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Homura felt... unsure, her chest almost stuffed with a feeling she couldn't identify, the little startles when she found their gazes meet hers, the small smiles at her questions, the comforting hands that guided her
It was all too much for her, her body reacting in ways she couldn't understand, her heart hurting from the drum of it's beat
And then they die
Staring blankly at the corpse she could find (Mami, where was Mami? Kyubey already confirmed that she's dead, b-but she had to find her)
'you could make a wish you know, you could fix it all'
"A... a wish, right, o-of course! I could make a wish, thank you so much Kyubey! I wish... I wish... I wish to go back before I met them, I wish I would be the one to protect them this time!"
Kyubey looks at her, eyes still blank, still as dense about emotions as always, a slight nod follows her proclamation
'how interesting, let this wish light your soul gem aflame '
A moment later she wakes up in the hospital, checking the date Homura squeals, she could fix it all, she could help them!
***
Homura feels something inside her get crushed, something crumbling in on itself, her eyes don't leave the ground
The truth of their situation, their eventual end
She can't breathe
T-that can't be real right, this couldn't have been right? Couldn't have been their purpose, s-sure Kyubey was bad at feelings, but he wasn't heartless... was he?
BANG
Homura hears her neck crack as she snaps her gaze up, hair on the back of her neck stands up
Kyoko falls down
Homura doesn't get enough time before she feels the (prior gentle, caring, protective, supportive) constrictive ribbons wrap around her
"M-Mami-san! W-what are you doing?"
She can barely breathe, panic lacing her every breath
Mami is crying, her face twisted in pain
"C-cant you see? This is what's going to happen to us, becoming a witch! I-i can't allow that, I can't allow you to hurt anyone, I can't allow myself to hurt innocent people, I won't let th-"
Audible crack resounds, bits of a gem fall down on concrete alongside the body
Homura feels herself fall to the ground
Protective arms reach around her, quiet sobs resound in her ears
"M-Mami-san..."
The arms flinch slightly before holding her a little tighter
Homura wails in Madoka's arms, calling out a dead girl's name
***
Tomoe Mami wasn't supposed to find out
Homura accepted that fact, she couldn't make her know, couldn't make her suffer the idea that she would eventually hurt people she fought so hard to protect
So she keeps it a secret
It's much better that way
***
Mami is different from what she knew, the one she met months, maybe it's already years ago by now
She's brave, yet afraid
She's confident, yet regrets so much
She's strong, yet so weak at the same time
Homura wonders, if she could ever fill in that gap, be her strength
Wonders if she could ever fill in the seemingly endless self deprecation Madoka exudes when she doesn't contract
Wonders if she finally understood what that all consuming feeling in her chest is
Wonders if she could ever let go of it
(No, she didn't think she could)
***
It's about the twentieth loop when she sees it
How happy they could be when the queen of witches would be gone
They were dating, getting along exceedingly well
It was a start she supposes, how to keep both of them happy, how to keep them safe, how to keep Mami from convincing Madoka to contract
It was exceedingly easy
She just... Had to set them up
Homura ignores the heaviness that descends on her
It was just a little heartbreak
*-*
She convinced them to leave the city to her
They leave it together, letting her handle it for a week
It's perfect timing
The Walpurgisnacht comes and Homura is ready
Her soul gem crackles with magic, ready to discharge everything she has and more
Something starts to sprout from her back
"AKEMI-SAN"
Nononono
Letting go of her magic, letting it die down she stares down with a glare
Mami is there, WHY is she there??
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?"
Her throat hurts at the strain of her voice
There's no time to heal it
Stopping time Homura scoops the older girl up and jumps away
"A-Akemi-san! What are you-"
The only way to describe her voice was a growl, furious growl, it's barely below a shout in volume
"No, what are YOU doing here!? You should be out of town!"
