The time was midnight, and the weather outside had become turbulent. A harsh storm had suddenly hit that roared and flashed with a torrential downpour. With each rumble of thunder, the heavy rain fell even harder. Flashes of lightning lit up the sky in a bright light, until the night was once again covered in a black cloud. The downpour was so strong that a thick fog had begun to blanket the area.
Thankfully, Tomoe had arrived at Himari’s place just before it hit.
The two had planned a sleepover weeks ago—an activity the two hadn’t had the pleasure of in months.
They had been watching a movie in the living room when the storm began—the power flickering not long after the first crash of thunder. It made Himari yelp in surprise, activating her instinctual response of clinging to Tomoe to feel a sense of safety. She wasn’t scared of storms or anything, no way!—they just were loud and it startled her a bit. Yeah, just a little bit startled.
Himari managed to somehow pry herself off of Tomoe, however hesitantly. Noticing a candle on the coffee table, she had an idea. “We should get a candle lit just in case! I’ll find a match and meet you in my room, okay? It’ll be more comfortable there.”
Tomoe did as she was told, and made her way up the nearby stairs and into Himari’s room. She—of course—knew exactly where it was, due to their longstanding friendship. However, it had been quite some time since their last sleepover…
Being in Himari’s room at that moment was enough to make the hair of the back of Tomoe’s neck stand on end. It was such a cute room, decorated in a variety of pastel pink ornaments and aesthetics. There were stuffed animals everywhere too, as could be expected from Himari.
Immediately upon entering, Tomoe honed in on a stuffed penguin that laid on the right of Himari’s bed. She recognized it quickly—it was a gift she had given her on her last birthday. She smiled at the fond memory, but quickly returned to feeling anxious in her solitude.
The longer she waited, the more flustered Tomoe found herself. Truth be told, just the idea of being in Himari’s room was enough to put her on edge. But the reality of it? Even worse. She hoped to god Himari wouldn’t notice when she arrived.
All Tomoe was able to muster was sitting against the base of Himari’s bed, waiting anxiously.
“I’m here, and I have a candle!” Himari announced, storming into the room moments later with an ever familiar and cheerful attitude. She immediately sat next to Tomoe, placing the lit candle in front of her.
“I really hope the power doesn’t go out, but—”
As if hearing Himari’s words, a roar of thunder shook the room, and the power did indeed go out.
A bright flash of lightning lit up the room not long afterwards, obscuring the two girls vision momentarily with its light. Himari inched closer to Tomoe, grabbing a hold of her upper arm. This–of course–only made Tomoe even more flustered.
It wasn’t much of a secret that Tomoe’s feelings for Himari had shifted from platonic to romantic years ago—well, to everyone but Himari herself. Moca especially had encouraged Tomoe to confess her feelings multiple times, but Tomoe just never found the courage. She couldn’t bare the idea of damaging their relationship in any way, especially now that they were in a band together with their closest friends.
It could mean the end of the band. The idea of such a thing terrified her.
“Hey… Tomoe?” Himari managed to cheep out. She held onto Tomoe even tighter, inching her body a little closer. “It’s okay if I hold onto you like this, right?”
“Of course, Himari!” Tomoe laughed nervously, trying not to focus too much on the feeling of Himari’s hands that were wrapped around her. She tried to shift the conversation in an attempt to get her focus back.
“Well, is there anything you want to talk about? Some stories from tennis practice?”
“There really isn’t that much to tell.” Himari pouted. “Everyone has been super busy lately, so it’s usually just me and a few other girls.”
“Ah, I see.” Tomoe responded. She wasn’t entirely sure where to go from there. Despite her attempt, conversation became increasingly difficult with Himari’s firm grip on her. She was so flustered she could barely concentrate on anything else.
It became very… quiet, rather quickly. The two sat in silence for some time, their heavy breaths the only sound in the room inbetween the rumbles of thunder.
The awkward feeling of quiet started to get to Tomoe—it quite quickly gave rise to the feelings she had been hiding from her friend for quite a long while. Himari’s firm grip on her arm, followed by the dark silence, made it difficult to ignore the desires she felt brewing. She looked down at Himari’s clutch on her arm, and her frightened expression from focusing too much on the storm outside.
