Tender Moments (ch8)

EALRY RELEASE FOR MY $20+ PATRONS! THANKS!

And the last addition to this little collection! Wintery themed! Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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														Chapter 8.

Maya wakes feeling slightly cold, and the last time that had happened it had been because Claudine had left her for a punishment game. She quickly opens her eyes to search the bed for her and breathes a tired sigh of relief when she finds Claudine with ease, curled up with her back to her facing the window.

Maya shivers as she shifts beneath the blankets a bit, allowing some of the raw air to slip underneath and attack her skin. She inches closer to her partner, slipping one arm beneath her and draping the other across her upturned side.

Maya spoons her, cuddling close to her back and burying her face in the soft silver curls. She does everything slowly and carefully as not to wake her, circling her hands around Claudine's chest and stomach in a loose embrace. She closes her eyes once again, breathing in Claudine's scent of sweet blossoms and underlying ambition, feeling the steady, peaceful beat of her heart.

Maya's shivers die away for the most part as she settles again. She's so lucky she's able to share a bed with this beautiful girl.

She counts her blessings in Claudine's heartbeats, each and every one of them, nuzzling closer to the nape of neck to kiss her skin.

She's glad she'd woken first today, because she'd never forgive herself if she'd let Claudine wake up feeling chilly. Maya had never been one for physical or intimate contact until she'd met her. Now, she wants nothing more than to waste their Sunday together cuddling up in bed.

She's more than willing to let herself fall back asleep like this, so she lets her mind drift off.

She drifts off for half an hour or so, then wakes and floats in and out of consciousness, all the while hugging Claudine close. She'd never known the true meaning of bliss before she'd met her, either.

When Claudine does eventually wake, she feels wonderfully warm and cozy. As she opens her eyes, she registers the feeling of arms wrapped around her, and lips pressing kisses to the side of her neck. She sighs, enjoying the feelings for a moment longer before gently lying both hands over Maya's to let her know she's awake.

Claudine turns herself over carefully, not wanting to crush Maya's arm, until she's facing her. Even when she's a mess from sleeping and her hair is slightly unkempt, Maya Tendo is still as dazzling a sight to see as ever.

"Good morning," Maya says, bumping noses with her. "Did you sleep well, Ma Claudine?"

"Never better. And being spoiled rotten first thing in the morning?"

"You deserve it."

Claudine smirks.

"I never said I didn't."

She cups Maya's cheek and steals the first mutual kiss of the day.

Maya repositions her arms to hug her better from this angle, pressing their bodies as closely together as possible. Claudine relaxes into the contact, letting that first lazy kiss of the day set the mood for the rest.

They enjoy one another for a while, until Claudine finally sits up and stretches her arms out. Maya instantly misses her warmth, and though she sits up as well, she keeps the blankets close. As Claudine finishes stretching a bit, she looks to the curtains drawn over the window.

"We didn't sleep in that late, did we? It seems awfully bright outside." Before Maya can stop her, Claudine leaves the bed to pull the curtains aside. She gasps. "Snow! It's snowing!"

"Hm?"

Claudine pulls the curtains all the way aside to show Maya the campus beyond. Surely enough, the buildings and and courtyards are coated with a thin layer of white, and more flurries are falling from the white cottony clouds.

It's a magical site, if not a colorless one, one that sends of trill of excitement through the air.

And perhaps a smaller trill of dread.

"It's a bit early this year, isn't it...?" Maya wonders.

"Perhaps." Claudine remains standing at the window, staring out into the cold. "But it's a pleasant surprise, I'd say. Last year we hardly got any snow at all. I thought you'd be a little more excited about it."

But when Claudine turns back around to face the bed and the girl huddled up in it, everything clicks. "Oh, don't tell me... Tendo Maya can't stand the cold?"

Maya pulls the blankets further up into her lap.

"That isn't it-"

"Oh, really? Because that's exactly what it seems like to me."

Claudine crawls back onto the mattress with her, not seeming to mind the chill in the air even in spite of the fact that her nightgown is sleeve-less. Maya, who has them down to her elbows at least, still huddles her hands beneath the covers.

Maya doesn't look her in the eye. Claudine can't wipe the smirk off her face.

"The dance shoe is on the other foot now, is it not? You got to enjoy discovering how I act when I'm under the influence - now it's my turn to enjoy Tendo Maya shivering like a leaf. I suppose I should warm you up a bit."

