By Her Side (ch2)

Episode 2 was just as beautiful and gay as the first so I just had to do more of them...

Also, I'm having Rosetta refer to/think of Tiara as her "princess" because let's be honest, isn't she? To her, if not literally.

Disclaimer: I do not own Lapis Relights

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															Chapter 2.

It's nearly curfew by the time Rosetta and Tiara arrive back at their dorm room from town that evening. After the hectic afternoon of chasing ducks and one another around, on top of their final stop together to observe the Orchestra, the events of the day are finally catching up to them.

Rosetta implores Tiara to use the restroom and get dressed for bed first, sitting patiently with a book in her lap until her roommate reenters.

"Ahh~" Tiara sighs, running a towel through her damp hair. "That feels so nice. I needed a shower!"

Rosetta puts her book down all too eagerly and makes room for Tiara to sit beside her on the couch.

"Tia." Her heart still flutters every time she calls her by the old nickname now. "If you'd like, I can do your hair for you. Just like old times…" She trails off, blushing slightly as a wave of nostalgia floods through her.

Tiara lets her towel fall around her shoulders and smiles.

"Sure!" Bounding over, she sits beside Rosetta on the couch. "Then after you shower, I'll do your hair for you, Rose!"

"Eh? Oh, you don't have to-"


"But I want to!" Tiara tilts her head. "Is that okay?"


"O-Of course!"

"Great!"

For now, Tiara sits up straight, admittedly a little eager to get her hair dried and brushed for her. Other than Rosetta, Eliza was the only one to ever really do this for her in the past, and it's been a long time since then.

Rosetta inches closer to her from the side, coaxing Tiara to turn and give her her back. She leans over to pick up Tiara's brush from the nearby table, then places it in her lap.

First, Rosetta slides the towel from her friend's shoulders, softly padding it against the back of her neck before gathering her wet hair into it and rubbing a little. But after doing this for only a few seconds, Rosetta pulls her hands away.

"Tia? Is it all right if I use magic?"


"Huh? You can do that?"

"Yes. So long as it's for mundane tasks and nothing too extravagant, we're allowed to use it on our own terms at school."


"Oh!" Tiara beams at her from over her shoulder. "Then sure! Go ahead!"

With permission given, Rosetta murmurs a small spell that creates a heat at her fingertips. Gently, she cards through Tiara's hair, and with every stroke of her fingers more and more of the wetness dissipates in and instant. The heat of her spell is very mild, but even so she takes great caution when handling her princess' safety. She works very carefully, making sure never to touch her skin or back for too long.

Tiara makes a humming sound and slowly eases back against her touch, slouching a bit.


"Tia?" Rosetta's voice is a bit high with concern. "A-Are you all right?"

Tiara simply tilts her head back with a smile.

"Yeah! It feels so nice, Rose! You're so warm!"

"It's just the spell," she chuckles.

"Hmm, I don't think so." Tiara wiggles her shoulders in delight. "Somehow, I get the feeling if it was anyone else doing this for me, it wouldn't feel quite as warm."

"Wh… What does that mean…?" Rosetta tapers off, bowing her head in an effort to hide how pink her face has become. In terms of heat, Tiara is right in the sense that Rosetta is certainly radiating quite a lot of it now. She continues pawing through Tiara's hair for a moment until it's completely dry, then cancels her spell.

"There. Is it okay if I brush it for you?"


"Of course!"

So Rosetta picks up the brush in her lap and begins at the ends of Tiara's hair, brushing the tips at the center of her back. Tiara begins to hum the song she'd sung on the roof on the day of her arrival, and Rosetta can't help but smile and hum along with her.

She works her way up Tiara's back, making absolutely certain not to tug or pull a single precious strand. She presses her free hand against Taira's back so the brush won't accidentally snag.

Tiara continues humming her song, leaning back against her so much that Rosetta is starting to fear she might be falling asleep. She brushes her roommate's hair for several minutes until it's perfectly smooth from top to bottom.