Homura knows she's rougher than she should be, too rough really, but she could not watch them die again could not see the girls she loved be crushed under another building, could not see Madoka speared by a dozen of familiars, could not see Mami lying in her own blood as her organs were ripped out of her
She can't be soft right now
"I... felt something going on, felt IT"
Homura's voice drops lower
"And I told you I'd handle it"
Mami laughs as she looks up
"And you're doing such a great job aren't you? I'm not letting you sacrificed yourself for us"
Glaring at the girl Homura let's go of her, Mami freezes, joining the world in its state
Idiot, she should just let herself be happy, what does she matter? A stupid girl with nothing left in her life
Everything she's doing is for them
The world rewinds itself, time spinning back into place, the most important day of her life
Try again
***
It's hard to be near her sometimes
To remember that it's all an act, a lie to herself, that underneath it all, the expectations Homura laid on her were too much
Homura remembers it, three loops back when Mami confessed to Madoka about how weak she was, how scared she is
...she didn't mean to listen in at the time, but it became an obsession of sort
To hope that she will open up to HER as well
Let her shoulder that burden for the girl
It's never the case
*-*
They were sitting in a fast food place, Sayaka went to get a refill on her drink
Madoka looked at her unsurely
"Homura-chan... Do you like Mami-senpai?"
Her whole body freezes, slowly letting her gaze meet Madoka's eyes Homura wonders, if it's worth it to tell the truth
A moment of contemplation is all she needs
"Yes"
It feels good to let it out of her chest
***
"No"
***
"Why are you asking?"
***
"She's nice enough"
***
"I do"
***
"She's a dear friend"
***
Madoka wakes up with memories of a girl fighting to her dying breath
It always ends in a pillar of white taking the girl away
***
Mami smiled as Homura drank the tea so carefully, slowly, as if trying to taste the most minuscule details that went into it
She entered her life suddenly and without a compromise, not letting her say no
It's... Nice, really nice
The girl is attentive, so so kind, yet also a stonewall that doesn't let her emotions show
Yet they shine through, no matter how much she hides them away in the deep corners of herself
Mami looks at her and wonders if she allows Mami to see them, the glimpses into her heart
There are much less of them whenever they're not alone
"The tea is great as always Mami"
"Thank you Homura"
Feeling slight warmth move to her cheeks, Mami tried masking it with taking a long sip out of her own cup
This felt good, but almost like it wasn't the whole thing, like something was missing
...she could find it later, for now she will just enjoy the company for what it is
***
Homura wonders, why was she so greedy
She just had to leave them alone and they would figure it out, that they were perfect together
But she couldn't, desperate for their affection, their touch, their comfort
So she betrays reason and inserts herself far too deeply into their life, almost like a parasite digging deep into their guts and nestling inside to take the nutrition from where she didn't deserve, where she didn't belong
***
Madoka was troubled
A few days ago she figured out that her lack of interest in romance was for a reason she didn't expect
Sure she dabbled in reading rom coms, they're fun! But she also didn't stray much from what her friends read
Grabbing that manga was a coincidence, an on the spot decision
The girls on the cover were cute (oh wow this was just another sign wasn't it)
So when by the end of chapter one they were kissing each other...
Well, first of all Madoka's mind went "I want to do that"
Embarrassment came soon after, closing her eyes to focus was a bad idea really
When her mind kept swapping between Mami and Homura?
Madoka threw herself to the pillow, trying to purge her mind of these thoughts
Of course she spiraled into research soon after
Googling the manga’s name in the search engine produced the list of genres
Yuri...?
Looking into the genre Madoka was blown away
How did she never see that stuff!?
A couple of hours of contemplation made Madoka arrive to a conclusion
She was yuri in real life
And she was also probably in love with two magical girls she met not too long ago
Shit
***
Mami dreamt of a girl jumping from roof to roof, avoiding some sort of witch
At the side of her vision she saw hints of pink, tied up with thin string as she was, feeling enhanced, magic quickly draining away from it
The girl looks back in horror
Kyubey is there
Pink began to glow
***
Homura locks them in a room
The fatal flaw of her plan was forgetting that Mami is a magical girl and knocking a door down isn't hard at all
***
The fatal flaw of her plan was forgetting that Mami is a magical girl and breaking a wall down isn't hard at all
It's a waste to enchant the walls too
***
"You're in love with Kaname-san"
Homura doesn't flinch, doesn't pause and continues to enjoy her beloveds baking, did this give her the strength to keep going? Was it a distraction?
"What made you come to this conclusion Mami-san?"
The tea was as great as always, the blends are lovely and just soft enough to appreciate
"...a lot of things, mainly it was a feeling in my gut, just how friendly you are to her, the way you focus your entire attention on her, the way your eyes sparkle as you look at her, as if she's the most precious thing"
She does? Huh
"Do I not do all of that with you as well? Does that mean you believe I'm in love with you too?"
