I'm Highly Suspicious That Everyone Who Sees You Wants You

In a rare occurrence, RONDO was sitting quietly together. Nagisa was nearly passed out in a food coma (that was what she got for taking so many helpings of the Christmas feast!) and Hiiro had fallen asleep on her shoulder, a glass of eggnog still in front of her. Only Aoi and Tsubaki were awake, but rather than speak, they just sat in an amicable silence, enjoying the peace and quiet together.

Tsubaki felt childish for thinking it, but the night felt truly magical! The fairy lights and Christmas tree had never looked so enchanting! Then it occurred to her, she could keep this magic in the air as long as she wished. She was an adult now! This was RONDO's place, they made the rules. And so long as she was always this close with RONDO (especially Aoi), the magic would never truly die anyway, regardless of the season.

Tsubaki cast a side-eye at Aoi. There's a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear... Have I known you 20 seconds or 20 years? Aoi never ceased to awe and inspire Tsubaki, no matter how long they'd known each other. And to think! They'd only known each other for a little over a year at this point! And yet, in some ways, Tsubaki still felt like she knew Aoi better than she knew anybody else in her life. And, privately, she liked to brag that she knew Aoi better than anybody else, period!

Sure, Aoi had a lot of fans, but Tsubaki was still willing to bet that she knew Aoi better than they did. For example, there were some fans who fell for Aoi just because of her masculine looks, assuming she was a man. Tsubaki, however, had loved Aoi before and after realizing that Aoi was actually a woman. Plenty of fans could say the same, but Tsubaki still liked to think that it gave her an edge over some of them.

I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you...

Tsubaki knew that she would love Aoi no matter what. Man, woman, neutral, nonbinary, androgynous, agender...No matter how Aoi identified or presented herself, Tsubaki would love Aoi just the same. Not every fan could say that, so Tsubaki liked to think that it gave her at least a little bit of an edge over some of Aoi's other fans.

I'd go where you go, Aoi. You took me out to RONDO, and brought me home. I hope we can always be this close, forever and ever and ever...There was only one thing Tsubaki would've changed about their relationship. She would've actually put them in a relationship. As lovely as Aoi was, and as lovely as their current relationship status was, Tsubaki wanted more! But it seemed like no matter how many hints she dropped (each one less subtle than the last), Aoi missed them all. Sometimes it was hard to believe she made it into college.

Already, Tsubaki was envisioning a life for herself and Aoi. They would live together as a couple, and just like now, they would let their friends crash in the living room. It would be their place, so they'd make the calls. But the key difference was that, this time, it was only Tsubaki and Aoi living together. Everyone else would only ever be a guest. They would dance around the kitchen in the refrigerator light every night, and pictures charting their history would line the walls, decorating space as their harmony decorated time. They'd sit on the porch and Tsubaki and Aoi would sing each other love songs forever and ever.

See, I finally got you now, honey, I won't let you fall! I won't let you go!

It wasn't a trait Tsubaki was proud of, but yes, she was rather prone to jealousy and protectiveness, especially since Aoi was so oblivious!

I'm highly suspicious that everyone who sees you wants you...

Whether it was all of Aoi's adoring fans, or even Nagisa and Hiiro sometimes, Tsubaki wished the entire world would just melt away until it was only her and Aoi, alone together forever.

I've loved you one summer now, Aoi, but I want 'em all...

She thought back to all the times Aoi chased after her. It seemed that Aoi wanted to go wherever she'd go. What a flattering thought! It was another thing she reminded herself of whenever she was in doubt over Aoi's affections for her. As far as any of them knew, and as far as Aoi reported, Tsubaki was the only one she'd ever really chased after.