Claudine reaches out to pet Maya's cheek, coaxing her to turn her face until she can kiss her again. She can feel that Maya drinks her in a little more desperately than usual, and her hands reach out to hold onto Claudine's waist to keep her close. When they part, Claudine is still grinning.

"I guess we're even again in having found out yet another of each other's little secrets. But the rain didn't seem to bother you all that much when we were coming back from the aquarium."

Maya can feel a blush coming on. She dips her head forward and hides her face against Claudine's collar.

"The air was still warm. I could handle that much. But this... frigid, dry air... I never did like winter..."

Claudine wraps both arms around her and kisses the shell of her ear.

"Then how about this? I promise that by the end of today, I'll have changed your mind about it."

Maya shudders again just by looking at the snowfall.

"That's quite unlikely."

"So are you saying you doubt me?" Her tone is only half disapproving, and the other half is playful. Maya concedes and slumps against her.

"Very well. Do as you will, Ma Claudine."

"Oh, I most certainly will. Come then, we're starting now. Get up."

If not for Claudine's presence, Maya likely wouldn't have gotten up from bed on a cold day like today until she couldn't possibly stay in any longer.

Now, she moves stiffly as she lets the blankets fall away, exposing herself to the air.

Claudine is already finished making her side of the bed, and now she struts over to her dresser to pick out casual clothes for the day. She chooses black leggings, a dark blue mini skirt, and a sky-blue blouse. She disappears into her personal bathroom for a few moments, and when she emerges wearing the clothes, Maya shivers again just from looking at her.

She already has an idea of what clothes she wants to wear, but she has to leave Claudine's room and go back to her own to get them. Once she's made her side of Claudine's bed, she prepares herself to brave the likely even colder air of the hallways, but Claudine stops hers.

"Just one moment. I think I've got the perfect thing for you, Tendo-san."

Maya pauses in the center of the room and hugs herself as she watches Claudine paw through her drawers once again.

"Here," she says. "I'll lend this to you for the day. It's always been a bit too big on me anyway." She hands Maya a heavy, thickly-knit purple sweater, but in spite of the thread it's incredibly soft. Maya's heart does a small joyful backflip.

"Are you sure? Shouldn't you be wearing this? Or at least something a bit warmer?"

"Don't underestimate me, Tendo Maya. Unlike you, I can handle the cold air perfectly well."

Maya holds back a reminder of how Claudine had caught a cold from getting stuck in the rain for fear Claudine might take the sweater back.

"Merci," she says. "I'll go change."

"Will you make it across the hallway all on your own?"

"If I don't, will you take full responsibility?"

"Shut up and just go."

Maya blows her a kiss before heading out the door. As expected, the hallway air is a bit chillier, because the heat hasn't kicked in fully yet. She hugs Claudine's sweater close to her chest and hurries back to her own room.

She selects a pair of thick white leggings almost akin to pants and slips them on quickly without removing her nightgown. When it does come time for that, she pulls it off as swiftly as possible, biting back a shriek as the cold air hits her stomach and shoulders. She freshens herself up in her bathroom before finding her way into Claudine's sweater.

Instantly, the goosebumps on her arms fade away as the soft downy warmth coats her skin. Just knowing that Claudine has worn this before makes her heart warm as well.

She sighs and gets to brushing her teeth, flinching when she feels the water is cold, even from the warm faucet. She refuses to touch it or rinse until it's hot.

Though getting to wear Claudine's clothes has made Maya slightly more inclined to enjoy the colder season, she doesn't see how her partner can ever make her love the winter. Especially not in one day.

Maya finishes getting ready, but before she leaves the room she turns back to her drawers. She already loves wearing Claudine's clothes, but she very desperately wants to see Claudine wear something of hers, too.

So she fishes out a blue long-sleeved shirt similar in color to the blouse Claudine is wearing today. The sleeves are loose and cut with ruffles at the end in an almost Victorian-esque manner, and she thinks it will look perfect on her French princess. At the very least, it'll cover her arms.

Maya brings it back to Claudine's room and doesn't miss the spark of glee in her partner's eyes at the sight of the shirt. Claudine 'begrudgingly' accepts it and changes in her bathroom. When she emerges, Maya smiles.

"It looks quite becoming on you, mademoiselle. Is it to your liking?"

