Sweet Misunderstandings

This is for Rambleengs! They asked for a simple Mahiru and Nana prompt but... I kinda went overboard and made it get dramatic (if you can call it that haha, not bad drama though! Don't worry!) I had a lot of fun with it~

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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													Sweet Misunderstandings

Over her time at Seishou thus far, Mahiru has come to notice something in particular about how Nana tends to get the week leading up to a performance.

Rather, everyone probably notices, since that week is always filled with extra snacks and treats from their beloved Banana, even more so than she normally presents to them.

After every single practice session, Nana reveals she'd brought along some kind of snack she'd prepared ahead of time earlier in the day or the night before. Without fail, she always has something for everyone, be it cookies, muffins, or even pastries. It's no secret that everyone loves anything and everything that Nana makes, and her sweets are always a much-welcomed relief after a tough workout or run-through of their upcoming performance.

This week, they're going to be performing yet another play, one where Nana had been cast as a lead role. Mahiru's own role isn't very significant this time around, so she's determine to do her best with what she'd been given and support her friends who will be spending most of their time in the spotlight.

Either way, Mahiru is a little shocked at herself for taking this long to realize what's probably the true reason behind why Nana always has snacks and treats to share with her friends at the ready in the days leading up to a play. Especially since Mahiru herself has a somewhat similar habit. And it isn't only because she's being a good friend.

In Mahiru's case, cooking has always been something she'd enjoyed, ever since a young age. Whenever something was troubling her at home, she'd always feel better to stand beside her mother or grandmother in the kitchen and cook something.

She believed it had something to do with the organization and routine of cooking; how certain ingredients would always come first, and others always came after, regardless of what was being made. There was a sense of structure, and recipes always stated clear guidelines to follow. She liked having instructions laid out for her clearly, a list she could focus on and follow all on her own if need be.

And over time she'd come to memorize many of those recipes, to the point where she can now prepare them without guidelines. Even when she'd mess up here or there, Mahiru always still enjoyed the experience of it all.

And at first, she'd thought Nana was the same way as her - someone who enjoyed cooking and baking for the sake of having fun. And while that was definitely true to some degree, Mahiru soon comes to understand there's another reason.

It's a simple conversation that does it.

Presently, it's Wednesday night, two nights before their play, and the nine of them have just completed another successful run-through of the play. As everyone takes a breath and commends one another, Mahiru is doing her best to keep Karen from collapsing.

"Karen-chan! Please don't fall!"

"Waaah, but my knees feel like jello after all that workout Sensei made us do before…"

"Jello…" Hikari mumbles. "I'd like to eat some jello now."

"Well~" Nana's sing-songy voice interjects. "It's not jello, but I do have something prepared for everyone!"

Right away, everyone seems to perk up.

"Bien sur," Claudine smiles. "Leave it to Nana to have a snack ready for us."

"Truly a saint," Kaoruko sighs.

"I'll say!" Futaba agrees with a grin. "She's been churning out goodies for us all week! I don't know what we'd do without her!"

"Aw, you guys flatter me!" Nana smiles, bringing over her little basket of muffins to let them choose.

"Not at all," Maya shakes her head. "Daiba-san, your dedication to the kitchen as well as the stage is quite impressive."

"'Dedication to the kitchen'?" Claudine repeats. "That was an odd way to put it."

"I get what she means," Nana grins. "I'm just glad you all like what I make! But if you ever got sick of it, you should tell me honestly."

"What?" Junna gives her partner a pat on the shoulder. "We'd never get sick of your cooking, Nana."

"Yeah!" Karen blurts out. "Never in a million trillion billion-"

"Karen-chan," Mahiru nudges her. "Not with your mouth full!"

"Oh, sorry."

Nana chuckles, taking the last of the muffins for herself now.

"Well, that's a relief. Sometimes I really just can't even stop myself from cooking things, especially before a performance."

