Work Text:
Okay. This should go here. Oh, I have three exams that day. Will have to leave things for Natsuki to run that day. She’s dependable for that much. Hmmm, what else? There are no more breaks till the Nationals so we have to double down on our practice-
“You really need to relax a bit, you know?” an unusually soft voice said beside her, making Yuuko almost jump out of her seat. Honestly, she should have expected Natsuki to do something like this. Even if this was as mild as unsuspectingly getting Yuuko off-guard.
“I don’t need you to tell me that.” she replied in half-annoyance, mostly due to the speaker being Natsuki.
“I’m being serious here. When was the last time you took some proper rest? Or had someone help you with the band and studying and stuff?”
Yuuko began to say something, but the serious stare Natsuki was giving her made the words get caught in her throat. This was... different from usual. Sure, Natsuki could get down to business and work as hard as everyone else. But Yuuko knew her friend rarely acted the way she did now. Her face, its expression so genial and outright shy, only confirmed the suspiciousness of it all.
“What’s going on with you? You’re being awfully subdued today.” Yuuko asked, raising an eyebrow as she did so. Natsuki tilted her head, as if questioning that statement, and then looked away and smiled slightly.
“To tell you the truth,” she began as she rested her head on her hand, “when I was going here, I was going to tease you mercilessly. But when I entered the room and saw you there... I guess I didn’t have the heart to do so.”
“That doesn’t sound like you.”
“Maybe not when it comes to you. Even so, I feel like being honest with you know.”
Yuuko couldn’t help but turn away and scoff. That it was to hide the growing blush on her face was of secondary importance. She decided she was going to ignore Natsuki then and resume her work. Pencil in hand, she continued writing down the notes from where she was previously. Compared to playing the trumpet, this was easy work.
Tap. Tap tap tap. Tap tap. Tap tap tap tap tap!
“What?” Yuuko asked before turning towards Natsuki, who was incessantly poking her in her shoulder like an annoying mosquito. She was so going to yell at Natsuki for disrupting her conversation. Maybe she felt like being honest, but it didn’t make her any less of an annoyance!
“Stop i-”
The sight in front of her froze her lungs as fast as it made her heart beat. That shouldn’t have been possible. Not like this. Not for this. And yet, Natsuki with her arms wide open as if she wants an “I love you hug” succeeded in doing so.
“Come on.” Natsuki said and gestured for her to come into the hug. “As I said, I’m being honest.”
That shouldn’t have sounded so adorable. Yuuko’s gut, which usually would have told her to punch Natsuki’s gut if she did something like this, was now telling her to go for it. What the heck did she have to lose? Having a genuinely tender moment with Natsuki for once was not a bad thing. Though she had no idea what to say right now if she went for it. Yuuko didn’t exactly think this would happen or she’d have come prepared. Wait, did that mean that Natsuki was? What was she going to say? The curiosity became overwhelming.
“Only if you start with saying the things you... love about me first.” she said, though she didn’t know that word came out as more embarrassed or scathing.
“Yeah, I will.” Natsuki thankfully said, smiling all the while. That was all Yuuko needed before she lightly hugged Natsuki around her back. In turn, Natsuki’s arms enveloped her around the back of her neck, the warmth sending pleasant tingles throughout her body.
“Well, to start with, I love your cute grumpy face and your weird eyebr-”
Yuuko stepped on Natsuki’s foot, hard, before she could say anything more.
“You said you were gonna be honest. No teasing.”
“I wasn’t teasing, but okay.”
Natsuki paused for a moment, and when she resumed, her voice was far lower in pitch than Yuuko was accustomed to.
“I love your dedication. How, no matter if it’s a goal or a person, you are wholeheartedly devoted to that and you do everything you can for it. You are more passionate and caring than people give you credit for. You...”
Shudders ran through Yuuko’s body. She had no idea if they were good or bad. No one ever told her such a thing. No one.
When did her vision go so blurry?
“I’d rather not get any more sappy cause, honestly, everything I can say about you can just as easily be summed up with, well...
I love you.”
And that’s when Yuuko knew what she could say. What she wanted to say. For all of Natsuki being Natsuki - more often than not lazy if she’s not carried away into doing something, always teasing, always able to get a rise out of Yuuko - Yuuko wouldn’t want for that to stop. Whether nice and genuine or annoying and teasing, Natsuki was the one happy, reliable constant in Yuuko’s life. Now she know how much that was worth it.
Much too much to be said in mere words.
“I... I feel the same, Natsuki.”
She hugged Natsuki tighter, felt Natsuki do the same. It was more comfortable then it should have been. Their synced breaths and heartbeats was all Yuuko could listen to.
A minute. Two. But.
"Although, Natsuki...”
“Yeah?”
“Was this all an elaborate way to try to get into my pants?”
Natsuki laughed at that, bright and cheery.
“Maybe. Did it work?” she asked once she calmed down. Yuuko looked away, thinking.
“Maybe.” she replied, leaving for Natsuki to wonder how much that was a joke... if at all.
“Well, then.” Natsuki said as she left the hug and got up on her feet, a cheeky smile playing on her face. “Maybe if you keep working those charms of yours on me, I might consider letting you date me... or for you to get into my pants. What do ya say?”
Honesty time was clearly over, and the images that flashed through Yuuko’s mind because of Natsuki’s words made her go ballistically red. Natsuki really knew how to ruin the mood.
“W-Why would you think I’d ever da- wait.”
Yuuko stopped the incoming tirade of never ever totally not going to date Natsuki when a different question rose to her mind.
“WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY ‘WORKING MY CHARMS ON YOU’ YOU INSUFFERABLE GIRL?”
Natsuki was already half way out the door by the time Yuuko yelled that. She had some catching up to do, especially after Natsuki leaned back and said:
“That’s what you’re interested in? Well, I’m not telling. Just keep working them and you’ll find out~”
And then, she was out the room before Yuuko could make a step. Nevertheless, she all but broke into a run. She wasn’t going to let this be so easily.
Not that Natsuki was going to make it so, but Yuuko wouldn’t have it any other way.