She already know the answer, because Claudine can't seem to keep the smile off her face. But Maya still wants to hear her say it.

"I suppose..." Claudine gives a twirl, which ruffles up her skirt as well as the sleeves of the shirt. Maya steps up and pulls her in for a kiss.

"Perhaps I should give you my clothes more often if you're going to look this adorable in them."

"And perhaps I should give you mine more often if it means you won't have to tremble like a leaf." Claudine grabs her hand and begins pulling her toward the door. "Come on, it's nearly lunchtime."

They wear their slippers as they walk to the dining hall. Everyone else is already twittering about the snow. The student body seems divided into two halves; those who want to go outside and enjoy the snow, and those who want to stay in with a cup of tea. Maya prays to be a part of the latter group.

Hot soup is being served in the dining hall, and Maya gratefully takes a bowl of it along with a warm toasted muffin. Claudine takes some soup as well, along with a side of warm mashed potatoes. As they sit down and begin eating, Claudine smirks as she observes Maya clearly enjoying her meal.

"See? One of the best things about the cold weather is the contrast of warm food. Though you should know ice cream tastes especially nice in the winter."

Maya shudders just from the thought.

"Claudine, you know I love you, but please stop talking."

Claudine laughs outright.

"You poor thing. You really do have it bad, don't you?"

They continue eating, greeting the rest of their friends as they stop by to join them. Karen announces her plans to go outside and build snowmen with a less enthusiastic Hikari and Mahiru, Kaoruko and Futaba consider joining them for a bit, and Junna and Nana happily declare they'll be staying inside baking warm banana bread for everyone when they return.

Maya anxiously pays attention to Claudine for a response.

"Oh, that sounds like fun," she says to Karen. "Perhaps Maya-san and I will join you outside."

Maya closes her eyes and lets out a breath as though embracing death itself.

"Great!" Karen chirps. "We'll see you outside then, Kuro-chan! C'mon guys, let's get ready! I gotta find my coat!" As she scampers away and pulls her roommates behind her, Maya leans across the table a bit toward Claudine.

"You don't seriously intend to go outside in this weather, do you?"

Claudine raises her chin triumphantly.

"I seriously do. And you're coming with me. Or have you forgotten my promise?"

"I can learn to enjoy the winter just fine from inside."

"Oh? I never expected Tendo Maya to be taking the easy way out of something."

Maya doesn't even have the energy to fight her. In spite of her warm meal, she shivers simply at the thought of going outside. She purposefully takes her time eating, but eventually she has to accept her fate.

Claudine herds her back to her room and demands she get a coat and some boots on. Maya had brought some winter clothes with her to the academy; she'd just never expected to actually have to wear them.

She slowly pulls her blue trench coat on over her sweater, steps into her snow boots, slips her shivering hands into a pair of gloves, and wraps the thickest wool scarf she can find around her shoulders.

When Claudine returns to come fetch her, she's dressed in much the same manner, only with a lighter-colored coat and a black beret atop her head. Maya can hardly take a moment to appreciate getting to see her dressed in an outfit she's never seen on her before, because Claudine is already grabbing her gloved hand with hers and dragging her down the hallway.

"I'm not going to have you out there the whole day," she says. "Just for a bit. Of course there are some days in the winter when you've got no choice but to stay in and keep warm, but the first snow of the season should never go unappreciated."

"I can appreciate it just fine from my bedroom with a warm cup of tea."

"Hush now. We're going outside."

They reach the exit doors, and Maya desperately tries to absorb the last bit of heat from the building into her skin. She can already feel the cruel chill of the outside air leaking in. She grips Claudine's hand harder and takes in a deep breath.

Claudine lifts her free hand to the door and pushes. A blast of cold air rushes in to meet them. Maya closes her eyes and nearly pulls herself away and retreats back into the building.

But she braves it out, taking a bit of courage from Claudine as she follows her out, taking her first steps into the snow. Claudine only guides her out a few steps before pausing and waiting for her to adjust.

"Come now, Tendo Maya. Open your eyes."

Maya does as she's told. Slowly, she lifts her eyelids, blinking multiple times to keep out the flurries and winds. When she can finally keep her eyes open, a world of white awaits her.

Of course she's no stranger to the winter scenery; the crystalline white snow fluttering down from the clouds, coating the trees, the buildings, and the ground all in soft blankets of white. But she'd often only enjoy such views from her room.