Mami's face colors by a small blush
"That...! You're avoiding the question!"
She was of course completely correct
"I suppose I'm as much in love with Madoka as I am with you Mami-san"
Picking up a slice of cake Homura drowns out the bitter taste in her mouth
It always did feel horrible to lie to them, even indirectly, when she knows her words won't be understood correctly, won't be received in the way she actually meant them
*-*
"Homura, why is that you keep setting me up with Kaname-san?"
Homura frowns at the surname use, this should have been their third meeting, why would they remain so distant? Shouldn't Mami be getting used to calling her Madoka?
"Hm? My gut feeling I suppose, you feel like you would work out well together"
Mami frowns, cringing slightly as she speaks
"Do you not like Kaname-san yourself?"
"Only as much as-"
"Homura, please be honest with me"
...right, they were always too perceptive weren't they? Far too kind as well
"...I do, what does it matter when I don't plan on acting on these feeling?"
Mami looks away, quietly speaking, her voice breaking if only by a bit
"You really should"
***
Madoka dreams of wings attempting to sprout from a girls back
It doesn't feel right, like those same wings will destroy her if they ever see the light of day
A scream ripples out alongside her own, the girl glances back at them with shock that turns to annoyance, the wings go back into hiding
***
Homura... Cosplays(?) her old self for this plan
Of course with an added glamor, making her even less recognizable
She finds the perfect opportunity before 'accidentally' running into Mami, slamming against her back
"A-ah I'm so sorry!"
She doesn't as much as flinch, fuck
Homura tries to run past them
"Homura-san/Homura-chan!?"
You've got to be kidding her
(She spends the entirety of that loop trying to convince them that what they saw that day wasn't her 'true' self)
***
"Hey Akemi"
Huh, this again
Trapped by Sayaka walking in front of the door Homura doesn't move and stares at the girl
Slowly walking up to her the girl frowns, her eyes traveling over her
"Why do you keep doing that stuff? What do you get out of setting them up together?"
So much more than she could ever understand, so much less than Homura could ever understand either
"A satisfaction I suppose? Seeing them happy should bring some happiness for me as well"
Not enough for her really, but she will persist, a shadow that will follow them to the end of the world, she will repent for her greed, she will let them live as peacefully as this world allows
What's a couple hundred years for a perfect one?
Sayaka doesn't look convinced, but she isn't stopping her now either
Offering the girl a smile she walks away
... Homura wondered if she could visit either of them today, it was always hard to predict the thirteenth, something about her attempts to get them together changed things too much to confidently predict their schedule on this day
***
"Damn you're stupid, you know that right?"
Chuckling slightly Homura leans back against the wall opposite to the redhead
"I might be"
Kyoko scoffs, taking a bite out of an apple in her hand
"MiGhT, you fucking are, dumbass, I was stating a fact"
"It doesn't matter much anyways, I already know what I'm here for, the reason I was made"
Throwing her a curious glance Kyoko stares, before her eyes widen without the need for the other girl to elaborate
"Don't tell me you believe that shit"
Airy laughter follows, Homura looks to the sky and smiles, truly smiles
"I was nothing before them, I became something to make them happy, is that not revelation of my purpose?"
CLAP
Rubbing her cheek Homura stares at Kyoko
Feeling herself being lifted up by the scruff of her shirt Homura smiles, Kyoko really was the one who catched on the fastest
"Bastard, think you can say shit like that to me? Your purpose is to live for yourself you dumbfuck!"
Glaring at her Kyoko suddenly grins
"You think I'm letting you sacrificed yourself for some stupid shit like unrequited love? Think again"
Their lips press together, awkward movement that doesn't last
A brief moment later they disconnect
Homura shakes her head, her voice deadpan
"And here I thought I was the dumbass? What do you think you're doing? That was a shit idea, you suck at this"
Laughing Kyoko let's go of the girl
"Like you're any better? But hey at least you got something else to think about at night don't you~?"
A stifled giggle burst out of Homura
"Who'd think about YOU at night?"
