The Guitarists' Duet

Disclaimer: I Do Not Own K-On!

Warning: Yuri - girl/girl relationship.

Azusa sighed.

It was the last hour of the day, and she was anticipating, as well as dreading, club activities after school.

It's not like she didn't like the Light Music Club. But, sometimes, it could be hard for the serious kouhai. Ritsu, the club president, was always in high spirits, boosting the bands confidence and fighting spirit when needed. If only she took practice more seriously sometimes, it could be just that more bearable.

The twin-tailed girl turned to look out the window from her seat in class, deciding to disregard the rest of the frightfully boring movie their history teacher decided upon, while said sensei slumped in his seat, obviously dosing off, like many of the other students.

Along with the darkened classroom, with the only light occasionally coming from the old television, the outside was almost equally dark. Slight heavy rain drizzled and slammed against the open window, because sensei liked 'air' circulating through the room. Azusa kinda felt sorry for the students that sat near the window, while she sat nice and snug near the door.

Letting her thoughts go on their own, she couldn't help but think of the rest of her club members.

Mio was a reliable senpai in Azusa's eyes. She respected her love and dedication for music greatly, and she had remarkable bass skills. She was like a big sister towards her. At least she tried to be serious with real club activities...sometimes. Azusa wished that her friend had some more confidence in herself, though. Wouldn't that be the cherry on top?

Chuckling slightly to herself, the thought of cherries brought a certain blonde girl into her head. Azusa laid her head on her arms that were crossed atop her desk, feeling her thoughts take control.

Mugi was a great pianist, and sometimes Azusa couldn't help but wonder how she got into this club. She seemed more like the classical piano player to her. Besides that, she was also a good host; cakes and tea every day. As hard as it is to admit it, Azusa enjoyed the daily treats. A little voice in the back of her head was secretly waiting for her cake when class was over.

The kouhai sighed again. Even though she was thankful for Tsumugi, she couldn't help but think of the distractions it always caused.

Subconsciously closing her weary eyes, a certain auburn haired girl flew through her vision at the mention of distractions. Azusa didn't know whether to smile or frown at the thought of the energetically lazy girl.

Yui had been sort of a...problem for Azusa. It just kept getting weird around her lovable senpai, and she just never could figure out exactly what the girl wanted from her! Each day was just a little more awkward than the previous. To her, at least. She kinda doubted if the airhead even noticed the slight change in her demeanor.

Of course, along with her Yui troubles, it also brought some more personal matters to the front of her mind.

Yui had always been a very touchy person, but she was constantly clingy with her 'Azu-nyan', much to her displeasure. Azusa couldn't help but think that there was a deeper, hidden, meaning to her uncomfortable faze she has entered with Yui...

While Azusa thought she was having a serious conversation with herself, all Ui and Jun saw was the rare sight of their fellow classmate sleeping blissfully on her desk with a goofy smirk. She was completely oblivious that the school day was over.

"Umm, should we wake her up?" Jun asked Ui as she appreciated the rare sight in front of her. Jun was enjoying the show as Azusa constantly kept changing her goofy facial expressions during her catnap.

Azusa turned her head slightly, coming closer into her spectator's view as a happy sigh escaped her, her goofy smile widening.

"...cat ears..."

Jun immediately tried to stifle her laughter as Ui obtained her weird face, the one she constantly gave her onee-chan.

"Yea," Ui squeaked, "We should wake her up."

"This is going to be great blackmail!" Jun giggled out as the sound of a camera on a picture phone went off.

AzuYui

Azusa, with what little dignity she had left, started up the flight of stairs. How dare she let herself fall asleep in class! Her face was still colored a deep red as she stopped at the second landing. Looking out the slightly damp window, she noticed that the rain had stopped, the sun's rays creeping through the dissipating clouds. Maybe this was a good sign for the twin-tailed girl.

All seemed calm as she approached the music room door on the third floor. Before she could even open the dreaded door, though, she heard a crash, followed by Mio's scream, Ritsu's laughter, followed with an indignant remark, and the sound of a fist connecting with the top of someone's head.

With a smile dancing around her face, Azusa calmed herself before letting herself in, becoming the center of attention. Looking around, they seemed to have recovered quickly from their previous mess. They were all at the table, drinking tea, while a certain airhead stuffed cake in her face, crumbs lacing her features.

She decided not to ask about it.

"You're late, Na-ka-no." the drummer of the group tried to say seriously, but failed. Azusa flinched back when she almost didn't recognize the tawny haired teen.

"Ritsu-senpai...where's your headband?" Azusa asked somewhat timidly.

"You tell me." she knew she shouldn't have asked.

Finally noticing the new surroundings in the room, the airhead of the room jumped up to her feet instantly before rushing over to her junior, who just put her precious mustang down.

"Azu-nyan!"

Oh crap, this is what she was afraid would happen, again. Azusa froze before she could find an escape route. She was caught into a tight hug, then fell to the ground with her senpai on top.

"Nya!" Azusa yelped. Her attacker was now puckering her soft looking lips as she tried to steal a kiss upon the twin-tailed teen, crumbs scattering all over her face. "Yui-senpai! Stop!"

Azusa was frozen again, but for a different reason. That unknown feeling rose up in her again as she caught Yui's chocolate eyes in her confused, garnet gaze. 'Crap! This shouldn't be happening! Why can't I retaliate?'

Meanwhile, the other three girls noticed the changed atmosphere in the room. Tsumugi almost fell over in shock at the intense scene in front of her. Mio had a light blush on her face as she realized more than one thing. 'She made a cat noise...how cute...' She gripped the forgotten yellow hair band in her hand tighter as unknown thoughts started to swirl around her head.

Ritsu had a scrutinizing face on as she examined the two girls that were locked in a tight grip. Her hand was resting on her chin inquisitively. A glint passed her amber eyes as her long bangs whipped across them as she lifted her head up from her thinking position.

'Perfect!'

The only one who was oblivious to the change in their breathing air, Yui looked down in confusion at her blushing junior's face. Azusa looked, and felt, conflicted. "What's wrong, Azu-nyan? Should I get the cat ears?"

Azusa heard poorly contained laughter from Ritsu. Gathering her senses, Azusa pushed Yui off of her in frustration. Her senpai stumbled back with a pout gracing her features. "Aw, come on Azu-nyan!" she whined like yesterday.