Only being out here in the frigid chill of the air can allow her to get the full winter feeling. She draws in a tentative breath, wincing as the cold air invades her body, but after a few more times she gets used to it.

Next to her, Claudine has her eyes closed as she takes in a deep breath without hesitation, letting it fill her lungs with the fresh scent of winter. She lets it out in a thick white puff of air. When she finally does open her eyes, her cheeks are pink and her eyes are bright.

"See? It isn't so bad, now is it?"

"If you weren't with me, I might've gone back inside already."

"Well, I'm here now, so you're not getting off that easily. There's plenty to do out here. Come with me." She gives another tug to Maya's hand and starts to lead her.

The snow isn't very high up, probably only two inches or so, but it's still enough to decipher where the paths are, thanks to the footprints of other students. Maya can hear the echoes of laughing and chatting voices ringing around the campus, and when she takes a moment to glance around she finds a lot more people outside than she'd anticipated.

She spots Karen coercing Hikari and Mahiru to pile up mounds of snow for a snowman. Close by, Futaba is trying to build something as well, but Kaoruko refuses to get her hands dirty. Many of the other girls are doing similar activities, or taking pictures of the campus and each other.

Before she's really even aware of it, Maya is being drawn in by the inviting atmosphere.

But then another gust of cold wind blows half her scarf off, and she jerks back so quickly she pulls her hand right out of Claudine's. Claudine freezes and whirls around.

"Maya?"

"S-Sorry..." She dreads the thought of offending her, but when she looks up Claudine is smiling.

"Oh you poor, poor thing." Claudine steps close and re-wraps Maya's scarf for her, tucking it in snugly to the collar of her coat. She brushes Maya's cold hair aside and lets the scarf rest against the bare skin of her neck instead. She finishes by cupping both gloved hands on Maya's cheeks and gazing bemusedly up into her eyes.

"If you needed to be warmed up, why didn't you say so?" Claudine kisses her quietly, silencing the slight chattering of Maya's teeth, and letting an intimate warmth spread across her lips and enter her body.

Maya sighs and reaches for her, pulling her close and never wanting to let her go.

When Claudine eases back from the kiss, she hugs Maya more fully, pressing as closely as possible to share her heat. She waits until Maya has stopped shivering. When she does finally pull away, Maya nearly whimpers, but manages to restrain herself.

"Don't worry," Claudine says, taking her hand once again. "I won't make you engage in their barbaric snowball fights. We're just going to enjoy the weather."

"I'll do my best..."

Claudine continues bringing her around the courtyards, occasionally pausing to admire the scenery. Maya has to admit it's quite beautiful, but more often than not her eyes stray away from the snow and end up on Claudine.

It's similar to when she'd taken her to the aquarium. She's beaming with a subtle radiance Maya never knew she possessed – at least not one she thought she'd show simply because it was snowing. It's yet another side of Claudine she hadn't known about before, and considers herself lucky to have learned about now.

Before she knows it, Maya is smiling as well.

She follows Claudine wherever she goes, all the while keeping hold of her hand. Though at times she has to switch hands to let the coldest one go into her pocket instead.

Claudine is constantly stopping to take Maya's hands and rub them between her own, or to hug her to keep her warm, or to kiss her because she wants to. Maya never explicitly asks for any of it, but Claudine always seems to know exactly what she needs and when.

Eventually they make their way around the entire building and end up back where they'd started. By now, Karen and Futaba are engaged in a snowball fight that they've dragged Kaoruko and Hikari into, though Mahiru has passionately abstained. Claudine makes sure to keep a good distance away from their friends.

She turns back to Maya, whose cheeks and nose are flushed pink, but there's a new shine in her eyes.

"Well?" she asks. "Was it as dreadful as you'd expected it to be?"

Maya adjusts her scarf a little.

"I suppose not. Though my opinion of the season has entirely to do with whether or not you're present with me."

"You flatter me."

"I speak only the truth, Ma Claudine." The suave aura she's going for is promptly ruined by another blast of wind that makes her shrink back into her scarf.

Claudine chuckles.

"Does my lady require additional warmth again?"

She wants to hear her ask for it.

Maya sighs, and her teeth clatter as she does so.

"Please... if you would..."

"I'll see what I can do."

