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“No clients today,” Mao told Otoya as he climbed into his futon. His eyes were already closed and his head throbbed so much that his own voice sounded like a piercing scream despite whispering. “Just emergencies.”
“What if Nanoka comes?” Otoya asked as they put a cup of water at Mao’s bedside.
“Emergencies and Nanoka,” he said immediately, but he doubted she would be over. In his time she was here three days ago, and while he wasn't sure how time worked that allowed her to be from the future, she frequently came over on what would be her weekends and holidays. Something about that usually worked out to be one or two days a week and rarely so close to each other.
“Feel better, Mao.”
“Thanks,” he said, the weight of his palms feeling nice on his eyes. He had a migraine that just wouldn't quit, something rare to begin with, let alone with how intense this one was. He was nauseous and heavy, tired in a way that came with the territory of having a nine hundred year old and eternally cursed body. Today was a rest day, choke down some of those cursed bugs and sleep until he felt better. A waste of a day but at least it would help him be stronger to protect Nanoka. She was learning to protect herself and use the element of Earth well, but she overdid it a lot, too. As she was still finding her way with the element and combat itself he had to make sure that one the days in which she wasn’t here that he was rested so that he could be there to protect her.
He drifted off to sleep and dreamed ceaselessly, vivid dreams of both curses’ memories and his own folding into one. In one of the dreams he heard Nanoka’s voice, talking softly near him and asking how he was feeling.
Awful, he wanted to reach out and tell her. Everything hurts and I want to feel better already.
Mao tossed in his sleep, grabbing his pillow and rolling with it momentarily in between sleep and waking. It was warm and felt familiar, gave a small yelp as he squeezed it. He nuzzled his face into it, the softness comforting before drifting off to sleep again. This time he dreamed of the past, of catching tadpoles in the stream by the orphanage with Daigo and the others, though Nanoka was there, too. She was standing in the water up to her thighs, out farther than himself and the others, looking right at him. Talking to him but he couldn’t hear her voice or make out what she was saying. He strained to see, hear, read what she was saying but with every movement to understand her it felt as if she was getting more muffled, pulling away. Waking up was as unceremonious as falling asleep: suddenly he was in a different state of being with a small jolt of awareness. With his eyes closed, he felt his body. It felt stronger, a little more well rested and his head no longer hurt. His stomach felt less like it was trying to turn in on itself, which was an added bonus. If he was lucky, Mao would be able to get some food down in this state. His left arm though was numb; he flexed his fingers and felt nothing that would make it this way other than a heavy pressure on it.
Opening his eyes he saw dark hair against his chest, felt their chest rise and fall as if they were asleep with him.
“Nanoka?” He whispered, squeezing her shoulder.
“Mao. You're awake,” she said sleepily, lifting her head and then dropping it back down.
Was he awake? This wasn’t the situation when he fell asleep. When he fell asleep she wasn’t even in this time period, let alone in bed with him. “How long was I asleep for?”
“Just a few hours. I have a break starting tomorrow and I came over as soon as I was done with my lit review for when I get back to class.”
Litreview? He didn’t know what that was but it felt like an assignment for school. “That’s great,” he told her, and meant it. “Where’s Otoya?”
“Out gathering herbs. When he let me in he asked me to take care of you and make sure no one disturbed your rest. He said he’d be home by dinner.”
He made an approving noise. Otoya was always one step ahead of him in getting materials to make medicines and charms for exorcisms. And it was good that he wasn’t there in the room with the two of them so he didn’t have to explain why they were together like this.
“Why are you in my bed?”
“Oh,” Nanoka said quickly, starting to pull away. “I was sitting next to you studying when you grabbed me by the legs and pulled me into bed with you. You were sleeping so soundly that I didn’t want to wake you and I was rather comfortable. Sorry. I should have–”
Mao shook his head, squeezing her. “It’s ok. I’ve been known to be a heavy sleeper and I pulled you into this. I’m sorry, Nanoka.”
She laughed quietly. “It’s no one’s fault. We just happened, because of various situations, to end up in the same bed together and take a nap.”
“That’s true,” he agreed.
The two of them made no moves to untangle from each other, lying in silence together. Nanoka’s breathing started to even out and after a few moments he knew that she fell back asleep in his arms. He closed his eyes and felt her shift in her sleep again, the subtle movement endearing herself to him even more. This was the closest to being a human that he had felt in centuries. The realization startled him, knocking himself out of his sleep-induced fantasies with an aching pain that felt nostalgic yet foreign all the same. Nanoka moved in her sleep, nuzzling her face deeper into his chest and gripped his arm lightly. She moved in her sleep and he squeezed her waist in response, resting his hand over his hip. Vulnerability engulfed him and he was overcome with the desire to leave, to slip away from her before she woke again. He tensed, readying himself to leave as not to wake her but instead hesitating, just wanting to stay here for one moment longer. He laid there holding her for just a few more moments; knowing that sooner than later he’d have to get up and take care of the ever growing list of chores to run a clinic, but for now it was nice to be quiet and lie here with her.
Otoya crept quietly into the clinic but the sound of the door closing woke Mao to the reality of the situation–he couldn’t just lie down to Nanoka like this, no matter how much he wanted to.
Mao took a deep breath and pulled himself out of the futon, coming over to Otoya and signaling him to be quiet so he didn't wake Nanoka. Otoya cocked their head, wanting to ask more but didn’t dare to, instead showing him the herbs and mushrooms they spent the day foraging while he was in bed. Mao listened with mild interest as his thoughts stayed with Nanoka, thinking of her easy breathing and how content she was to lay down next to him. Would they be able to share another moment like that or was it pleasant because it was so temporary?
“You still look like you’re suffering from your headache, Mao,” Otoya whispered to him.
“What? I feel much better, you’re mistaken. Please, continue.”
Otoya shook their head and scooped the foragables into his basket. “You seem like you need to rest more. I’m sorry to have bothered you on your sick day.”
Mao tried to protest but Otoya was too quick, leaving before he could say anything of substance, not wanting to yell and wake Nanoka. He glanced over, saw her still sleeping there and felt the sleepy urge to crawl back to her. Maybe Otoya was right. He sighed and went back to where Nanoka was sleeping and looked down at her, seeing her features in the dusk that crept through the window. She opened one eye and gave him a sleepy grin.
“Mao,” she said softly.“You look tired.”
Nanoka picked up the comforter and looked at him.
“Exhausted,” he agreed, grabbing the corner of the blanket.