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le-amewzing · 3 years ago

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The Muse Beside Her

Breaking ship news: Will I pause writing Ayakine long enough to actually read more of the manga?! More at eleven. XD

Fic: "The Muse Beside Her" [FFN] [AO3]

Pairings/Characters: one-sided?Miki Kinemi/Aizawa Ayano, with cameos from Kakinokizaka Momoyo & Murai Yakumo

Rating: K

Words: ~1,700

Summary: Ayano always tells Kinemi to be more self-aware. But there's one detail about herself of which Kinemi is sweetly, painfully aware, especially with Ayano within reach.

"Ahhh, it's so chilly outside today…! I really hope Ayano-chan's ready for lunch," Kinemi thought aloud to herself as she scurried down the corridor of the general studies building. She pulled her hand from her sweater's pocket long enough to glance at the time on her watch. Yep, Ayano's class ended more than twenty minutes ago, so there should be no issues. Kinemi stuffed her hand back in her pocket and puffed up her chest the tiniest bit, proud to have her best friend's schedule memorized in addition to her own.

"Shh! Stop—you'll wake her up!"

Well, that caught Kinemi's attention. She rounded the corner and, two doors away from Ayano's classroom, spied Momoyo and Murai peeking into a room. Kinemi slowed her pace as she closed the distance to them. "Is there something interesting going on in there?" she asked, trying to see around the pair.

Kinemi's sudden presence spooked them, though, Momoyo more so than Murai, so when they stood at attention, Momoyo flailed backwards into Kinemi, forcing the taller girl to catch her. "O-Oh! U-Uh, no, not really—"

"Hah?" Murai raised an eyebrow at her. "I thought we were busy staring at the Eighth Wonder of the World, Momo."

Momoyo scowled at him. "And I told you, 'Shh'! You're so loud, Yakumo, dammit…!"

"Um," Kinemi interrupted, "'Eighth Wonder of the World'…?"

Murai threw a thumb over his shoulder. "Your girl's having a nap. Though I don't blame her; I would, too, after maths."

But his answer only made Kinemi furrow her brow. "My girl…? Wha—?"

"Take a peek," Momoyo insisted, ushering Kinemi forward and tugging Murai back with a huffy look and a "shh!"

Kinemi looked around the doorway, finding the classroom empty save for a single person slumped over in a spot towards the center of the room. And it was a silhouette that Kinemi knew well and figured she'd be able to spot even if her eyesight turned bad one day, precisely because she knew it so well. "Oh, Ayano-chan," she chuckled to herself.

Momoyo and Murai returned to their spots by the doorway, minding room left for Kinemi. "See?" Momoyo said. "We were walking by during break and caught a glimpse. Isn't it strange?"

"Is it? I thought no one was immune to falling asleep during or after class once in a while."

But Momoyo and Murai exchanged a look before settling Kinemi with matching quizzical expressions. "Not that!" Momoyo said. "Her hair!"

Kinemi took a second look—oh! They were right! How rare for Ayano to let her hair down any place that wasn't home. It stunned even Kinemi enough that her mouth hung open in a tiny "o."

"There are photos of the other ones, so might as well have physical proof of the Eighth Wonder," Murai said as he pulled out his phone.

But Kinemi shook her head and nudged them both away. "I don't think that'd be very wise, Murai-kun. Why don't you two go on ahead and I'll catch up with you later? I was going to grab Ayano-chan for lunch anyway, so perhaps we'll see you shortly."

The implied promise of food was enough to sway them. Murai shrugged and stowed his phone, and Momoyo skipped beside him as they planned out loud the rest of the day's snacks and meals.

Kinemi, though, entered the classroom and half shut the door behind her to discourage other prying eyes. She climbed the few steps to Ayano's level and scooted towards her seat. Ayano slept soundly, with her arms crossed atop a spiral notebook and her tablet to one side and a sketchbook to her other. It nearly broke Kinemi's heart, having to nudge her awake.

