Follow My Lead (ch2)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY HIGH-PLEDGING PATRONS! THANK YOU!

So I have decided - very unsurprisingly - to add more to this story! An actual plot will arise, I assure you, just give it a few chapters. This is going to be roughly 8 chapters long.

Reminder that up to ch6 this was written before episode 11 aired, so whatever happened after 10 was not known/taken into consideration at the time of this story.

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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															Chapter 2.

There is little else Maya likes to do during her free time than scout the campus for a certain someone. In fact, there's probably nothing else at this point.

And considering the fact that she's always in the same place, even at this hour of the evening, it isn't very difficult to locate her.

Maya had changed into her leotard earlier for the sake of joining Claudine in whatever number she may be practicing today. As she walks the hallways leading to the dance studio, her ears can already catch the faint notes of music playing. It's a familiar, lively tune, one meant for quick light steps.

Maya maintains her poise and pace in spite of the fact that she's rather eager to get to her.

It's been a few days since they've been able to have some quality time alone together, especially after the final Audition. A lot had happened, but they were all doing their best to maintain the feeling of normalcy.

She reaches the sliding doors to the practice room which have been thoroughly shut. Claudine knows Maya has a tendency to watch, and she doesn't want her peeking without Claudine's knowledge. With a smirk, Maya carefully nudges the doors apart.

The light and music of the room rouse her senses, but nothing more so than the girl inside.

Claudine is moving effortlessly through the movements of the song, so engrossed in it she fails to notice her visitor just yet.

But what's most surprising is what she's wearing.

Of course the blossom-pink leotard is underneath, but what's entirely visible on top is a long flowing white robe with a sash at the waist and a strap over one shoulder. The branch of an olive tree is woven into her hair in place of the usual headband.

It's been almost a full year since Maya has seen the goddess wardrobe from Starlight in use. But in seeing Claudine dressed in it, it's almost as though Maya were back on that same stage a year prior, performing right there alongside her. It's incredible how a simple outfit change can manage to fuel her desire to act.

Even at present, it's taking a great deal of control to hold herself back from joining. She has to remind herself she's here to observe, at least until she's noticed.

Claudine steps and sways in time with the music, extending her arms in gracefully dramatic movements. The cascade of curls bounces softly at her back, which is turned to Maya more often than not. The few times Claudine does turn, her eyes are closed in her great concentration.

For several moments, Maya goes unnoticed, and pleasantly so. There's little else she enjoys more than watching her, than seeing that burning passion culminated over so many years produce its magic. Because where Claudine Saijou is concerned, her acting is truly nothing short of magical.

By some musing miracle, Claudine doesn't notice Maya's presence throughout her number, robes fluttering like the wings of white doves. Only when the music ends and she comes to a halt to catch her breath does she reopen her eyes.

And Maya decides she's waited long enough. She reveals herself with a steady applause, which has Claudine reeling around on her heels.

"You-!"

To see Maya standing there so smugly, leaning against the door frame while Claudine herself is a ruffled breathless mess makes her face turn red.

At this point, simply seeing Maya anywhere, doing just about anything will accomplish that feat.

And as always, Maya takes great pleasure in being noticed.

"Bravo. Your timing was impeccable, though I believe your movements could have been a bit more expressive."

"Just how long have you been there?" Claudine snaps, storming her way over. With the outfit she's wearing, she truly does resemble a wrathful goddess.

"What if I say 'the entire time'?"

"Then that's awfully creepy. Stalker."

Claudine stops with a few feet between them, much to Maya's disappointment. Now that she can get a good look at her, the ruffles in her clothing and her lingering shortness of breath indicate she's been here practicing for over an hour. It's nearly 9 by now, and curfew is approaching.

"I'm honored to have observed such a lovely performance. Though I have to wonder, why the choice in attire?"

Claudine huffs and crosses her arms.

"It was just an idea. I'd wanted to go through the movements in this because it's longer and a bit more difficult to move in. It's a good challenge. And besides, wearing this..."

