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BANG! BANG!
The sounds of the world around Takina faded into a sharp whine as two bullet casings bounced off the ground beside her. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, waiting for the pain that never came. Dazed with confusion, she cautiously opened her eyes when drops of something warm fell upon her face. Red was all Takina could see. The red of the first class Lycoris uniform in front of her. The red staining that beautiful blonde hair she secretly loved. The red flesh peeking through the uniform as blood dripped onto her face.
"CHISATO!" Takina screamed as the body of the older Lycoris collapsed on top of her.
Tears fell from Takina's eyes while she slept, her nightmare tormenting her already troubled mind.
The stifling heat of the Hawaiian air woke Chisato from an admittedly already poor sleep. She sighed as she sat up, checking the time on her phone before getting up. Maybe she could get a nice cross breeze going if she opened some of the windows of the safehouse they were in. She sat on the kitchen counter with a glass of water, enjoying the cool, salty breeze that washed over her as she hummed quietly to herself.
Clad in nothing more than a pair of panties and a tank top to serve as make shift pajamas in an attempt to combat the heat, she idly kicked her legs off the side of the counter. Her waking mind bounced between thoughts of the last few months, as it often did. And, as it often did, those thoughts wandered to Takina. The girl constantly consumed her thoughts. How she appeared into her life and fought so hard to save it. Running away was stupid, childish even. In truth, she did it because she was scared. Scared of the circumstances in which the new heart was given to her. Scared of what is to be now that she no longer knew when she would die. She was foolish, but thankful. Thankful for the person who not only saved her life, but chased her down and didn't let her go. She couldn't imagine life without her partner at this point. Her stomach felt funny because of that word. Partner.
"Chi..sa..to..." A quiet, almost inaudible voice called out from the room next to the kitchen. Speak of the devil.
"Ohoho~" Chisato lilted as she set down her glass of water and hopped off the counter. Tiptoeing over to the doorway with a strange tightness in her chest, she opened the door as gently and quietly as she could. "Ta~ki~n-" Her voice caught in her throat.
Takina's tear stained cheeks glistened in the moonlight that crept through the window. She laid in her futon and clutched her left shoulder. She told Chisato it didn't hurt anymore.. did Takina lie to her? Guilt wracked her mind as the scar on her chest ached. She moved without thinking, sitting on the edge of Takina's futon, gently brushing the hair out of Takina's face. Takina's small shiver went unnoticed by the blonde. Before her mind could catch up with her, Chisato leaned down and softly pressed her lips against the scar on the back of Takina's shoulder. Was it out of guilt... or something else? Her chest ached so much she halfheartedly wondered if her new artifical heart was malfunctioning. She knew this feeling wasn't like the actual pain she felt when her previous model was failing to keep her alive, but she'd rather fixate on that than answer the burning question in her metephorical heart.
As she sat back, pulling away from Takina, strands of Chisato's hair brushed against Takina's exposed shoulder, coaxing another shiver out of her, but this time it did not escape the blonde Lycoris's notice. Pulled instantly from the swarm of thoughts inside her head, her face filled with a bright red that rivaled the ribbon she tied in her hair every day. Realization dawned on her. Selfish. She was being selfish. Sure, she was doing this to comfort Takina, but there were other ways she could have gone about it. She was letting her desires guide her actions; she had overstayed her welcome.
Her stomach dropped into a bottomless abyss of dread when Takina grabbed Chisato's wrist as she tried to take her leave.
"Please, Chisato, don't go." Takina's voice was barely above a whisper.
"H-how long were you awake?" Chisato asked, refusing to turn around. Her usual cheerful energy was washed away by apprehension and unease.
"I don't know. Not very long. I had a nightmare, but it turned into something much more gentle." Takina spoke quietly, briefly tightening her hold on Chisato's wrist at the mention of the nightmare.
"D-do you want to talk about it?" Chisato's voice wavered slightly, still mentally berating herself over her actions, but glad that Takina didn't seem to notice.