And it's those simple, harmless-sounding words that pique Mahiru's interest. To everyone else, it must just sound like Nana means she does all this extra cooking and baking because she enjoys it so much. But to Mahiru…

"Mahiru-chan!"

"E-Eh?" She jolts now as she finds Karen staring directly up at her. "S-Sorry, Karen-chan. Did you say something?"

"I asked if you were feeling okay," she says. "You haven't even taken a single bite of your muffin, Mahiru-chan!"

"Oh, no! I'm fine. I was just lost in thought, that's all."

"What's this?" Nana tilts her head curiously and comes to stand beside Mahiru now. "Mahiru-chan, are you nervous about the play maybe?"

Mahiru looks up at her, narrowing her eyes just a little bit, but not in a mean way.

I don't want to hear that coming from you, Banana…

But she keeps the thought to herself and instead just shakes her head.

"No. I was just spacing out, is all." She brings her muffin to her lips now and takes a bite. The warm, fluffy flavors are delicious as always, but for some reason Mahiru doesn't enjoy this treat as much as she otherwise might have.

But of course, she doesn't let that show. As Nana waits for a reaction, Mahiru hums happily.

"Banana-chan, it's amazing as always! Thank you!"

Nana smiles back.

"I'm glad!"

Everyone enjoys themselves now as they wrap things up and get ready to head back to the dorms. But as Mahiru reminds Karen to fetch her school bag and helps Hikari brush her hair a little, she can't help but keep stealing glances at Nana. Now that she has a theory, it's only natural that she wants to confirm it.

She keeps her thoughts to herself as everyone walks back to Starlight Hall together. They have supper at the mess hall and then venture to the communal showers to get ready for bed.

They all part ways after wishing each other goodnight and retreat to their respective rooms. As Mahiru opens their door, Karen scurries past her and jumps headlong onto her bed.

"Aaah~ bed, sweet bed! I'm beat!"

Hikari walks to her own sleeping space more slowly, sitting down to begin burrowing under her blankets.

"I'm tired too," she sighs, reaching out to hug her jellyfish plush. "But it feels kind of nice."

"Yeah, yeah! I get what you mean, Hikari-chan!" Karen rolls around in her blankets and buries her face into her pillow. "That tired feeling you get after a hard day's work! It's weirdly nice!"

Mahiru smiles as she makes her way over to her own bed. But she doesn't intend to go to sleep right away tonight, even if it is a school night.

"Karen-chan, Hikari-chan," she says. "You two get some sleep. I'm going to read for a little while." Mahiru takes a book from her nightstand and turns off the lamp in exchange for a small book light. Her roommates nod their agreement.

"Okie-doki!"

"Okay."

"Goodnight, you two."

"Night!"

"Goodnight."

Mahiru doesn't really read any of her book as she waits for the others to fall asleep. Her mind is buzzing, wondering if her theory will be proven correct tonight.

It only takes about five minutes for Karen to begin snoring and for Hikari to start mumbling softly like she does sometimes when she's fast asleep. Mahiru closes her book and turns off the tiny light and puts them both aside before slowly getting out of bed. She tip-toes around Hikari and heads for the door, opening it carefully and slipping out without making a sound.

As soon as she's out in the hallway, Mahiru feels a strange little tingle go up her spine.

I almost feel like I'm just being nosy… B-But if it might help Banana-chan, then...

She steels herself and begins making her way down the now-empty hallway.

As she nears the kitchen, she's honestly not expecting anyone else to be there, that this theory of hers really is just all in her head. But even from afar, she can see that the lights are on.

Someone must have just forgotten to turn them off…

But as she approaches now, Mahiru can hear the murmur of someone talking quietly to themselves. And as she peers around the door frame, she finds none other than Nana herself at the counter.

"Let's see…" Nana is going through some of the cabinets. "I know we had more flour left… "

Mahiru can already see several mixing bowls laid out on the counter, as well as sticks of butter, a carton of milk, and some eggs. Clearly, Nana is intending to make an entire batch of cookies as if it's the middle of the day, not the middle of the night. Mahiru clutches her hands to her chest as she realizes her theory was correct all along.

