Healing Kisses (ch19)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!

So this one is another I'd wanted to write for a long time. Based off a brief event from the mobile game but I decided to take it like 5 gay steps further.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

Chapter 19.

As most students at Seishou Academy do, Claudine and Maya enjoy Friday evenings more than any other weeknight.

But it isn't because they're going to have movie nights and sleepovers and game nights with their friends (although there are plenty of Friday and weekend nights when they do do those things). But this evening is one of the ones where they intend to work first and play later.

The dance studio at the school building stays open an hour later on Fridays than it does on other weeknights, and the two most passionate students naturally take advantage of that as often as possible. Their friends stay with them for a little while to do a bit of extra practice, but they all eventually take their leave in their respective pairs or trio, until only Maya and Claudine remain, as is typical.

When they're alone together is when they can get more things done, simply because they have more space and fewer people to share equipment between.

They play the songs they most want to practice to and use the room as they please, be it in separate, individual pieces or in duets. They practice nearly nonstop, only pausing here or there for a drink or to stretch out a little.

The typical closing hour passes, and they keep an eye on the clock to ensure they don't go past Friday's extended curfew.

When they have only half an hour left, Maya pauses them for another water and bathroom break. Even now it's clear they're both nearing the limits of their energy, but they plan to persist until the very last minute.

The final dance they practice tonight is a scene from a play that takes place at nighttime, so to emphasize the scene, Maya turns down the lights until they are as dim as they can go. There's plenty of moonlight shining down from outside the windows, so the studio is bathed in just the perfect amount of a pale grey glow.

Claudine sets up the CD player and finds the correct track, which is very soft and quiet, mostly violins and pianos to mimic the sounds of crickets and wind at night. Maya catches her eye from across the room, but Claudine dips her head, giving her the signal to go first.

Claudine watches her intently in the darkness as she goes about the number, how she extends her arms at just the right angle, how she lifts her leg with perfect grace and timing and balance before taking the next leaping step, how she lands in-time with the beat of the music without fail every single time.

Claudine takes vigorous mental notes as she watches her, determined to follow her up and best her for once, even if it's just the two of them alone in the rehearsal room on a Friday night. She tries not to blink, not wanting to miss a single second of Maya's routine. The lack of lighting makes her even more dazzling than usual, with the blue of her leotard and ribbon now turned into a soft violet shade, her brown hair streaming out behind her and lined with silver.

Claudine follows her every movement with her eyes as the music and pace begin to speed up just a little bit. The ending of the song is rather quick and a bit tricky to follow. She even starts to get a little anxious trying to anticipate Maya's steps.

But of course, Seishou's top student never misses a beat or a step. She matches her rhythm perfectly to that of the song, spinning and twirling in-tune with the notes of the tinkling piano right until the very last key. When the music stops, Maya holds her pose for a second before taking a majestic bow.

Claudine's heart is racing just from the thrill of watching her. She's grateful for the lights being down, or else her blush would have been evident as she begins clapping. Maya turns to her and bows again.

"My, that was refreshing," Maya smiles. "I haven't done a piece in the dark in quite some time. How was it?"

Claudine crosses her arms as she leans back against one of the balance bars.

"What do you think? It was insufferably perfect." She crouches down to rewind the song in preparation for her own turn at it. "I still don't think I can get the ending right."

Maya approaches her and pauses a few feet away, offering her hand.

"And that is why we are here to practice together. I shall provide you with my honest feedback and constructive criticism."

"Gee, I'm honored." Claudine smirks with a bit of playful snark in her tone, but there's humor and light in her eyes. She accepts Maya's hand, and Maya pulls her to her feet to switch places with her.

"You seem out of breath," Claudine quips. "Go get some water."

"Not yet. I wouldn't miss your performance for the world, Saijou-san."

Claudine rolls her eyes before getting into position. She gives Maya a nod, and the music starts.

Claudine lets her body move as she knows it should to follow the rhythm, but at the same time she tries to picture Maya's movements at each part, and how she should angle herself in order to achieve the same effect.

In spite of the soreness in her muscles from the previous hours of practice, she performs to the best of her abilities, envisioning Maya's dance not to copy it entirely, but merely to reference it. Claudine wants to perform her own version - one that only she can perform.

She follows the notes of the piano keys, twirling in time with the violin and leaping when the flute twitters. She steps, breathes, and maintains her poise and professionalism. As the ending nears, she readies herself to increase her rhythm, bouncing slightly on the balls of her feet in preparation to move a little quicker.

And that's when an unexpected sound suddenly interrupts the music.

"Ah-"

It's very small, very soft, but it isn't just an observant hum on Maya's part. Rather, Claudine can hear the tiniest hint of concern in her voice. She stops her dance all at once and turns to her partner, whirling around on her heel.

"What is it?"

