A Song For Two

Miyami sat alone in the bathroom, finally having contained the worst of her anxiety after several minutes.

The room she was in was a single-stall unit, but thankfully no one had yet knocked on the door. It was a small, but welcome reprieve that allowed her a moment of privacy. A chance to breathe.

*inhale*

*exhale*

The young woman leaned forward, resting her forehead against her knees as memories of the room and the song gingerly resurfaced.

She'd handled that poorly. Even if her girlfriend hadn't been tactful, she definitely could've responded in a more appropriate way. She just—

She just hadn't expected her voice to sound like that. She'd gotten better with her 'smooth' voice in private as Hinoka tried to convince her to call it. And yet…

"…" Miyami bit down on her lip. She was such a disappointment to herself. Why couldn't she just be a bit stronger—

*knock*

"U-um… miss?" A muffled voice came from the other side of the door, interrupting her thoughts.

Right. This was a public space.

She cleared her throat, preparing her words. "S-sorry! I'll be out soon."

Warm water ran over her hands, cleansing worry and grime as she washed them. The mirror reflected a tired young woman with dark, disheveled hair. She paused to fix it, running fingers over the frayed black strands before pulling them away.

*click*

She exited, apologizing once more to the girl outside and hoping her voice didn't make her uncomfortable, keeping her gaze down. A fleeting t-shirt graphic of Fiery Emblem's Lady Rinkah made her pause, but she quickly moved along, walking back to her and Hinoka's room.

It was probably best to try and make up with her now. She'd already calmed down a lot, and her partner was probably just as anxious, if not more so.

Miyami's hand hovered over the doorknob, her heart pounding in her chest, before taking the plunge.

*creak*

The streak-haired girl perked up from her seat, shifting over vinyl as she entered. However, just as quickly, her chest deflated, and her expression flatten into something resembling calm. "Oh. Um… H-hi, Miyami. Are you feeling better?"

She nodded, her own nervousness spiking at the other woman's uncharacteristic restraint. Had her outburst hurt her this much? Or was Hinoka just trying to be extra careful after the incident?

The door closed behind her as she tried to answer. However, nothing but muted air escaped her.

"…"

She tapped out a message, unwilling to let her voice bind her.

*ping!*

────────⊳⋆⊲────────

 > Yeah. A little better I think?

 > I um, wanted to apologize though.

 > I shouldn't have snapped at you like that.

 > Please forgive me (シ. .)シ

────────⊳⋆⊲────────

Miyami bowed after sending the last message, acting it out, but the other woman shook her head. "W-what? No. It was my fault. Y-you told me to stop and I didn't. I-I pushed way too much onto you today."

A worried blink.

Was Hinoka's voice shaking?

Miyami's chest tightened as a million questions bubbled to the surface. But her girlfriend likely wouldn't hear them now. Instead, she wordlessly sat next to her, close enough to offer comfort, but with enough distance to allow space.

"…"

"…"

*rustle*

"…"

"…"

The faded sounds of strangers' melodies were the only noise in the small room for a minute.

"…"

"…"

Hinoka's hand cautiously hovered toward Miyami's, hesitating before contact. She gave Miyami a doused look, as if asking permission, and while her heart ached, she didn't refuse her.

Dark hair bobbed in approval.

"…"

Another moment of silence followed as warmth passed between them.

"…" Her partner was the one to break the quiet, amber eyes flickering over to meet hers. "I'm… sorry."

Her voice was way softer than usual but still held the same note of Hinoka she was familiar with.

Miyami squeezed back, offering reassurance as her voice found footing again. "I-it's okay. It's not your fault. You were trying to be supportive and kind, and I… I let my feelings get the better of me."

"No, it's not." A shake of the head. "I forced so much on you today. I messed up, bad."

"…You just wanted to make me happy though, right?"

"…" Her girlfriend winced, looking away. "Doesn't change that I hurt you and said some thoughtless things though. I just… kept pushing you. Just like I always do."

"Hinoka…"

"I'm really sorry, Miyami."

The dark-haired girl swallowed.