Tomoe wished more than anything that she could do something to distract her from her fear.
Before Tomoe could even realize it, she found herself peering down at Himari. The pink flush to her cheeks made them look softer than usual. In the candlelight, it was a pink slightly darker than the shade of her silky hair, that had come to rest on Tomoe’s shoulder. She couldn’t help but wonder if her cheeks were warm too.
It didn’t take Himari long to notice Tomoe’s intense stare. She moved her head to look right back, her stomach beginning to churn. Tomoe’s eyes looked heavy, as if she could fall asleep at any moment—and her cheeks!—they were really red. Himari couldn’t remember the last time she had seen Tomoe in such a state. It was cute.
Before long, Tomoe found her body moving on its own, as if on selfish instinct.
She was about to make a really stupid decision.
Without hesitation, she moved her free hand to cup Himari’s cheek, feeling its warmth in her palm. The warm sensation created a knot in Tomoe’s throat, which she attempted to quickly swallow.
By now, Tomoe had resigned herself to believing that she couldn’t resist her affection any longer. It was now or never!
She slowly leaned her head down—her face on level with Himari’s—and looked at her with an unquenchable hunger. Himari wasn’t entirely sure what was happening, but her heart sure sped up from the situation she found herself in! She could take a guess but… she was always so bad at reading the situation. Being this close to Tomoe, though… it was exhilarating. The touch of her hand on her cheek made Himari feel weak. She rested her free hand on Tomoe’s chest, and instinctively closed her eyes, hoping her instincts were right for once.
Feeling Himari’s touch on her chest, Tomoe too closed her eyes, and firmly pressed her lips against Himari’s. She melted into the touch, enjoying the warmth of her lips in a tender kiss. She lingered there a while, enjoying the sensation of her lips being locked with Himari’s.
Tomoe only broke the embrace with reluctance, feeling a sudden tinge of guilt from her actions. She had assumed Himari too had wanted the exact thing she did—but Tomoe’s anxieties got the better of her, despite everything. Why did she kiss her without asking first? She shouldn’t have assumed anything! What if she had stepped over a line that Himari herself didn’t want to cross? She could never forgive herself if that was true.
The stunned look on Himari’s face only made her feel worse.
Tomoe swiftly moved her face away from Himari’s sight, which forced the hand Himari had laid on her chest to move. She covered her quivering mouth with her free hand, closing her eyes in bewilderment at her own stupidity. Her face had become so hot that she felt as if she was running a fever. The more she dwelled on the feeling of Himari’s soft, tender lips on her own, the warmer she got. And Tomoe hated herself for it.
She had to say something. It was too quiet, and Tomoe couldn’t shake off the immense guilt that had built up in her chest. She told herself she would never do something like this—and yet… she had lost her composure somehow.
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
She couldn’t manage to work up the courage to look at Himari again. After no response from her, Tomoe’s chest began to pang. She really had gone and ruined everything, hadn’t she?
A few moments later, Tomoe felt a gentle tug on her shirt. Himari was tugging on the back of it with her now free hand, in an attempt to get her attention. But Tomoe still couldn’t steel herself to turn back around. She hated how hot she still was.
“Tomoe…” Himari whispered, her breath heavy. She had found herself unable to form coherent sentences after being released from Tomoe’s lips—suddenly realizing her breathing had become irregular.
Tomoe still couldn’t turn herself around, which only made Himari tug harder.
“Tomoe, please.” She whispered again, resting her head next to her hand gripping Tomoe’s arm, that she somehow managed to still cling to despite Tomoe’s sudden movement. Her other hand moved to rest in her lap, attempting to find some sort of comfort in her current position.
Still nothing. Tomoe could only focus on the intense heat her body kept emitting, as well as her increased heart rate that made her chest feel like it was going to explode.