At first, she'd feared Maya had hurt herself somehow and cried out in pain. But now Claudine can see she's just standing beside the CD player as she had been at the start. The only difference is that she's lifted a hand to her chest a little nervously. When Claudine addresses her, Maya jolts.

"Oh- My apologies, Saijou-san. I didn't mean to interrupt you."

Normally, Claudine might have snapped at her. But she can tell Maya really is unnerved by something right now, so she refrains and keeps her voice gentle.

"It's all right. I can do it again. But what has you so flustered all of a sudden?"

Maya pauses the music, pulling the dark studio into silence. She looks around cautiously.

"I… thought I heard something."

"Eh?" Claudine blinks. "Like what?"

"…I'm not quite sure… It sounded like something moving." She turns around to glance out the windows behind her and takes a step back. And it doesn't take long for Claudine to realize what this must be about.

"Oh, please," she sighs. "You can't honestly think there's a ghost in here now just because the lights have been turned down for five minutes."

Maya flinches at the word 'ghost', which confirms Claudine's suspicions.

"Of course not…" Maya mutters. "There has never been evidence of spirits here previously… It would be illogical to think that one might show up now simply because the lights are turned low…"

"Does saying it all out loud help you convince yourself more effectively?" Claudine teases. "If it bothers you that much, I'll turn the lights back up."

"N-No. It's all right." Maya musters up her courage and straightens her posture. "I want to see your moonlit performance as it should be, Saijou-san."

"If you're sure."

So Claudine takes her starting position again as Maya rewinds the music, then begins again. And this time she makes it through the entire piece to the end, even though she knows she'd missed the timing on several of the steps. As the music stops, Claudine freezes to hold her final pose, doing her best not to appear as breathless as she feels. Maya claps for her.

"That was marvelous, Saijou-san. You were truly captivating. I must say you are even more dazzling beneath the light of the moon than that of the sun."

"Save it," she huffs. "I know I messed up. You're just sweet-talking me so I'll turn up the lights quicker, right?"

"I'm afraid you're mistaken."

"Right, right. Don't worry, I'll chase away the ghosts." Claudine catches her breath and crosses the room to turn the lights back up. She doesn't miss the relief visible on Maya's face when she does as much.

"All right," Claudine says. "We should probably head back before we get locked in."

Maya nods and crouches down to turn off and unplug the CD player. Claudine heads for the sliding doors that lead back to the locker room and restroom. She gives a tug on the handle, but the door only rattles in place and doesn't slide.

"Eh? Don't tell me it's jammed…"

She pulls a little harder, but still nothing happens. A trickle of dread drips down her spine.

She tries again. Still nothing.

"Oh, come on. I was just joking-"

By now, Maya has reached her side.

"Saijou-san? What's the matter?"

Claudine rattles the door again but it still remains shut. She bites her lip and turns slowly to her partner.

"That sound you heard before… I think I know what it was."

Maya tilts her head.

"I'm afraid I don't follow."

Claudine heaves a sigh.

"It wasn't a ghost you heard. It was the sound of the janitor locking us in…"

Silence.

Maya's eyes widen.

"Oh…"

Silence.

The two of them stare at each other for a moment as it all finally starts making sense.

"We had the lights turned down…" Maya begins. There are actually two light switches for the rehearsal room - one inside the room and one just outside the door. The switch outside controls the inside lights; only if it is switched on can the lights inside be dimmed or brightened. But if it's switched off, the lights inside will go off entirely. When she peers outside now, she can see that switch is still on. Claudine groans from beside her.

"So the janitor probably assumed no one was in here because he thought the lights were shut off, not dimmed. We're always so good about leaving before curfew. He probably just figured we'd left and turned the lights off properly. I'll bet it didn't even cross his mind that they were just dimmed and students were were still practicing in darkness..."

Maya, bites her lip a little.

"And... I trust your cell phone is in your bag in the locker room?" she guesses. "Just like mine is?"

Claudine nods.

"And so are our clothes. Our water and snacks…"

Silence.

"Oh my…" Maya brings a hand to her chin in contemplation. "So we cannot use our cell phones to call anyone for assistance… Then I suppose all we can do is hope one of the staff on-campus sees the light is still on and comes to investigate."

"There aren't any studio classes on Saturdays," Claudine points out. "But that's usually when the room is cleaned. So someone is bound to come by tomorrow. The only issue is… tonight…"

They look to one another, both clearly at a loss for what to do. Maya tries to sound hopeful.

"Perhaps someone will notice we're missing tonight and come searching here for us?"

"Maybe…" Claudine mutters. "But I feel like that's a slim chance. Everyone's relaxing and doing as they please tonight. They'll probably think we just went back to our rooms to sleep right after practice." She tries the door once again in vain. "We could always break the door if we absolutely had to."

"True. If it became a real emergency, we would be justified in doing so."

"B-But I'd rather not damage school property if I could avoid it."

"I agree."

Silence.