Claudine reaches up to wrap Maya in her arms once again, letting her get all of her shivers out. Maya hugs her around her waist and hides her face against Claudine's shoulder and scarf. She feels a warm kiss being laid on her cheek and soft hands rubbing up and down her back.

"Would you say this is enough for today? Would you like to- kyaa!"

Suddenly something makes a dull thudding sound against her back. Maya feels the impact from it as Claudine stumbles forward into her.

"Claudine? Are you-"

"Oy, love birds!"

Maya looks up to where Futaba is tossing a snowball up and down in her hand, grinning.

"Why don't you guys go back inside and get a room."

"Isurugi-san-"

"Why you-!" Claudine whirls around with fire in her eyes, enough to melt away the chill she'd suffered from the snowball. "How dare you!"

"I'll show you how I dare!" Futaba hurls another snowball at them. Claudine shrieks and ducks into Maya, who only manages to block the ball by reflex. But when she hits it with her hand it explodes into a cold array of flurries right in their faces. Futaba falls over laughing.

"You two are a mess! Just go back inside already!"

"Why that little-"

"Claudine, I thought we weren't going to get involved with-"

"That was before!" she snaps. "Now it's war. It's a matter of pride! Don't you have any? I'm not letting her get away with this! So are you coming or not?"

The blaze in her eyes is strong enough to convey to Maya that there's only one correct answer if she ever wishes to hold or kiss her again for the rest of the day. So she lets out a long breath before taking it back in. She smiles.

"Of course I am. I am your partner, after all."

"Damn right you are." Claudine grabs her hand and pulls her toward the others.

And in spite of the continuous cold, Maya's smile doesn't fade away for the rest of the day.

They build somewhat of a fort in the snow, making a triangle with Karen's fort and Futaba's. Claudine packs the snowballs since she doesn't mind the cold as much, and Maya throws them, since it means she won't have to touch them for long.

They get in a few good hits here and there, but also take quite a few blows themselves.

At one point Karen nails Maya right in the face. Claudine lunges forward to grab her so she won't fall back into the snow and laughs out loud as she cleans her off, peppering kisses all over her face to help warm her back up again.

That's when Maya really starts to get into it too. A need for revenge and the freezing cold fire her up, and she starts throwing a little harder.

And then suddenly out of nowhere, Karen and Futaba share some kind of hidden truce signal and begin to only attack Claudine and Maya. By now Hikari has more or less stopped participating in favor of rubbing her hands together to keep warm, and Kaoruko is only still playing in hopes of ending it here.

The two other teams bombard Maya and Claudine with an arsenal of saved-up snowballs, and they have little to defend themselves with. Maya admits defeat fairly early on into the attack and ducks behind their barrier, but Claudine is fighting until the very end. She fights until she's hit several times in a row, collapses to her knees, and then falls back.

"F-Fine..." she pants. "We surrender..."

"Yes!" Karen squeals. "We did it, Futaba-chan!"

"Hell yeah!"

"But surprising them with a joint attack might have been a little unfair," Hikari murmurs.

"Who cares?" Kaoruko sighs. "At least it's over."

Maya finally sits herself up fully without fear of being hit anymore and crawls over to where her comrade had fallen. Claudine is lying on her back with her arms open, still catching her breath as white puffs of air surround the air above her. In contrast to the white air, her cheeks are bright pink, and when she finally opens her eyes, they're much the same. Maya picks up her partner's fallen beret and dusts it off a bit in her lap while Claudine recovers.

"I suppose..." Claudine huffs. "It's for the better. You seemed like you were at your limit anyway."

"But we lost," Maya says. "I'm sorry I failed you, mademoiselle."

"Nonsense. Tendo Maya- we did not lose. We simply let the others win this time around."

Maya nods.

"Of course."

Claudine lies there for a moment longer, and had she not been so cold Maya would have loved nothing more than to lie down next to her. But hopefully they can do that later, in a nice warm bed.

As the others clean up their snow forts and prepare to go back inside, Maya shakes herself off a bit and waits for her partner. Claudine has closed her eyes again and is enjoying the slightly flurry falling all around her.

Maya admires the sight of her, breathless and blushing and covered in white, smiling like a child at this first snow of the season. The true definition of a snow angel, no doubt.

Maya reaches out to squeeze onto one of her hands, hopefully bringing some feeling back into her frigid fingers.