So it's true then! Banana-chan cooks when she's nervous!

It's no wonder she always has more snacks prepared for everyone right before a performance. She'd even said so earlier that it's almost like she can't stop herself.

But that isn't good! Mahiru frets. She's staying up late to bake us things instead of getting rest! And if she's channeling her nervousness through cooking, it could be dangerous! If she gets too distracted, she could burn or cut herself, especially after a long day like today!

Mahiru's protective maternal instincts are kicking in now. She refuses to let Nana lose anymore sleep, especially in a room filled with sharp utensils. Mahiru straightens up as she walks into the kitchen now and calls out for her.

"Banana-chan!"

"Whoa!" Nana jumps, dropping the bag of flour she'd just found. Luckily it falls into an empty bowl and doesn't tear open. She whirls around, clearly shocked to see she's been discovered. "Mahiru-chan! You startled me!"

"S-Sorry…" Mahiru bows her head only for a second before getting back into her stern demeanor. "Banana-chan, what are you doing here so late? It's past curfew, you know."

"Ahaha, you're right. Please don't tell Junna-chan! She'd have my head…" Nana clasps her hands together in a plea.

Mahiru walks to her side, shaking her head.

"I won't tell her. But why are you making cookies when it's almost midnight? We have classes tomorrow, and the play is only a day after."

"I know…" Nana sighs. "It's just that… well, how do I explain it…?"

As she trails off for a moment, Mahiru starts to chide herself mentally.

Ah, wh-what am I doing? I want to make her feel at-ease here, not embarrass her more! She shouldn't have to feel like she's doing something bad. This is just her coping mechanism for when she's nervous, after all.

"H-Hold on." Mahiru holds up her hand to stop Nana from saying anymore. Instead, Mahiru looks down to the floor and begins twiddling her fingers. "I'm sorry, Banana-chan."

"Eh? Why are you sorry, Mahiru-chan?"

Mahiru flashes her a cautious glance now. Nana seems to be genuinely confused. Mahiru doesn't want to call her out and risk embarrassing her more than she already might be, so she doesn't say it specifically.

"Banana-chan… I think I know why you've been cooking for all of us so much recently."

Nana blinks. "You do?" She puts a finger to her chin. "Well, I guess it might've been a little obvious…"

"N-Not at all!" Mahiru assures her. "I only assumed it because I'm sort of the same way sometimes, I guess."

"You are?"

Mahiru nods. "S-So I just wanted to let you know that… that you don't have to do this, Banana-chan. You should be getting some rest right now! If you're all tired and exhausted tomorrow and on Friday, then everyone will be worried! And what if you stumbled or something like that because you didn't get enough sleep?"

Nana is a little taken aback by Mahiru's intensity now.

"I… I guess I never thought about that before," she admits.

Mahiru takes a step closer to her now, clasping both of her hands around Nana's.

"It's okay, Banana-chan!" She pours all of her honest feelings of conviction into her voice, and it sparks in her eyes as well. "Don't worry about anything, okay? We've all got your back, Banana-chan! Everyone!"

Nana blinks again, tilting her head a little. But then a big smile spreads across her face.

"Okay! I think I understand, Mahiru-chan!"

Mahiru smiles, and a wave of relief washes through her.

"I'm glad. Here, let me help you clean all this up, then."

Nana hadn't actually started putting any of the ingredients together yet, so they can both easily put everything away back into its place.

Once Mahiru has finished putting the butter and milk away, she turns back to her classmate. Nana is standing there smiling with her hands folded behind her back, not looking very nervous at all. Mahiru's glad. Hopefully she's helped to quell some of Nana's misgivings.

"Banana-chan?" she asks. "Do you think you'll be able to rest properly tonight?"

"Of course!"

"Okay. That's a relief."

Mahiru looks her friend over once again. Nana is still smiling, not really seeming all that bothered by the fact that Mahiru had interrupted her from the task that helped her handle her nervousness.