Kicking Homura in the leg Kyoko grins
"Oh fuck you! I'm sure I visit plenty of young maiden dreams~"
***
The closet is much easier to enchant
Unfortunately it doesn't work out for some reason
***
Homura started to wear the cosplay of her past self more, it was probably weird, but who cares? Chances are she will fail again and nobody will remember and if they do? That matter even less
Not like anyone should be able to recognize her, she learned her lesson and put on more glamor than before, much more
It felt nice to go back to how things were before, to imagine that they're still the same
Humming to herself Homura wonders just how much she changed, how much of her had truly been irreversibly gone and what was a front so imbedded in her being that she wouldn't know what to do without it now
"Homura-chan?"
Nope, there's no way she recognized her again right???
She changed her entire face structure! She put on a filter on her magic changing its feel!
"Homura-chan is that you?"
Stopping Homura looks to the sky and wonders just how observant are those girls
***
Mami arrived at the restaurant, looking for her seat
...there was somebody already there? Is that?
Madoka
Huh, did she invite both of them here?
Walking down Mami lightly taps her shoulder and smiles
"Homura invited you too right? She should have told me we weren't going to be alone, would have saved me a lot of trouble you know?"
Madoka looks surprised for a moment before smiling and nodding along
Putting a new chair to the table they wait
And wait
And wait
...and wait
"...Let's just order something?"
"...Yeah, sure, can't let this trip be a waste can we?"
The rest of the meal is spent in slightly awkward chatting
When they separate Mami thinks on how she should scold Homura, inviting both of them in such a way and then not showing up! Really, sure Mami was probably a bit at fault for expecting something else from this when it clearly was intended as a friend's hanging out
But still! She ought to be scolded!
Sure, she had a nice time with Madoka, she was a nice girl, a really nice girl, but that just...wasn't what she was expecting today
It was the third time that the girl pulled something like that
Perhaps it's time for a talk, a serious talk
***
Madoka grinned as she ate her ice cream
Homura was taking small bites, really small ones, almost mechanical, seemingly enjoying the chill more than the taste
Mami on the other hand constantly scooped up too much ice cream, breathing out cold air as she tried to focus on the taste
It was cute
It was perfect
Everything felt whole, like this is how it's supposed to be
***
Mami was so glad she was dating Madoka
The girl was oh so sweet, so kind, so very cute when she let herself be taken care of, so protective and confident when she was the one taking care of her...
Mami was happy, oh so happy
Their dates were good, Mami always left feeling better than she felt before it
The only problem was that it felt like something was missing, like two puzzle pieces that fit together yet hold a place for another one, one they know is there yet doesn't dare to join them
They didn't talk about it, no matter how much both of them saw that gap
Not yet, when they could feel that gap filling in when they were with Homura
Not when that girl was so happy for them
(Not when the cracks stopped showing up in her expression, not when she actually looked content)
*-*
Something retracts into her spine as she glares at Madoka, what was it with them stopping her from finishing it off
It was for their own good that she sent them away! Why couldn't they just get it already!
***
Sayaka wondered what she was doing here
Sure, Mami-senpai invited her, but she felt so out of place here, especially with how friendly she was with Homura and Madoka
...there was some bias, she saw it! Sayaka could understand her focus on Madoka, but what puzzled her is how Mami (and actually Madoka too if she thought about it) was much more attentive to the brunette as well
The transfer student was... Weird for no better word for it, walking so airily, barely paying attention to things outside select few people, straight up ignoring people
But the attention she gave to those two? Unmatched really
Sayaka would've thought she was in love with them, if not for her attempting to get them together for a third time today alone
So she was just... A weirdo, a magical girl weirdo
Phone alarm rings and Homura slowly stands up, apologizing for leaving early and saying she had to do something
A couple of minuted after she left Sayaka turns to the sole magical girl in the room and asks
"Hey, did you have any dreams with Akemi in it as well? Madoka here had one an-"
Mami looks away for some reason, hey is she blus-OH Oh this.. yeah okay she had to correct herself quick!
"Like ruins or something right? Magic happening? Right Madoka"
Madoka please I beg you
...she turns away as well, blush covering her ears and moving to her face
Fuck did both of them...?