"No, Yui-senpai." the twin-tailed girl then walked to her seat where her kitty cup waited for her.

Even though she enjoyed the previous scene, Mugi could also notice the sudden tension floating around. "Yui-chan, cake time."

Hiding a slightly worried face, Yui bounded over to her seat happily. "Thanks Mugi-chan!" she managed to get out as cake once again consumed her face.

Azusa just took a sip of the delicious tea that tried to calm her nerves.

The bassist looked over at their rhythm guitarist in worry. She wondered what was wrong with her tiny look-a-like. Usually the petite girl would have said something about practice by now.

"Is something bothering you, Azusa?"

The kouhai jumped slightly in surprise at her senpai's smooth voice. Looking over into her comforting stormy grey eyes, she could only smile at Mio. "No. Everything's fine, Mio-senpai."

Azusa knew Mio didn't buy it, but she turned back to the table's conversation after giving her a concerned gaze. She kinda felt guilty for not telling the raven-haired girl. She was trustworthy, but it just didn't feel like a good time to talk about...this. Certainly not the right place, either.

Maybe she would give her a call later tonight.

As Azusa was left with her own thoughts, she failed to notice the presence of a certain teen looming close to her personal space, having heard her previous conversation.

"I think I can help you with your, hmm, problem. Yea, let's call it that." said girl whispered to her, so the others didn't hear.

Azusa jumped in shock at the voice. She almost jumped again when she saw how close the stranger was to her face.

"Ritsu-senpai..." Azusa breathed out. "Please, put your headband back on."

Before Ritsu could say anything, they both heard a soft thump as Mio's hand quickly put the previously forgotten hair accessory down in front of her childhood friend. She didn't even look their way as a soft blush covered her cheeks, but she continued to try and pay attention to the table's conversation.

'So, we have an eavesdropper...' Ritsu pondered as she grinned over at her childhood friend, quickly placing her hair back in place with her headband. 'I should keep this low key.'

Azusa looked over at her senpai in frightful curiosity, wondering what could be going on in her head. Hmm, how was she going to explain this?

She felt fear rise in her as she saw the mischievous glint flash through her senpai's amber eyes. Ritsu quickly snuck her phone out to only be seen by Azusa's fearful gaze. On the screen, to the kouhai's horror, was her little sleeping incident with a little explanation of the cat ear incident in text under it. She could barely contain her yelp of embarrassment.

'Jun...do you want to end your life so early?'

"So, as I was saying. What you should do to Yu-"

Ritsu was not-so-silently cut off by the kouhai, who had dramatically jumped up from her chair to clamp her hand over the drummer's mouth, much to her bewilderment. "Not here, senpai!" Azusa whisper-glared at her.

Hearing the deafening screech of the chair, the twin-tailed girl had caught the rest of the table's attention.

Removing her hand from Ritsu's shocked face, she rushed through her head to say something. "Uhh..." she stuttered in her thoughts, "let's...let's practice!" she cried desperately, walking over to her guitar and adjusting it on her posture.

"Hmm, does our Azu-nyan have a problem today?" came the eerie voice of their supervisor, who seemed to have come out of nowhere.

Azusa jumped (How many times has she done that today? Jeez, she felt like Mio!) with a faint yelp as she spun around to face Sawako, who was leaning on the club door, leering at her over her glasses.

"Sawa-chan!" Mugi exclaimed happily, catching the desperate look from the distressed junior. "Come, come. I've just made you a fresh cup of milk tea."

Before anyone could blink, Sawako was already in her seat, sipping from her cup in delight. "Thank you, Mugi."

Azusa caught sight of sapphire blue eyes again. 'Thank you!' her garnet ones screamed. Mugi replied with her secretive smile on her face. Azusa couldn't help but sigh.

'She always seems to have an ulterior motive. Hope I'm wrong...'

"Ok, let's start." Mio said eagerly, bass in hand.

Azusa turned around as she heard the two other girls grumble. She looked behind her where she saw Ritsu sit down lazily on her drum seat. Noticing the pair of eyes on her, Ritsu gave the girl a halfhearted glare.

'Good move, Nakano. But this isn't over!' the club president got a smirk on her face as she weakly lifted her arms up, drumsticks in hand.

"...1, 2, 3, -"

"Ugh..." Ritsu's countdown was interrupted by Yui, who, as soon as she picked up her heavy guitar, fell down to the floor in a mess. "Gitah is too heavy..." she weakly moaned. "Azu-nyan. Ran...out...of...azu-energy. Need...cake!" she cried the last part out dramatically.

The band just sighed. No one really fully understood that mosh of words.

AzuYui

"Oi! We're leaving now! Come on, Mio." Ritsu yelled out to her in her normal outgoing persona.

Zipping up her bass, the raven-haired teen hung it on her back, grabbing her school bag in her left hand. "I'm coming, Ritsu. Don't be in such a rush."

With Ritsu turned around, grabbing her own generic school bag, Mio sent her tawny haired best friend a suspicious glance through her stormy grey eyes.

'What is she up too?'

"Yosh!" Ritsu grinned at everyone left in their club room. "Your president is taking her leave." she bowed in fake praise. Mio was being too slow for her tastes, so she grabbed her right hand, and started marching out the door.

"Ritsu! Slow down!" Mio yelped at her.

Once the doors to the club room closed behind them, her short, childhood friend stopped abruptly, leaving her slamming into her back.

With a swift chop to the tawny haired kid's head, Mio sent her friend into a calming state in her whimpering pain. "What's going on with you, Ritsu?"

Amber eyes locked with her stormy grey ones fiercely, making the scaredy-cat flinch back at her intense gaze. Mio immediately knew this was going to be bad.

"Just go on without me today, Mio." she said secretively. "I need to...settle a few scores with someone."

After assessing the current situation, Mio sighed apprehensively. 'Well, it doesn't seem too bad...at the moment...'

"Fine. But if I find out some sort of trouble you end up causing-"

"Yes, yes!" Ritsu cut her off. "I get it, I know. No need to worry that pretty little head of yours."

Bewildered by her weird word choice, Mio just turned around to descend the stairs, leaving a dangerously grinning Ritsu behind her.