I'm glad… But still, I feel a little bad for making her stop if cooking is something that helps her feel better…

Therefore, in an effort to apologize in some way, Mahiru opens her arms wide.

"Banana-chan!"

Nana blinks, puzzled at first by the deep conviction in Mahiru's gaze. But then she seems to understand. Her eyes soften and her lips curve back up into a tiny smile.

Without a word, Nana steps forward and accepts the hug, wrapping her arms around Mahiru and giving her a good squeeze. Mahiru returns the contact, looping both arms around Nana's shoulders, trying to do her best to let her classmate feel reassured about whatever anxiety or troubles might be weighing on her mind.

The two of them stay that way for a moment, enjoying the solace and comfort of each other's support. When they finally ease apart, both of them are smiling brightly.

"Mahiru-chan," Nana says. "I have to admit I didn't really expect this sort of thing, but I'm glad you came and found me!"

"I'm glad, too," Mahiru replies. "Let's both have a good night's rest, okay?"

"Sounds good!"

With this, both of them exit the kitchen and walk back down the hallway together.

Mahiru gives a wave as Nana stops at her's and Junna's door before quietly making her way inside. A sense of accomplishment floods through Mahiru now as she hurries back to her own room. She makes her way inside and back to her bed without waking the others, then curls up while hugging her Suzudaru Cat plushie to her chest.

I'm so glad! Hopefully I could help Banana-chan out a little bit!

But as she settles down for bed now, Mahiru decides she'll do one more thing for her tomorrow.

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The next day has the usual underlying air of excitement that is typical of any day just before a performance. Everyone is a bit more jittery during their lecture classes until they can finally get to dance lessons and move around to work off their excitement.

They have another rehearsal for tomorrow's play, and Mahiru keeps an eye on Nana in particular. But she plays her lead role flawlessly and with as much passion and grace as she'd ever performed any character. Mahiru is glad to think she might not be so nervous anymore, as it seems she'd gotten a good night's sleep since she hadn't stayed up to bake cookies in her nervous habit.

When classes have ended, their usual group of nine opts to linger in the studio to go over a few things for the play tomorrow. But Mahiru only stays for so long before she politely announces she'll take her leave back to the dorms early.

"Ehhh?" Karen whines. "Mahiru-chan, you're leaving us?"

"Karen," Claudine chides her. "We're almost done here anyway. Let her go. You can see her again in half an hour."

"And besides," Junna grunts. "Tsuyzaki-san learned all of her lines weeks ago. Unlike someone who still keeps flubbing her lines."

"Uwahh, forgive me, Jun-Jun!"

"Just don't let it happen onstage tomorrow."

Mahiru chuckles as she heads for the locker room.

"I just have something I want to get started on," she says. "You guys take your time!"

They all wave her off, and Mahiru makes quick work of getting changed before hurrying outside and back to the dorms.

I've got to do this! I want to surprise Banana-chan!

She'd already decided on the special recipe she's going to use this afternoon. She plans to make banana-nut fudge brownies with caramel and cranberry fillings and toppings - something a bit tricky, but extra special for everyone to enjoy the night before their big day.

But more than anything, she just wants to show her appreciation to Nana in particular for all the hard work she always puts into making everyone treats. Mahiru hopes she'll be able to ease whatever leftover nervousness Nana might be feeling by giving her a big surprise.

By the time she gets back to the dorms, Mahiru is almost running to the kitchen. She drops her bag off in the lounge before hurrying to the sink to wash her hands, roll up her sleeves, and tie on her floral apron over her uniform.

"All right! Now then, time to tackle this new recipe head-on! Let's see…"

She'd already checked to ensure they had all the necessary ingredients in the student kitchen, and now she goes about the room pulling out everything she'll need. She gets out the bowls, spoons, a mixer, the eggs, the caramel, the chocolate, she pre-heats the oven and arranges everything neatly as she looks over the recipe on her phone.

"This is to make a dozen… so I should probably double it just to be safe," she decides.