A silence that felt like ages ensued. Whether Takina was debating with herself about sharing the contents of her dream or had fallen asleep again, she refused to let go of Chisato. Chisato could only begin to imagine what her nightmare involved.
"I... watched you die. You protected me. You took bullets meant to end my life, and instead you gave yours for me." Takina solemnly recounted, sitting up and dropping her hold on Chisato's wrist.
Chisato's face fell as she finally turned around, seeing the tears fall from her friend's cheeks. Practically lunging at her, she enveloped Takina in a hug, wrapping her arms around her tightly. Takina returned the embrace, crying softly into Chisato's shoulder. Nightmares weren't uncommon for Lycoris, and Takina wasn't normally much of a crier. Whatever horror her mind had conjured must have been truly terrible to shake her like this. As Chisato began to move back to release the embrace and give Takina more space, the black haired girl held on even tighter to her.
"Please don't leave me. I... would rather not be alone right now." Takina's voice was muffled by Chisato's shoulder.
"I made that mistake once, Takina, I won't make that mistake ever again." Chisato choked out, tears beginning to wet her own eyes.
"In my dream, after the... your presence was there, calming me down. Soothing my aches and pains into peacefulness."
Pangs of guilt and relief collided inside Chisato's mind. She was happy she was able to help Takina calm down, but she was also still upset with herself for-
"-issed my shoulder."
"What?"
"You kissed my shoulder. My scar. I was awake for that." Takina bluntly stated.
Chisato couldn't help but pull away from Takina's grasp to look at her. Despite her calm, matter-of-fact tone, the shade of red that colored Takina's face matched her own quite well, even in the moonlight. Panic flooded Chisato.
"T-Takina, I-"
Whatever sorry example of an excuse that would've passed Chisato's lips was silenced by Takina's own. Takina could practically see the heat rolling off Chisato's beet red face in waves as Chisato sat there, frozen. She sat there as if she were a statue, not kissing her back, not holding her in her arms, Takina wasn't even sure if she was breathing.
"Chisato, I'm sorry if that wasn't something you wanted or if I misunderstood the situation or-"
Takina's rambling was cut short as the blonde woman practically jumped on her, her lips colliding with Takina's, needy and hungry. Takina wrapped her arms around Chisato's neck, dragging her down to the futon she lay half in as Chisato ran a hand through Takina's silky-soft black hair, her other arm wrapped around her waist. Chisato ran her tongue along Takina's lips, silently begging her to let her in. Maybe she was too aggressive, or too fast, but.. Takina kissed back. Takina kissed her.
For so long, Chisato had pushed away her feelings. Locking them away deep in a cage, throwing away the key alongside her dying heart. It wouldn't be fair, not to the person who held her affections, nor to herself. She didn't want to, no, couldn't hurt them like that, not more than she was already going to. But the breathless woman beneath her had shattered that cage, freeing Chisato from her burdens as Takina pulled her tightly against her body, letting Chisato's tongue slip through her lips. Shivers wracked Takina's spine as Chisato gently dragged her fingernails along Takina's scalp, her hair twisting and tangling round Chisato's calloused fingers.
Unwillingly, their lips parted, gasping as they replaced the spent air in their lungs. Chisato pressed a much gentler kiss to Takina's lips, hoping to convey all of the love in her new, uncaged heart for her partner. Partner. She had a feeling the meaning of that word was going to change for her, if it hadn't already. Ruby eyes stared into violet ones as Chisato rested her forehead against Takina's.
'Why don't you start with something you had given up on?' Takina's words rang out in her mind.
"I-" Both girls began in unison.
The girls broke out into a fit of giggles, planting soft kisses on one another's faces as they laughed. Takina nodded to Chisato.
"I love you, Takina."
"I love you too, Chisato."
Chisato laid her head down on Takina's chest, the sound of her heartbeat lulling her into a peaceful slumber as warm arms held her close. The nightmares could reach neither of them that night.