Healing Kisses (ch17)

EARLY RELEASE FOR MY $50+ PATRONS!

I'd wanted to do this one for a while and the length of the chapter kinda shows it ahaha... It's for the hurt/comfort!

Disclaimer: I do not own Shoujo Kageki Revue Starlight.

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														Chapter 17.

The first sound out of Claudine's mouth as she wakes this morning is a moan.

But not the kind of humming, sleepy moan she typically makes upon waking up.

Today, it's a moan of pain.

As soon as she's conscious, that's all she can feel; or perhaps she'd even been feeling it before she was conscious and that's what had woken her up. Regardless, she doesn't move right away, keeping still for a few moments to try and assess herself.

She feels heavy. Nauseously bloated. It doesn't take long to figure out what it is.

A slew of colorful French curses are groaned into her pillow as she brings an arm down to her stomach.

"Why today? Today of all days…?" They had a physical dancing assessment this afternoon in their lessons block, and Claudine had perfected her piece impeccably for it. Now, that was all going out the window.

Usually her cramps weren't this bad. But when they were bad, they were bad. It was only once in a blue moon when they were this painful and damn-near debilitating.

Even so, she'd seen plenty of girls throughout the schools and the years who would take an entire day or even two off to play hooky on the claim that they had cramps. And even though Claudine wouldn't just be taking off for the fun of it, the thought of missing classes and lessons due to this made her angry and distressed.

She wasn't so weak as to be taken down by a few cramps before she'd even gotten out of bed. Maybe, if she hadn't had an assessment today, she might've considered taking it easy. But as things stand now, nothing is going to get in her way.

So with tentative movements, she pushes herself up from her mattress, wincing as the tightness in her stomach instantly expands down as far as her knees, and up as far as her chest. It feels as though someone had removed and rearranged all of her insides as she'd slept, and now everything is twisted up and in the wrong place.

She only gets as far as sitting up before she has to cross her arms over her stomach and hold it all in place. Even when she's still, things feel like they continue to stir and toss around and bump into each other. She half-moans, half-groans a sound of mixed pain and determination.

Slowly, cautiously, she slips one leg over the edge of the bed, then the other. She grips the bed post tightly as she mentally prepares herself to stand up.

Doing so causes a rush of disgusting feelings, like soupy chunks of various things sloshing around inside her stomach. She brings her free hand to her mouth for a second and catches her breath before gradually making her way to her personal bathroom.

She typically only ever showers at the end of the day, after the hard work and sweat are finished, but this morning is an understandable exception. The steaming water feels better on her stomach for as long as she's underneath it, but then the process of stepping out and slipping into her clothes is a slow and meticulous one. One wrong move and she's doubled-over for a good minute or so.

She dries her hair and brushes it, then brushes her teeth and fixes herself up as best she can, given the circumstances. In her experience, the worst of the cramps would only last for about a day or so, and staying active usually helped cancel them out. If she's smart about this, she can hopefully get rid of them before her assessment at the end of the day.

She straightens up, tossing her hair back over her shoulder in a display of determination, eyes set forward as she grabs her school bag and struts toward her door. She only staggers a little bit, but manages to make her way down to the common room, where most of the rest of her friends are already dressed and gathered and eating breakfast. Only Karen's group hasn't arrived yet, but the rest of them send up a chorus of greetings.

"Kuro-chan~"

"Good morning, Saijou-san."

"Morning, Kuroko."

"Ah, Kuro-han, good morning..."

"It is a pleasure as always, Saijou-san."

Of course Maya's response is a bit more than the others'. She's seated on one of the couches with a plate of fruit and toast on the coffee table in front of her. When Claudine meets her eyes, Maya makes room and pats the spot beside her.

"Please join me."

But Claudine knows better. For her situation, standing up tall is far better and more comfortable than sitting, so she quickly comes up with an excuse.

"Merci, but I'll have to decline. With our dancing assessment later today, I'd rather be on my feet as much as possible today."

Thankfully, her plan works, and the topic of conversation sweeps everyone else up in it.

"She's got a point," Futaba says. "Kaoruko, did you hear her? Maybe you should get off your butt sometime."

"How cruel! At least let me finish my breakfast!"

"Oh yes," Nana says. "We have our assessment today!"