"There." Rosetta indulges herself for a moment, picking up a few locks of it and letting it slip through her fingers. The scent of cherry shampoo drifts up to her nose, and she inhales deeply. But she jolts when Tiara suddenly lets herself slouch back completely into her chest.


"Thanks, Rose!"

"Tia-" Rosetta catches her around her waist, instinctively pulling her close. Tiara giggles and snuggles up against her.

"You've always been taking care of me," she sighs. "So let me repay the favor, okay? Go take your shower, Rose!"

"Right. As you wish."


"Huh? Were those formalities I heard?"


"I mean- yeah. Okay."

Tiara giggles again, and Rosetta feels another blush forming on her cheeks.

As Tiara sits herself up again, Rosetta stands, gathering her nightgown before taking her leave to the restroom. She has to admit she showers a bit more quickly than usual, probably because she's just excited to get back to her. Before she knows it, she's scrambling to get into her nightgown and hurrying back into the main room.

Tiara is seated in the same spot, wearing an expectant smile.

"That was quick!"

Rosetta's heart bounces lightly. It's the first time she's come out from a shower to see her waiting for her in over two years now.

Tiara waves her back over, and Rosetta obeys, already patting her own towel through her hair as she sits.

"Please don't worry about it too much," she says.

"What are you saying? I can't let you go to bed if your hair is still even a little bit wet. What if you catch a cold, Rose?"

"I'd much rather it be me than you."

Tiara pouts up at her chidingly.

"That's no fair, Rose."


"No. I really mean it." Rosetta looks back at her with eyes that glimmer with the beginnings of concern. "You've done your fair share of being sick in the past, Tia. I don't ever want to see you like that again. Not even a little cold." Her heart hurts just to think about it, just to remember all those times in the past when Tiara had been bedridden with awful fevers, some of which had nearly claimed her life-


"Okay." Tiara's soft, apologetic voice pulls Rosetta out of the painful memories and back into the present. Tiara is gazing up at her with gentle blue eyes. "Sorry, Rose. I didn't mean to make you upset."

"N-Not at all!" Rosetta holds up her hands defensively. "I'm the one who's sorry!"

Tiara gives her a hopeless smile.

"Look at us. We haven't changed a bit, have we?" She reaches out and rests her hand over Rosetta's. Rosetta tenses and relaxes at the same time, but a smile comes to her lips.

"Yeah. We really haven't."

With the little mishap behind them now, Tiara turns her around and begins to rub the towel through her long, hip-length hair. Rosetta now understands why Tiara had leaned back against her so much earlier. As her princess touches her back lightly, Rosetta finds herself wanting to ease toward her more and more.

"I can't believe how much longer your hair's gotten, Rose!" Tiara comments. "I mean, it was always long, but it seems even longer now!"

"You think?" Rosetta picks up a lock of blue and pinches it, contemplating. "Do you think I should cut it?"


"Huh? No way! That's not what I meant! I love your hair, Rose!" Tiara gives her a comforting pat on the back. "But I mean, if you did wanna cut it, I'm sure you'd look great that way, too!"


Rosetta is filled with another surge of warmth, even in spite of the fact that there's no heating spell being used at the moment.

"Thank you. I think I'd like to keep it long, though."


"Yeah!" Tiara smiles. "I think it suits you!"

She continues rubbing the towel through Rosetta's hair to dry it, and again, Rosetta feels the urge to lean back.

"Tia? If it would be easier for you, you can use a heating spell too," she offers. "I know I have a lot of hair…"

But Tiara shakes her head.

"That's okay! I'm not too familiar with that spell and I don't wanna end up accidentally using it too strongly. If you're all right with it, then I think I'll just do it this way!"

Rosetta dips her head.

"Of course. Actually… I think I kind of prefer this way…"

"Rose, you're so cute!"


"E-Eh-?!"

"See what I mean?"

Rosetta feels her face getting much hotter than before and promptly turns away. Tiara laughs lightly as she continues drying her hair for her.