She tapers off for a second, as if her mind is traveling elsewhere. Her tone becomes temporarily soft - distant. And then she shakes herself back to the present.

"It feels different, practicing in an outfit you've performed in. It's motivating, in a way."

Maya appreciates the notion very much, and silently agrees with her. But she can't resist to poke fun.

"Are you sure that was a good idea?" She reaches out to pinch Claudine's sleeve. "These things have been collecting dust for months."

"I washed them!" she snaps, retching herself free. "I'm not an idiot! Honestly!"

"Them?" Maya lets her gaze travel in the direction Claudine has turned to. Sitting there on the side of the room next to a few empty water bottles is a storage box. Maya wanders over to inspect the contents.

And sure enough she finds her own robes sitting there at the top, clean and folded with pristine care. Claudine stomps up next to her.

"I kind of figured you'd be coming by here to annoy me. And besides, they were stored in the same spot, so I decided to wash them both."

Maya picks up her outfit and smiles. She turns to loop her arm around Claudine's waist and pull her close.

"Merci. I'll gladly join you for a dance or two."

"One." Claudine paws at her and scrambles away. "It's almost curfew."

"Right."

Maya releases her and lets her cool off for a moment as she puts on her costume over her leotard. It's a little nostalgic to feel how the fabrics fall on her body, where the cuts in material begin and end.

When she closes her eyes for just a moment, she can picture herself back on that stage from almost a year ago with perfect ease. She hopes to be there again sometime soon, with the same partner at her side.

"Ahem."

Such a charming girl.

"You're wasting time just standing there lolly-gagging." Claudine whirls around, walks to the CD player, and switches it to another song. It's mainly as an excuse not to look at Maya directly when she's dressed like that. Even with the cute blue ribbon still in the back of her hair, her aura matches perfectly with that of a goddess.

Claudine takes a few seconds to steel herself before turning back to her and offering her hand.

"Well?"

Maya lunges right in, taking her hand in one swift motion and curling her arm around the small of her back. Claudine feels a rush of air and adrenaline as she's pulled close against her chest, a proximity so intimate she can feel Maya's breath.

"Honestly!" Her fingers fumble for purchase on Maya's shoulders. "How someone can be so gracefully ungraceful is beyond me!"

Maya simply continues smiling as their feet begin to move.

Naturally she takes the lead, which seems to irk Claudine; after all, this is her practice session. Maya is simply a guest.

She can feel how Claudine tries to take the control back, a subtle but commanding shift in weight and a pointed tug of her hands.

Of course Maya doesn't let her. She maintains her lead with ease by tugging Claudine into each motion a second earlier than necessary, effectively setting the pace.

Claudine half-growls, half-whines.

"Your timing is off!"

"For good reason."

Maya steps back and pulls Claudine with her, dipping into a slight turn to keep her secure. Claudine grumbles in French under her breath as Maya gladly continues the routine, adjusting their timing now that she's claimed her position as the lead.

They move in time with the music, arching, twirling, swaying. Maya extends her arm, lets Claudine lean back into the motion, then pulls her close again, perhaps a little closer than necessary.

The clothes don't hinder them by much. It's nostalgic in a way. Even if the music isn't the same, there's a familiarity in the way the fabrics move around them, in the way their bodies press close and move as one.

Several moments of the routine pass by, and by some miracle both participants behave. Maya only teases a little bit here or there by moving Claudine into an intimate closeness.

And to her surprise, Claudine doesn't snap at her like Maya anticipates. She has to remind herself that while she's only just arrived, Claudine has been practicing for quite some time already.

With this in mind, Maya slows her movements just a bit, noting Claudine's effort to keep up.

The end of the song is nearing, and Maya prepares for the final spin. She takes it slowly for her partner's sake, opening her arms while keeping hold of her hand, letting her branch out, then bringing her back in. She catches her with expert timing and dips low, supporting nearly all of Claudine's weight in her arms right as the music stops.

The room fills with the sounds of their breathing, mostly Claudine's, as they hover with their noses mere inches apart. Maya can feel Claudine's breath on her lips, and with her eyes so stunningly close it takes great effort not to let herself lean forward to close the distance.