Well, telling her theory about Akemi physically going inside people's dreams got way too awkward now
*-*
Madoka was neck deep in research
So the proper term is a lesbian? Huh alright then, it does sound better than 'real life yuri'
*-*
"You could just ask one of them out you know? I'm sure they'd be happy with you"
Shrugging Homura picks up her burger and takes a bite out of it
"Sure I could, but why would I do that when the better option for them is right there? They would realize it sooner than later and regret getting together with me"
Kyoko's gaze is unimpressed
"You know, you're a dumbass"
Rolling her eyes Homura takes a few fries
"So I've been told"
***
She killed her
Nonononono this can't be happening
This can't be real
She should have killed her faster, shouldn't have asked questions
Should have just shot that girl
Collapsing on the floor Homura stared at the corpse
It was all going so well
She can't allow that, this won't happen again, Madoka won't die
...she's not dead yet, not truly
As long as she was alive it will all come full circle
She can fix it
She can prevent it
She can kill her before any of this happens
She will take care of it
***
"So, do you also have the fragments of memories Mami-chan?"
Taking a sip out of the cup Mami waits a couple of seconds
"Yes, waking up with a dozen of months of memories, even fragmented wasn't pleasant, I suppose I don't have to tell you about it Madoka"
It was weird, to hold memories of the same month, overlapping in a lot of areas yet so different in others
There's been dozens with her dating Madoka, dozen of her being too interested in Homura to do so, dozen full of doubt regarding her double interest
Yet none with either of them going on ONE date with the reason for these memories
Glancing at the crumpled corpse in its bed Mami wonders, what should she do now that she knows
Her emotions towards the subject of witches was exhausted through the loops, it still feels so wrong, her fingers twitching to grasp something
But when you're hit with the revelation for a few dozen times, it doesn't hit as hard as the first time
Madoka snaps her out of her thoughts by making a declaration, so steadfast and serious you'd think it would be about anything else
"I'm going to make Homura date me this loop, if not this then the next"
Smiling slightly Mami wonders how some versions of her didn't see this girl? Didn't see how great she is, didn't fall in love again and again
"Then I suppose it would be my turn next, wouldn't it Madoka?"
The girl's smile hits her with the force of an explosion right in her face
"Of course! And then when we're all safe and done we can just convince Homura that being all together would be our dream come true!"
"Of course"
Moving another plate with cake to the other girl Mami asks
"So, what is your plan?"
*-*
Madoka was acting different
Did the loops affect her? Was she actually going to different worlds instead of resetting time? Homura couldn't be sure
What she could be sure is that it wasn't a bad change... Kind of
Madoka was just more
Touchy
Not exactly bad, but she was particularly touchy when it came to Homura, even in the presence of other people
Sayaka seemed puzzled about it, seemingly just as not used to it as was Homura
Well, it impeded some of her plans regarding setting Madoka and Mami together, her formula needing to be remade again
Whatever, she had time to find a new one
***
Madoka saw it, just being in constant contact wasn't enough
So she spent the two weeks before the reset learning how to flirt
The blushes she got from Mami as she practiced were the cutest!
***
Homura had to stop time a lot more this loop
It... Wasn't a good use, not really a rational one
But when Madoka kept up with whatever it was that she was doing, it had too strong of an effect on her
So maybe stopping time to calm down wasn't that much of an irrational choice...
***
Madoka lunged into a hug against Mami and complained
Three loops of flirting
And no results
In the middle of her anguish Mami gave her suggestion
"Maybe you need to go for a more direct way? Corner her somewhere and just..."
The next few words were mumbled far too quietly for Madoka to hear, even while they were clinging together
"Hm, maybe you're right... But Mami-chan, is that... What you want to happen? I can uhh, try sometime later? Or...now, I need practice anyway don't I?"
Their time was spent practicing, switching their role from time to time, Madoka wasn't the only one in need of practice
(Mami wasn't the only one interested)
***
Turning on her heel Homura was about to speak, to warn Madoka of the dangers of contracting, albeit indirectly
She didn't get the chance
Pressed into the window hallway Madoka looked her with fire in her eyes, the one that made her knees weak
Sure, Homura noticed that Madoka was getting more confident from one loop to another, her old timidness slowly being erased
But this was too different wasn't it!?
The slow caress of her cheek made Homura's knees give in, she was caught in the middle of her fall
"We are going on a date after school Homura-chan, okay?"