Eventually, the humming starts up again, and Rosetta closes her eyes to enjoy her princess' presence. While she herself had often taken care of Tiara when they were younger, it wasn't often that Tiara was well enough to do these sort of things for her in return. Or even when she had offered, Rosetta had been far too bashful to allow it.

But now that they're somewhere new, alone together in their very own room…

Just thinking about it makes Rosetta's heart pound all over again.

She lets Tiara's beautiful humming voice fill her ears and soothe her soul. Combined with her ministrations at Rosetta's back and her calming presence in general, it's all very relaxing.

By the time Tiara sits back with a satisfied sigh, Rosetta has nearly fallen asleep.

"There!" Tiara says in triumph. "All dry! Now I'll start brushing. Is it okay if I use my brush?"

"I don't mind," Rosetta murmurs. She feels Tiara shift closer behind her now, and then a soft hand is touching her back to begin gathering up her hair.

Rosetta opens her eyes and reminds herself of how to breathe. She'd never asked any of her other roommates to do these sort of things for her, and even if they'd offered, she would always politely decline. These are the sort of private moments she'd rather keep exclusively between herself and Tiara.

She can't remember the last time she's had someone else brush her hair for her. It's impossible not to lean back into her touch, or let out occasional little sighs of content.

At one point, when Tiara is brushing about halfway up her back, one of those sighs ends up sounding more like a whimper. Tiara stops immediately and puts her hand on Rosetta's shoulder.

"Rose? Are you okay?"


"Eh? Y-Yes! I'm fine! More than fine! I was just… really relaxed…" Her face is red again in seconds, and she has to bring her hands up to cover it a bit. Tiara moves closer until she's more or less leaning against her.

"Are you sure? I didn't tug your hair, did I?"


"Not at all." Rosetta offers her a reassuring smile. "It feels really nice, Tia. You're really good at this."


"You think so?" She grins, then gets back to brushing. "I'm glad. It's the least I can do for you, Rose."


"You do plenty," Rosetta assures her. "Just you being here is more than enough for me, Tia."

"Rose!" Tia drops the hair brush for the moment in favor of throwing her arms around Rosetta. "I'm glad you're here, too!"

Rosetta freezes at the sudden hug, but quickly melts into it. She leans back against Tiara, who readily snuggles up to her. She drapes herself there like a blanket, resting her chin on Rosetta's shoulder and nuzzling against her cheek. Slowly, almost cautiously, Rosetta lifts her arms to lay them over hers.

When she closes her eyes and concentrates, she can feel Tiara's heart beating softly against her back. She has to wonder if Tiara can feel hers, too, as it's going quite fast at the moment.

The two of hem are silent for a few seconds, relishing the comfort of being so close once again. Then, Tiara seems to remember the task she'd presented herself with.

"Ah, lemme finish your hair!" She eases back, and Rosetta almost pouts a tiny bit, but catches herself. After all, she still gets to enjoy Tiara's proximity and her soothing hands working through her hair and brushing against her back.

A few moments later, Tiara is stroking the brush from the top of her head all the way down to the small of Rosetta's back in long, smooth strokes.

"There! All done! How did I do?"

Rosetta reaches back to gather her hair against her forearm, letting it slide across her skin.

"It feels wonderful! Much better than it ever feels when I do it myself."


"Really?"


"Yes."

"I'm glad!" Tiara puts the brush aside for now and lets out a yawn. She slouches up against Rosetta's side, hugging her waist. "All that running around town chasing Alfred is catching up to me now," she sighs.

Rosetta's expression softens with just a hint of concern.

"You should get some rest." Tentatively, she drapes an arm across the girl's shoulders, welcoming her closeness. Tiara sighs again.

"Rose?"


"Yes?"


"I'm sorry we followed you around today without telling you properly. It was my idea."

Rosetta moves a little closer to her.

"It's fine. To tell the truth… it made me a little happy that you were worried about me…"

Tiara lifts her head to meet her eyes fully now.

"Yeah. I was just worried. Everyone else was saying how you might be meeting with someone in secret…"


"Eh?" Rosetta blinks, feeling another small blush coming on. "Meeting with someone? Like who?"