'I wonder what's going on. Hope it's nothing serious...or dangerous.' Looking back up at the club room's window as she left the school doors, Mio closed her eyes in concentration. 'Ah, it's probably nothing, just my paranoia. It's just Ritsu, after all.' Opening her eyes again, she sighed in concern. 'Maybe I'll wait by the gate for her, just to be sure...'

Meanwhile, back in the clubroom, Azusa finally managed to disentangle her airheaded friend off of her person again, sending the obliviously happy girl on her way home with Ui.

That familiar unknown feeling started to settle in on the little kouhai again, and it made her nervous to be alone with her own thoughts about her touchy senpai. Settling her precious Muttan in its bag, she thought about how late Yui made her with her strangling hugs. Azusa hoped she could make it to the grocery mart and then home before it got dark.

In her flustered state, she forgot that there was still one certain, intuitive club member still lingering in the room, clacking tea sets together as she thought about the rhythm guitarist's special problem. She knew just what to do.

Mugi set down the last set a little harder than usual in the cupboard, making Azusa turn around to face the pianist in confusion, erasing her previous awkward thoughts.

"Senpai, I didn't know you were still here."

Giving the junior her calm smile, Mugi's sapphire blue eyes roamed over the short girl knowingly, leaving Azusa uncomfortably wiggling in her place. "Is something on your mind, Azusa-chan?"

"Eh, not really." Azusa managed to get out as she turned back to pick up her mustang, hiding her blush from the joyful teen.

Getting a familiar glint in her eyes, Mugi clasped her hands together, bringing them up to settle on her chest in delight. "Isn't love a beautiful thing, Azusa-chan?"

"Eh?" Azusa stumbled out, her special problem running through her head as her blush intensified ten-fold. Turning around to face Mugi quickly, making her become dizzier and confused than she already was, she gained a bewildered face. "Wha-what makes you say that, Mugi-senpai?"

"You know," Mugi walked up to her junior in glee, slightly scaring the girl in the process. "That special feeling you get when you are around your significant other, how you constantly space out in your own thoughts about them! Oh Azusa, I see it all in this very room!" she finished with a twirl.

By the end of her speech she was practically glowing in her expressful atmosphere. Azusa couldn't take her garnet eyes off of the rich girl. Surprisingly, Azusa took a step back as that unknown feeling about her fellow guitarist rose up in her again, making her happily uncomfortable. "What? Senpai, you're not making any sense!"

Dropping her hands from her cheeks, she turned her back to the twin-tailed girl; her smile grew wider as she subconsciously adjusted her 'goggles'. "Oh, it's nothing serious, Azusa-chan."

Sighing in relief that her senpai stopped her confusing words, she turned back to grab her school bag with calm ease.

Mugi grabbed her own dark blue bag as she headed to the door. Keeping her back turned, her sparkling eyes grew wider at the little act she was playing on her unsuspecting junior. "I already know what's going on."

Azusa yelped at her senpai's cryptic words. She heard a faint "See you tomorrow, Azusa-chan!" before the door closed, trapping her in the room with her mind going berserk.

Mugi closed the door behind her before quickly bounding down one flight of stairs to the second landing, seeing a laughing Ritsu in front of her.

Mugi had a determined face as she happily gave Ritsu's awaiting hand a fist.

Ritsu's amber eyes looked at Mugi in funny confusion. "That...was supposed to be a high-five, Mugi."

"Oh, darn." Mugi still had a successful smile though.

"Anyways, that was awesome! Azusa was so jumpy, there must be something going on! Thanks for your help, Mugi-chan!" the tawny haired girl grinned widely at the blonde.

"Yes, that was very fun! I hope I did it right to your standards." she said, shaking her head furiously at Ritsu.

"Yea, it was great, perfect for my plan. Don't blow your head, now." Ritsu patted Mugi for safe measure. "You can go now. I'll take things from here." her sly grin was back on her face as she raised her hand to her chin thoughtfully.

"Yes, I'll be taking my leave. Bye, Ricchan!" then the blonde happily bounded down the rest of the stairs to go home.

'Yes, Mugi, you did perfectly. Azusa is so vulnerable now...this is just too easy!'

Ritsu raced back up to the club room door, hoping to catch the kouhai before she left in a determined stride home.

Hearing the doors open again, Azusa turned just to see another annoying distraction coming her way. After Mugi's strange words, she was stuck to her place in the room in shock, not able to think properly to listen to her instincts, which screamed very loudly to get out of there.

Ritsu peered at the twin-tailed girl through her half-lidded eyes, her determined smirk never leaving her face.

Azusa suddenly remembered the drummer's hidden message from the forced practice they had, and sighed at her senpai's advances.

"Ritsu-senpai, I need to be heading home, I-" the tawny haired girl raised her arm in the way of the shorter girl's path to the door, blocking her exit.

"We need to talk, Azu-nyan." she teased.

Azusa tensed up at the familiar nickname, but tried to act oblivious. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh Azusa. Poor, sweet, naive Azusa. The answer to your troubles is quite simple."

Azusa was getting mad. "I'm not listening to your crazy banter, Ritsu-senpai."

The kouhai ducked under Ritsu's arm, trying to make a quick escape out of the suffocating room. The experienced drummer was too fast, though, and quickly grabbed the little cat in her famous headlock, avoiding the guitar slung over her back.

"Not so fast, Nakano! Just hear me out!"

"No! I don't know what you're talking about!"

"Come on! I'll only take a few seconds of your precious time, and then the rest is up to you!" Ritsu whined.

Azusa managed to struggle free of Ritsu's playfully serious hold on her. "Fine. I'll stay still."

"Good. I'm not gonna rattle my mouth nor am I going to journey into the depths of your freaky mind. ("Hey!") ('Who wouldn't have a freaky mind to like that airhead?') So I'm gonna get straight to the point."

Azusa looked at her apprehensively.

"Okay, new approach..." Ritsu sighed. The kouhai is so stubborn at times. Amber eyes stared into garnet ones. Azusa could feel a sweat of scared anticipation start. The drummer licked her lips in suspense as she gathered her words, and almost laughed out loud at her junior's eager face. She puckered her lips before releasing her breath of a solution.

"Just give her what she wants."