"Someone better go check on Karen's bunch before they sleep through it all," Junna sighs.

Claudine is relieved that her excuse to keep standing had gone over smoothly with the others, and not even Maya is suspicious of her. As she picks up a muffin and some fruit to begin eating, Mahiru enters a moment later pulling both Hikari and Karen on each arm. From there, the conversation easily slips into the usual cheerful bantering and playful comments, an no one is any the wiser about Claudine's predicament.

And she's going to keep it that way.

Unfortunately, due to the turmoil in her stomach, she doesn't manage to eat much that morning, but she vows to make up for it at lunch.

The nine of them walk to school together, with Futaba having convinced Kaoruko not to take the motorcycle today because it would be better to get some exercise.

Claudine makes sure to maintain a steady strut right beside Maya, never allowing the ache in her thighs to let her drop back so much as a centimeter.

Once the Academy is in sight, Claudine draws in a deep breath, and even just that much sends a pang through her chest. At the very least, she manages to slip away from the others on the claim of needing the restroom, but instead heads for the nurse's office to hopefully pick up a few soothing pills.

But even from halfway down the hallway, Claudine can see the lights in the infirmary are off. A sinking feeling drags at her stomach as she approaches the door to find a notice stuck to the glass window:

Attention

The nurse is off-campus today, March 30th, and is attending a CPR seminar out-of-town.

For any medical emergencies, please contact the main office.

Claudine grimaces.

Of course. It's just her luck.

But she isn't about to go to the office and complain about a stomachache. Too many people would see her there, and the sense of privacy provided by the nurse's office would be nonexistent.

So she sucks in another breath and whirls around to head to her first class of the day.

She'll be fine. One way or another, she'll manage.

If she can just make it through her assessment this afternoon, that will be good enough for her.

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Maya has a slight inkling that something might be off with Claudine today.

It had started as just a bud of suspicion that morning when Claudine had come into the common room with her hair slightly damp and smelling of shampoo. In all the months and years Maya had known her, she'd never known Claudine to shower before her day of work, unless there was an explicitly special occasion.

But she wouldn't consider today's dancing assessment as an occasion that would warrant an early-morning shower several hours before the assessment itself. And she knows for a fact that Claudine had showered last night, as they'd gone to the communal baths together after their private practice sessions, as they always did. So it isn't like Claudine had neglected to bathe last night and had just been making up for it this morning.

Therefore, with no outstanding circumstances she can deduce, Maya is inclined to suspect that something could be going on with her partner.

The second indication was when Claudine had smoothly refused to sit beside her and directed everyone's thoughts onto the assessment. Maya had to wonder if Claudine was avoiding her specifically at that point. But then as they'd walked to school together, Claudine had been right there beside her, keeping pace as always, so it couldn't be that she was avoiding Maya.

Though she acted like she didn't notice anything off about her, Maya was curious about a few things right from the start.

And now Claudine takes leave to the restroom before classes, which she almost never does, which leaves Maya even more puzzled. It isn't to the point of concern yet, but that bud of suspicion is beginning to open up a little bit.

Just to be safe, she keeps an eye on Claudine throughout their morning classes. She seems fine at first glance, attentive as always, raising her hand for every question the teacher poses, and so on.

But upon closer inspection, Maya can tell she's fidgeting around an awful lot in her seat. She does a lot of crossing and un-crossing with her legs and ankles, a lot of leaning back in her chair and then leaning forward again. She could even swear she sees her flinch once or twice.

Maya has to wonder if it's just jitters about the upcoming assessment. After all, it's known that Claudine had used to have terrible stage fright, to the point where she'd sometimes get sick before a performance. But those days were behind her, and Maya can't see her relapsing today simply because of a lesson assessment where they wouldn't even be onstage in front of an audience.

Claudine is the same way in all their morning classes, doing a lot of shifting and sighing.

Maya keeps her mouth closed until lunchtime, when she notices Claudine hardly touches any of her food. Her partner is seated beside her with their friends all across from them and on Maya's other side. Claudine is munching half-heartedly on her salad, whereas everyone else has already just about finished their entire meal.

Maya waits for the other girls to get indulged in some topic of conversation before she subtly brushes her shoulder against Claudine's to get her attention.

"Saijou-san? Forgive me for asking, but is something the matter?"