She begins sorting the wet and dry ingredients, measuring things out one at a time. She wants to be as quick as possible so the brownies will have time to bake and be ready before the others get back. As she finishes pouring in the brownie mix, Mahiru checks her phone for the amount of caramel she needs to melt and mix in.

"Okay… so if I double it, then it'll be…"

She's so focused on her task that she's completely unaware of a second person entering the kitchen, until she feels a tap on her shoulder.

"Ma~hi~ru~chan!"

"Eep-!"

Mahiru jolts so strongly she drops her phone right into the bowl of brownie mixture. Her heart leaps into her throat as she tries to turn around, but bumps into the counter in the process, and then starts to fall back and lose her balance.

"Whoa, there!" Thankfully, Nana is quick to catch her, wrapping one arm around Mahiru's back and grabbing her hand with the other, holding her in a dip as if it were a dance.

Mahiru is trembling slightly as she's left entirely in Nana's care, staring up at her with wide, startled eyes.

"Ba…Banana-chan…"

Nana's brow furrows a little as she carefully pulls Mahiru back up to her feet.

"I'm sorry, Mahiru-chan! I didn't mean to startle you so badly!" She gives Mahiru a few soothing pats on the shoulder, keeping hold of her hand for good measure. "Are you okay?"

Mahiru brings her free hand to her chest, where her heart is still doing backflips.

"Yes…"

"I'm sorry," Nana says again, rubbing her back for her. "Oh no! Your phone!"

"Ah…" Mahiru quickly reaches out to pick up her phone and wipe it on her apron. Nana peers nervously down at it.

"Is it damaged? I'll help you pay for a new one, Mahiru-chan!"

"N-No! It's all right," Mahiru assures her. "Luckily that was the dry ingredients bowl. It's fine!"

"Thank goodness…" Nana sighs in relief, still patting Mahiru's back and giving her a worried look. "What about you? Are you all right, Mahiru-chan? I didn't mean to scare you like that."

"I'm all right," she smiles. "You woke me up, that's for sure!"

"Ahaha!"

"But what are you doing back so soon, Banana-chan?" Mahiru is a little disappointed that she won't get to surprise Nana with her freshly-made brownies now.

Nana flicks her gaze to the counter and all the items laid out there, then looks back to Mahiru.

"Well… to tell you the truth… I've been thinking about what happened last night and I… just wanted to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding anything."

"Eh?" Mahiru blinks, putting her phone down on the counter. "What do you mean?"

Nana shuffles her feet a little.

"I mean… I'm not exactly sure if I'm thinking about all of this correctly..."

Now Mahiru is becoming puzzled and a little worried herself.

"Oh…" She brings a hand to her chest again, praying she hasn't done something wrong. "I-I hope I didn't embarrass you in some way, Banana-chan! That's not what I wanted to do at all! I just wanted to help…"

Nana blinks back at her, looking equally puzzled.

"You… wanted to help me…?"

Mahiru nods.

"Yes… Since you always cook when you're really nervous about something, I just wanted to make sure you were sleeping properly, too!"

Now, Nana holds both of her hands up.

"H-Hold on a second! Ah, so it was a misunderstanding after all…"

"…Eh…?"

Now both of them are lost on the situation, though Nana seems to be understanding it much more quickly. She sighs, putting a hand to her cheek.

"Ah, now I've done it. I've made you worry unnecessarily, Mahiru-chan…"

"Eh? What do you mean?"

"I think I get it now," Nana says. "So you thought I was staying up late and cooking things every night because it was a nervous habit of mine, is that right?"

Mahiru blinks again.

"Yes. You mean… that isn't the case…?"

"Not at all!" Nana says. "In fact, it's the complete opposite!"

Mahiru's shoulders slump, and her heart sinks just a little.

"The… complete opposite…?"

"Yes!" Nana smiles. "Mahiru-chan, I don't resort to baking things when I'm nervous or anything like that! Although, I have to admit it does always make me feel calmer. But it's not like I was spending every night this week in the kitchen because I was worried about the play or anything!"