Her mind didn't have time to process as she nods
"Thank you, Homura-chan"
The kiss on her cheek felt like lava being poured over her whole body
Homura laid on the floor for some time before her mind finally caught up to what happened
She couldn't look Madoka in the eyes for the whole school day, blushing each time she caught Madoka looking at her
The slight tint of pink remained on her cheeks the whole day
The date itself is surrounded by haze, every moment is bliss
Something about having ice cream?
Madoka's parting words are simple enough
"I'll get you on weekends for our second date"
Homura doesn't question how Madoka knows where she lives, another kiss on her cheek cutting off any thought she might have had
*-*
Kyoko looked at the mess of a girl in front of her
Naturally she wondered, what happened to the one she met not a week prior
When a pink haired girl bursts in and takes the mess with her, calling her 'sweetheart' all the while?
Well, Kyoko had her answer
At least pinky was polite enough to apologize for stealing her away
*-*
Going on dates with Homura was great
All she dreamed of and more really
Her reactions to affection were just so darn cute! Madoka couldn't hold back
A peck on the lips almost made her faint
Of course they practiced so Homura wouldn't fall over anymore, she could hold up for 3 kisses before doing so now!
And if this is how it was being with only a part of their love triangle connected? Madoka couldn't imagine how happy they would be when they were all together
The only problem being the queen of witches, but Madoka was sure they'll figure it out
*-*
Sayaka glanced at them some times
The more confident Madoka was good, great, it was just a little confusing on how fast she became like that
Did she really have a crush so hard she gained confidence to absolutely crush the image of the cool transfer student into a walking mess with a few words?
Good for her really, Sayaka was glad for Madoka and a bit sorry for Homura, who seemingly never stood a chance
Maybe she could ask for tips?
*-*
Not enough firepower
Reset
***
Mami went out of her way to meet Homura before school started
She had to lay some foundation didn't she?
Even if that foundation is a small meeting in the city once
"You're a magical girl aren't you?"
Homura jumps slightly, her eyes snap to her with surprise clear in them
"...yes I am"
Her voice is soft, as it always is with her and Madoka
"It's been a while since there was someone here besides me, it seems you're busy currently so I'll get you some time later and we'll talk then, okay?"
The girl looks at her contemplatively
"...alright"
*-*
Homura excuses herself from overexcited classmates and turns to Madoka, feeling more prepared to escape if the situation remains the same as the last timeline (she would at least give it a small try, she was far too weak against them to outright refuse...)
She doesn't get the chance to as Mami walks into the room, links their arms together and drags her away
"W-what are you doing Mami-san!?"
She sees Sayaka look at her with surprise, Madoka smiles serenely at them all the while, Hitomi let's out a gasp
"Well, we planned to talk, and you just so happen to come to this school! When I noticed you I couldn't let this chance go!"
Feeling her arm being hugged tighter Homura barely gets her brain working and surrenders into the hold of the girl
She's brought to... Isn't this the place Homura usually warns Mado-
Homura is once again pressed into a wall
Eyes widening she stares at Mami, blush erupting alongside the memories of what happened the last time she was in this position
"W-what a-are you doing M-Mami-san!?"
Homura feels a breath on her neck as Mami places her head on her shoulder
Shuddering Homura contains a squeak threatening to come out
"Hmm, taking you for myself I guess?"
She doesn't manage to hold her voice in this time
"So, what do you say? How about we go out today?"
Homura might have been prepared to make a single attempt in saying no to Madoka, but she hadn't done the same preparation for Mami, she folds near instantly
"A-a-ah o-ok?"
She is rewarded with a forehead kiss that instantly gets seared into her memory
She is then lead back to her class, barely functioning the rest of the day
*-*
Madoka smiles at Homura and Mami walk off
Madoka couldn't wait to see how Homura reacted to Mami's attack
Her reactions to her own were so cute...
The only thing that eclipsed those thoughts was of how she would react to the double attack
How Homura would start showing her affection besides letting them do anything to her
She just had to wait a little longer
And then they would all be together, happy
*-*
Kyoko looks at the girl in front of her, head on the table not looking up
"So, got a girlfriend huh, Mami is alright i suppose, not the worst option"
Kyoko hears a quiet sound of nails moving on the table
"But ya know, you're too embarrassed about it you know? Especially considering you were just about making out when I walked in"
"...no we weren't..."
