Healing Kisses (ch32)

EARLY RELEASE FOR ALL MY PATRONS!!

Yet another little 'lazy day' sort of idea... Don't remember where this one came from but it's just one I wanted to explore~

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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														Chapter 32.

It's quite typical that Claudine will use her Sundays to sleep in a little bit after a week of training as hard as she can in classes and after school. After all, her own words were along the lines of a lack of sleep being the enemy of good skin.

But this Sunday morning, she wakes before the sun has even risen, while her room is still shrouded in that quiet, pale pre-morning mist of a glow.

She's always been one of those people who would have trouble falling back asleep once she's woken up, unless she was extremely enervated for some reason. But she isn't, so she already knows she won't be sleeping again this morning.

A glance at her alarm clock tells her it's just past 5AM and no later, and yet her body is already itching to get moving.

But first…

Slowly, she turns herself over to face the sleeping Tendo Maya on her other side, her arms outstretched as though she'd been holding Claudine all night long until just moments ago. Her curled fingers are twitching slightly, as if trying to seek her out again.

Claudine feels a small twinge in her heart at the sight of her, breathing softly and looking so cute. If only she could always be this quiet.

Musing as much to herself, Claudine reaches out to stroke her fingers gently through Maya's bangs, making sure not to wake her. She props herself up on her elbows, petting Maya's crown for a few moments before taking one of her empty hands and squeezing. She gives her palm a kiss, and then her forehead before Claudine carefully shifts herself off the mattress and out of bed.

Stretching briefly, she heads to her dresser to pull out her workout clothes, which consist of the school-given white track suit lined with pink. For whatever reason, she can feel energy pumping through her in spite of the hour, and she wants to utilize it to the best of her abilities and then some.

She changes, puts on her headband, steps into her shoes, and then casts one last glance back at Maya sleeping alone in her bed. Claudine can already picture her waking up puzzled and disheartened without her there, so she walks back to her bedside and kisses her one more time.

With this, Claudine takes her leave, shutting the door quietly behind herself.

All of the dormitory is silent and asleep as she makes her way down the hall. She stops by the lounge, still dark with only a tiny bit of light coming through the windows, tiptoeing her way to the fridge to get a bottle of water. After that, she heads for the doors and steps outside.

It's much brighter outdoors than in. Though the sun has yet to rise, its light is already making its way through the trees. The wind has a bit of a chill to it, and there's still dew splattered across the grass, but to Claudine it's a refreshing and motivating breath of air.

She keeps to the sidewalk and makes her way toward Seishou, hoping she'll be allowed in so early, because if not she'll have to wait until one of the staff gets there to permit her entry. She takes her time walking, bounding a little as she goes, feeling that early-morning rush of energy that she wishes she could experience more often nowadays.

Once the school building is in sight, Claudine is relieved to see a light on at the entrance, so she knows she won't have to wait outside. She jogs up the steps and enters, greeting the surprised receptionist with a smile before making her way down to the studio.

The door has probably only just been unlocked moments earlier, and it slides open with a click that echoes through the quiet building. Claudine flicks on the lights, letting her eyes adjust as she walks in to start stretching. After loosening up, she sets up the CD player and goes through various songs to practice to until she finds one that resonates with her at the moment.

And so she begins to channel that early-morning energy coursing through her, dancing and twirling and singing without a care in the world and with no eyes upon her. She goes through every song on the current CD and practices each dance number along with it. Then she switches to a second CD, and then a third.

Claudine lets her energy flow, lets her body move however it pleases, throwing her inhibitions to the wind and doing something she oftentimes forgets to do - she has fun.

As the sun rises and beams its rays little by little into the studio, Claudine only pauses now and then for a drink of water before she hurries back into her routine. She still practices every dance ardently, and whenever she makes a mistake she goes back and adamantly retries until she's satisfied.

But she doesn't feel the usual pressure for any of it - not as much as she normally might, anyway. Perhaps it's too early for her brain to start piling up the mound of expectations, so she simply allows herself to enjoy what she's doing instead of fixating on every little thing.

Claudine trains for hours that morning, until the sun has risen completely and taken its place higher up in the sky. She practices until she's covered in sweat, something that would usually annoy her and make her feel gross. But for whatever reason, today she almost welcomes it as a sign of how hard she worked.