Tiara slumps her shoulders a little in a way that's just downright adorable.

"I don't know… Like a boy or something…"

"A bo-" Rosetta nearly shrieks out loud at the thought. She shakes her head vigorously, gripping Tiara a bit tighter in the process. "No way! Absolutely not! I wasn't meeting with anyone! The only boys I ever talk to are for my pet-sitting jobs, but it's only about work! Nothing else!"

Tiara blinks up at her slowly.

"Really?"


"Yes! Absolutely!" Rosetta frantically tries to reassure her. "I'm not even interested in boys! Not even a little bit! The only one I'm interested in is-"

She quickly cuts herself off, slapping a hand over her mouth before she can say anything reckless. But of course, she'd said too much now, and Tiara is anxious to hear the rest.

"Huh? So you are interested in someone, then…?" Her shoulders slump again, and this time it's less cute, and more sad. "So you do have someone you'd go off to meet outside of school, then…"

"Eh-?!" Rosetta feels the misunderstanding has gotten out-of-hand. "T-Tia, wait! It's not what you're thinking!"


"It's not?"

Rosetta shakes her head rapidly, then grasps both of her princess' hands in hers. She squeezes them firmly and stares earnestly into her eyes.

"Tia. The only person I'd ever make arrangements to meet with or have an interest in… is you."

She can't believe she'd said it. Her heart backflips, and her face begins to heat up all over again. But she needs Tiara to know the truth.

Tiara looks up at her with surprise, blinking slowly.

"Me…?"

Rosetta nods.


"Yes. S-So long as that doesn't inconvenience you…"


"What are you saying? Of course it doesn't!" Tiara wiggles her hands free of Rosetta's grasp just so she can throw her arms around her in a hug all over again. Her weight ends up bowling Rosetta backward onto the couch, and she frantically makes sure to lock her arms around Tiara to keep her from slipping off she lands on top of her.

"T-Tia-?"

"I'm so relieved!" Tiara sighs, nuzzling against her neck. "I wasn't sure what I'd do if I found out you had a boyfriend or something."

Rosetta nearly chokes.

"Never! I would never!"

"Thank goodness…"

Rosetta feels her sigh, sinking all of her weight on top of her now. She slowly begins rubbing her hands up and down Tiara's back. And she has to admit, the thought of Tiara being relieved that she wasn't meeting with anyone makes her heart happy.

They lie there for a moment on the couch until Tiara yawns again. Rosetta smiles.

"All right. It's time for bed now. I mean it."

"Mm but you're so comfy, Rose…"

As Rosetta sits up slowly, she takes care to keep Tiara steady in her arms, as it's evident the red-haired girl is more or less asleep already. Heaving a sigh, Rosetta brushes a lock of hair from her princess' face.

"I guess I'll carry you to bed."

She gathers Tiara into her arms and stands slowly before crossing the rooms and lying her down on her bottom bunk. Rosetta pulls the covers down as best she can and arranges them over Tiara, then fluffs her pillow a little. Tiara blinks her eyes open blearily and gives a tired smile.

"Rose…?"


"Yes?"

Tiara fidgets a tiny bit, gripping her blankets to her chest.

"Do… Do you think you could stay with me tonight? I'm a little chilly…"

"Eh-?" Rosetta is instantly thrown into a state of panic. She quickly sits on the edge of the bed and reaches out for her. "You're cold? Do you feel sick?"

"No, no-" Tiara shakes her head. "Not like that."

"Let me check if you have a fever." She rests the back of her hand on Tiara's forehead for a moment and frowns. "You do feel a little warm-"


"Rose!" Tiara shakes her head. "I'm fine. You're the one who feels warm because you're getting all worked-up." Tiara folds both of her hands around Rosetta's now and smiles calmly up at her. "I'm not that kind of cold, Rose. I just… thought it might be nice to… be close to you. That's all… Unless it's a bother-"


"N-Not at all!" Rosetta cries. "Then if you're sure you're all right… I wouldn't mind staying here with you…"

Her heart starts to pound again. They hadn't slept in the same bed together since they were children. She wonders how different it will be now that they're older, now that Rosetta has these feelings for her...