"Huh?" Azusa immediately faltered at her senpai's answer.

"You heard me." Ritsu boasted desperately. She thought she had the greatest plan, only for the rhythm guitarist to ruin it in her confusion. Ritsu was hoping for praise.

Azusa had many thoughts running through her head. She did hear Ritsu clearly; she was just hoping she was wrong. And besides, it was a pretty vague answer.

"Just give her what she wants, even if she doesn't realize she wanted it herself. Trust me." Feeling completely successful, she had a perfect way for the kouhai to figure it out herself. Ritsu patted the twin-tailed cat on her head encouragingly, hoping she would do just what she thought she would. "I'll just leave you to your own thoughts."

Ritsu left the room, smirking all the way. Azusa was, once again, left with her own dangerous thoughts, that unknown feeling in her again.

As soon as Ritsu was out the door, she was suddenly grabbed on her upper arm and pulled into the empty music room saved for the brass club. Before the tawny haired girl could let out a yelp of surprise, she was immediately silenced by the eager eyes of her teacher that loomed over her glasses.

"Tell. Me. Everything." Sawako breathed out.

Ritsu grinned.

AzuYui

Mio sighed as she glanced at her phone again.

'What's taking her so long?'

The black haired bassist started to worry a little about the drummer, but she was mostly mad. What could she possibly be doing, and how did that girl manage to make her wait for her presence?

While Mio was silently fuming at the school gate, her stormy grey eyes caught sight of a certain joyful blonde coming her way. She seemed...a little too joyful?

'Maybe she knows something...'

The pianist opened her eyes as they landed on Mio, waving at her. Mio didn't fail to notice the scarily familiar glint in her shining sapphire blue eyes.

'Yea, she definitely knows something.'

"Mugi," Mio called out to her as she closed the distance between them. "Have you seen Ritsu?"

"Oh, don't worry about Ricchan, Mio-chan." she said happily. "Her plan is working out very well." Mugi was too satisfied to notice that she said the wrong things to Mio.

"What do you mean?" Mio asked, trying to hold back her anger at her childhood friend. 'What did she do?'

Mugi suddenly stopped as she noticed that it really was Mio who was in front of her. "Oh!" she said in her flustered state. "Nothing you need to worry about. See you tomorrow, Mio-chan!" then Mugi rushed off, leaving a steaming bassist behind her.

'I'm sorry Ricchan!' Mugi thought worriedly.

Mio fast walked back into the school, fuming at her own stupidity, but only thinking about her stupid tawny haired friend. 'I knew I shouldn't have left her alone!'

The black haired girl paused slightly on the second landing as she saw her dazed looking look-a-like stumbling down the stairs.

"Oh. Bye, Mio-senpai." Azusa said the empty words, still stuck in her thoughts.

"Uh...see ya tomorrow, Azusa." Mio watched the twin-tailed girl lazily go down the rest of the stairs before disappearing out of her sight. Mio froze for a good minute from the fear that built up in her at the sight of the confused kouhai, and only thought one thing.

'Ritsu!'

"Ritsu! Where are you?" Mio finished up the second flight of stairs. Before she could open the clubroom door, though, she was suddenly grabbed on both her upper arms by two different people. Mio let out a strangled cry of fear before she landed on her bottom, stiff as a stone, in the dark, empty brass clubroom.

"Uh, Sawa-chan? I don't think that was a very good idea." Ritsu said to the club's supervisor, holding in her laughter as she looked at her spooked childhood friend. Waving her hand in front of Mio's face, Ritsu received no reaction from the bassist.

"Just be quite and help me wake her up. I don't want her to mess up anything tomorrow." Sawako mumbled to the drummer as she slapped Mio on the cheek, slowly bringing her out of her frozen state.

AzuYui

Walking up the sidewalk to school, Azusa looked at the sun, which just barely finished climbing around the world to welcome Japan into the morning. She decided to come to Sakuragaoka earlier than usual for herself. As soon as she had gotten home yesterday, she was so emotionally drained that she went straight to sleep, forgetting to even stop at the grocery mart on her way home. The kouhai had tried to call Mio like she thought of, but she didn't pick up any of her calls. How peculiar.

The twin-tailed girl was too freaked out to even think about calling Mugi or Ritsu, and she didn't even dare to call Yui. Jun wouldn't understand, and Ui was with Yui so...

She was stuck with herself to talk about her... feelings with. And trust her, it was extremely awkward. She just ended up more confused and frustrated than before, and the rhythm guitarist was even more on edge than usual, so nobody better tick her off today.

Azusa sighed in frustration as she reached the clubroom. Opening the door, she couldn't help but smile to see the room empty. The kouhai propped her guitar on the wall. She can finally have the appropriate time to settle her raging thoughts.

Sitting down in her seat, she almost expected to see a cup of hot, steaming tea in front of her, but didn't. By now, she would've heard the obnoxious battles between the two childhood friends that always made her laugh, on the inside, at least, but didn't.

And to her greatest disbelief, she totally expected for Yui to grab her in her loving death hug, not letting go until she complied happily, or there was cake. But that didn't happen either. The twin-tailed teen felt surprisingly...empty.

...What?

Azusa started to laugh at herself. She must be going crazy. She wasn't, though, and she couldn't figure out why.

'Just give her what she wants, even if she doesn't realize she wanted it herself. Trust me.'

Trust her? Azusa wanted to laugh.

Her mind still lingered on Ritsu's insightful phrase, hanging onto each word, desperately trying to decode its meaning. No such luck.

Suddenly, the kouhai lifted her head off the desk in shock. She didn't even know how she ended up like this, but her hair was now ruffled and her uniform had crinkles in it. She looked at the ribbons that had fallen out of her hair and onto the desk.

"Have a nice catnap, Azu-nyan?" a voice teased her.

Azusa turned to the desk on her left side, only to see Ritsu smirking at her.

"Have you figured it out yet? I'm not gonna tell you, or should I let Yui in on your 'special problem'?"

Shaking her head furiously, the now not twin-tailed girl stood up to straighten out her uniform. She sent the tawny haired girl an annoyed glare. Tightening her red string into a bow around her neck, she noticed Ritsu looking at her with a strange look. Azusa had never seen such a soft, caring look from this certain senpai. It surprised her. "Is something wrong, Ritsu-senpai?"