Claudine blinks slowly down at her food as if she's been woken from a spell, then lifts her face to look at Maya. Her eyes seem almost hazy for a second as she straightens up her posture a bit more.

"What are you talking about? I'm just fine."

Maya already knew it wasn't going to be that simple in getting her to confess the truth, especially when there were so many other people around. So she inches over just a bit closer to her partner, until their thighs brush, and takes on a more secretive tone.

"Are you possibly feeling nervous about the assessment?"

Claudine scoffs.

"Excuse me? Who do you think you're talking to? Those days are far behind me. I'm not nervous at all. I'm just fine. I'm going to blow the rest of you out of the water with my routine."

"I've no doubt about that," Maya replies. "However-" But she's cut off by the warning bell, and everyone begins standing up to clean their table and throw out their trash. Claudine seems all too eager to do the same as an excuse to avoid Maya and her questions.

"You'd better be on your toes, Tendo Maya," she warns. "Or else today will be the day I surpass you." She whirls around and struts off, but Maya can't help but notice her gait is still a little awkward. It's as if she has a tiny pebble in her shoe that's making her cautious as she's walking, as if she's nervous that the next step might somehow cause her pain.

Maya knows better than to get in the way of a Stage Girl who is about to show off her skills for a test, so she decides she'll confront Claudine further about her odd behavior this evening during their private sessions, after classes have ended.

For the remainder of their lecture classes this afternoon, Claudine seems to be aware of the fact that Maya is keeping an eye on her now. She seems to be consciously trying to sit up a little straighter, to not fidget so much, even though it's clear she wants to. Other than that, though, she shows no other strange signals.

When the bell to head to their dance lessons finally rings, Claudine is the first one up and out of the room.

To the others, it just seems like she's that eager and serious about getting to her class on time to be prepared for the assessment.

But to Maya, it seems just a bit too rushed, even for her.

By the time Maya arrives at the changing room with the rest of their group, Claudine is already dressed in her leotard and stretching out her arms, waiting to be granted permission to enter the studio.

"Wow, Kuro-chan!" Karen says. "That was quick!"

"Oui, but of course," she replies. "I want to be ready for anything this afternoon."

"Showing off a bit, aren't we?" Kaoruko smirks. "That's fine. I like a bit of competition."

"Hah!" Futaba gives her a good hard pat on the shoulder. "As if you could ever compete on Kuro's level with that sorry routine!"

"H-Hey! How dare you!"

"Should'a practiced more. I'm just tellin' it like it is."

As Maya herself gets dressed, the atmosphere around the changing room is bursting with nervous excitement. And Claudine seems completely normal now. So perhaps it was just a case of the jitters.

Confident in her deduction, Maya pushes the rest of her worries aside and joins Claudine at the sliding door. Claudine glares up at her from her arm stretch and huffs.

"Like I said, you'd better watch yourself, Tendo Maya."

"Oh, I have no doubt that you will give me a run for my money, Saijou-san."

Instructor Sakuragi arrives at the studio and calls for the girls to enter and begin stretching out. Maya offers Claudine her hand as per usual, but Claudine refuses the partner stretches for today.

"No need. I stretched plenty already while the rest of you were taking your sweet time to get here."

Normally, Maya would've probably accepted her feisty reasoning. But since she'd already been a little bit puzzled about Claudine's behavior today, now her decline of the partner stretching makes Maya just a little suspicious all over again.

Nonetheless, Maya respects her wishes, but still stays close to her as they continue stretching out. After five minutes or so, Sakuragi calls for attention.

"All right, ladies. As you're all aware, today is your assessment. I'll be calling you up individually so you can show me your routine, so in the meantime the rest of you should be practicing and stretching out. Got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Good. Then we'll start with Aijou."

"Eeeehhhh?! Why do I have to go first?!"

"Because I said so."

The girls get a good laugh thanks to Karen's reaction, and it breaks the air of nervousness into something much more comfortable.

The girls divide into little groups, pairs, or stay solo to practice their movements and steps. Maya chooses to remain on her own as her partner does, but tries to focus more on her routine than on Claudine. After all, she does need to get top marks, as always.

After ten minutes or so go by, Maya is called up. Even though people aren't supposed to gawk at the person taking their assessment, everyone can't help but pause to watch and admire her. She leaps high and far, twirls with perfect grace and balance, remaining poised and composed even after a flurry of difficult, masterful steps.