Claudine breathes in deeply and lets it out in a long sigh, grimacing.

"So then… I guess we're trapped in here for the night."

"It would seem so."

"At the very least, we both just used the restroom not too long ago. But I guess we're going to have to go without supper or brushing our teeth tonight."

Maya's shoulders slump a bit at the reminder of no food, but she straightens up again right away.

"We shall simply have to make the most of the situation then. We can think of it like a sort of sleepover."

Claudine scoffs. "What an unprecedented sleepover where we can't eat, bathe, or wear anything comfortable... But I suppose you're right. It could be fun in a way… If you ignore the fact that we're technically trespassing right now."

"I beg to differ," Maya says. "We did not return to campus at an inappropriate time, but rather have remained here for longer than necessary, through no fault of our own."

"I guess you're right. In any case, we've got to figure something out about sleeping here tonight."

"I've heard that sleeping on a hardwood floor can be good for one's back."

"Seriously? Well then, you can freeze all you'd like. I, for one, am going to try and avoid that."

"Ah. You may have a point." After all, it was late autumn, and being it's also a weekend night, the heat has most likely already been turned off in the building.

So Maya follows Claudine across the room to one of the few storage closets they can access from inside the studio. Maya finds a few small towels folded up on one shelf and pulls them out. There are four, but even when she opens them all up, they probably couldn't fully cover a single person to act as a blanket. But she slings them over her shoulder and takes them anyway. Unfortunately, she can't find anything else that could be of use to them for the night ahead.

However, Claudine finds a few things they could use in the other closet.

"Parfaite!" she calls out. "Could you give me a hand with these?"

Maya walks over to see what she'd found; a stack of several purple yoga mats. She smiles.

"My, what a find, Saijou-san! We can stack a few of these on top of each other to sleep on to avoid direct contact with the floor."

"My thoughts exactly."

So Claudine and Maya each take three of the mats and drag them out. They shake them off as much as they can, re-arranging the piles so that the middle mats - which are most likely the least dirty - rest on top now for them to lie on.

They haul their finds back across the studio nearer to the doors, just in case some midnight patrol comes along and they can make noise or call out for help.

They stack their mats up next to each other with just a bit of space in between and sit down. In the end it elevates them each about two inches off the floor.

"It's not much," Claudine says. "But it's better than sleeping on direct hardwood."

"I agree." Maya hands her two of the small towels, which both she and Claudine use to form makeshift pillows. It only takes them a minute to get situated, and then they end up glancing at each other again.

"Then…" Claudine mutters. "I suppose we just try to sleep now…?"

Maya glances at the clock above the door.

"I suppose so. It's almost midnight. Unless you would prefer to stay up chatting."

"I'll be honest with you, that might be what happens," Claudine sighs. "I'm not too good at falling asleep in unfamiliar places, especially under stress..."

"Nor am I," Maya admits. "But the smallest blessing in all of this is that we have each other, Saijou-san."

The comment sends Claudine's heart into a flutter, and she immediately looks away.

"You-!" But in the end, she sighs. "You're right... If I were alone in here, I'd be in a panic. I'm glad to have you, Tendo Maya."

It's Maya's turn to blush now. She merely dips her head before changing the topic.

"I know from experience," she says slowly. "That you prefer to sleep in the dark. Shall I turn down the lights then...?"

Claudine hears the little waver in her tone as if she'd actually started crying a bit. She huffs.

"And I know from experience that you're terrified of ghosts, and being you already have that idea in your head this evening, you'd never get a wink of sleep if we turned down the lights in here. And besides, keeping them on is more likely to catch someone's attention outside if they see it from afar. So we're keeping them on."

Maya visibly relaxes a little.

"Very well."

Another brief beat of silence falls between them for a moment, until Claudine breaks it.

"Well then, shall we sleep?"

"We shall," Maya nods.

So the two of them lay down on their respective mats, slipping out of their dance shoes for comfort's sake. Even through the mats they can still feel the cold hardness of the floor underneath, and the towels are thin and musky-smelling. It makes them both realize just how wonderful their beds are.

They get as settled-in as possible, both ending up on their backs, gazing up at the ceiling and the buzzing lights. Clearly, neither of them are going to be falling asleep anytime soon. A distinct rumbling sound suddenly comes from Maya's stomach and she crosses her arms over herself with a blush.

"You poor thing," Claudine muses, though not unkindly. "Once we get out of here, we'll have a grand breakfast."

"I eagerly anticipate it," Maya sighs. She turns her face to look at her partner. "What about you, Saijou-san? Are you all right?"

"Thirsty," she admits. "I should've drank more the last time we took a break from dancing."

"Oh dear." Maya rolls onto her side to face her. "If it gets bad, please don't hesitate to tell me. We can break down the door if we truly must."

"I'll be fine. I'm not going to dehydrate overnight. It's you I'm worried about. If you don't eat something you're going to wither away, Tendo Maya."