The drummer glanced back up into the girl's garnet eyes. "Ah, nothing."

'She looks so much like Mio right now, except for those eyes...'

Barely containing her light blush, Ritsu smirked up at Azusa with her amber eyes. "I came early purposefully 'cause I knew you would end up like this. ("Thank you, Mugi!") The others will be here soon, you should get going if you don't want to be bothered."

Grabbing her bag along with her twin hair ties and stuffing them in her pocket, she ran off to her classroom, noticing that there was twenty minutes till class started. She stopped on the second landing, though, realizing something.

Ritsu was actually being...nice to her?

Ritsu, still smirking, leaned back into her chair, her arms going behind her head to rest on. Nothing left but to wait for Mio. "This is so going to work."

AzuYui

Slowly descending the stairs from her room in a sleepy daze, Yui came into the kitchen and sat down at the table as Ui gave her a plate of raspberry jammed toast.

"Hurry up now, onee-chan, or we'll be late."

Yui sighed at her responsible sister and started to nibble on the toast until she was just practically sucking on it instead.

Ui looked over at her older sister in worry. "Is something wrong, onee-chan?"

The lazy girl groaned in her own frustrations. "Uuuiiiii..." she whined. "I'm tired." she laid her head on the table, sprawling out her arms on top of it.

Sighing happily, Ui finished cleaning up the kitchen, taking short glances at her, practically twin, sister.

The auburn haired girl had a slight frown on her face, which was rare if you ever asked anyone who knew her. She was worried about her fellow guitarist. She was up very late last night, her mind still dwindling on things in the small hours of the morning.

'What's wrong with my Azu-nyan?'

Looking up at her little sister desperately, her chocolate eyes focused on only one thing. Drawing in a deep breath, she let her concerns flow out innocently.

"Ui, how do you know if you're in love?"

Yui jumped when she heard a pan falling to the floor.

"Huh! What do you mean onee-chan?" Ui stammered out in shock as she returned to the table.

"Eh! What do you mean 'what do I mean'?"

Ui only looked at her sister with her weird look, only bringing up confusing blanks in both of their heads.

Well, the sisters are alike in some ways.

"Well, I don't know onee-chan! I guess...you just...know?" her answer sounded too much like a question itself.

Glancing at the clock mounted on the wall, Ui let out a yelp. "Ah! We're gonna be late! Come on, onee-chan!"

"Ah, I'm coming!" Yui stumbled as she raced to the front door.

"Don't forget your guitar, onee-chan!"

"Gitah!"

All worries set aside for now, Yui just needed to get to school on time.

AzuYui

"Oh, wait. There she is." Ritsu said as she spotted the two sisters running through the school gate through the window of their classroom, saving them a tight ten minutes before class started.

"Good, they were almost late." Mio mumbled out. Ritsu couldn't help but grin at the more jumpy than usual bassist, as hard as that may seem.

After getting clued into the happenings between two of their band members, Mio was a little more... aware of her surroundings than usual. Some things just kept creeping into her mind at the thought of what her childhood friend hoped would happen.

"So, how did it go yesterday, Ricchan? Were you successful?" Tsumugi asked their president a little too eagerly. She just loved to be included in missions like these. They were fun for the rich girl.

"Ah, it went perfect, in my opinion, at least..." Ritsu kind of started trailing off at the end. Azusa seemed way off this morning, but Mugi had assured her that it was normal. "I'm sure Yui will be in for the surprise of her life!"

A certain, glasses wearing girl perked up at the conversation about her childhood friend, and couldn't help but get suspicious about what Ritsu was saying.

"What are you guys up to now?" the student council president said, addressing her fellow president the most as she walked towards the group.

Mio visibly stiffened from the corner of her sharp dark brown gaze, but she discarded this important information for now, deciding to grab this situation head on.

"Nothing horrible, Manabe." Ritsu said with a cheeky smile in her amber eyes. "I just think Yui will have a wonderful experience soon."

Nodoka gave the girl a questioning look as she looked over to Mio, who visibly shuddered away from her gaze, to Mugi, who had her normal mysterious smile on.

The dark brown haired girl sighed before just turning away from them, deciding to find out later. She should just let the light music club do their own thing. Besides, it made Yui happy, and not a neet.

"Oh look, Yui's here." Mio pointed weakly, avoiding the oblivious girl's chocolate eyes.

Yui came into the room and rushed to her seat with the last amount of energy she had left, groaning like a kid as she laid her head on the desk childishly. "Ugh, I'm still tired." she whined.

Mugi patted her on the head, noticing the slight frown on the usually happy girl's face. "Is something on your mind, Yui-chan?" the blonde asked knowingly.

As soon as the rest spotted the uncharacteristic frown, the black haired bassist inched to a safe distance away from their unknowing victim so she didn't ruin anything, while the drummer continued her smirking face towards the lead guitarist.

"I've been thinking too much, my head feels like jam..." The brunette rolled her head over to face the window, sighing.

"I'll make sure to have a great cake for you when we get to club activities this afternoon." Mugi reassured her. That sounded weird for a music club, but Mio shrugged off the painful thought.

"Thanks Mugi-chan, but until then..." Yui slumped back on her seat with a faint smile. "I'm gonna...take a little nap." the girl really felt emotionally drained and longed for her troubles to be put to sleep.

Literally.

Meanwhile, in the classroom of the club's last member, the puffy pig-tailed girl poked the stranger in her friend's seat. "Hey, I don't know what you're doing, but- Uwah!"

The familiar garnet eyes of her petite friend locked with her dark violet ones, causing Jun to jump back in surprise. "What do you want, Jun-chan?" she said a little bit dully.

"What's wrong with your hair?" the brunette asked as she started prodding at Azusa's head.

"Gee, thanks." the rhythm guitarist sighed in frustration as she started to get annoyed at her friends actions. She slapped Jun's hand away from her head halfheartedly. "I just don't have my hair ties in right now, sorry for the sight."

"No need for the long face." the outgoing girl grumbled. "You have a funny resemblance to Mio-senpai, though. You could practically be her sister!" she teased the disgruntled teen.

Azusa visibly twitched.