"…" Then gently pulled her close for a hug.

The couple breathed the same air, their hearts beating against each other in the stillness of the room.

"I forgive you." The words wisped hair, and tension gave way to relief. "Thank you for being considerate and trying to make me happy."

Hinoka sniffled before the embrace was tightly returned.

"T-thank you, Miyami. Thank you, thank you, thank you."

There was still something like fear in the hug. But neither of them said anything else as they sat there, holding each other as if the other would suddenly disappear. They'd talk more later, but for now, Miyami just wanted to stay with Hinoka, to feel her presence and know that she was safe.

By the time they re-tuned to one another, perhaps an hour or so had passed.

They'd eaten some of the food, their fingers brushing every now and then as they reached for more to nibble on, and Miyami had partaken in some of the non-alcoholic drinks as they chatted about things that didn't really matter.

Her girlfriend's smile was a little forced at times, and she could still sense the guilt behind her eyes, but at least they were talking and enjoying each other's company again.

An alert showed up on the flat screen: 'One hour remaining.'

The time limit was nearing its end, and soon, they'd have to go back. Back to the world, back to their apartment, and back to life and all of its problems. They still had work tomorrow too, so they couldn't afford to stay out too long.

"…" Miyami glanced over at her girlfriend again. Hinoka's expression was more neutral, but her shoulders were tense, and her posture was stiff as a board.

Her eyes lingered over the spread-out refreshments, scrutinizing the foamy pitcher in particular that had yet to be touched. The tablet was nearby, still waiting to accept songs.

"…"

Her lips pursed. Maybe it wasn't the best way to get over this, and she could almost feel her inner voice chastising her. But the desire to do something—anything—to help lighten the mood won over any logical protests. After all, she'd already gone so far. Why not go a little further on her own terms?

She reached out to the pitcher, pouring its contents into her cup and bringing it to her lips.

Nothing ventured. Nothing gained. Right?

Hinoka sputtered, flame spontaneously reignited.

"M-Miyami?! Y-you sure you want to do that? I don't want you forcing yourself or doing something you'll regret—"

"Not entirely. But it's fine," Miyami said, taking another sip. She'd never drank before—it wasn't like she was ever invited to the afterwork gatherings of her old office—but she figured she could probably handle it.

It was a strange, bitter liquid that tasted like drinking bread. Several more gulps were downed as she adjusted to the taste.

*hiccup*

The timid girl shed her jacket, draping it across the cushion as her body grew warm, exposing her arms to the air.

Her partner didn't look convinced. "M-Miyami? Are you certain?!"

The girl in question ignored her for a second, instead picking up one of the microphones and handing it to her ponytailed companion. Nerves and throat loosened.

"This is my own decision. You'll stop me if I go too far though, right?"

"!" Hinoka lips curled inward at the sudden deepness of her 'smooth' voice, redness of her own blooming across her cheeks. "I-I mean… yeah, of course, I will but—"

That was all the dark-haired girl needed to hear. She wasn't under any delusion that this would be an elixir to their problems; she knew the pitfalls of the vice. However, she could make decisions for herself. And in this case, she wanted to try and push past her barrier again.

One hand went for the tablet, while the other pulled her partner in closer.

*ba-dump!*

"Hinoka, could you sing with me on this next one?"

The other girl's eyes lit up at the sudden intimacy. "W-with you?"

"Yes please." She trailed her hand down a heated back. "I don't wanna do this alone."

"…"

Hinoka was soft, only slightly above the hum of the ambience, but her eventual answer was unmistakable.

"Sure thing, birdy."

***

The duo sang their hearts out for what seemed like eternity in the closeness of the room. Miyami could feel the heat of Hinoka against her, her affection, and the smell of her sweet scent with every breath.

Verses blended in with one another, harmony and melody intertwining. The penguin's deeper tones, unfettered in the moment, complemented the cat's natural vibrato. Each sang a half of the same song, the same emotions.

It was electrifying.

Every note, every beat of the tempo. It was a rush that Miyami had never experienced before. She was singing—really singing—in front of someone else.