At last, Claudine lets out one last sigh before opening her eyes once more, seeking Maya's.

"T-Tendo Maya..."

"Hm? What is it, Ma Claudine?"

When Maya looks her over more closely now, she notices Claudine's lips are pursed tightly together, but still trembling from due to the chattering teeth behind them. Claudine reaches up her arms which have started to shake.

"I'm cold."

And those words make Maya's heart melt.

She doesn't waste a second in leaning down over her partner, letting Claudine cling onto her shoulders as she wraps both arms around her back. Maya brings her up out of the snow and pats the excess flurries off of her, rubbing quickly all up and down her back.

Claudine shivers against her chest and tucks her face against Maya's neck, but the vigor with which she's returning the embrace suggests she's all right.

Maya squeezes her as tightly as she can, clearing away little chunks of ice from Claudine's hair and the ends of her scarf. She puts her beret back on to cover her ears, then begins to kiss her.

She plants her lips all across Claudine's forehead, cheeks, nose, and lips, warming her back up little by little and in turn being warmed by her.

But after only a few more minutes both of them are shivering. As they ease apart from another kiss, Claudine smiles helplessly.

"I suppose we should go back inside."

Maya sighs in relief and kisses her again.

"I would love to."

Between the two of them, they find enough balance in their shaking legs to stand up, and gradually stagger back toward the building after their friends.

That first blast of heat that greets them makes both girls whimper in relief, and they spend another few minutes in the hallway hugging one another.

Once the last of the shivers have worked their way out, they make their way back to their rooms to grab the warmest pajamas they own, all long fluffy pants and sweaters. Wordlessly, they exchange the articles with one another; after swapping shirts today it's starting to become a habit.

They head to the showers, and stay in the hot water for longer than usual until they can't feel the chill of the snow on their skin any longer.

When it comes time to dress and dry their hair, Claudine spends several extra minutes drying Maya's for her, running the warm air all down her back and across her shoulders for her. When she shuts it off, Maya shivers again, and Claudine wastes no time leaning in to hug her from behind. She remains there, keeping close until Maya has stopped quivering, and leaves her with a sweet kiss to her cheek.

Though it's only afternoon, they come to the mutual agreement to go see Nana, Junna and the others for snacks later on.

But for now, there's only one thing the two of them want to do on this cold snowy day.

They retreat to Claudine's room, pull down the covers, and curl up together in bed for a well-deserved nap.

Claudine lies herself down on top of Maya, offering to provide as much warmth as possible.

And Maya gratefully accepts her, locking both arms around the small of her back before beginning to run her hands up and down, mapping patterns. Claudine relaxes against her and starts trailing lazy kisses along Maya's hairline.

"Well~?" she hums. "Was I right? Have I fulfilled my promise in having you enjoy the cold?"

Maya has to admit she really hadn't believed her that much in the beginning.

But now she realizes Claudine's tactic to get her to embrace the cold had been... to embrace her. She'd combatted Maya's dislike of cold with her love of warmth, and it had worked like a charm.

Maya sighs and holds a kiss to her cheek, petting a hand down through her warm, fluffy curls.

"You were right," she confesses. "I must admit I did enjoy the first snowfall of the season."

"See?" Claudine basks in her triumph and Maya basks in Claudine's warmth.

"Oui. Though I'm certain I'll love any time of day or night, in any season, regardless of where we are in the world, so long as you are with me, Ma Claudine."

And perhaps the snowball fight had worn her out, or perhaps Maya's sentimental words actually make Claudine's heart flutter, because she doesn't try to refuse. Though she does still blush and immediately hide her face.

"Then I suppose... we just might have to try those sort of things out sometime... Different times of day and night, different seasons, in different parts of the world..."

Maya holds her close, and counts the synchronized beats of their hearts.

"I look forward to it, Ma Claudine."

Maya closes her eyes, prepared to indulge in their warm winter nap now. She feels another kiss on her lips before Claudine ultimately tucks her face away again.

"Je t'aime, Ma Maya."

"Je t'aime, Ma Claudine."

And with the promise of warm banana bread and merry friends to wake up to, Maya and Claudine fall asleep together in a tender, warm, and loving embrace.

As they always have.

And as they always will.

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A/N: If I had my way, I'd never stop writing for these two, but as it is, I think this is a good place to end this fic! I'll have a new one come next week!

I hope you enjoyed!