A/N: I don't know what to type except that if you would like an explanation/upcoming of what I've been up to please visit my user page :) Thanks! Hope you like this, it's sort of a new style I'm trying?
Disclaimer: Don't own K-ON!
"...Ritsu?" you hear her call in your still sleep like state.
Rubbing your eyes, you can faintly make out her figure as you sit up in bed. Regaining sight once again you notice that it's probably still the middle of the night and ponder a while how she got in without waking your parents.
"Mio, you realize it's like three in the morning right? What, did you have another nightmare?" you can't help but, tease with a grin.
She doesn't respond like usual though.
"Can I join you?"
"Huh? Oh sure."
You moved over and propped yourself up with your elbow, looking at her getting situated. Suddenly nostalgia hits and you feel like your six again, the first time you forced Mio in sleeping over.
Laying there, looking slightly confused, you're not quite sure what to expect. In the dark, another moment of silence passes as you wait for her to speak. You study her face for a while before finally saying, "Come here."
And as if that was it all took to take every problem and worry Mio had away, she clung onto you tightly. Hugging her closely back, you hoped that nothing was seriously bothering your raven-haired friend.
xxx
You and her.
You guys were never ones to share your feelings which is why things often lead awry.
It wasn't your fault. You just happen to be shy and she just happened to be extremely stubborn at times. Sure you've known her for forever, but these were matters of the heart, you couldn't just openly admit them. Especially not to her, god knows she would only make fun of you.
Why are you contemplating this now? It's not like anything was going to change.
"Ah, Tainaka-san you're so cool!"
Through the years of your high school life, especially now in your senior year, the K-ON! club has gotten more publicity and popular than ever. You should be happy about this, not sulking in a corner and acting like a kid.
"Ritsu-kun maybe you could teach me how to play the drums some time!"
God knows why you have the ability to be able to attract enough people that you would have your own fan club. However, this didn't mean that your fellow band members and more importantly closest friends weren't just as loved and adored as you were. In fact, a certain brunette colored hair drummer was just as crowd-pleasing as you have been recently.
"Ah, that Ritsu is just so cool! I wish I could play the drums like her!"
You guys, the K-ON! club, just finished your second live show and you couldn't believe the turn out. Practically all the students from Sakuragaoka Girls High School were there. It was absolutely amazing, but somehow you couldn't really focus on the fact that half of the students were screaming your name in particular. All you could focus on was the copious amounts of praise and comments that your drummer was receiving. It was like you had a special filter or something.
"Ritsu-chan you should wear your hair down more often! You look cuter that way!"
...
A total random student, maybe even not a student, a stranger perhaps just said something to your best friend you've been trying to tell her for years.
Where did she come off like that? What in her right mind gave her the right to say that? She had no place, no right. Using the suffix chan? Really? She didn't know Ritsu like you did. That little...
"Mio-chan! Mio-chan! Are you okay? You're going to break Elizabeth."
The worried and ever kind hearted Yui was the one that brought you back to reality as you looked down and saw your knuckles turning white from gripping so hard.
You let your emotions get the best of you.
No. You let 'her' get the best of you.
xxx
"Earth to Mio! Hello? I knew I shouldn't have done this, it looks weird right?"
Ritsu, your best friend and your forever unrequited love, has decided to show up at your window...at five in the morning. You don't know whether to be pleased that you guys share such a special bond that this would be considered normal or to be angry at her for waking you up at said five in the morning.
Rubbing your eyes again, you honestly don't know how to respond.
"Ah, damn it, I shouldn't have left my hairband at home! Sorry for bothering you Mio, I'm going to head back now."
With her right foot on the window seal, she's ready to leave, but you grab for her arm looking away, like a child caught in the act.
"Mio?"
Puzzled, she cocks her head back to look at you.
"...why?"
Even more confused, she takes her foot off the window before facing you, your hand still firmly grasping her arm.
"Why, your hair, why Ritsu?", you feel yourself choke as you hold back tears.
Your hand lingers for a while until it drops back down to your side. You feel like breaking down and crying, screaming even. It wasn't supposed to bother you this much, it's not like you care...but then why does it hurt so much?