Out of desperation, Himari pulled her hand back, and quickly slipped both of her hands around Tomoe’s stomach. She was wearing a high cut top, which was made evident when Himari noticed her abdomen felt much more defined than she last remembered. She could feel the solid muscle in her palms, which made Himari’s chest tighten, and her face flush.
She hoped that would be enough to convey her feelings, but Tomoe still refused to move. If she was being honest, Himari really didn’t want to try to put her thoughts into words—but with Tomoe’s refusal to turn back around, she was at an impasse. She wasn’t very adept at such a thing on a good day, but at the moment? It was even more difficult. Like, one hundred times more difficult. Himari knew that what she wanted to convey would end up coming out really sloppy.
So she opted for something a little less complicated.
Himari shoved her face vigorously against Tomoe’s back, her bangs sliding up her forehead. Tomoe’s back somehow felt warm through her top, which made Himari’s face begin to sweat. This would normally be something she tried to avoid—I mean, who wants their face to sweat?—but she couldn’t find the willpower to care.
Surprised by the sudden force that had been exerted on her back, Tomoe was knocked out of the trance she had found herself in. The warm feeling of Himari’s arms wrapped around her stomach seemed to somehow quiet her anguish. Tomoe placed her own hands on top of Himari’s, squeezing them. Their fingers slightly interlocking, she felt a now peaceful silence overtake the room. The only sound she could focus on was that of Himari’s heavy breathing, as well as her own.
“I…” Tomoe started, trying to piece together her thoughts. She tried to get her feelings in order, but everything was so fuzzy.
“I love you, Himari.” She managed to muster out with a heavy breath—her face somehow getting hotter upon uttering those words.
“I didn’t mean for this happen…”
That was a lie. She could have stopped herself. She knew she could have, but she didn’t want to in that rare moment of weakness. After years of keeping her feelings hidden from Himari, Tomoe found herself completely clutched by them. She had a hard time keeping her logic in check, and found her body moving as if on impulse.
“It’s okay, Tomoe!” Himari replied, lifting her head back up, her scrunched up bangs now more evident. She squeezed Tomoe’s stomach even harder, keeping as close of a grip on it as she could.
“I…!” Himari trailed off, still trying to piece her words together. This was gonna come out awkward, but she needed to convey her feelings to Tomoe.
“I kind of, you know—” Words are hard when you’re flustered, huh? Geez! “I mean, I-I’d only ever dreamed about this kind of thing…” Himari let out a stifled laugh, which was writhing with increased anxiety.
Tomoe blinked, squeezing Himari’s hands even tighter. She felt she understood the intention Himari was trying to get across, but wanted to make sure she didn’t jump to any conclusions this time. “What do you mean?”
Himari’s chest had begun to flutter exponentially, making finding the right words even harder than it already was. She desperately wanted to explain her feelings, but it seemed to keep coming out wrong.
Simple is a good way to go, right?
“W-What I mean is, um, Tomoe…” Himari stammered.
“Yes?” Tomoe whispered, a soft vulnerability in her voice. She was so anxious.
“I-I love you, too!” Himari yelled, her voice hitting an octave that pierced Tomoe’s ears with a shrill ring. Himari quickly moved her body even closer to Tomoe’s, her arms somehow clinging to Tomoe’s stomach even tighter than before. This meant Tomoe’s grip on her hands had been released, but Himari wanted to be as close to as possible!
Her body was pressed tightly against Tomoe’s back—her legs shifting around to position themselves by Tomoe’s so that she could be more comfortable.
Tomoe’s eyes lit up, both in surprise and relief. She let out a deep exhale as she began to feel her her body unwind—her shoulders finally relaxing. So she hadn’t made a huge mistake, right? So then—
“Himari.” She started, squeezing the hands that were wrapped around her once again. “What… do you—“
Bang!
Thunder had suddenly struck so loudly that it was almost deafening. It continued to resound around the room for some time, destroying the poignant silence between the two of them.
During the commotion, Tomoe heard Himari scream just as loud as the roaring thunder, and felt her arms release from her stomach. Which was followed by a loud thud from behind her.