"No need to bother other people, Jun-chan." Ui said as she came through the door, catching her breath, only to lose it again at the sight of Jun's victim. "Azusa!"

"Yea, hey." Azusa sighed at her, holding her hair ties out to the auburn haired girl. "Can you help me out?"

"Uh, sure."

Ui then wandered behind Azusa's desk with her brush and grabbed her hair ties as she started to fix her hair. Looking at the back of her friend's head, she took this chance to settle her thoughts.

'Hmm, Azu-chan is around onee-chan a lot. Maybe she knows something.'

"Azu-chan?" Ui asked the now twin tailed girl as she continued to brush through the soft hair. "Do you know why onee-chan would ask me about love?"

Azusa flinched violently at the suggestion of Yui and the word 'love' in the same sentence, knocking the brush out of Ui's hand and into Jun's unsuspecting head.

"Ow! What was that for?" the young bassist yelled in shocked pain, clutching the side of her head.

"Eh? Sorry, Jun-chan!" Azusa said in her startled state. Turning around so fast that her neck hurt a little, she pierced her garnet gaze into shocked chocolate ones. "What do you mean? I mean, I don't know!"

The brunette just stared at Azusa with her hands up in defense.

'What a...strange reaction?'

Ui was thoroughly confused.

Unfortunately, the bell rang, signaling for class to start. Ui left Azusa in a daze, her petite friend catching her breath, while Jun rubbed the side of her abused head.

AzuYui

Azusa was lost in her own thoughts as she slowly climbed up the stairs towards the music room. Classes were finally over, and after being in a daze through most of them, which she knew she would regret later, she felt as if her emotions were on a wild rampage. The twin-tailed girl could not get her emotions in check for the life of her, ever since those treacherous words from Ui breached her inexperienced ears.

The kouhai's mind immediately went blank at the thought of her auburn haired senpai. What would possess Yui to say such a thing? Now, Azusa knew how the lead guitarist acted at times, and she was rarely ever too serious, but she was an awfully curious girl.

'Maybe she was just confused...or...something happened. Oh no! What if Yui-senpai was being serious?'

The rhythm guitarist didn't know how to answer herself. If Yui was really being serious with such a serious accusation, maybe she could have been on the same page as her?

Quickly discarding her absurd assumptions, Azusa released a nervous giggle as she subconsciously stroked the golden turtle on the stairwell. The kouhai was going to be late if she kept going on about her inner musings. She was completely oblivious to the oncoming storm through the window as rain started to pelt the glass, too focused on her own inner storm.

She didn't even notice when she opened the door herself.

"Sorry I'm la- Ack!"

Before even getting the chance to come completely into the room, she was tackled by her lazy senpai. With her emotions already on the fritz, she completely acted on instinct as fury built in her at the shock of Yui touching her all of a sudden. Azusa violently pushed the lead guitarist away just as fast as when she was caught in the death grip hug. She only grew more upset when she saw the rest of the k-on members at the makeshift table, drinking tea and eating cake.

Yui stumbled backwards a few steps as her clumsy-ness came back to her, making her fall on the floor harshly. The auburn girl's hands immediately reacted as they reached back to stop her from falling completely on her back. Her chocolate eyes stared up into her junior's shocked ones.

"Azu-nyan..." she said uncertainly.

The others looked up at the scene in shock, startled by Azusa's actions.

"I'm- I'm sorry, Yui-senpai!" Azusa stuttered, rushing over to offer her senpai a hand.

Yui just stared at it for a few seconds, just looking at her distressed kitten, before grabbing her hand, standing up.

"It's okay, Azu-nyan. I didn't mean to scare you..." Before anyone could catch the slight frown that had slipped onto her face, Yui quickly covered it with a smile. "It was just an accident."

"Whoa, what's wrong with you, Azusa-chan?" Ritsu asked her, smirking in her direction.

It took all of Mio's willpower to stay quiet at the teasing voice of one Tainaka Ritsu.

Azusa ignored her as she and Yui retreated to their normal seats. 'Calm down Azusa.' said girl tried to encourage herself. 'No need to make a scene.' The twin-tailed teen sipped at her tea, trying to forget the past ordeal. "This tea is great, Mugi-senpai."

"Why, thank you, Azusa-chan." Mugi gave her her mysterious smile. Azusa ignored that, too.

Yui suddenly complemented Mugi on the cake, and a normal conversation started up at the table. Azusa couldn't help but sigh in relief to know that things didn't spark badly with her interaction with Yui. Looking around at her friends, she noticed something off. Ritsu and Mugi were already on board with the kouhai's problem, which means that her only ally was...

Azusa looked over at Mio, only to catch the girl staring at her, before quickly looking away, avoiding to look straight at her garnet eyes.

'Crap, they got Mio-senpai into this, too!'

The kouhai felt a light sweat start on her figure, and was surprised at the sudden tension that filled her body. She suddenly felt uneasy around all of them.

Couldn't they just leave her alone to figure out her own problems herself!

Ritsu kept giving her a sly smirk that just kept feeling like it was threatening her. Every time she caught Mugi's intense sapphire blue gaze, they practically screamed at her accusingly. Mio's body language just told her that she knew 'everything'. And she could swear that Sawako was going to jump out from nowhere sooner or later. Ultimately, Yui's obliviousness was slowly killing her, but her chocolate eyes said she knew something...

...Or was all that just her imagination?

She felt like she was going to explode! She had to get out of here; before she did something she would most likely regret later.

Standing up from her seat abruptly, Azusa started to walk over to her things. "I'm sorry, guys, but I've gotta-"

"Let's-Let's practice!" Mio yelled out, her chair screeching at the sudden movement of her standing up abruptly.

Ritsu couldn't help but sigh exasperatedly at her childhood friend's poor attempt at keeping Azusa and Yui in the same room. And why did it have to be practice? Out of all things!

Ignoring the mention of practice, Yui was staring at her kouhai with a contemplating face, nodding her head slightly as a smile filled her face at the completely cute expressions that passed the younger girl's face in her confusion.

'I should hug my Azu-nyan more. That will make her feel better.'

The rest of the group, minus Yui, stood up to head to their respective instruments, Ritsu rather sluggishly. Azusa watched them in disbelief. This was certainly odd behavior. Something was definitely going on.