She trains by herself for about four hours, until about 9:30 when she's just finished up the last dance to the last CD. After unplugging the player and putting the equipment away, she staggers over to pick up her empty water bottle and toss it. Panting, she needs to use the walls for support as she guides herself into the locker room, limping to her own cubby for a clean towel to begin wiping herself down.

And though her limbs are wobbling and her stomach is reminding her she hasn't eaten anything yet, and though she feels like she might just collapse and fall asleep right then and there, it feels good. She welcomes this sort of exhaustion, this soreness. It's proof she'd worked her hardest and done her best, not to the point of it being detrimental or dangerous, of course, but a healthy amount.

She has to sit on the bench between cubbies for nearly five whole minutes just to catch her breath, wiping away perspiration all the while.

By now she's sure the rest of her friends are awake and probably wondering where she'd gone, so she decides it's time to head back. Hoisting herself to her feet, Claudine makes her way back down the halls and to the exit of the building, then proceeds along the sidewalk back to Starlight Hall.

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Maya wakes in Claudine's bed, which is probably her favorite place in the world to be, perhaps even more so than the stage. But it quickly becomes less favorable as soon as she realizes Claudine isn't here with her.

She blinks several times as she pushes herself up, scouring the room to find it empty. The clock reads 9:28, and Claudine's side of the bed is made and already long-since cold.

Maya knows she must have gone to school to practice and left her to rest. She feels as though her bangs are particularly smooth in comparison to the rest of her hair, and her heart feels warm to know Claudine hadn't left without sparing her some attention first.

Maya climbs out of bed and makes her side, then exits Claudine's room to return to her own.

Other girls are already awake by now, and the usual air of conversation is floating around the dorms. Maya dresses casually in her room; the usual leggings and sweater. She thinks she might like to join Claudine at the studio after a bit of breakfast.

Junna and Nana are already in the lounge preparing some food, and Maya greets them with a smile.

"Daiba-san, Hoshimi-san, good morning."

"Good morning, Maya-chan!"

"Where's Saijou-san? She's not with you?"

Maya shakes her head.

"No. It would appear she went on ahead to school to practice on her own this morning."

"When did she leave?"

Maya ponders for a moment and poses a guess.

"Perhaps and hour or two ago."

"All right," Nana grins, rolling up her sleeves. "Then she's gonna be hungry! Junna-chan, pass me the eggs, please!"

"Roger."

Maya helps set up the dishes and silverware for the incoming omelettes.

Futaba and Kaoruko meander in, followed by Mahiru and her two still-sleepy roommates. But even by the time breakfast is ready, Claudine still hasn't joined them.

"Guess she ate before she left," Futaba shrugs. "She's probably super focused on whatever she's doing."

"All right!" Karen says, making a determined fist. "I'm getting pumped-up just thinking about Kuro-chan working this early in the morning! I won't lose! Hikari-chan, Mahiru-chan, let's hurry up and eat so we can go practice, too!"

"Okay."

"H-Hold on, you two! Don't rush! Make sure you chew!"

Maya eats slowly in contrast to Karen gobbling down her eggs while Mahiru monitors her. Their trio ultimately finishes first, with Futaba and Kaoruko right behind them, and after washing their dishes properly, the five of them head for the hallway.

But just before they leave, Maya perks up when Karen calls out in surprise.

"Kuro-chan!"

"Finished already?" Kaoruko inquires.

Maya looks to see Claudine dressed in her workout clothes, waving a greeting to her friends as she rounds the threshold of the lounge.

"For now," she says, answering Kaoruko. "But don't you worry. I'll be back out soon."

"You worked hard!" Mahiru smiles. "I can tell. Take a rest for now, Kuro-chan."

"Maybe for a little while…"

As the five of them exit and Claudine makes her way in, Maya meets her gaze with a smile.

"Why, good morning, Saijou-san."

"Bonjour."

"Kuro-chan!" Nana calls from the sink. "We made you an omelette in case you're hungry. You can heat it up whenever!"

"Merci, Nana," Claudine says. "But for now, I think I just need to lie down."

"Eh?" Maya blinks, puzzled as Claudine sits down rather heavily on the couch beside her. Now that she's this close to her, Maya can see a slight gleam on her skin, one she recognizes that only appears after someone has sweat a great deal.

Claudine bends forward to remove her shoes. Leaving her legs off the side of the couch, she lies her upper body down sideways onto the cushions, her head bouncing on the fabric just an inch shy of Maya's thigh.