Tomoe quickly turned around, the only light guiding her a fading fire from the candle in the room. The first thing she noticed was Himari on the floor, lying on her back. Her face was tilted slightly to the side, which caused some of her hair to blanket parts of her face. The elastics in her hair had come undone, making the mess her bangs were in seem obsolete. Her arms too had moved to lay limp over her upper stomach, which made her shirt ride up a little bit.
Tomoe rushed over to Himari as quickly as she could, on her hands and knees to make sure she was okay. Her body towered over hers—their heads completely level with each other. Tomoe had to move her knees to the sides of Himari’s legs so she didn’t crush her.
“Himari?” Tomoe asked, a sense of urgency in her voice. “Himari, are you alright? Answer me!”
As if on cue, Himari’s eyes fluttered open. Immediately noticing that Tomoe was on top of her, she focused her vision directly into her eyes. They were so fierce—she could scarcely keep from staring at them. The closeness between them—coupled on top of Himari’s position below Tomoe—made her face turn red.
This–obviously–made Tomoe realize the position that she had put herself in. She awkwardly attempted to say something. “Ah, s-sorry, my body just moved on its own—”
Before she could finish her sentence, Tomoe felt Himari’s hands rest on her cheeks. Her hands were really warm, which throttled Tomoe’s already inconsistent heartbeat. Her eyes grew heavy as she continued to look down at Himari with longing—her ears that peaked through her crimson hair beginning to turn just as red.
Tomoe’s cheeks still in hand, Himari pulled her face down to meet her own. Tomoe had to adjust her position slightly so that she could bend down as Himari desired, placing her elbows on the floor and moving her knees further down.
Suddenly, the candlelight that illuminated their faces went out, blanketing the entire room in a darkness as black as the night. Both Himari and Tomoe were unable to see each other, but they could feel each other breathing—the warmth of each breath hitting their face.
Not deterred by the abrupt darkness, the two closed their eyes as Himari pulled Tomoe into a soft kiss once more. Tomoe felt her body grow limp at the touch, as she began to melt in Himari’s embrace.
...She began to melt a bit too much though. Tomoe could barely hold her herself up at this point. Before she could make any attempt to warn Himari, Tomoe’s body collapsed onto the floor, and onto Himari—her head resting slightly to the side.
“Ow…” Himari pouted, the force of Tomoe’s collapse hitting her a bit too hard.
Perhaps enjoying her position perhaps a bit too much, Tomoe slowly moved to rest next to Himari on the floor. Her arms moved with her so that she could wrap them around Himari’s waist—clutching her in a tight embrace.
Still laying on her back on the floor, Himari couldn’t help but blush. The feeling of Tomoe’s arms wrapped around her so tightly… It was like something you’d read about in a romance novel. The entire situation felt like a fever dream.
When she was finally able to grasp that what was happening wasn’t a dream; wasn’t an act being played out–it was really happenening!–Himari managed to move her body to lay on its side in order to reciprocate Tomoe’s touch. She clutched Tomoe’s waist in a tight grip, burying her face in her neck. Himari could feel just how warm Tomoe’s body was, and the sensation made her chest tingle.
Tomoe too was beginning to feel even more flustered with Himari’s grip on her. The feeling of her face buried in her neck was enough to make her chest feel like it was going to burst. She squeezed her back even tighter, moving her head to rest on top of Himari’s. Her hair had a mixed berry scent to it, a smell she recognized from the shampoo she had bought when the two of them went shopping together a few days earlier.
Those few moments the two spent close together were tranquil–the hushed breathing between them the only sound... But it wasn’t long before the both of them felt uncomfortable, their arms that rest beneath the other starting to tense.
“Himari, my arm hurts–”
“M-Mine too…”
The two couldn’t help but erupt in laughter, making light of the situation–both of them finding amusement in their current circumstance. They were no longer nervous nor awkward, finding warmth in the mutual affection they had for each other.
The two sat up seperately, Tomoe the first to release her grip and sit up with her legs crossed. Himari followed not long after, attempting to fix her hair as she sat up.