She turned around and went towards the wall where her guitar bag was sat up against. She only ever had time to un-zip the bag before she was attacked from behind, a death grip called arms locking her in a tight embrace as she was pulled into her senpai's chest.

"Azu-nyan~ you are the perfect size for my hugs!" Yui exclaimed in glee as she pat the petite girl on the head.

Fear rose up in Azusa, her garnet eyes flashing around wildly. Yui was too close to her again. Yep, she was definitely going to explode.

"Stop it, Yui-senpai!" she screamed, throwing her arms into the air, the movement effectively breaking the bound around her body. "Would you just stop touching me?"

Tears weld up behind shocked chocolate eyes, not understanding her kouhai's strange behavior and sudden outburst. "Bu-but, my Azu-nyan-"

"I'm not yours!"

Silence fell on the Light Music Club. Mio had fear and guilt running through her mind. Ritsu's amber eyes stared at the two in shock. She definitely wasn't anticipating this.

Mugi was still smiling. All she sensed was some sort of frustration.

Anger, anger, anger! That was all Azusa could sum up her feelings towards her senpai at the moment as she took a dangerous, intimidating step closer to the tearful girl.

'Fine! If this is what you want, you can have it!'

Azusa closed the distance between them quickly. In one swift motion, Azusa grabbed Yui by the collar of her shirt, bringing the taller girl down to the twin tailed girl's level before crashing her lips into hers.

Yui's suddenly dry eyes were filled with shock and a little bit of fear. Surprised at the action, all Yui did was weakly struggle at the rough kiss that was being given to her, her arms waving in the air. Her wide eyes stared at the petite girl's tightly closed one's.

There was an audible thump near the door.

Azusa broke the kiss hastily as she let go of her senpai's collar before taking the sleeve of her arm and wiping the moisture off her frowning lips. She was panting at the loss of breath; that kiss lasted for a good ten seconds.

The girl's garnet eyes roamed over to Ritsu's shocked amber ones, to Mugi's frozen face, and finally to Mio's fainted form on the ground.

Not wanting to do her next action, Azusa looked up at her senpai. Yui was frozen, rooted in her place. Her mouth was slightly ajar as her lips quivered from the sudden loss of warmth. The auburn girl's hands were weakly left hanging at her sides. But her eyes, they were almost unreadable at the amount of different emotions that consumed them.

Her beautiful chocolate eyes were staring at the space right above the kouhai's head as they flickered with conflicting emotions. Yui didn't know what to say.

"...Ehhhh!"

Azusa was suddenly jolted out of her anger controlled haze, jumping at the sheer emotion in Yui's voice. Azusa suddenly felt scared as her eyes caught her senpai's. Heavy tears bursted from her eyes in her own embarrassment and frustration, unable to stop them soon enough. What did she just do!

'...What have I done?'

"I'm-I'm so sorry, Yui!" Azusa cried, completely dropping valuable honorifics. She turned and tried to make a mad dash for the door, not caring about her belongings at the moment. Before she could get to the door she was, surprisingly, gently embraced by the one and only Yui. She pulled the struggling girl closer into her arms.

"Shh, it's okay, Azusa. It's okay. Calm down." Yui said soothingly to the blubbering girl. Her emotions were just too much for her to handle. Yui understood the petite girl.

Yui didn't know what to think of the kiss. It was random; it was rough; it was...inexperienced. But most of all, it felt forced. Right now, Yui was just focused on trying to calm her crying kitty. Azusa had her full attention.

At some point of time in between this mess, Ritsu had awakened Mio from her shock and ushered them and Mugi out the door at the first sound of a sob that left their broken kouhai.

Ritsu felt extremely guilty. She had pushed Azusa too far, breaking her under the intense emotions. She just wanted to have some fun, but after seeing the twin tailed girl's reaction to all this mess...the tawny haired girl realized that this was actually something serious. She shouldn't have messed with something as serious as love.

This was only reinforced more when she felt the deafening blow of a fist to her head.

"...Idiot." Mio muttered out at her. She had a light blush still lingering on her face, but not from embarrassment. Something like this was not a game, and she would be the one to know this, if her lyrics didn't already say something.

Trailing slowly behind the two, Mugi had an indifferent look on her face. She felt ashamed at her actions. She had extremely underestimated the whole situation, and never did fully grasp the intensity of Azusa's feelings. They had played with her like a toy, and had broken her. Now, they had to face the consequences.

'...But that ending was such a beautiful moment!' Mugi's eyes were still shining, either from the beauty she just witnessed or her own tears, she didn't know.

Mio stopped suddenly, causing the other two to stop and look at her.

"We left our things in the clubroom." she breathed out in realization.

Ritsu sighed. They all didn't want to go back, they knew not to. Yui and Azusa needed their alone time because of their poor actions.

This was the least they could do. Without saying anything, Ritsu sat next to the window on the second landing, the other's following suit wordlessly. Now all they had to do was wait.

Rays from the sun escaped through the parted grey clouds, the rain finally letting up.

AzuYui

It only took five minutes until Yui finally didn't hear her kouhai's painful cries, but it had felt like hours to her. They had stayed in the same position on the floor, except Azusa had turned and buried her head into Yui's chest, soaking her uniform.

Chocolate eyes looked down at the petite girl in pain, only to widen when she found out the girl had fallen asleep, gently breathing with her mouth hanging open slightly. Her tear streaked face was the only indication of what had just transpired in the almost empty clubroom.

"Oh, Azu-nyan..." Yui sighed.

She had been worried about her serious friend for a while now, ever since she noticed her strange behavior. But no; Yui refused to think of anything about the emotional side of this situation, until she found a way of getting Azusa home.

Catching the sight of her Gitah, Yui uncharacteristically sighed again. This was going to be hard.

The three other girls were only waiting for almost ten minutes before they heard the door to the clubroom open, revealing Yui. Ritsu stood up as Yui came down the first flight of stairs with little difficulty, leaving Mio gaping and Mugi lost at the touching sight.

"I'm taking Azu-nyan home with me." Yui said with a smile.

The auburn haired girl was standing with a firm posture as she supported the weight of her load. She carried two blue school bags, one in each hand. Resting on her back was, surprisingly, not her guitar, but Azusa. It was like Yui was giving her a piggy back ride, except she was asleep.