Before Ristu even has time to reply, you throw yourself back onto to bed, not wanting to shed tears in front of her.
"Stupid Ritsu!", you scream as you smother your face into the pillow.
"Huh? Mio, mio? What did I do, I'm sorry! Come on Mio, don't be upset. Whatever I did, I'm sorry!"
You feel her besides you, awkwardly staring, trying to figure out what she did wrong when in fact she didn't do anything and you're just acting crazy. Despite that, you still ignore her and dig your head further into the pillow.
She scratches her hair and tilts her head, before an idea forms in her head.
"Ah, Mio! Mio! Look! Look Mio, look!"
You slightly turn your head to see whatever Ritsu was gesturing at before you start laughing uncontrollably.
"Painappuru!"
She puffs up her cheeks and takes one of her hands so that her pineapple like ponytail stays on top of her head.
"Stupid Ritsu!", you yell again, but this time with playfulness.
"Pineapple attack! Watch out Mio!"
She jumps on top of you and starts tickling you to death.
"Mio! My little princess! Are you...oh Tainaka-san."
Your papa barges in and it hits you; it's still five in the morning and you just caused your papa to walk in on you and your best friend as he's holding a baseball bat over his head.
"Akiyama-san.", Ritsu replies back calmly.
"Ah...hmm well you two have fun, try not to be too loud now."
Your papa closes the door behind him, but not before he winks at you. You don't know whether to be highly confused or glad your parents find your best friend randomly showing up at five in the morning normal and nothing to worry about it.
"Well, that went well.", Ritsu comments with a smile and out of habit you hit her on the head.
"In what universe did that go well?"
"Ah...hmm well it could have gone worse!", Ritsu gives you that smile which never ceases to wash away all your worries.
Silently in the back corner of your mind, you thank god that you have someone like your messy idiot drummer of a best friend in your life.
xxx
Something was up.
You're not sure what, but you knew. There was definitely something up with Mio.
She was less reactive, less shy, less easily provoked, less...Mio-ish. This was not like her. You've tried every trick up your sleeve to get her to react, to yell at you, to hit you, to do something, anything. Wishing the best for your friend, you made your way up to the music room.
No one was going to be there, but that's ok because for once you look forward to silence in order to think this over.
Both Yui and Mugi had classroom duties and Azusa said she was already doing something with Jun and Ui, so for today that meant no practice...or well lazing around, but that's minor details. As for the current person on your mind, she told you to go home without her.
She wouldn't tell you what or why, but to just go on ahead.
Which is weird, because you guys always walked home together, always. Maybe she was going shopping, or maybe she was making up work, maybe she was...wait no.
Nervously, you silently laughed to yourself. Mio wasn't meeting up with someone else right? That couldn't be right and if she was, which she couldn't possibly be doing in the first place, she would have told you right? You guys tell each other everything.
...what if it was a boy?
Alright, never mind, that was impossible. Mio? Having the nerves to talk to a boy? Yeah right, that wouldn't happen in like twenty years.
'Ritsu! Don't do this! Men are animals!'
You feel the corners of your mouth curving upwards and your nerves slowly relaxing as you recall the incident where Mio thought you had a boyfriend.
Yeah, there probably was nothing going on and you're just paranoid.
Hand on the door knob, you pause when a familiar sound reaches your ears.
"No matter how cold it is on winter days, I'm happy. When I see your breath draw white as you run, I think of how your parted hair fits you so well. But I want to see how you look with your bangs down."
Pressing your ear tightly to the door you listen to the voice you've grown so accustomed and attached to. The lyrics slowly start to come back to you, long forgotten a few winter years ago.
That's strange, you think to yourself.
Mio never made any intention of actually making those lyrics into a song, but why is it that there was strumming and singing just on the other side of the door. You feel your eyes close as you strain to hear your childhood friend sing words clearly about you. After lingering about a bit, you decided to be not disruptive for once as you let your hand slip from the door knob.
Making your way down the stairs you feel yourself smiling as you make a mental note of using this occasion to tease Mio later.
After all, what are best friends for?
xxx
/TBC.
End A/N: Thanks for reading! :D As always please leave feedback!