"Hm? You think the head of the class is so frail?" she challenges. Claudine smirks back at her, and the two of them end up chuckling. After a moment, Claudine heaves another sigh.

"Look at us. Miss Child Prodigy and the Genius Stage Girl, locked in the dance studio like a couple of Karens."

"I am surprised this has happened to us before it would happen to Aijou-san," Maya muses. "I suppose our tunnel-vision when it comes to practicing can have its downsides."

"We're our own worst enemies, huh?"

"Indeed, it would seem so."

They lie there for another moment staring up at the ceiling.

And then, suddenly, the lights flick off, swallowing the room in darkness. Both girls jolt, and Maya audibly whimpers. Claudine sits up promptly.

"What-? Oh, that's right…" She puts a hand to her face and groans. Maya sits up a little more slowly.

"Saijou-san? What is it?"

Claudine huffs. "The lights in here are motion-censored. Even if we leave the bar all the way up from our side, the bulbs will still go out after a few minutes if they don't detect any movement. Energy efficiency and all that. But I guess it's a good thing the outside switch didn't get turned off, or else these ones wouldn't come on at all and we'd be stuck in total darkness. But like this, at least these will stay on if we just move around a bit."

"Oh… I see…" Maya already seems a little paler, and not just because of the moonlight. Claudine stands up and takes a step toward the door, and the lights come back on again. She plops back down onto her mats and sighs.

"You should try to get some sleep first," she decides. "I'll keep the lights on until you're asleep, then I won't mind if they go off and I'll go to sleep after that."

Maya's brow furrows with concern. She shakes her head.

"I couldn't ask you to do that, Saijou-san. You need to rest."

"And I will. After you do," she reiterates. "If I fall asleep first and the lights go out, you'll never get a second's worth of rest thinking there are ghosts haunting the place."

Maya falls silent, and Claudine knows she's hit the nail on the head. She sighs for what must be the hundredth time already.

"It's fine, Maya. I don't mind."

"Claudine…"

Claudine shrugs and smiles.

"All right? Then it's decided. Get some rest."

Maya blinks at her. Claudine's honest eagerness to help her through this makes Maya's heart backflip and a lovely warmth spread across her chest. She smiles back.

"Thank you, Ma Claudine." The time for formalities has long-since passed.

Maya turns onto her side to face Claudine and closes her eyes.

Claudine sits up to avoid being tempted to close her eyes too. She looks Maya over, resisting the urge to touch her; perhaps if they were in one of their rooms tonight, they could fool around and all that, but given their current circumstances, she wants to let Maya sleep as much as possible.

Other than the soft sounds of Maya's breathing, there are a few other noises around the studio. The ventilation system clicks and groans in the walls every once in a while, and the wind outside makes the roof creak a bit here or there. She notices Maya flinch at a couple of the sounds, so Claudine begins to hum for her.

When the lights go out, she stands up and stretches until she makes enough movement to turn them on again. Then she sits back down and continues her vigil and her lullaby. She pays close attention to Maya; having been with her in such intimate proximity for so long has allowed Claudine to recognize when she's still conscious just judging by her breathing.

The lights go out again, and again Claudine stands up. She repeats the process diligently for close to an hour, all the while switching between humming various tunes.

And at long last, the tight-knit furrow in Maya's brow comes undone, and her breathing becomes slow and deep with slumber. Claudine finishes humming her song and stands up one more time to ensure the lights will stay on for a bit longer, then finally sits back down on her mats.

She lies down now, having done her job and ensured Maya is asleep.

Only then does she allow her eyes to close. The exhaustion of the day of classes and their extended after-school practicing, on top of the stress of the current situation, all rushes up to crash down over her now. She moans softly, shivering a little at the chill of the room and the awkward materials beneath her.

But even in spite of all that, she's put at-ease in knowing that Maya is right beside her like always.

Claudine falls asleep within a few minutes, and the lights go out shortly afterward.

Maya can't have been asleep for longer than an hour when she's woken by a strange sound.

At first she doesn't open her eyes as she tries to grab hold of her blankets and burrow deeper into her pillow. But then the reality of where she is tonight resurfaces, and she opens her eyes to a dark and empty dance studio.

There's the faintest bit of moonlight streaming in from the windows, but rather than make the view less frightening, it only serves to give off an even spookier vibe. The sound that had woken her is what must be the groaning of the ventilation system in the walls, which only seems to be amplified by the echo of the studio.

A chilling dread grips her chest, and on top of that there's the chill of having to sleep in here instead of on a proper bed. With no blankets, mattress, or warm sleep clothes, lying here unmoving for an hour has allowed the cold to seep into her skin. Her heart is pounding rather hard as she curls in on herself, tucking her face into her knees in an effort to calm herself.