Quirking her eyebrow she pokes the girl
"Really? She was sitting on your lap, millimeter separating your faces, and you're telling me you weren't about to go at it?"
"N-no, we were just..." Her voice dropping even quitter, still not moving her head up "...kissing, well she was... I was just... burning up...."
Huh
"So you're that much of a bottom huh? I see I see"
A paper ball hits her in the forehead
*-*
Walking back into her home after a yakuza raid Homura notices something
…did she leave the lights on?
Quietly walking she sees someone sitting in the kitchen
“Ah Homura-chan! You’re already here, come sit down with me, do you mind that I used your oven? I wanted to treat you and something fresh is always better right?”
“O-oh, um, it’s f-fine?”
“Ah I’m so glad to hear that, thank you love!”
When Homura is pulled down she doesn't resist, the thought doesn't even cross her mind, she feels a soft press of lips on her forehead
Homura feels a light blush grace her face, maybe the previous timeline's Madoka insistence that she gets used to kisses was good for more reasons than just the fact that she got to kiss the girl
Sitting down, Homura drops her transformation
"So... W-what were you making?"
*-*
Homura doesn't even try to fight it this time, no reason when she knows she needs more ammunition
She reaches the checkpoint and turns her shield
Time flows back
***
"We go together"
Mami looks Madoka in the eyes and smiles
"We go together"
*-*
Homura is tensed up slightly
The last two loops, while extremely pleasant, weren't exactly efficient
She steels herself, leads Madoka to that place
...is that Mami??
Freezing for a moment Homura wonders for a moment on what to do
Arms wrap around her waist from the back and Homura's brain starts to melt
Mami strides towards her, panic floods her for a moment before Mami's hand cups her cheek, a smile graces her with it's shine
She feels herself move into the touch before her whole body starts burning at the realization of what she's doing
She feels a kiss to the back her neck as Mami speaks into her ear moments after wrapping her arms around Homura's neck
"We're taking you out, on a date, all three of us, okay?"
Homura feels her heart rate skyrocket, beating itself so much she worries about it giving in on itself
Words aren't able to leave her mouth, her lips parting open slightly with no sound coming out
A voice behind her -Madoka- speaks
"... Homura-chan, please answer"
The yes she yells out is high pitched enough for the window corridor to crack
*-*
Sayaka stares as Madoka walks back to class with the transfer student and another girl, both of their arms intertwined with her own
Sayaka looks back to Hitomi and sees her face contort in shock, a moment later their eyes meet
"When did she..."
"... I honestly don't know?"
Both of them stare at her for a moment longer before Sayaka sighs
"Good for her I suppose?"
*-*
Madoka was happily squeezing the hands of her girlfriends, the movie going to the back of her mind
She was pretty sure she saw it a couple times in previous loops
Sitting in the middle was the correct choice, but not something to do constantly, being clung to felt nice of course, but the other side of the coin had its own perks
Homura had her turn, Madoka was currently having hers, not she just had to convince Homura to surprise Mami and that shouldn't be too hard
...but maybe she should give her some tips on the direct approach first, Mami will surely appreciate it a lot
Maybe if Homura used her cold and serious persona too...
*-*
Kyoko saw a girl shakily walk up to a roof edge
Alarm bells ringing, Kyoko slowly walks up to her, inspecting her neck for a witch kiss
The girl turns and stares directly at her
Closing her eyes she takes a couple of breath in and out before her body relaxes
"Sakura Kyoko, i have come to make a deal with you"
Curiosity overwhelming her worries, Kyoko speaks up instead of leaving
"And what kind of thing can you give me? You were barely walking just a few moments ago?"
