact embarrassed her to no end.
"Oi, Mio...don't go, I'm sorry, okay?" her amber eyes twinkled happily at her, and that was something Mio couldn't really say no to. She really had to stop being so lenient with Ritsu.
"Fine," she retrieved her hand away from the brunette; prolonged physical contact was always a cause of discomfort.
There was an awkward pause.
"So, do you really want to get a boyfriend?" Ritsu's voice was unusually quiet as she busied herself with playing with the straw of her coke. Her huge bundle of fries was also uncharacteristically abandoned in the middle of the table.
"Ahh," Mio's voice sort of died in her throat, "Yes," she replied very lowly.
Ritsu raised both of her eyebrows at her. The flush that obscured her cheeks was not leaving her any time soon, the bassist thought with distraught.
"What?"
"Yes Ritsu, I said yes!" Mio hadn't intended to be loud. But the words had quickly escaped her lips, much to her mortification.
She didn't really know why, but talking about getting a boyfriend with Ritsu suddenly felt like a bad idea. There was a tight knot in her stomach bothering her, and she couldn't really express herself well. She felt stupidly nervous and awkward. How could that be when they were best friends and best friends were supposed to tell each other everything? Mio couldn't really tell.
"Oh," Ritsu's surprised reply came a little bit late. Seeing that sudden lost look on her face instead of the usual happiness almost made Mio take her words back.
Was it really so much of a shock?
"B-but…ahhh...it's nothing too important!" she felt like she had to explain herself for some reason, "I just...I haven't felt inspired lately...and I thought...perhaps," she knew her voice was lowering as she continued talking but she couldn't help it, "...if I could get a boyfriend...and experience love...maybe..."
"You could get your inspiration back?" Ritsu finished for her. Mio nodded meekly. Sometimes, she really hated how she could read her thoughts so well.
"You're really are a very linear thinking kinda person, aren't you Mio?" Ritsu smiled very boyishly at her, the mischievous twinkle in her eye was back. Mio reddened again at her comment.
She wasn't so linear! Not really...well, maybe a little bit.
"Shut up!" she hit her in the head with her hand, making Ritsu to stick her tongue out at her in fake pain and giggled. She was glad they were back to their usual antics.
"And what kind of guy are you interested in?" Ritsu had propped her elbow onto the table to rest her chin over her palm to look at her. She reached for some fries with her free hand and gave Mio her undivided attention.
Mio fidgeted in her place...she hadn't thought about that yet.
"Err...I—"
"You haven't really thought about it, have you?" Ritsu looked unimpressed as she proceeded to fill her mouth with a bunch of french fries. Mio felt embarrassed at her lack of planning.
"Well," the drummer was near to emptying half of her fries, "I won't let any random otaku take my Mio."
Otaku? Why otaku?
"Ritsu, stop saying such embarrassing stuff!"
The brunette brushed her off with her hand.
"At least you're not doing it because you're single and lonely, you know...there's no way you'll feel lonely if I'm with you, Mio," she winked at her, one of the fries hanging from her mouth as if it was a cigarette.
"Ritsu..."
"You do have a nasty temper though," Mio smacked her on the head again with her fist, and reddened considerably once she noticed she had just proved her friend's point.
"Oi, Mio that hurt!" she complained with both her hands over her head, "see, no guy will ever want you if you continue with the abuse!" Mio could almost feel a vein popping in her forehead. That Ritsu!
"Even if you do look good with a mini-skirt Santa suit and have big boobs."
"Ritsu!"
The drummer put both her hands up in her defense, "I'm just stating the facts Mio!" The dark haired girl answered by puffing her cheeks. She didn't feel comfortable talking about her body, even if the comments were meant as compliments, by Ritsu nonetheless.
"Anyway," the brunette stuffed a couple of fries into her mouth, "you'll need someone with good looks, intelligence, a nice body and a wealthy family," she stated matter-of-factly as she waved one of the fries wildly in the air, which quickly broke into two.
Mio gave her a disgusted stare.
"Oh, and a good heart!" she pointed the remaining bit of her french fry right into Mio's face.
"I think I'd have a better chance at finding someone fast if you just lowered—"
"No, Mio! You won't settle with anything less!" Ritsu's face was so ridiculously serious while she frantically waved her half fry in the air it almost made Mio laugh.
She finally ate the remaining fry as she whispered something suspiciously similar to, "No random otaku will snatch my Mio away," under her breath.
The bassist gave a dejected sigh. At that rate, she would finally find a suitable guy by the end of her high school life and who knew if they'd be able to continue with their band by then.
"Are you really that desperate?" Ritsu was raising one of her eyebrows with a suspicious look. Mio snatched one of the last fries from the tray and looked away in a vain attempt to dissimulate her embarrassment.
"Sort of," Mio felt like being truthful, "I just want to write about love," her cheeks went pink instantly as she decided to stare at her hands—which were neatly folded over her lap, she was quite glad the brunette didn't laugh.
