Tokiha Mai awoke from a nightmare. Cold sweat pasted her strawberry-blonde hair to her scalp while breath returned to her lungs in ragged gasps. In the darkness, otherworldly creatures crouched fiendishly awaiting their turn to rend her flesh. Mai quickly flailed for the small lamp on her nightstand. The small globe of light sent specters fleeing into the murk, the monsters of the already fading dream became the more mundane shapes of a high school dorm's furniture. As the runaway pounding of her heart slowed Mai peeked at her alarm clock's lighted display. 4:00 a.m. "I have to be up in two hours," she sighed as she sank back to her pillow. By all rights Tokiha Mai should have slept the sleep of the truly content. Her date with Yuuichi had been lots of fun, even with Shiho acting as self-appointed chaperone. Movement to her left caught her attention as her younger roommate shifted in her sleep. Mai smiled to herself. "That girl can sleep anywhere." The happy thought was soon banished by a wave of unease. It was the same feeling which had dogged her the entire week. Something was wrong. This feeling of disquiet had intruded on her otherwise happy life, and she didn't know why. Intruded. That was the answer. Mikoto hadn't intruded in Mai's bed for an entire week. By this time she'd be trying to disentangle herself from the smaller girl's limbs. In fact the feral girl hadn't intruded on Mai's personal space at all that week. No impromptu glomping, nuzzling or snuggling. Mikoto was still mostly her normal, energetic self; however she seemed a bit subdued, muted. The girl slept on in her usual fashion, her arms and legs askew, she'd kicked her sheets to the side. Clucking to herself Mai quietly rose to arrange the sleeping girl back beneath her sheets. As Mai paused to look upon Mikoto's sleeping face she was suddenly struck by how troubled her sleep was . The feral girl's elfin features twisted into a grimace as she tossed in the throes of some dream. Mai thought to rouse the girl but was caught short when she heard her own name. "Mai..." Mikoto murmured. The sound was like a soft plea. Tokiha Mai stood transfixed as she watched a stray tear leak from the younger girl's eye. "Mai....I need...I need...Mai..." Mikoto's tears began to run steadily, soaking her pillow, her hands were opening and closing; reaching and grasping for something, or someone. Mai finally managed to tear her gaze away fro the girl, banishing all thoughts of giving comfort. She quickly got back into bed and buried her head beneath her pillow. More than anything, she wanted to rush to Mikoto's side and hold her tight. Hold her until her tears stopped and all her fears melted away. But she didn't dare. For this was too similar to a night a week ago. A night when Mai made a grievous error. A night when everything changed. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ One week ago ------------------------------------------------------------------------ With the storm came a feeling of claustrophobia. Rain battered the dorm building, creating a tunnel of sound. Tokiha Mai was propped upon two pillows, reading a novel. While detective adventures seemed a little bland compared to her very recent past she still enjoyed them. "Mmm..." The low murmur reached Mai's ear and she turned left to find her younger roommate, Mikoto tossing in a fitful slumber. Mai frowned, her thoughts turning to the weeks following the ill-fated HiME "festival." Mikoto had been plagued with nightmares recalling the destruction she'd unwittingly caused in the thrall of the Obsidian Lord. Mikoto tried to explain it to her friend once. It was like trying to destroy the thing you loved the most, piece by piece. The feral girl would usually wake up screaming, and wouldn't calm until Mai held her close. Mai arose, hoping this wasn't a relapse and knelt at Mikoto's side. As she reached out and touched her brow, Mikoto's pained expression eased, her furtive movements ceased. "That's all it takes for you?" Mai quietly asked the sleeping girl as she let her hand slide downward to caress her cheek. Somehow Mikoto always managed to surprise her. From their tumultuous first meeting when she'd cut a truck in two, to when she'd raced from the school building proudly waving her high school entrance exam scores; there were depths of strength in the girl Mai couldn't even begin to fathom. "Mai...I...I..." Mikoto's voice brought Mai back to the present. "What is it?" "I...I..need..." The girls face twisted in what seemed like concentration, like she was trying to remember something important. "I...I need....." The older girl leaned closer, her ear scant inches above her mouth. "I need Mai," Mikoto said in the midst of a dream. The flesh and blood Mai jerked backward, her heart pierced. She couldn't mean it like that. She doesn't know what she's saying. "Mai...love..." came the plaintive plea. the sooner denied, the sooner confirmed. Mai sat back, thunderstruck at the torrent of feelings within. "She couldn't possibly understand what that is, what love is." Yet as she attempted to reason her way through this she was confronted again and again by Mikoto's past actions: Her vehement protection of Mai, even when she'd been turned away. Even if it meant Mai would hate her, even if it meant her own life. Even if it meant striking down her own brother, the one person she'd spent her young life searching for. So no. Mai couldn't delude herself. Mikoto understood at least what it meant to love someone more than her own life and happiness. "So what does that make us?" Mai found herself once more above Mikoto's face. The girl had settled into sleep, as her turmoil released by her dreamt confession. Mai knelt watching her, taking in every feature of her face. She recalled all the nights when Mikoto stole into her bed, the smaller girl's warm body next to hers. The happy, content feeling knowing the girl depended upon her. But it wasn't just that. It wasn't just prepared meals and lessons and forced baths and mended clothes. It was more. It was the reason Mai could never dismiss Mikoto as just a girl she'd want for a sister. It was the same reason Mai guiltily recalled the feeling of Mikoto's soft lips upon her own when she'd performed CPR. The same feeling she was having now. But this wasn't CPR, it wasn't out of necessity. It was because she wanted to, needed to. Tonight. Now. Realizing what she'd just done Mai pulled away her lips making and audible smack. She clutched her chest as her runaway heart threatened to pound out of her chest. Mai stared at those lips she had been so bold to take only moments ago. "Mai.." those lips which had just formed her name. It was more of a sigh which sounded relieved. And above those lips a pair of curious, gold eyes stared up at her.
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