She holds her there longer than necessary, as if curious to see if Claudine will strain up for her.

But of course she doesn't.

"I beg your pardon, but my spine is about to snap."

Charming.

Maya chuckles and straightens up, helping Claudine do the same. She keeps her hand at the small of her back, both to help her maintain her balance, and because she wants to. Claudine doesn't shake her off.

"I've gotten rusty," Claudine mutters. "That was mediocre at best."

Maya frowns.

"You're tired. I'd say it was very well done."

"I should be able to handle this much!" she snaps. Only then does Claudine storm away, robes flapping behind her. She smacks her back against the wall and slides down near the costume box, reaching for the last full water bottle. She mutters more French, things Maya can only assume are curses, and takes a few sips.

Maya follows and sits more quietly beside her, letting their shoulders brush. When Claudine finishes drinking she pulls the bottle away from her lips with vigor.

"One more time."

She makes a move to stand, but Maya stops her with a firm hand, having her stay where she is.

"Rest first. Just for a moment."

Claudine huffs, but doesn't argue. That's the surefire way to tell she's tired.

Once Maya is certain Claudine won't get up just yet, she takes the unfinished water bottle from her hands and downs the rest herself. Claudine gapes.

"You-! What do you think you're doing?"

Maya puts the empty bottle aside.

"Sorry. Were you not finished?"

"That's not it! You just drink from other peoples' water? What if I was sick or something?"

"Are you?" Maya's tone drops into something more serious, and her eyes become stern. Claudine looks away.

"No. I'm just saying-"

"Then what's the harm?"

"You have no manners." Claudine taps her fingers impatiently. "Come on then, let's do it once more."

"You haven't rested yet."

"I don't need to."

"One minute," Maya bargains. "Close your eyes."

"But curfew-"

"One minute."

Claudine sighs in the utmost exasperation and closes her eyes. She leans her head back against the wall with her cheeks puffed into a pout.

Truth be told, Maya has no intention of doing the dance with her a second time. Her only intention is to get Claudine to rest.

She begins to hum a soothing song, one everyone at the academy knows, but one she knows Claudine is particularly fond of.

The title is "Song of the Stars." It is calming, melodic, and even a little sad, but it ends on a lighter key that just about anyone finds pleasant.

She notes the effect it has on Claudine almost immediately, as the girl slouches a bit more fully against her side. Maya waits to see if she will rest her head on her shoulder, but Claudine stubbornly opts to lean back against the wall instead. Maya shrugs softly and continues her song.

Even without words, her voice is smooth and perfect, much like her dancing. And once her lullaby has been hummed to completion, she discovers her plan has borne fruit.

Claudine's slower and deeper breathing indicates she has fallen into a slumber, just as Maya intended. No way can she proclaim to need to do the dance a second time when she's this exhausted.

Maya indulges herself and shifts closer to her sleeping classmate, coaxing with gentle fingers at Claudine's opposite hip until she has her head resting on Maya's shoulder after all.

Maya finds Claudine's closest hand and threads their fingers together, then brings it to her lips and kisses it.

Once again she spoils herself and takes slight advantage of the situation, closing her own eyes and savoring the moments. Claudine's warmth pools at her side, and her scent of hard work and cherry blossoms drifts lazily into her lungs.

She lets it last for a short while, until she feels the hour of curfew is upon them.

With regret, she releases her grip on Claudine's hand, but only temporarily. After all, she does plan on getting her to her room, but she doesn't plan on waking her to do so.

Maya readies herself in a crouch before slipping one arm gingerly between the wall and Claudine's back, gripping her waist securely. The other arm goes beneath her knees and gathers her legs.

Maya shifts Claudine with great care, until her weight has settled in Maya's lap. She doesn't wake.

With meticulous effort, Maya rises to her feet with her princess in her arms – or perhaps in these clothes she should think of her as a goddess.

With how deeply Claudine seems to be under, Maya sets her pace at a light saunter, leaving the boxes, CD player and water bottles behind to be cleaned up tomorrow. She exits the dance studio and makes her way back to the main building.