Maya blinks again; normally Claudine wouldn't be so comfortable showing her exhaustion in front of others, not even Maya herself. Peering down over her, Maya tilts her head to one side curiously, keeping her voice low so the others won't overhear.

"Saijou-san? Is something the matter?"

But there's no reply. Maya tenses, fearing she'd asked something she shouldn't have, that perhaps she'd upset Claudine with her inquiry.

But after touching her partner's shoulder lightly, Maya comes to realize she's already out cold. She might've even been asleep before her head had hit the cushion. Maya is equal parts confused and concerned now as she curls her fingertips through Claudine's hair.

Junna and Nana finish their dishes at the sink, and then Nana comes over to collect Maya's.

"Ah," Maya frets. "My apologies. I'll wash it."

"I don't mind!" Nana smiles. "You stay with Kuro-chan, okay? She must've trained super hard all on her own if she's already asleep like this." She casts a fond smile down at Claudine before taking Maya's plate back to the sink with her.

Junna makes her way over, adjusting her glasses a little as she looks Claudine over.

"I wonder what time she went over to practice," she mumbles.

"Perhaps it was earlier than I'd thought," Maya says. "Regardless, I will stay with her until she wakes up."

"All right. She's probably just tired, but if you think she's got a fever or something just call one of us and we'll come help."

Maya dips her head first to Junna, and then to Nana who comes back over to leave two cold bottles of water on the coffee table in front of Maya, one for each of them.

"Well," she says. "Junna-chan and I've got some shopping and cleaning to do. But if you need anything, just give us a call!"

"I will. Thank you very much."

With this, Nana and Junna take their leave, and Maya finds herself alone in the lounge with her sleeping partner.

She stops idling through Claudine's hair for a moment and is still, looking her over as she slips her hand onto Claudine's side. Maya watches her sleep, glad to feel that her breathing seems to be slow and even. Peering down at her face, she doesn't appear to be feverish either, but just to make sure Maya rests the back of her hand against her forehead briefly. Her skin feels a little clammy, but Maya can tell it's just residual heat and adrenaline from an intense workout, not the stifling fire of sickness. She relaxes a little, glad everything seems to be all right.

/She really is just tired, hm?/

Maya slowly rubs her hand along Claudine's side for a while, then drifts it over her shoulder before carding through her hair again.

Claudine sleeps for the rest of the hour, and shows no signs of wanting to wake for the next. Maya only leaves her side for a brief moment to retreat to her bedroom and fetch a book. When she returns to the lounge, Claudine hasn't budged.

Maya takes a sip from her water before sitting again and opening her book, settling down and getting comfortable. She enjoys the peace and quiet of the lounge with the only sounds being the occasional chatter out in the halls, the flipping of a page, or Claudine's breathing.

Maya reads well into her book as another hour passes, but still Claudine seems perfectly content not to stir.

At lunchtime, the others return, keeping their voices low when they notice Claudine is still asleep. Keeping a hand on her partner's side, Maya closes her book and puts it down for the time being.

"My," Kaoruko says. "Is Kuro-han still asleep? That's unusual."

"Well, ya can't blame her, can ya?" Futaba says. "Remember what the receptionist said. She said Kuroko was there before 6 this morning. That means she was training and stuff for like, four hours!"

"That's Kuro-chan for you!" Karen whispers. "She's always been such a hard worker!"

"I just hope she's all right," Mahiru says a bit nervously. "Do you think she even ate breakfast?"

"Don't worry," Nana reassures them. "Maya-chan says she isn't sick or anything. I'm sure she'll wake up when she's ready."

The eight of them have a somewhat quiet lunch, intent on letting Claudine sleep as much as she needs to. When Maya excuses herself to the restroom, the others vow to take care of Claudine in her absence. When Kaoruko tries to poke Claudine's cheek, Futaba grabs her by the scruff to stop her.

Maya returns to find them all crowded around her partner, smiling bemusedly.

"She's so cute!" Mahiru giggles. "Though I'm sure she'd be a little embarrassed if she found out we were all watching her sleep."

"It's rare for her to fall asleep in front of others," Junna notes. "She's usually the last one asleep when we have our sleepovers with everyone."

"She must've worked really hard," Nana coos.

When Maya makes her way back, the others move aside a bit.

"Tendo-san," Karen says. "If you have things to do, we can look after Kuro-chan!"

"We're done practicing," Hikari says.