"You weren't…?"

"Nope! But that's what you thought, isn't it?"

Mahiru is quiet for a moment, feeling a little dismayed that she was wrong from the start.

"I… yes… I-I thought you were spending time alone in the kitchen making things instead of resting or talking to us about what was on your mind. A-And I didn't want that! S-So that's why last night I…" She feels her face getting warm now, and she brings her hands up to her cheeks. "So I was wrong? A-And now I created this huge misunderstanding…?"

"H-Hold on, Mahiru-chan!" Nana quickly reaches out to place her hands on her shoulders, giving her a gentle shake. "It's not like it was anything bad! It's actually really, really sweet!"

"Sweet…?"

Nana nods.

"Yes! You were doing that for my sake, right? Because you didn't want me to feel nervous? And you even came back here early today to make brownies to try and surprise me, right?"

Mahiru peeks up at her from between her fingers and nods again.

"Yes… I-I wanted to…"

"And I guess I kind of spoiled that, huh?" Nana says a little sheepishly. "Since I came up behind you and scared you half to death, and I arrived before you were finished baking them. But I just felt like we got this whole situation mixed up somehow and I wanted to make sure we were both on the same page. I had a feeling you might just be worrying about me the whole time when there was no need for you to be."

Mahiru lowers her hands from her face to her chest again and draws in a deep breath as everything begins making sense now.

"So… you're all right, Banana-chan?"

"Yes! I'm tres bien, as Kuro-chan would say!" she smiles. "I'm not nervous or anything!"

"So then…" Mahiru glances down at the floor for a moment, gathering her courage before looking her friend in the eye once again. "The other day… why did you say you felt like cooking was something you had to do when we're getting ready for a performance…?"

"Oh, that?" Nana grins. "Because to me, cooking is a tradition!"

Mahiru feels like the world stops spinning just for a second as the answer is finally made clear to her.

"A tradition…?"

"Yes!" Nana grins. "Ever since first-year, I'd always make us yummy things the day after a performance, right? And then I started to make things for our training sessions in between. And then before I knew it, I was making stuff every day for a whole week before our plays! During these times, I just get filled with so much energy! It makes me so happy to be putting on more plays with everyone, so I channel all of that excitement into my cooking!"

Mahiru listens to the explanation quietly, and now that she's hearing it, it seems so, so obvious.

"Of course…" she murmurs. "That… that makes so much sense… So you're cooking to show that you're happy, not that you're nervous… of course…" She sighs, slouching back against the counter a little and bringing a hand to her forehead.

Nana quickly holds onto her again, fearful she might fall.

"Mahiru-chan-?"

"I'm such an idiot," Mahiru sighs. "It was such a simple reason... It wasn't because of anything bad. And it was so obvious, too! I should've just asked you properly, and yet instead I just made assumptions by myself, and it lead to a misunderstanding…"

"W-Wait, Mahiru-chan!" Nana pleads. "Don't think you did anything wrong! Like I said, it wasn't a bad misunderstanding! I think it was really sweet of you to be so concerned about me like this! Though I didn't want you to worry, so I had to come check on you."

She puts a hand on Mahiru's shoulder and pats her again.

"Remember when you'd said you were sort of like me when it came to cooking? I thought you meant that you thought of it as a tradition for our performances, too! So I thought I was hogging all of the baking for everyone else on my own when you wanted to do some of it!"

"Eh? That's not it! I mean, I'd love to cook for everyone else as much as you do, but it's not like I was jealous that you were doing it all the time, Banana-chan! I was just worried-"

"I know!" Nana smiles. "I misunderstood, too! So I'm glad we got to talk it out properly like this… Ah, now I understand that too…"

"Understand what…?"

"Last night," Nana chuckles. "When you opened your arms like that for a hug, you were trying to comfort me, weren't you Mahiru-chan?"

"Y-Yes…"

"So that's it… Because at the time, I thought you were asking me for a hug!"