Once she's finished, a small applause goes up. Sakurgai can't help but praise her, too.

"Excellent as always, Tendo. Nicely done." She writes a few things down on her clipboard before flipping to another page. "All right, next we'll have Tsuyuzaki."

"Yes, ma'am!" As Mahiru switches places with her, Maya offers her a high-five for good luck. Mahiru happily taps her palm against hers before scurrying past to begin.

Maya retreats to where Claudine is still intensely practicing her own routine. Claudine only pauses for a moment to glare.

"As expected of you," she says. "But just you wait. I'll show you a thing or two."

"I eagerly await it."

"Um, Maya-chan?" Maya turns around as Nana and Junna come up to her with a request. "Would you mind giving us a few pointers?" Nana wonders. "We just want to make sure we're each in perfect form before we assess."

Maya dips her head.

"Of course."

She leaves Claudine for the time being and joins her two classmates to observe their individual routines and provide a bit of feedback. When Sakuragi eventually calls Claudine's name, Maya can't afford to appear rude by taking her focus off of the classmates who had asked for her help by going to watch her partner dance instead.

She hasn't gotten any sense that Claudine was acting strangely since this block began anyway, so Maya's concerns have all but vanished.

She watches as Junna gives a few consecutive spins, then steps forward to interject.

"Pardon, but I think you need to maintain your posture a bit more during that combo, Hoshimi-san."

"Ah, I knew there was something that felt weird about it. Okay, lemme try again."

Nana and Maya both stand back to watch her try again. But it's just then when a chorus of startled gasps suddenly breaks the calm atmosphere of the studio.

"Oh my-"

"What happened-?"

"Saijou-san-?"

It doesn't take more than that to have all the rest of Maya's thoughts go out the window.

She whirls around along with her classmates to look back across the studio to where a small crowd of worried girls has begun to gather. Sakuragi motions for them to step back.

"Give her some space," she says sternly. "Saijou, what's the matter?"

Maya is already racing across the studio and brushing past her classmates to get to her partner. Claudine is on her knees, doubled over with her arms across her stomach. She's clearly in pain.

No one dares to try and stop Maya from getting to her partner.

Her chest tightens as she finally reaches her and drops down beside her.

"Saijou-san!" She rests a hand on Claudine's back to find she's breathing hard. Her expression is twisted and her brow is furrowed, her eyes squeezed tightly shut.

By now, everyone in the class has gotten wind that something is going on and started to murmur worriedly.

"What happened?"

"I don't know. She was doing her routine and then she suddenly just-"

"I've never seen Saijou-san like this before…"

"Is she sick?"

Sakuragi claps for attention.

"All right everyone, please move back. We'll take care of Saijou from here."

Maya is glad her instructor hadn't signaled for Maya to move away; she probably knew Maya wouldn't leave even if she'd been told to.

Nana and Junna step in to gently ease the rest of their concerned classmates back and clear up some space.

Claudine only just now seems to realize the fuss she's caused and winces her eyes open. Maya rubs a hand up her back softly.

"Saijou-san? Please tell me what's the matter."

Claudine groans, and Maya can't tell if it's more from pain or embarrassment. When she speaks, her voice is a little hoarse.

"It's just a stomachache-" she rasps. "It isn't that bad…"

"Pardon me, but I beg to differ," Maya says firmly. "You all but collapsed, Claudine."

"I'll say," Sakuragi interjects. She fishes through her pocket and pulls out a set of keys before hooking out one in particular. "Tendo, take her to the infirmary. The nurse isn't here today, but just have Saijou lie down. You can contact the office if you need to."

"Yes, ma'am." Maya accepts the key from her and curls it into her palm. Claudine grunts in protest.

"W-Wait a moment. What about my assessment?"

Maya shares a glance with her instructor, one that says they both should've known that would be Claudine's main concern.

"You can make up your assessment when you're feeling better," Sakuragi explains. "I can't grade you on a performance you gave while you were this sick."

At the very least Claudine seems a bit relieved at that, if not still immensely annoyed that she'd been thwarted in the first place. Regardless, she finally reaches out to hold onto Maya, who steadily helps her up to her feet.