"But- how are you- do you need any help?" Mio sighed, giving up on the situation. Today had been a stressful day for all of them.

"No, I can do it. It's just like carrying Gitah." She smiled innocently at them, but they could see the small sign of tears behind her chocolate gaze that begged to be released.

Without giving her close friends another word, she continued on her way home. Yui wasn't tired, yet. It only took her about ten minutes to get home, anyways.

Panting slightly, Yui knocked on the door, hoping Ui was home. Just seconds later, the younger Hirasawa opened the door, greeting her sister. "You're early, onee-cha..." Ui trailed off as she noticed Azusa limply hanging on her sisters back, tear streaks on her cheeks. She immediately thought of the worse.

"Don't worry, Ui. Azu-nyan just fell asleep today; she was very tired. Yea, it was a tiring day. We're just going to go to my room. Azu-nyan will stay for dinner. I'm tired..."

"Okay, onee-chan." Ui said quietly as she watched her sister drag herself and her classmate to her room, speechless.

Yui sighed in relief as she not so gently dropped her still sleeping kouhai on her bed, throwing their school bags into a corner of her room. The auburn haired girl immediately went and sat in her computer chair and turned so she was watching Azusa, quietly; No movement was bothering the room except for Azusa's chest gently rising with her steady breathing. Yui could tell she needed this, for some reason. She kept her uncharacteristic frown on her face as she stared at her special kouhai. Azusa was just crying 'so' hard, like there was so much emotion behind them.

Yui knew she wasn't the smartest crayon in the box, and she used to eat them too, if it wasn't for Nodoka...

But Yui would never overlook any of her friend's feelings, especially Azusa's.

What was wrong with her little kitty? What possessed the distressed teen to kiss her on such a random impulse? Was she really that blind?

Yui felt that familiar burning sensation behind her chocolate eyes and tried to sniff them away, only for them to attack her at full force when she saw Azusa frown, shuffling on her bed.

Yui wasn't ready yet; she had to figure her own self out before facing the twin tailed girl. Please, let her stay asleep.

After hearing the girl release a whimper, Yui began moving on her own accord, wanting to pacify the little girl in her disturbing slumber. Carefully, Yui brought her body onto her bed in a sitting position. Looking at her kouhai's disgruntled face, Yui leaned closer to her, bringing her face dangerously close to Azusa's, trying to desperately figure her out. Yui gasped when she didn't notice her own tear finally escaping and splashing onto the twin-tailed girl's cheek.

Azusa flinched and her eyes started to flutter. Soon, surprised, bleary eyes were looking up into wet chocolate ones.

Nothing really mattered anymore to Yui as she heard Azusa gasp. All she could focus on was the phrase that kept repeating in her head. Tears kept sliding down the auburn haired girl's face, lightly landing on Azusa's flushed cheeks.

Azusa didn't really know what was going on, but the sight of her senpai's heavy tears scared her. She immediately thought it was because of her past actions. Her own reckless emotions started building up again as she watched one of the most important people in her life break down right in front of her vulnerable state.

"Yui-senpai...why are you crying?" Azusa asked her hoarsely. She reached her small hands up to Yui's cheeks, gently wiping her tears away with her thumbs.

She made no attempt to push Yui off of her.

Yui looked down at Azusa with her eyes wide, never trying to blink the tears away as every emotion ran through them: a showcase for Azusa.

Seeing her kouhai so vulnerable and pushed to her limit back there...it's like it unlocked a whole new world for her.

And now Azusa was caring for her...

Yui deeply cared for her; Azusa was the best thing that had ever happened to her since the light music club. She trusted her; she was perfect for her.

Yui loved her.

Yui's lips quivered as she tried to sniff her emotions away along with her tears, but it still didn't work. The airhead couldn't hold it in anymore; it was the truth, after all.

"I-I...I love you! Azusa!" The emotional girl launched herself at the petite girl, now crying hysterically.

Azusa was in shock at the confession, and didn't show any signs of reacting, but her arms moved like her mind wasn't controlling them, but something else. She grabbed her senpai in an equally tight embrace as she felt her heart practically thumping right in her throat.

Azusa felt that unknown feeling melt into this warm, fuzzy one that settled into her heart, labeled Yui.

It all made much more sense now.

Yui started to hiccup, not even noticing that Azusa didn't reply, but felt the kouhai's hands rub soothing circles on her shaking back.

Azusa let a smile sneak on her face as she whispered soothing words in Yui's ear, her garnet orbs shining in pure happiness.

"It's okay, Yui. Calm down. I love you, too."

All things were complicated. Love was no exception. For Azusa, she pushed back all her random, worried thoughts that sprung up about more than just this situation alone. Right here, right now; it was all that mattered at the moment. Her and Yui. She could worry later if she wanted to. But here, in Yui's messy, guitar less room, lying on an unkempt, rumpled bed with Yui hugging her for dear life in the name of love, this was where she needed to be; where she belonged.

While Yui kept blubbering, soaking Azusa's rumpled uniform, Ui was walking up the stairs. She was worried about how Yui came home today; how Azusa came home with her. She could've sworn Azusa had been crying, and she knew Yui was going to break soon herself; she didn't know why, or how, but she could just feel her sister reaching her breaking point. Ui knew when to leave her sister alone, though it happened rarely, she would shut her door completely.

Dinner had been done over half an hour ago, and it had taken her another half to prepare it with an extra helping for Azusa. That left them in Yui's room together for an hour, with no sound being heard. Ui also noticed that neither of them had their guitars with them.

Approaching the door, the replica of Yui hesitated at her sister's door. She respected her onee-chan deeply, and that meant her privacy as well. But this was worrisome...

Ui gripped the door knob tightly and opened the door gently so she could peak in. Yui, having matching tear streaks on her face like her kouhai despite the lingering smile on her lips, was asleep on her bed, in the same position Ui had caught her sleeping with her guitar, except, in its place, was Azusa. She was snuggled tightly in her sister's tight embrace, while Azusa had returned the gesture with no struggle to be found.

"Oh, onee-chan." Ui smiled at the two sleeping figures as she backed out of the room quietly. She sniffed just like her sister did as she descended the stairs. "I'm so happy."

AN: Flames Accepted. Feedback would be appreciated.