She remembers what Claudine had told her earlier, how all of the sounds she's hearing have logical explanations much tamer than ghosts. When Maya listens for a few moments, the clicking and creaking sounds actually have somewhat of a pattern to them, something far too mechanical to be caused by a spirit.

Eventually, she exhales and opens her eyes once more, finding the empty studio exactly as it should be - minus the fact that she and Claudine are trapped in here at this hour.

Slowly, Maya turns over to check on her partner, who had kept her word in keeping the lights on until Maya had fallen asleep. Claudine's back is facing her, the light pink of her leotard dyed almost white in the darkness, the curls of her hair a dull silver.

Maya inches just a bit closer to her on the mats, but pauses when she hears a different sound this time. She instantly recognizes it as the sound of an empty stomach, and shortly afterward her own stomach growls as well. She sighs, wanting to let Claudine sleep, but also knowing she'll never fall back asleep on her own like this.

Maya shifts a little closer, and with the way every sound bounces back at her in here, every minuscule movement she makes seems to be far too loud. She inches close enough so that she may stretch out her arm and rest her hand on Claudine's side.

And Maya is shocked to feel her trembling - not much, but enough to be noticeable. And worrisome.

All of Maya's fears about ghosts are immediately forgotten and replaced by a concern for Claudine's wellbeing. She props herself up on her elbow and lifts herself up slightly over her partner, shaking her shoulder gently.

"Claudine?"

Evidently, Claudine had been sleeping lightly in this unfamiliar environment, because it doesn't take much more than Maya's timid voice to wake her. She turns over, following the gentle pull of the hand on her shoulder, and finds herself face-to-face with a girl who is very clearly scared. Claudine also props herself up on her elbow, alarm gripping her heart and making her body feel even colder.

"Maya?" Her voice is soft but tight. "What's the matter? Your face is pale." Before Maya can answer, Claudine reaches out a hand to gently touch her cheek. "Don't worry. Nothing is haunting us here. I promise."

Admittedly, Maya feels a bit better hearing those words from her, but her main fears right now aren't stemming from ghosts. She shakes her head, consequently pressing closer into Claudine's cold palm in the process.

"That isn't it," she murmurs, reaching up to cover Claudine's hand with her own. "You're freezing, Claudine. You've been shaking in your sleep."

Claudine glances down.

"Well, there isn't much we can do about that." She looks back up into her eyes now with a renewed conviction. "I'm more worried about the fact that you're white as a sheet."

This time it's Maya who looks away.

"And there isn't much we can do about that."

"Oh yes there is." Claudine eases back from her and sits up all the way. "For starters..." She shakily gets to her feet, hugging herself as the air hits her before she takes a few wobbling steps away. The lights flick on, so sharply and brightly that it makes both girls whimper and flinch.

But Maya has to admit she feels immensely better now that she can see everything properly, including her partner. But when she gets a better look at her, she frowns.

It pains her to see Claudine so clearly miserable and cold; watching her now makes Maya shiver as well. She sits up to shake herself off a little and observe as Claudine crosses the room slowly, careful not to slip on the polished wood without her shoes.

Claudine goes to the far wall and plugs the CD player back in, then selects a disc she knows to be one of Maya's favorites. Once the music starts, she adjusts the volume to make for a comfortable background track. She turns back to her with both hands on her hips and an accomplished grin on her face.

"There. Now you won't have to worry about any strange sounds."

Maya lets the familiar music fill her ears and ease her heart. She closes her eyes for a moment and enjoys the sounds, imagining herself doing the proper accompanying dance moves. Claudine must be thinking the same thing, because she sighs.

"Nothing makes me want to dance more than hearing this music and having the studio all to ourselves. Plus, it might warm us up a little..."

Maya reopens her eyes and considers the option for a moment. While she doesn't want to tire them both out and make them even hungrier and thirstier than they already are, Claudine has a good point.

As Claudine makes her way back over to their little 'beds', Maya stretches out her legs and begins to stand.

"Then let us have a small dance."

"Eh?" Claudine tilts her head. "I wasn't being serious. We don't have to-"

"But you're right," Maya says. "I'm sure a bit of movement will warm us both up nicely, and perhaps it will tire us out a bit more and help us sleep. So long as we don't overdue it and exhaust ourselves, we should be all right with a quick little dance, wouldn't you say?"

Claudine mulls it over, too. Maya definitely looks like she could use a good dance to take her mind off of ghosts and whatnot, and Claudine certainly wouldn't mind a bit of movement to stave off the shivers. So she dips her head in agreement.

"All right. So long as we take it easy."

"Agreed." Maya bows and offers her hand. "Well then, mademoiselle, may I have this moonlit dance?"

Claudine huffs cutely.

"I suppose you may." She slips her hand into Maya's, and together they step into their shoes and make their way across the studio to the open section of floor.

In spite of the hour and their situation, neither girl is feeling as tired as they probably should be at this point. On top of being too uneasy and too cold to sleep properly, it's also a tiny bit of a thrill to be somewhere different like this for a change - even if it is a bit hazardous.