Of course, Tomoe couldn’t help but ruffle Himari’s hair upon seeing the attempt, which caused Himari to pout.
“Tomoooo~oooooe, stop being mean!” She whined.
Tomoe laughed, releasing her hand from atop Himari’s head to poke her puffed out cheeks. “Sorry, you know I can’t help it!”
Himari grumbled, shooing Tomoe’s hand away so she could fix her hair in peace!
…Upon realizing there really wasn’t any salvaging how messy her was, Himari sighed heavily, leaning her head to rest on Tomoe’s shoulders. She could feel her eyes getting heavy. “I’m sleepy!”
Patting the top of Himari’s head, Tomoe giggled. “Yeah, me too. We should get changed! I’ll use the bathroom as always. I should be fine using my cellphone flashlight.”
Himari nodded shyly, watching as Tomoe managed to grab her things before leaving the room, shutting the door behind her.
Upon her exit, Himari felt the carpet around her to find her phone, and turned the flashlight on she could see something. She grabbed her pajamas from the hook hanging on her closet door, and quickly changed into them. Despite the storm, it was still pretty hot, so she slipped on something cool. She changed into a loose white tank top, and pastel pink shorts that were laced with frills at the bottom of the short.
It wasn’t long after she was finished that she heard a knock on her door from Tomoe, making sure it was okay to enter.
Muttering a soft spoken “come in!”, Himari moved to sit on her bed, watching as Tomoe walked in. She glanced at her every move, noticing the loose ponytail she pulled her hair into, as well as how sloppily she had changed into her sleepwear. Tomoe’s black tank top was lazily hanging off of her shoulder, with one of the sides pulled up slightly–as if thrown on in a hurry. Her bright red shorts sat on her hips unevenly, showing off some of her stomach that Himari couldn’t take her eyes off of. Simply remembering how muscular Tomoe’s stomach felt in her palms made Himari’s face turn red.
She quickly dove under the covers of her bed in embarrassment, placing the blanket over her eyes as she rolled on her side.
Tomoe grinned at Himari's sudden movement, and wasted no time joining her in bed. She made sure her belongings weren’t in an inconvenient spot on the floor, and pulled up the blankets. When she lifted the covers up, she found Himari laying on her side, her face buried in her arms.
The sight was enough to cause Tomoe’s stomach to go aflutter, continuing as she climbed into the bed, placing the blankets overtop of them both. Moving her body closer to Himari, she quieted herself as much as she was able. She was so nervous because oh my god we’re sharing the same bed? But it’s so different this time?
“U-Uh.” Tomoe started, her nerves getting the best of her. “Is it… okay if I hold you, Himari?” She asked sheepishly, her face warming up.
Himari finally moved her arms so her face was visible, hoping it didn’t look as red as it felt. It was dark anyway, there’s no way Tomoe would be able to tell, right? There’s no way. Please don’t let her see how–
“Himari?”
...She had just stared at Tomoe and not answered at all, hadn’t she? She was such a mess, but it was so hard not to be. Still, Himari made haste to answer so she didn’t make things even more awkward. “O-of course you can! You don’t need to ask, Tomoe.”
Tomoe moved even closer to Himari, lazily wrapping her arms behind Himari’s back. Though she probably seemed calm while doing so, Tomoe’s chest began to pound incessantly upon contact. Her face was definitely beet red, but it’s fine, Himari won’t see!!
Himari reciprocated fairly quickly, her face finding rest in the nape of Tomoe’s neck, and her arms forming a clutch around her waist. Despite how sweltering it should have been, Himari found herself enjoying the warmth she felt by being so close to Tomoe. It wasn’t long before she found herself drifting off to sleep, enjoying the comfort of Tomoe’s soothing presence.
Tomoe–unfortunately–had a much harder time falling asleep. Her chest was still pounding considerably, making it difficult to calm herself down. She spent a long time continuing to be flustered by the closeness she now shared with Himari, but eventually her eyes grew heavy enough that she too, was able to find rest in Himari’s comforting presence.
Before she fell asleep however, she managed a soft whisper. “I hope we can stay like this forever, Himari.”