She took a glance at her watch. 11.32 p.m. Why did the current situation unsettle her so much? Maya was devastated but then again she was a strong young woman and she could survive this. It had worked out pretty damn well for her, the girl she was so in love with was now resident in her home, if only temporarily. She inhaled deeply and the scent of green tea shampoo reached her from the bathroom, where Maya was currently showering. Maya Ibuki, the one she so adored, was her flatmate, for tonight at least. She headed into the kitchen to make another cup of coffee, continuing along the same line of thought. Was that most of the reason why she had invited Maya back home with her? Was it really the altruistic gesture of kindness she had managed to fool both herself and Maya into believing it was? Had anybody except Maya been in that situation would she have so readily taken them into her home? The answer was probably yes, but nonetheless she couldn't help but question her own motives. She shook her head, a slight smile playing across her face. "I'm as shameless as Misato." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Maya closed her eyes, allowing the hot water to run over her face. An odd calmness had descended upon her, the pain hadn't diminished much if at all, yet she no longer felt the despair and hysteria of only a couple of hours ago. There was something about Ritsuko, she was so cool, so collected and yet balanced it with the compassion she had shown tonight, an aspect of her sempai that very rarely showed itself at work but was most definitely there. This did nothing to reduce Maya's feelings of admiration for the scientist. She hadn't needed to take her in like that, not many people would have done so as readily in that position. As she ran through the night's events she couldn't help but dwell on the close contact with the other woman, her embraces, her warm, caring arms, the feeling of Ritsuko's body so close to hers. Maya simply couldn't deny that she had harboured feelings of a romantic nature for the older woman since she had started working for her but they were not emotions she could act on, nor could she confront them. Besides, she had been in a stable relationship and as much as she had desired Ritsuko, it really hadn't been much of an issue. She had been happy with her own girlfriend and the feelings for her superior had been permanently left at the back of her mind. But now, here she was, lost, alone and frightened as hell of the world at large, desperate for someone to fill the dreadful emptiness left in her heart by the breakdown of her relationship. "Is that why I came here with her? Just in the hopes that she could take care of me, see me as I see her, love me?" She grinned incredulously to herself. "I really am pathetic." ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Maya emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in a spare robe of Ritsuko's. The older woman smiled at her and she returned the expression, both of them seemed almost relieved to see the other appear content. They held each other's gaze for a moment, almost as if sizing each other up, Ritsuko glancing Maya up and down, noting how cosy she looked. An odd, warm feeling grew rapidly as she gazed upon her younger co-worker and she was almost overcome by an urge to wrap her in a tight hug and not let her go. How would she react if she did? Could she handle a potential rejection? Would Maya read any more into it than a friendly, compassionate gesture? Somehow it seemed doubtful, it didn't take a scientist of her calibre to know that the odds of two people put together by circumstance stood very little chance of actually sharing a mutual feeling of love and adoration. "Shall I make you another coffee, sempai?" Maya's words snatched Ritsuko's thoughts back to the real world. She glanced at her mug, empty once again, and willingly handed it over to Maya. "Thankyou, everything you should need for a basic black coffee is out already." Maya headed towards the kitchen area. "Oh, and Maya?" "Yes, sempai?" "You needn't call me sempai, especially as we're in my home now." Maya blushed a deep pink. "Yes, Dr Akagi." She hurried into the kitchen. The scientist smiled to herself. Dr Akagi indeed. Well, at least it was marginally less formal than sempai. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ritsuko picked up a lighter from her coffee table just as Maya was placing her mug down. "Didn't you want a drink, Maya?" "No semp-umm," She blushed a little once again. "Um, Ritsuko, I was wondering if I could head to bed soon." As if on cue, she gave a small yawn. Ritsuko noticed how sweetly her petite nose wrinkled when she did so, and smiled. "Of course" she gave a small laugh "and you needn't ask my permission to sleep. Your room is the one on the left of the bathroom, I showed it to you earlier, ne?" She paused for a moment. "That's assuming of course that you weren't intending upon sharing my bed tonight." As soon as she said it, it sounded wrong. Indeed, rather than dissipating some of the tension remaining in the atmosphere her comment only seemed to add to it. They both blushed and there was an extremely awkward moment of silence, in which there almost seemed to be a deep yet uncomfortable understanding between the two women. Ritsuko broke the pause but spoke quietly. "I get up at 7 a.m., so I'll wake you when I'm done in the bathroom, around quarter past. I'll run to the corner store in the morning to grab something for breakfast, though I warn you it will hardly be gourmet cuisine." She lit up a cigarette. "Sleep well, Maya."
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