The stage girls slip into the flow of the music effortlessly, maintaining a slow, controlled pace. They don't do anything too fancy or exhausting - just basic, casual steps and easy twirls. The music is slow and easygoing, a much-needed soundtrack to ease their nerves about tonight.

Maya naturally takes the lead a little, and Claudine has no protests about it for once. She follows along, letting Maya take the spotlight in hopes that it will help her forget her fears. After just a few seconds, it's evident her plan is working, because Maya's lips break out into a carefree smile. Claudine can't help but reflect it.

They dance around the room, their movements keeping the lights on for the time being. The sounds of their steps echo past the tunes of the music, and if they didn't know any better it might feel like any other normal evening of practice.

But both girls are clearly much less energized than they normally are, and start to feel the effects of not having eaten in half a day now. Maya slows them to a stop even before the song is over, noticing that Claudine is panting a bit hard. She herself isn't as fazed, as is often the case, but she chides herself now in particular, stepping in close to her and pulling Claudine into her arms.

"My apologies," she murmurs. "I shouldn't have led us on for so long, especially knowing you've been so parched." She kisses Claudine's forehead sweetly, rubbing up and down her back in soothing strokes.

Claudine holds onto her waist as she catches her breath.

"It's fine. It beats being so cold, if you ask me..."

At the very least, the short dance had accomplished its goal of getting their blood pumping and of tiring them out a bit more.

Maya slips an arm across Claudine's back and guides her back to their beds. They step out of their shoes again and sit down on their mats, using the little towels to wipe their faces and necks. By the time they've finished, the lights go out again, and Maya gasps softly. Claudine stands back up and stretches her arms out until the lights return, then sits down again.

"Are you all right?"

Maya sighs. "Yes. Are you?"

"I'm fine. But…" Claudine purses her lips, trying to think of the best way to say this so she doesn't end up sounding too desperate. "There's no point in keeping our mats apart, especially when it's so cold like this, right? We sleep in the same beds together anyway…" She feels the blush creeping across her face and almost wishes the lights would go out again. A smile forms on Maya's lips as she understands exactly what Claudine is getting at.

"That sounds like a wonderful idea, Saijou-san."

So they waste no time in pushing their mats those few inches together. Maya takes Claudine's hands in hers for a moment and hums to herself.

"You still feel a bit cold," she diagnoses. "And I'm afraid your pulse is a little quick."

"Oh, please," Claudine scoffs. "As if you weren't scared out of your wits when the lights went off. And you're cold, too." Maya actually has nothing to say for once, so Claudine soaks in the victory with a smug smirk. "Now, unless you've got any more nonsensical comments to make, let's try to get some sleep again, shall we?"

Maya bows her head and admits defeat.

"Very well. It is your victory, Ma Claudine." But switching to her pet name without warning has Claudine yelping softly, and Maya grins. Claudine grumbles under her breath.

"Why you insufferable woman…"

Nonetheless, the two of them lie down on their now-combined mats and shift close together. Claudine opens her arms with a shudder from the cold. Maya encircles her arms around her partner's waist and nuzzles softly into her collar, sliding her body as close as possible. She slips one of her knees between Claudine's, allowing their bodies to press even more closely together.

Claudine is grateful for something warm to cling to, and though she tries her best to conceal the involuntary shuddering, in the end she can't stop herself from shivering.

Maya hugs her tightly, running both hands up and down her back, but when Claudine is still trembling even after a few minutes, she eases back a bit to peer up at her.

"Claudine? Are you all right?"

Claudine huffs, and her teeth chatter just a little.

"I'm fine. Just be quiet." She gently yanks Maya back in to her chest and hugs her around the shoulders, tucking her face in against her head.

Maya does whatever she can to help keep her warm. She presses closer to her chest, and moves her hands slowly up and down her back and sides.

It's a few moments later when Claudine's shivers eventually die down. She exhales one last big shaky sigh and finally is able to indulge in Maya's warmth.

It just so happens that that's the exact moment when the lights go off again, and Maya tenses up in her arms just the slightest bit. The music continues playing softly in the background to drown out any potentially-scary noises, but Claudine goes one step further.

"It's all right," she murmurs, thankful for the darkness now in what she's about to do. Curling her arms around Maya's head, she brings her closer to her chest. "Just listen here..."

Maya pulls herself closer to her and turns her face slightly as Claudine coaxes her in. Her ear rests right at the center of Claudine's collar, and the steady rhythm of her heartbeat instantly fills Maya's head. She sighs, inching ever closer to listen to her favorite sound in the world.

Claudine's pulse comforts her like nothing else ever could. It's a familiar, warm, consistent rhythm, that persists even when the music fades in between songs. She's always found it amazing how she would easily prefer listening to the same monotonous beat over and over again rather than the most famously-composed song in the world.