"Eh?"

"Yeah! I thought you wanted a confidence boost so that you could bake for everyone, so I was happy to step back and let you do it for once! But it turns out you were just trying to make me feel better when you thought I was upset!"

"Ah…"

Finally it all make sense to her now. While Mahiru had been worrying about Nana completely unnecessarily, Nana had been totally fine and had been under the assumption that Mahiru was the one who was nervous.

And as Nana has said several times now, it hadn't been a bad misunderstanding at all. No one had gotten their feelings hurt or anything like that. In fact, they'd only proven how deeply they care about each other, if anything.

So Mahiru isn't really certain as to why she starts crying now, but the rush of emotions comes rising up and spilling over in seconds.

Nana starts to panic instantly.

"M-Mahiru-chan-?" She yelps, frantically reaching out to her, but unsure of what to do. "P-Please don't cry, Mahiru-chan! Did I say something wrong? Did I hurt your feelings?"

Mahiru shakes her head, bowing it to hide her face and bringing her hands to her lips.

"No…" she hiccups.

"Thank goodness… B-But you don't have to be upset! You didn't hurt my feelings either, you know! You didn't do anything wrong, Mahiru-chan! I promise! I'm okay! I'm totally fine! I-I'm…" Nana's voice wavers now, and when Mahiru brings herself to look up, she can see Nana has started to cry as well.

"Banana-chan-"

"N-No!" Nana whimpers. "I'm okay! It's just… when I see my friends cry… I can't help it…"

Nana curls her hands over her face as well now and starts to sob, letting out her voice.

And seeing her cry only makes Mahiru cry harder, too.

"B… Banana-chan…"

"Mahiru-chan-!"

Now both of them start wailing, slowly wrapping their arms around each other in a big, tight hug. They bury their faces in each other's shoulders and sob, mostly because now they just can't stop.

"I-I'm sorry," Mahiru whimpers. "Now I'm making you cry, Banana-chan…"

"N-No!" Nana wails. "Junna-chan always said… I'm a big crybaby… a-and now that I can't stop, I'm just making you cry more!"

"S-So am I-"

They cling to one another and sob for a few minutes, until eventually Mahiru realizes they've become tears of joy. She starts to laugh in between her hiccups, and only a few seconds later, Nana is chuckling too.

The tears keep coming, but both girls only giggle now. They ease back, reaching out to gently wipe each other's tears. Nana ruffles Mahiru's head softly.

"Mahiru-chan, you're super cute right now!"

"So are you, Banana-chan!"

They share another laugh, eventually making their way over to the sink to wash their faces off a little. Nana finds a clean dish towel and offers it to Mahiru first. Mahiru dries herself off, then coaxes Nana close so she can clean her face off for her.

Once they're both finished getting cleaned up, and the last of the little hiccups have gone away, they smile at each other, eyes bright.

"Well," Nana sighs. "We both misunderstood some things, didn't we?"

"Yes," Mahiru admits. "But it all turned out fine in the end! And now we know each other a little better!"

"That's right!"

They share a mutual giggle, and open their arms simultaneously for another hug.

Mahiru wraps her arms around Nana's shoulders, sighing happily as she leans herself against her. Likewise, Nana circles her arms around Mahiru's sides and the small of her back, glad to have her support.

They stay like that for a long moment, closing their eyes to appreciate the way this had resolved itself. Their hearts are happy and full of relief to know no one had gotten their feelings hurt somehow. The purest intentions had brought about the purest of tears, and the warmest of hugs.

At last, the two girls ease apart, sharing the same beaming smile now.

"Well then!" Nana says. "Would you like some help with those brownies, Mahiru-chan?"

Mahiru nods and takes Nana by the hands.

"Yes! Gladly!"

And from that evening on, the two of them began a new tradition of baking sweets together.

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A/N: I've never written these two before but it was so much fun! They're both mom friends and also crybabies but I think they'd be so precious and cute together like this ;w;