Maya thinks over the offer for a moment, but ultimately she smiles and shakes her head.

"I've got nothing of high importance to tend to today. I think I'll stay with her until she wakes."

"Of course you'd say that," Kaoruko sighs. "Smitten as you are."

"Oy, Kaoruko…"

But Maya says nothing, as Kaoruko isn't wrong.

She takes her seat on the couch again. Nana scurries over, carefully slipping her arms beneath Claudine's knees to bring her legs fully up onto the couch so she can lie flat. Maya loops her arms beneath Claudine's shoulders and slowly pulls her close, letting her head rest across her lap now. And in spite of all the movement, Claudine only makes a small moaning sound and nothing more.

Maya dips her head in thanks to everyone, and they wave and smile before heading off again.

Maya doesn't even glance at her book anymore now that she has Claudine in her lap. As soon as they're alone, she starts playing through her hair again, cradling the back of her head with one hand while the other glides across her cheek.

Maya leans over her, closing her eyes and resting their foreheads together again just to make sure she doesn't have a fever. But her temperature seems as normal as ever, and her breathing remains deep and even.

Maya sits back, once again running her hand across Claudine's collar, settling her palm lightly at the base of her throat. Her pulse is perfectly steady, yet another sign of proof that nothing's wrong.

And yet Maya still can't help but worry a little. She's never known Claudine to sleep this long - not in the middle of the day, and not in a public area.

She studies her features, admiring her quiet beauty, for she is just as lovely as she always is when she sleeps. Claudine doesn't seem troubled at all, but simply deep in slumber.

Maya gets lost looking over her for a short while, caressing her bangs, her cheek, her collar… She leans down again, this time to kiss her forehead, keeping her voice a tender murmur.

"Please do wake up soon, Ma Claudine."

As she straightens up, she cradles Claudine's head, shifting her a bit in her lap. Maya sighs, and then catches sight of someone at the threshold. She looks up to find Nana standing there smiling.

"Sorry," she says. "I don't mean to interrupt."

"Not at all." Maya watches her as she saunters over to the couch, pausing to crouch down beside Claudine.

"She's out like a light, isn't she?"

"Yes." Maya lowers her gaze, and clearly her concern had trickled into her tone, because Nana frowns at her.

"Maya-chan? Are you okay?"

"Eh? Yes, I-"

"You're worried about her, aren't you?"

Maya sighs.

"Just a little. I've never known Saijou-san to sleep for so long like this. What if-?"

"Maya-chan." Nana smiles again, resting a comforting hand on Maya's knee. "If Kuro-chan knew how worried you were for her right now, I'm sure she'd be really touched."

Maya says nothing, but her heart does feel a little warmer. Nana picks up one of Claudine's hands and holds it, humming to herself briefly.

"She doesn't seem bothered or warm or anything, right? I think she's fine, Maya-chan. She's just really, really tired, that's all."

Maya nods.

"Yes. I suppose that's all it is."

"If you're that worried, do you want to wake her up, then?"

Maya doesn't respond right away. She glides the backs of her nails across her partner's cheek for a second and thinks.

"I'm just worried she hasn't eaten. But if she's this exhausted, I want to let her rest."

"Hmm…" Nana nods in understanding. "Then how about this; if she isn't awake by suppertime, we'll wake her ourselves. And don't worry, I'll make a biiiig dinner to make sure she can eat her fill! Does that sound good?"

Only having someone here to talk to her now makes Maya realize how she'd started overthinking by herself. She's grateful Nana had stopped by, probably because she predicted Maya might be like this. Maya smiles at her.

"That sounds fair. Thank you, Daiba-san."

"It's no problem at all! Kuro-chan's very lucky to have you always thinking of her, Maya-chan. Now then, I should probably go help Junna-chan with the laundry…" She gets up, giving Maya a cheerful wave before bounding out to the hall.

So with Nana's reassurance and pep talk easing her mind, Maya picks up her book again and reads calmly, her free hand either petting Claudine's hair or rubbing her chest in the meantime.

Several more hours pass, and little by little she begins to hear her partner's stomach growling. Maya chuckles a few times, and is certain to constantly monitor Claudine's condition, just to make sure she's all right. But her breathing and heart rate remain as tranquil and peaceful as ever, and Maya sees no need to worry.