"That's so you Mio," Ritsu giggled to herself. The bassist looked up surprised, only to find her friend with pink cheeks, probably because of the cold.
"I guess it can't be helped if you're that desperate," the shorter of the two said with a smirk before sending one of the remaining fries into the air and caught it with her mouth.
Mio glared at her. She wasn't desperate!
"Wanna go with each other until you find a boyfriend?"
Mio almost fell from her chair from the shock. And Ritsu had just said it so casually! And with one of those goofy smiles she always gave her! Go out with each other?
"Ritsu! But we're both girls!" she really hated how strangled her voice sounded. It was so outrageous!
"But it sounds fun, doesn't it?" she had gone back to staring at her happily; both her elbows were propped over the table, hands intertwined, as her chin peacefully rested over them.
"Ah...I..."
"We would just pretend."
Pretend? Sounds fun? Going out with… her best friend? As her girlfriend? Only thinking about it made her light headed! And only Ritsu could think about such outrageous, stupid stuff to have fun. What would the others say?
"Mio your face is red," the taller girl placed both her hands over her cheeks to hide her blush, "don't tell me you really do have a crush on me—"
She was hit over the head before she could even finish her sentence, "Stupid Ritsu! What would the others think?"
Ritsu chuckled, "Innocent, innocent Mio, it's pretty common these days—"
"What? No way!" Well, she did know the society was becoming more tolerant...but -she couldn't!
"I knew you were naive Mio-chuan...but not this naive," the drummer baby talked with a cutesy expression, "You're so cute!"
"Ahhh! Not at all! You're right Ritsu! It's better if we're both girls," she nodded a little bit too enthusiastically.
"Men are animals after all," she whispered to herself as an afterthought.
"Did you say something Mio?"
"Ah...I said...it might be fun, yes...fun."
"You don't have to force yourself you know..." Ritsu's expression once again blank, "Seriously Mio, I know I force you into lots of stuff but this was just a suggestion...you being so desperate and all," she scratched the side of her cheek suddenly avoiding her eyes.
Something inside Mio turned into panic, "N-no, Ritsu! I appreciate it, really! It's no problem, let's go out!" she hadn't meant to sound too excited but her voice had a habit of betraying her control.
The brunette's face looked up with disbelief; something in her face told the bassist she couldn't really believe her words.
"Really?"
"Yeah."
Ritsu suddenly stood up from her chair and in a swift motion gave a deep bow, her cheeks were quite red. Mio couldn't help but to find the action endearing.
"Please take care of me from now on," she said loudly enough that a couple of other costumers sent them weird out glances. Mio squirmed in her place.
"Please take care of me too," she replied with a soft voice and small bow.
That night Akiyama Mio did not sleep well. She rolled over constantly on her bed, flipping her pillow to the colder side… every hour or so. In fact, she wasn't so sure if she had actually gotten to dream. She was alarmingly semi-conscious as all the disturbingly romantic images that involved her and her childhood friend obsessed her mind. Having been in that place between falling sleep and consciousness, Mio wasn't quite sure whether such highly upsetting images were a product of her subconscious or her hyperactive imagination. Or maybe a little bit of both? None of the possibilities, however, eliminated her growing concerns.
By the time she woke up completely startled, near three in the morning soaked in sweat, Mio had miserably decided not to go back to sleep. She took Elisabeth from its case and started playing with her—it—in a hopeless attempt to calm her nerves. The way her phone kept ogling at her mockingly, almost as if it were challenging her to call Ritsu like she usually would, only increased Mio's determination to drown her worries with music.
By the time her alarm clock beeped early in the morning, Akiyama Mio had successfully finished the melody for a new song.
TBC?
A/N:
This is the time on which I've had the most fun writing a story. Hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please continue the reading, I can guarantee you won't feel disappointed! :D
Constructive criticism is always welcomed, just as positive feedback or if you just happen to have an opinion or have something to share, don't hesitate to leave a review.
Look forward to next chapter!
PREVIEW
"Ricchan, look at me I'm Ton-chan's cousin, Godzilla!" Yui bent both her hands in an attempt to resemble a reptile, "Gero Gero~!"
"Yui-sempai what is this—"
"I'm not Ricchan, Godzilla!" Ritsu too bent both her hands, "I'm Anguirus!" she yelled to the top of her lungs before engaging Yui in a wrestling match.
"Gero Gero~!"
"Mu, mu~!"
"Sempai! Don't fight!" Azusa yelped as she pulled quite unsuccessfully from Yui's collar in order to get her away from the other brunette.
"Azu-nyan, cats can't fight against mutant dinosaurs, I'll protect you!"
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"No, it's not okay,"
"I think I might have overreacted, really,"
"I'll make It up to you," in another sudden moment, Ritsu had moved forward to grab both her hands with hers. They were warmer this time, just like Mio's face.
"Let's go on a date tomorrow," the drummer said seriously, pink cheeks being the most distinct feature on her face.
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Lycopene