By some stroke of luck, no one intercepts or spots them, as curfew has just struck.

She takes her time walking, as any teacher who might stop her would readily accept the obvious, that she was helping out an exhausted fellow student.

But she meets no one on her way to the dorms, and is able to enjoy the walk to the fullest.

She passes by her own door without a second thought and heads down the hall a few paces. She's been to Claudine's room more times than she probably has reason to account for, but doing so has taught her the lock is a bit rusted. A bit of jostling with her elbow has the door opening inward.

She bumps the light switch carefully, always ensuring Claudine's head is nowhere near the wall or door frame. Once the room is brightened by a soft yellow glow and the door has shut behind her, she makes her way to the cream-colored canopy bed fit for a princess. Or goddess.

Upon reaching her soft destination, she lies Claudine down with a tenderness that speaks volumes louder than her voice ever could.

Only the shift in angle and the loss of Maya's warmth causes Claudine to moan softly, tiredly, adorably. The image of her lying upon such a royal mattress in such magical robes is nothing short of ethereal.

And the rasp in her voice as she finally comes to – if only partway – is irresistible.

"Mmn... Where-?" She blinks, seems to understand she's back in her own room, and then shifts her gaze to Maya. "Why are you here?" Her grogginess prevents her from understanding the obvious. Maya is glad to fill her in.

"I took the liberty upon myself to ensure you made it back safely tonight."

Claudine scrunches up her nose in an adorably indignant manner.

"You... I didn't ask you to... You're the one who-" A yawn. "-put me to sleep in the first place..."

"Do you want me to leave?"

"I didn't say that."

Maya chuckles softly. She heads for the door, but only to confirm it's locked fully this time, then turns off the lamp. She removes her dance shoes, then does the same for Claudine who is far too exhausted to make an effort at protest.

There's still a faint silvery mix of moonlight and starlight filtering in through the window to see by, and the way it highlights Claudine's skin and the outline of her hair is nearly enough to have Maya kissing her without a second thought.

She resists, but just barely.

When she's ready she sits herself on the bed beside Claudine, and when she isn't chided, eventually lies herself down fully beside her. She rests on her side, facing Claudine who hasn't moved from her position on her back; how any princess sleeps.

Maya idly drapes one arm across her partner's stomach. Claudine reaches up with one hand to touch hers.

It's nothing new, but it still gives them each butterflies every time, no matter how tired they may be.

Claudine must be exhausted enough to forget her perpetual annoyance at Maya, because she actually moves over half an inch to give her room. Maya can tell her eyelids are barely staying open and that speaking is a struggle.

"You're still wearing that outfit..."

"So are you," Maya reminds her softly. "I think it's very becoming."

"Shut up." There's no force, no venom. Only enervation. Her eyes close, and Maya is under the impression she's drifted off until she manages a bit more.

"If we can play the lead roles again... I want to be Claire..."

Maya rubs her palm slowly across Claudine's stomach, feeling her breathe.

"If you did, you wouldn't forget me, right? As Claire forgets Flora?"

"What kind of question is that? Of course I wouldn't... Idiot." Her eyelids have fallen shut by now.

Maya supports herself on one elbow and shifts over her with ease. She plants a feather-light kiss on the backs of each of Claudine's eyelids.

"Flora went blind," she murmurs. "If only Claire could have healed her."

"I'm sure... she would have if she could..."

The conversation finally tapers off as Claudine fades.

Maya keeps herself awake for a while longer, moving her hand up to brush the backs of her nails over a soft pale cheek, or to play mindlessly through silvery-blonde curls.

She plants a few more kisses here and there before resting her head on the front of Claudine's shoulder. The faint beat of her heart thumps a steady rhythm underneath, another lullaby without words.

Maya resumes her loose embrace on her partner – her Claudine – and closes her eyes at last.

"Bonne nuit."

Perhaps she'll still be here in the morning.

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A/N: Listen... I just really love them in those goddess outfits okay...

Enjoy one more chapter of senseless fluff before The Plot happens in ch4.