She finishes her book around 4PM, and just as she's closing it and putting it aside on the table, a very tired little moan sounds from her lap. A smile spreads across Maya's lips, and a fond warmth blossoms in her chest as Claudine finally rouses herself. Her eyelashes flutter, and when the pink is revealed it's a bit misty at first, a bit puzzled.

"Where…?" Her voice is hoarse and undeniably cute.

Maya gently rests a hand on her stomach and gazes down at her.

"Why, good afternoon, my sleeping beauty."

Claudine just blinks at her, more confused than annoyed.

"Afternoon? What-?" She sits up promptly, blushing as she realizes where she'd been laying. She looks around the room, recognizing the angle of the sunlight and the time told by the clock on the wall. She yelps. "Quoi?! It's 4 o'clock? The day's almost over!"

If she's already so energetic the second she's awake, Maya is confident that she's at peak health. She reaches over to put a hand on the small of her partner's back.

"Saijou-san."

Claudine looks back to her, eyes wide in shock.

"Did I seriously sleep the whole day? And you let me? I could've been practicing-"

"Now, now," Maya soothes. "From what I hear you practiced quite enough this morning. Enough to make you so tired that you slept the rest of the day."

Claudine slouches her shoulders a bit and huffs.

"What a waste…"

"I beg to differ," Maya says. "If you were tired enough where your body felt it needed to sleep all day, then it was a very important day of rest for you. Now you will be even more energized the next time you practice because you're so well-rested. My only concern is…" Maya trails off, and her eyes drop down Claudine's front.

"What?" Claudine snaps. But just then, a loud grumbling erupts from her stomach. She shrieks and covers herself with her arms.

Maya chuckles.

"Indeed, you haven't eaten all day, have you? That's simply no good. Luckily, Daiba-san and the others will be making a grand feast for supper, and we saved your breakfast as well. Shall I heat it up for you now?"

Claudine's face is red, closer to looking like a fever than it had been all day. But she nods.

"Fine…"

For her to not even attempt at feigning protest, she must really be hungry.

"Very well." Maya feels so much more relieved now just to have her back. She never realized how lonely it made her not to have Claudine to talk to for an entire day.

Before she'd met her properly, all of Maya's days had been spent in solitude like that.

But ever since she'd met Claudine and steadily opened up to the rest of their friends, all of Maya's days have been eventful and lively.

She stands from the couch, offering Claudine the untouched water bottle before heading into the kitchen to heat up the omelette. By the time she returns to the couch with the food, Claudine has drained half her water. Her eyes are bright with the liveliness that comes after such a deep and restful sleep.

"Merci." She accepts the plate and utensils from Maya, keeping it in her lap as she cuts into the warm omelette and takes her first bite of the day.

Maya sits beside her with an adoring look in her eyes, and an even more adoring smile. Claudine gives her a sidelong glance as she wipes her mouth on her napkin and swallows.

"What's gotten into you?" she mumbles. "Can't I eat without you ogling me?"

"Not today."

"Mechante…" Claudine takes a few more bites before something occurs to her. She swallows again and looks back to her partner. "Did you… stay with me the entire day?"

Maya dips her head.

"Yes. I just wanted to keep an eye on you. I've never seen you sleep so long before during the day, so I was a bit worried. I wanted to ensure that you were all right."

"Idiot. Of course I'm all right." Claudine looks back down at her half-eaten omelette. "But… merci…"

"Pardon?"

"You heard me," she huffs. "It's just… it's nice to know you were worried, I guess. But next time, I'd appreciate it if you could wake me up so we could practice together instead of wasting the day on the couch."

"But the day was not wasted," Maya reminds her. "You got the rest you needed, and I was able to watch over you all the while and admire your sleeping face."

Claudine chokes a little bit on her egg.

"I swear, you're such a creep…"

Maya pats her back for her as she finishes eating, then finishes her water.

After putting everything aside on the table, Claudine heaves a sigh, then leans over to press a kiss to Maya's cheek. The gesture and her eyes say it all.

Maya beams back at her and kisses her too.

After the moment has passed, Claudine gets up.

"I'm going to shower."

"Then I shall join you. By then, supper will be ready."

"All right."

Together they head out into the hallway, leaning comfortably against each other all the while.

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A/N: I honestly don't know where this idea came from or why, I just wanted to have Maya fretting over Claudine all day unnecessarily. It's endearing and cute ;v;

And also I really liked giving Nana and Maya a moment together too. Nana is the caretaker of the group, after all, so if Claudine wasn't able to reassure Maya, Nana would do it.