Like this, Maya can drown out the sounds of the room even with the lights out, and Claudine can stave off her shivers and hold onto something that keeps her warm and safe.

Once they've settled in, and their fears and shivers have gone away, both girls tighten their embrace as much as possible. Claudine turns her face just a little, pressing her cheek against Maya's head, breathing in the scent of her hair.

"Bonne nuit, Ma Maya..."

Likewise, Maya hums happily against her chest, feeling the vibrations in Claudine's neck as she speaks. She listens to her heart beat over and over again until she can feel her mind slipping.

"Bonne nuit, Ma Claudine…"

And somehow, even though they're locked in the cold dark studio, it's almost as if they're back in their beds snuggled up warmly together.

Sleep comes for them both at long last, and doesn't let go until morning.

Claudine wakes at sunrise, the memory of where she is and who she's with already at the forefront of her mind.

She cracks her eyes open slowly, finding the studio dyed with gold as sunlight comes streaming in. The CD is still playing softly, and her mind dances lazily with images of fairies and forest creatures.

Maya is still asleep in her arms, curled against her chest like a baby animal needing warmth and love and protection. Claudine pulls her in closer and rubs her back slowly, threading through her hair. She can feel some kinks and soreness in her body from having slept in such a strange place and position, so she slowly rolls onto her back, keeping Maya draped partially on top of her.

Claudine stares up at the ceiling as the notes of the music continue. She closes her eyes here and there to let her mind wander, knowing that today they'll be found and rescued eventually - hopefully sooner rather than later. She's just glad it isn't a school day and they won't have to panic and rush around at the risk of missing a class.

She must lie there, half-asleep and half-awake, for close to an hour, letting her hands roam across Maya's back and through her silken hair.

At 7AM sharp, she hears her cell phone's alarm going off faintly in the locker room next door.

Maya must recognize the ringtone too and realize it's time to get up. She stirs, making criminally cute little moans in the back of her throat as she tries to figure out how to wake up. Claudine doesn't rush her, but instead just continues rubbing her back and shoulders.

The last thing Maya wants to do is pull herself away from that comforting scent, warmth, and pulse. Her mind slowly begins to remember their situation, and as far as she's concerned, if there's only a slim chance of anyone discovering them in such a compromising and intimate position, she'd rather maintain it for as long as humanly possible.

But it's the loud rumbling of a very empty stomach that eventually does the trick. Claudine blushes and covers her face with one arm, muttering in French to herself. Her stomach doesn't stop with just one growl but keeps going again and again. Maya eventually opens her eyes with a bemused smile already on her lips.

"My, my, Saijou-san. That's quite an interesting alarm sound."

"Don't start with me," she growls. "Not this early, and not when we're still trapped in here. If I go mad, you're the first person I'm coming for."

Maya chuckles and stretches her arms out around her partner, one across her abdomen and one beneath her back. She rubs her palm over Claudine's empty stomach and rests her head at the center of her chest again.

They're both quiet for a moment, until it's Maya's stomach that starts acting up, and it's twice as loud as Claudine's. Claudine snorts at the sound, and it's Maya's turn to blush and hide her face. Claudine pushes herself up and Maya slips down into her lap, hugging her waist and refusing to let go.

"My, my," Claudine says mockingly, patting her partner's head. "If we don't get you something to eat soon, you'll just have to start eating the towels."

Maya mumbles something and refuses to get up just yet. Claudine laughs and curls over her, hugging her gently.

"Don't worry. I'm sure Junna, if anyone, has noticed we're gone by now and probably rallied the troops to come search for us. They'll be able to guess where we are. It doesn't take a world-class detective for that."

Maya's stomach goes off a few more times before she finally sits up, cheeks still pink. Claudine cradles her face in her hands and gives her a kiss on the forehead.

"In any case, we really are going to have to break the door if they don't come soon."

Maya nods, her eyes flicking worriedly across Claudine's features.

"You're still parched?" she wonders. "Your throat hasn't become sore, has it?"

Claudine shakes her head.

"No, I'm fine. But I really have to use the restroom."

"As do I."

"What about your throat?" Claudine asks her. "You're not feeling sick from sleeping in here, are you?"

"Not at all," she smiles. "There's no need to concern yourself."

"All right. That's good, at least." Claudine looks around and their sleep area, running a hand back through her unkempt hair and making a face. "Ugh, I feel disgusting."

"Shall we give it one more hour?" Maya suggests. "If we aren't rescued by then, we can take matters into our own hands."

"That sounds fair. Shall we stretch a bit, then? No dancing though, I don't want to waste any more of our energy."

"I agree. Stretching sounds wonderful."

So the two of them clean up the mats they'd slept on and bundle up the towels to be brought to the laundry room whenever they get out of here.