It took two shakes, but Ayano roused with a mumble. She turned her cheek up and stole a peek at her friend. "…mm…hi, 'Nemi-chan," she mumbled.

Kinemi giggled at those shortened words. "Come on, Ayano-chan. It's lunchtime. You can't sleep all through lunch."

"Mmm…" Ayano made no indication that she would get up. But then she unfolded her arms, stretching them out before her and hunching her back. "…'kay."

Was she best friends with a sleepy kitten? The adorable comparison made Kinemi grin so hard, her cheeks hurt. "Ah, but—before we go eat—shall I fix your hair for you?"

"Hm?" Ayano paused putting her things away and batted at where one of her buns should be, as if only now realizing her hairdo had come undone. "Ah." She paused, and her eyes sidled up to her friend. But then she conceded with a nod, raking her fingers through her hair for stray bobby pins and taking out extras from her pencil pouch for Kinemi to use.

Another rarity! Kinemi was glad Ayano turned away from her for a moment, because it was hard to contain how ecstatic she was, witnessing another first with Ayano today. "It's unlike you to fall asleep after class. You didn't miss anything during class, did you?" she asked, curious as to Ayano's docile mood.

Ayano shook her head. "It's December and freezing outside, and this room is right above the boiler room. I think someone turned the heat up during class…" She rubbed her eyes. "I don't recall missing anything from today's lesson, but I'll text someone later just to check."

"You're really non-stop, Ayano-chan. That's amazing."

That earned Kinemi a snicker. "That's life, Kinemi-chan. Ara~ Hairstyling time, though, then lunchtime~"

Kinemi nodded and set her own things in the empty chair on Ayano's left. She stood behind Ayano, leaning against the seminar desk the next level up, and gathered the fluffy tresses over Ayano's shoulders. Just as her friend had done, Kinemi also combed her fingers through Ayano's hair, searching for any lost bobby pins. Although Kinemi caught herself combing three times too many, long after Ayano's head had been thoroughly de-pinned.

If Ayano noticed, she didn't say. All she did was lean back a bit into Kinemi's touch as Kinemi began to part her hair.

"Ayano-chan? You all right?"

"…'m good," she mumbled.

Kinemi smiled. Ah, she sounded like her drowsing, kitten self again. Best get this done quick! Which was easier said than done, since Kinemi had never styled another's hair before, let alone done something as neat as double buns. But she'd spent years joined at the hip with Ayano… She saw her every day… Sometimes these buns popped up into Kinemi's reveries when she least expected them… "There," she announced with a sense of pride and a touch of showmanship.

Ayano stuffed her belongings into her bag but dug out a compact to inspect Kinemi's handiwork. Then she angled the mirror up at her friend so Kinemi could catch her eye. "Nicely done. I should hire you again when I'm drained."

"Ayano-chan…! I don't know if I should be flattered or worried you're gonna run yourself ragged. Only one of us does that at a time, and we both know I do that plenty."

Ayano laughed with her and they left the classroom. "I promise I don't want to make you worry, Kinemi-chan. But…it was nice, having you do my hair. Never had anyone do that before."

Yet another first! Although hearing Ayano say it out loud brought warmth to Kinemi's cheeks. "R-Really? Then I'm flattered. You have such lovely hair, y'know, Ayano-chan."

Ayano smiled her thanks, but she was too tired for more conversation at that point. She'd be better with some food in her, Kinemi knew.

And Kinemi? Kinemi knew that, and she knew her words to Ayano had been sincere…and yet she also knew her words to Ayano had only scratched the surface. Because she really thought Ayano had lovely hair.

But she also loved the feel of Ayano's hair over her palms and through her fingers.

She loved that Ayano had leaned into her touch, instinctually or not, with Kinemi so close.

She loved helped Ayano with big things and with little things, even things she'd never done before, like fixing her hair, because she'd felt she could do it anyway… Maybe she'd daydreamed about Ayano's hair, maybe it'd been about Ayano herself, maybe it'd been about touching Ayano—Kinemi couldn't recall because that was what reveries were like, fleeting little fancies that touched you with exhilaration.