Maya can see her wincing and hear her gasping softly at whatever pain is bothering her, but Claudine manages to conceal it from the rest of the people in the room. With her partner's arm slung across her shoulders, and one arm draped across Claudine's back, Maya begins slowly leading her out of the studio. Their friends and classmates call out well wishes behind them until Sakuragi has them refocus and continue on their assessments.

Maya notes that as soon as they're out of sight and earshot of the studio, Claudine all but slumps against her and can't seem to take another step. Maya gathers her close and leans herself back against the wall, cradling Claudine in her arms.

Claudine is still panting uncomfortably, her expression twisted into a mix of pain and cautious relief, as if knowing that one wrong move could send her spiraling into agony all over again.

Maya tenderly runs a few fingers across her forehead and back through her bangs and hair, clearing a bit of the sweat away from her face. She presses a soft kiss against her furrowed brow and gently tucks Claudine beneath her chin for a moment.

"Claudine… we're alone now. Please tell me what is ailing you." She feels her quiver, feels her hands clinging meekly against her waist. Claudine makes a sound somewhere between a grunt of annoyance and a sigh of relief.

"Like I said… it's just a stomachache. Cramps. You know…"

Maya blinks.

"Oh. I see." She runs a hand slowly up and down Claudine's back, keeping her close. "But surely this is the first time it has affected you so severely, no?"

Claudine grunts again.

"Yes. It isn't usually this bad. But of course it had to be today-"

"Now, now," Maya stops her with another little kiss to her forehead before she can make herself more upset. "Sensei said you may retake your assessment. She isn't holding this against you. What everyone wants first and foremost is to ensure your wellbeing, Claudine."

Claudine pulls back to glare up at her just a little.

"Yes, I know, but-" She cuts off with another wince, and one of her hands falls away from Maya and goes to her stomach instead. Maya wraps her up into another soft embrace.

"My apologies. I should be bringing you to the infirmary, not discussing things with you out here like this." Maya dips down to scoop Claudine's arm across her shoulders again, then takes a firm hold on her hip. When Claudine has caught her breath enough, Maya leads her down the hall.

Thankfully, the nurse's office is stationed not far from the rehearsal room, since that is where most of the injuries tend to occur. The door is closed and the lights are off, but as Maya jostles the key in the door opens.

Claudine limps in beside her as Maya turns on the lights, then locks the door behind them. It almost feels like they're doing something bad by being here unsupervised, and Maya has to keep reminding herself they'd been authorized to do this.

She helps Claudine over to the closest bed and sits down with her. The journey here had taken a toll on her. She's still panting and holding her stomach, shifting her legs every which way to try and get comfortable.

Maya knows better than anyone that Claudine has a very high tolerance for pain (Claudine had once told her it was much higher than her tolerance for Maya herself, which was impressively high).

So for her to be this affected by her ailments now, Maya knows it must be serious.

She rubs her partner's back for her a bit more and kisses her temple. After a few moments, Claudine's pain seems to have lessened. She sits up a little straighter and leans in against Maya's support, inhaling shakily.

"Unbelievable. Today of all days…"

"There's no need to get upset about it, Ma Claudine." Maya kisses her cheek this time. "All you need to focus on is getting better."

Now that she's sure Claudine can sit up on her own, Maya stands with the intention of finding her some medicine.

She can only justify what happens next as a misinterpretation on Claudine's part, because a fragment of a whimper from her has Maya turning back around instantly and nearly dropping to her knees.

The look in Claudine's eyes is criminal enough to have Maya turning herself in to prison herself. It's evident her getting up and walking away had appeared as Maya leaving her, and Claudine is distraught over the thought alone.

Maya instantly realizes her blunder upon seeing a shiver run through her and the way her eyes gloss over for a second. She goes back to her right away and wraps her up in another embrace.

"My sincerest apologies, Ma Claudine. I do not intend to leave you. I was merely going to search for some medicine."

Claudine clings to her waist and bows her head against her shoulder to hide her face.

"Of course… I knew that…"

Maya repents for distressing her by holding her for a few more minutes, until Claudine jolts again at another twinge of pain. Maya combs the backs of her nails across her partner's hairline and peppers tiny kisses along her brow before parting from her once again.

"I'll be as quick as I can," she promises.