With the music still playing in the background, Maya and Claudine go about their usual stretching routine; locking arms and lifting one another up on their backs, standing leg stretches, and pushing each other down into splits. All the while their stomachs take turns grumbling, and they tease each other accordingly.

They do every stretch imaginable to help pass the time in an effort to avoid breaking the door. But they've just finished the final stretch they could think of, and their stomachs have gone off growling louder than ever, when both of them pause abruptly.

"Did you hear that?"

They speak perfectly in-sync before Claudine hurries over to turn off the CD player. It hadn't been much, but it had sounded like muffled voices coming from outside the building.

Claudine returns to Maya's side and waits with her, both of them tense with anticipation as they hold out hope.

Thankfully, it isn't much longer before a flurry of footsteps comes stampeding down the hall. There's a jostling sound at the door, and then at long last it clicks and is pulled open. All of their friends stand there in their pajamas with Junna at the lead, surprised and relieved to find them.

"Thank goodness!" Junna cries out.

"Tendo-san! Kuro-chan!"

"Were you guys really locked in here all night?!"

"Oh my, how scandalous~"

Nana brushes past Kaoruko and throws her arms around Maya and Claudine.

"Thank goodness! Are you two all right?"

Claudine has to admit she's extremely relieved that their friends had gotten here on time. She can't stop herself from hugging Nana back.

"We're fine. Just hungry."

"Indeed," Maya agrees. "And we could do with a shower."

"Of course! Let's get you two out of here!"

Maya and Claudine happily step out of the studio as each of their friends comes to hug or chat with them briefly. They take turns in the bathroom and change out of their leotards and back into their uniforms, then eagerly drink from the leftover water bottles and eat the granola bars from their lockers.

On their walk back to the dorms, their friends explain how they'd missed Maya and Claudine last night, but had assumed they'd both finished practice and gone straight to their rooms to rest so they could practice even more today. But when no one had heard from them even this morning, they'd knocked on their doors and discovered both rooms vacant, and after a few texts had gone unanswered, it was pretty obvious as to what must have happened. So they'd hurried to the school building in their slippers and pajamas, frantically explained the situation to the security guard, gotten the key, and rushed to the dance studio.

"Y'know," Futaba says as they near the dorms. "You guys could've just broken the door down."

"Yes," Maya says. "We were saving that as an absolute last resort. You all arrived just before our deadline."

"That's good," Hikari says. "I'm glad nothing crazy happened."

"So what did you guys do?" Karen wonders. "Did you stay up all night? Did you sleep? On the floor?"

"We used yoga mats," Claudine explains. "And we let the music play. That's all."

"It must have been fun," Kaoruko purrs. "Trapped together overnight where you aren't supposed to be~"

"Hey!" Futaba chides her. "It's not like they did it on purpose! Don't be a jerk, Kaoruko."

"In any case," Mahiru cuts in as they finally reach the building. "I'll start on breakfast right away! You guys must be starving!"

"I'll help!" Nana offers.

So they all file inside the building and retreat to the familiar kitchen area and common room. Maya and Claudine head back to their rooms to grab some clean, casual, comfortable clothes, then head down to the showers in the meantime. They step out of their day-old uniforms and enjoy themselves for a little longer than usual under the warm water, then change into their fresh clothes and get to drying each other's hair.

By the time they're finished, their breakfast is too, and they return to the kitchen to find a feast.

The conversation this morning is mostly in regards to the events of last night, but both Maya and Claudine keep the most intimate details private. After all, as inconvenient, cold, and nerve-wracking as it had been, there had also been something rather special about being locked in together overnight and made to cuddle up on dusty old yoga mats together.

When breakfast is over and they've eaten and drank all they can handle, Maya and Claudine retreat to the former's room together to get some real sleep, just for a few hours this morning. They walk to the bed together and both drop down onto it rather heavily, crawling under the blankets and sinking into the thick mattress. They tangle themselves together much more comfortably than they had last night, savoring the softness of the blankets and pillows and the breathability of their comfortable clothes. They latch onto one another and share a long, mutual sigh.

"This beats cold smelly yoga mats any day," Claudine mumbles into her shoulder.

"I whole-heartedly agree." Maya plays through her partner's hair now that it's smooth and clean, pulling her in closer. "I'd say we deserve a real rest now, wouldn't you?"

"Absolutely."

"You're not cold anymore?"

"Not in the slightest. And you aren't scared?"

"Not at all."

"Good." Claudine closes her eyes and burrows partially into the pillow and partially into Maya's chest. "Bonne nuit, Ma Maya"

Maya chuckles and hugs her close.

"Bonne nuit, Ma Claudine."

And they're asleep within seconds, curled up together beneath the warm golden rays of the early-morning sunlight, with a peculiar but still unforgettable night behind them.

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A/N: Finally! The locked-in chapter has been shared with the world, the longest addition to this collection so far. Gosh, I just love the idea of them huddling for warmth and doing everything within their power to comfort and calm one another.