This artwork of a girl inspired Kinemi to make art.

But Ayano also inspired something to stir in Kinemi's chest, too.

Kinemi's eyes watered when she and Ayano stepped outside into the brisk air to dart to the dining hall. Ayano's cheeks were red and she half pressed herself against Kinemi as they ran together back into warmth, but Kinemi's mind was back in the empty classroom in the general studies building.

Had Ayano noticed? The way Kinemi's fingers trembled, drawing her full locks back into buns, grazing her cheekbone or ears in the process?

Or were they two people who were close but doomed only ever to offer support and exchange warm smiles?

"Ara~ Kinemi-chan, your eyes are red…"

Kinemi opened her mouth, desperate to come up with a plausible excuse even as her head and heart were a mess, but then she heard Momoyo call out to the two of them. Oh, no! Kinemi had forgotten all about Momoyo and Murai.

Ayano clicked her tongue and Kinemi thought she heard her friend grumble something about "not wanna deal with their type today." Either way, Ayano patted Kinemi's cheek with a warm hand and turned her away from any potential audience. "Let's grab our lunch and find a spot for just us two today, Kinemi-chan."

"Eh?" The blonde gaped at the fluffy-haired girl as Ayano gently tugged her along. "A-Ayano-chan! Are you sure? I kind of—"

"They can take a rain check," Ayano retorted, a tad more forceful than usual. Realizing her audience, she ducked her head and peeked at Kinemi. "…I'm…not quite ready to share you right now, Kinemi-chan." As if punctuating her point, Ayano stopped tugging Kinemi along and slipped her hand into Kinemi's larger one.

Kinemi brightened up, at last putting the classroom thoughts behind her. After all, the reality of Ayano's hand in hers was even nicer than hair.

So my first thought here is: If the cat is cute and kindly lets you wake it up, you're good to go!!!! How lucky Kinemi is! So idk what Yatora's future is, given he's dealing with an adorable but feral rabbit. X'DDD *yatoyota aside…* This story highlighted one giant fact for me in that I have figured out my fav ship type, I think: seemingly laidback charrie x exuberant charrie. And gosh I do love that Ayakine fits that type. I love these soft girls so much. And writing them being softttttt. -w- (Ngl I'mma need to pause writing BP fics long enough to go doodle some more BP art, jsyk—I NEED MORE HANDS AND A SECOND BRAIN TO JUGGLE THE IDEAS! Dx) Also, Momo&Murai mischief twins gives me life; I think Momo prolly can guess it'd be unwise to piss off Ayano, but I'm p sure Murai lacks those brain cells. And is it just me or is there smthg sensuous, not just intimate, about touching your loved one's hair like that? LIKE WHOA. Anyway! Ngl sometimes I do have a problem where I get fic ideas and I stop reading manga or bk series for a while bc I WANNA WRITE FIRSTTTT, but I rly do hope to read ch41 and beyond shortly. c: I mostly just needed to get these Ayakines outta my system. TT-TT OH! And lastly: You guys owe the rewritten ending to Tamaki Nami and her song, "Shining Star." True, it simply happened to be what I was listening to as I was winding down writing this, but originally this was gonna be rly angsty, stopping where Kinemi was just, "OH NO FEELINGS," but then the song was too cute and too them and so I decided to give a hopeful ending. (Also props to the MP3 Tamaki's album is on; 15yrs and still going strong, I love this little 2GB! ;w;) In the meantime, make sure to come bug me on tumblr about these girls and check out my BP fanart while you await more fics from me~

Thanks for reading, and feel free to leave an anon/unsigned review via the FFN link or comment via the AO3 link at the top of the post, especially if you enjoyed this! Check out my other fics if you liked this, too!

~mew

#blue period #ブルーピリオド #ayakine #miki kinemi #aizawa ayano #kakinokizaka momoyo #murai yakumo #fanfic #mew writes too much #they're too cute send halp

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