She draws away, leaving Claudine to hunch over again and grip her stomach. Maya hurriedly makes her way to the many cabinets in the office and scours the bottles inside. She selects a brand she knows to be popular for pain relief amongst the students here and brings it back to the bed.

"Claudine? Please have a look at this brand. Is this something you can take? You don't have any allergies or negative reactions to any of the ingredients, do you?"

Claudine takes the bottle from her with flimsy fingers and manages to chuckle wryly.

"Please. Since when have you ever known me to have any allergies? These are fine, I've taken them before."

Maya shakes her head a bit.

"Of course. My apologies. It just seems I've become a bit more wary on account of your condition being so severe."

"It isn't severe," Claudine protests, opening the bottle of gummies. "I've known people who needed to be hospitalized. That's severe."

"Oh my. Indeed it is."

Maya watches her chew on the medicine for a moment, counting her blessings that Claudine seems to be doing better now that she doesn't have to move around so much.

When she's finished taking the medicine, Maya brings the bottle back to its cabinet and then heads for the nurse's desk. She'd neglected to do so beforehand, as her main priority had been to get Claudine treated, but now she takes a moment to sign her in. She writes a brief note explaining Claudine's condition, the use of supplies, and the time she'd been checked in.

When Maya's finished, she turns back to her partner to find Claudine's expression has shifted. It's no longer one of pain, but of something still just as concerning, in a way. She looks highly disgusted and uncomfortable.

Maya returns to her and gently lays her hands over hers.

"Claudine?"

Claudine looks down at the floor for a moment, then heaves a sigh.

"I feel gross. I want to shower."

Maya smiles gently. She's glad that's all it is.

"Of course." She can only imagine how uncomfortable a skin-tight leotard must be in her current situation. "But before that, I believe you should get some water into your system. You haven't had anything since lunch."

She's up again in seconds, this time heading for the mini fridge beside the nurse's desk. She pulls out a small bottle of cool water and brings it back to her patient.

Claudine must only realize how thirsty she actually is when the rim hits her lips, because she drinks the entire thing without stopping for air. Maya tosses the empty bottle into the recycling and spends another few moments rubbing Claudine's back and kissing her forehead.

Claudine closes her eyes and tries to enjoy the treatment as much as possible, but eventually she can't take the feeling of uncleanness any longer.

So Maya helps her up and into the little restroom attached to the infirmary. She has to go through a closet in search of a spare uniform for her, then brings it to Claudine so she can change afterward. She gets her a towel, ensures there are all the supplies she needs, and then gives her one last little kiss on the nose.

"Will you be all right by yourself?"

Claudine actually manages to flash her a quick smile.

"I think I can manage."

But still, Maya can't help but worry.

"You'll call for me if you need anything, yes?"

"Of course." Claudine gives her hand an appreciative squeeze before crouching down to remove her dance shoes. Maya exits the restroom and closes the door behind herself before calling back briefly.

"Oh, and please leave the door unlocked in the event I need to enter on your behalf."

Claudine rolls her eyes.

"Fine."

So Maya closes the door behind herself without locking it. She hears a few little grunts and groans from the other side, as well as a few curses muttered in French, but Claudine sounds much more frustrated than agonized now. Just to be safe, Maya lingers until she can hear the water turning on, and a moment later Claudine begins to sing softly.

Convinced she's fine now, Maya retreats to the bed and sits down to wait for her. A few minutes later, she can hear some voices from outside, but they don't sound urgent. She hurries to the door and unlocks it to peer through. Nana and Junna are there to greet her.

"Ah, Maya-chan!"

"We brought yours and Saijou-san's things."

They each lift up a bag that contains their uniforms from the locker room. Maya accepts them gratefully.

"Thank you very much."

"Don't mention it," Junna says. "Just be glad it's us who got chosen to come give them to you."

"That's right," Nana chuckles. "Sakuragi-sensei wouldn't let Karen come because she was too energetic to come visit a sick person. How is Kuro-chan doing?"

"She is showering, at present," Maya reports. "I think after a bit of rest she'll be all right. I've already given her some medicine."