She blushes at that before schooling down her expression
"That is unrelated to what I'm offering, you can be sure that I'm not always like that"
Rolling her eyes, Kyoko allows herself to lean against a wall, relaxing as she lazily looks over the girl
"Alright, shoot your shot"
About twenty minutes later, the deal is sealed, both agreeing to it with minimal changes
*-*
Homura goes for far more raids than her usual quota
It was the only time where she had a little respite between the affection from two of the girls she cared most about, she was extremely happy about it, enough for her brain to stop working as she clung to them whenever possible, there's also the fact that she didn't want to lose this timeline, didn't want to go back and play with the chance of them not loving her like they do now
Didn't want to play with the chance of not being together with them
So she doesn't leave a single weapon untouched, doesn't leave a single cabinet unopened, takes everything that isn't nailed down
Moves further away from Mitakihara then usual, takes down the magical girl ruling over one of the gangs and takes the weapons for herself, takes every single yet she finds, spends every bit of it on the black market
It was going to be this timeline, otherwise Homura doesn't know if she could keep hold of the grief that will flood into her soul gem
Losing everything she gained this time would be too devastating, everything she couldn't dare hope for being given to her
She get's home deep into the night, ransacking the entire region of the japan they were in
Maybe she can hope
Maybe she will finally succeed
*-*
Madoka turned her head at the noise at her window
"Ah, hello there incubator"
' curious, you're aware of my name, how are you doing Kaname Madoka?'
letting out a hum Madoka puts down the book from her hand and focuses on the alien
"I'm doing fine, why are you asking?"
'would me saying curiosity satisfy you?'
"If it was true, why are you here?"
'i wanted to ask if you had any desire to contract with me, i'm sure you would find it enjoyabe to work alongside your loved ones'
Shaking her head Madoka stops looking at it, moving her gaze back to the book she put down
"I don't, Homura will be sad, Mami wouldn't be happy either"
'is that so? why do you believe this?'
"We know the end goal"
Incubator's tails speeds up slightly
'Ah i see, was it Akemi Homura who notified you? How deeply unfortunate'
Madoka remains quiet
it takes a couple hours for incubator to leave
*-*
Kyoko looks at the girl she made a deal with practically melt as two girls (Mami and someone she didn't know) walked up to her and picked her up, quite literary, one holding her by the armpits, the other by the legs
Pinky looks at Kyoko for a moment, waves, looks back to Homura and speaks
"Homura-chan, when was the last time you slept?"
The girl had her mouth agape, brain seemingly taking much too long to catch up to what was currently happening
Kyoko keeps the snort inside, if only to prolong this moment for that little bit more
"Um, I-I think a-about... four days ago?"
Mami exchanges glances with Pinky, they shift slightly as Mami lifts the girl all by herself a moment later, carrying her in front of herself
Kyoko actually snorts this time, unable to hold herself back
Mami gives her a short smile before turning away and walking off
"You're staying with me tonight, I can't be sure you would actually sleep if left alone again, we can make a sleepover out of this can't we Madoka?"
Kyoko doubles over as her gaze meets Homura's, whole face covered in a blush, a slightly horrified expression on it
The grip she has on Mami's shoulders will leave a few marks for sure
*-*
Homura stares in awe
The witch has fallen
Madoka was alive and uncontracted
Mami was still there with her
The world continues to move on
Homura feels herself fall to her knees as tears overcome her
She did, finally did it, hundreds of repeats, seeing them dead so many times, and she finally did it, finally they were alive, with her
They loved her
Ground cracks under her grip
Her breath hitches as her mind processes it, that she was free, that she didn't have to plan for every single minute of a day anymore
Time moved forward
Homura didn't leave, had a chance to stick around
*-*
Clinging into Mami's neck Homura breathed in the girl's scent
High school was approaching, too fast for Homura's opinion, her perception of time long since destroyed by the loop, the thought that she had more time that anyone in the world always nagging in the back of her head
Kneading her hair Mami hummed, playing with the braids Madoka insisted she wears at least from time to time
"You know, we remember parts of the loop"
"...you do?"
"Yeah... somewhere around the half point I remember dreaming about you, at some point those dreams came as fragments of memories, maybe if we stayed there for longer we would remember everything, maybe we wouldn't"
Pressing her head further into her neck Homura weakly mumbles
"...I wish you didn't, i failed you so much"
Mami pauses, putting her hands at her face and lifting it up
"You didn't, we're here aren't we? You made it in the end didn't you?"
She did, she succeeded after a long time, spent two years outside the loop
Another pair of hands circles around her neck as Madoka leans into her back
"We're here, free from the worst of it aren't we? You just have to enjoy it"
closing her eyes Homura smiles
Right, it would be a disservice to them to feel bad when she had two of the greatest people there for her, be there for them as they have been
The world moved forward, for time no longer spun at her command, her world no longer under threat
All she had to do was get used to it