By the time their slot was up, the cups were empty, and the plates were barren. Two souls had been bared in song, and they left as one.

The streets of Nagashiro were a blur of colors in the evening twilight, the cool cityscape a tuned-out backdrop to the couple's journey home.

They paced slowly down the sidewalk, steadying each other. Their bodies were pressed close, and the taller of the two leaned into the smaller one, face flushed and soul glowing in the streetlights.

Pulses danced under the starry sky.

Miyami's head was buzzing, the effects of the beer still lingering. Her mind was still clearish thanks to a few glasses of water and a bowl of edamame, but everything felt a bit hazy, and the world was slightly more vibrant than it normally was.

Her partner hadn't partaken in much of it, just a few sips and a small plate of karaage to accompany them, but the atmosphere had done more than enough to loosen her up after their earlier conflict.

"Miyami?"

"Yeah, Hinoka?"

"You're somehow even cuter when you're tipsy."

The taller woman stirred at the out-of-field compliment.

"Wait, what? W-where did that come from?"

She bashfully looked away. "Just thought I'd say it. Why, it's not weird, is it?"

"No, um. I'm happy to hear it. I just didn’t expect—"

*thump!*

"Ow!"

Telephone poles were rude. And hard.

"A-are you okay, Miyami?!"

Hands supported her. "Y-yeah. I'm fine. It's fine."

"Alright. Let me know if it's too much for you though, okay?"

Miyami waved it off with a hmph, thankful but a bit annoyed that she couldn't be trusted to take care of herself.

"Just because I'm a little tipsy and tripped once doesn't mean—"

"Twice." Her girlfriend corrected. "I don't want you to get hurt. So please—Um, never mind. Forget it. Sorry."

"…"

Silence followed, and brief tension floated in the air before words dispelled it.

"I want to apologize again. For pushing you. For not being careful."

Miyami sighed but nodded. "I understand. But it's okay, really."

"No, it's not." A pause. "Listen. I… I tried dragging you at a pace that wasn't your own. If I'd just taken the time to ask instead of rushing with a surprise, maybe things would've been better. At least we would've been on the same page, you know?"

"…I guess that's true. But I did ask for your help, and you were only doing so—"

A shake of the head. "Half of the reason was, but half of it was crap. I looked at myself while you were away and I… I don't like what I saw. It's not that I wanted to 'fix' you or anything like that, but I was too focused on wanting to make you happy—on checking off your list. I wanted to prove that I could be someone you could rely on."

A car passed by, its draft brushing both of their clothes.

"I got impatient. Instead of considering the best path forward together, I just… sprinted. I completely disregarded the whys of the whole thing, and that's not okay."

"…" The taller girl exhaled, her thoughts slowly processing what her girlfriend had just told her.

"Hey, Miyami." Her partner continued, the two of them having stopped at a pedestrian crossing. "Do you mind interjecting if I ever start doing that again? I don't want to hurt you. I really don't. I'll try my best, but if I start slipping again…"

Lips pressed against hers, intent on stealing the rest of the sentence.

Heat and feelings exchanged through contact, and when the two pulled away, they both gasped for air.

"You're a good person, Hinoka." A sober smile. "You're doing your best, and that's all anyone can ask."

"But I still messed up. I hurt you—"

A finger shushed the girl, not caring if another nibble came amidst the vulnerable moment. "Maybe. But that's okay. We're not machines. We'll mess up, but as long as we learn from it, we'll keep getting better. Isn't that what life's all about?"

The quietness of the night stretched like a cat. Then a giggle as she withdrew her finger, and the tipsiness reminded her of its existence.

When had she become this poetic?

A tear rolled down Hinoka's cheek as they continued, though whether it was from the cold, her words, or the lingering booze in her system, Miyami wasn't sure.

She wasn't sure when they got home either, or even how. The night blurred from sidewalk, to shower, and to bed, the world spinning as the two eventually found themselves cuddling beneath covers.

All Miyami knew was that she was happy, and that she loved the girl pressed against her side.