"Tia." She swallows, gazing deeply into her eyes. "I-If you feel uncomfortable or anything, then please tell me. I'll leave if you want me to."


"Don't be silly." Tiara lifts her arms up and opens them wide, beaming up at her invitingly. "I want to be with you, Rose!"

Rosetta's heart throbs. She feels like she might start crying. Smiling, she dips her head and slowly eases herself down into her princess' embrace.

As they situate themselves beneath the blankets, Rosetta gives a whistle to turn off the lights. She's nervous about her weight being on top of Tiara like this, as she is older and taller than her.

But Tiara seems perfectly content to lock her arms around her and use her as a blanket. She gives Rosetta a tight squeeze, wiggling snugly beneath her.

"Rose, you're so warm~"

"Tia…" Rosetta trails off for a moment, still bracing as much of her weight as she can on her elbows on the mattress on either side of her. Tiara notices she's holding back and coaxes her with a few soft pats on the back.

"Rose, you can relax."

"Are you sure?" she frets. "Am I too heavy? Can you breathe all right?"

"You're not heavy at all! I'm fine, Rose!"

Rosetta swallows, but gradually begins easing her full weight on top of her now. Tiara hums in delight and lets out a long sigh.

"It's so comfy…"

Rosetta is still a bit stiff though, being so close and intimate with her. There's a rampant throbbing in her chest, and her breath isn't seeming to work properly. After a moment, she feels Tiara running a hand lightly up her side.

"Rose? Are you okay? Your heart's pounding."


"E-Eh? Th-That's-! I-I'm fine!"

"Are you sure? Is this too much for you?"


"N-Not at all!" she squeaks. "I would love to sleep here with you, Tia! Honestly!"

Tiara smiles.

"Okay. Then let me help you relax."

She starts tracing her hands over Rosetta's back in calming patterns, occasionally carding through her hair and moving it to one side.

Rosetta breathes in deeply and lets herself begin to relax fully against her in the process. She slips her arms around Tiara's sides in turn, giving her a gentle squeeze. Tiara half-chuckles, half-yawns, reaching up to cradle Rosetta's head against her chest. With a gulp, Rosetta complies, resting her head sideways against her collar.

Tiara gives a little grunt of satisfaction, then begins to hum her sister's song softly.

Rosetta feels the little vibrations in her throat as she lets out the familiar tune, and it makes her heart giddy. Combined with Tiara's gentle hands still petting over her back, Rosetta doesn't stand a chance.

Heaving a long sigh, she closes her eyes now, pressing her ear over the center of her chest. Tiara's heartbeat fills her head, and calms her own pulse as well. It's a soft and steady rhythm, not at all like the times when she'd been ill and her heart had been racing so hard it hurt her. This is a happy pulse, one that is healthy and beautiful.

Rosetta smiles as she listens, hugging her princess a little tighter.

Tiara was right. The warmth they're sharing with each other now is so wonderful, Rosetta fears she might never get up in the morning, and instead will sleep in with her all day like this.

The moments drift by, and just as Tiara is finishing her song, another yawn interrupts her.

"Mmhm, Rose? Are you comfortable now?"


"Yes," she sighs. "Please don't worry about me, Tia. This is the most comfortable I've ever been in my life… But are you sure I'm not too heavy?"


"No way!" Tiara gives her another squeeze, then lets out a long exhale. "Rose… I'm so glad you're here with me…"

Rosetta snuggles closer.

"Me, too. I'm so happy I can be with you again, Tia."


There's another beat of silence, and then another yawn.

"Goodnight… Rose…"

"Goodnight, Tia."

By now, their heartbeats have synched up, lulling both girls into a warm and cozy slumber.

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A/N: If they keep being so cute and getting so many sweet moments together, I might write a chapter a week like I did with other series... For this one, I already have a couple more in mind, but I'm waiting a bit to see if the anime does anything first...