"That's good to hear," Junna nods. "It was scary to see her suddenly just fall down like that…"

"I know," Nana nods, putting a hand to her cheek. "I thought she'd pulled something or hurt herself. I'm glad it was just cramps, even if they did seem pretty bad…"

"It's reassuring to know she's in good hands," Junna smiles. "Take your time with her, Tendo-san. I think it'd be best if she rested up here instead of having her come back to the dorms right away where Karen and the others are going to swarm her."

Maya dips her head.

"Yes, I believe you're right. Thank you both again."

"No problem."

"Take care!" Nana waves. "And if you need any help or anything, just text us!"

The two of them turn away and head back down the hall as Maya retreats into the infirmary. She has to admit she feels better now that she has her cell phone to call for the others. Of course if an emergency happened she could always use the nurse's landline, but if there was something simple she could ask of her friends she'd rather do that in a text.

Maya changes back into her own uniform, but decides against interrupting Claudine to give her hers. The spare she'd given her was clean and just a half-size larger than Claudine needed; Maya had done this in hopes of it not being too tight on her sore stomach and waist.

She folds her blue leotard up and leaves both hers and Claudine's bags against the foot of the bed. By now the water has shut off and Claudine's singing has been reduced to a hum.

Maya goes to the showers with her every day after their practice sessions, and she knows how long Claudine typically takes to finish up. She must still be in pain, because she's taking much longer than usual.

She hears the hair-dryer come on, and a few minutes later it stops and there's a bit of shuffling around. Maya hears her moan and gasp a few more times, and she can only take so much of listening to her struggle before she has to step in. She gives a few soft knocks.

"Saijou-san? Are you all right? Do you require any assistance with anything…?"

There's a moment of pause. For Claudine to not be immediately and vehemently denying her offer of assistance is a little concerning. There's another soft groan before Claudine manages a response.

"I'm fine, but… could you come in…?"

Maya had already been pressing her hand on the knob, but with that plea she's pushing her way inside before the echo of Claudine's words even fade. She's dressed in the clean uniform leaning back against the sink, looking a little dizzy. Maya goes to her and gathers Claudine in her arms, sighing in relief.

"I'm glad you managed to make it through the shower safely."

"Of course I did," she mumbles. "But I think the heat's gotten to me a bit…"

"Say no more. I've got you now, Ma Claudine." Maya kisses the bridge of her nose, urging her to close her eyes so she doesn't become even dizzier.

Maya has her lean against the sink for a moment as she slips an arm around her back, then dips down to hook the other beneath her knees. Very cautiously and very gently, Maya pulls Claudine in against her chest, carrying her bridal style. She knows this position might put a bit of strain on her already-aching stomach, but the journey from here to the bed is brief, and she'd rather carry her like this than risk her collapsing again from a dizzy spell.

Maya nudges the door away with her foot and shoulder, then brings her ailing princess back to bed. She lies Claudine down on her back very slowly, letting her adjust however is most comfortable for her. She doesn't miss the long exhale on Claudine's part when she's finally stationary again and there's no pressure or weight on her stomach.

Maya waits for a moment, ensuring her breathing isn't hindered in any way. When she's satisfied, she brings Claudine's bag back into the restroom to collect her folded pink leotard and shoes. On her way back to her partner, Maya pulls up a chair and sits at her bedside. It appears to take Claudine great effort to crack her eyes open enough to glance up at her. Maya smiles back sweetly.

"How are you feeling, Ma Claudine?" She reaches out to take her hand, lifting it up to her lips for a kiss.

Claudine sighs.

"Better. Much better. I'm just… exhausted."

"I can imagine," Maya replies, rubbing her fingers over the girl's knuckles. "Being in excruciating pain for an entire day can have its toll on a person."

"It wasn't excruciating…" Claudine tries to protest, but another twinge must shoot through her because she flinches, and her free hand goes to her abdomen. Maya rests her arm across the pillow above her partner's head and braces her weight there as she leans down to kiss her lips softly.

"You put up a valiant fight, Ma Claudine. But now you need to rest. Please. I'll beg if I must." She kisses her again, in hopes of softly stifling any protests from her. She feels a breath against her lips as Claudine sighs. Maya can already sense her concerns, so she dashes them before Claudine can even speak them. "Worry not. I shall set an alarm on my phone and ensure we do not linger past curfew. We shall get back in time for supper where you will surely be showered with all kinds of affection from our classmates."

Claudine eyes her a little warily.

"You're sure you won't fall asleep too…?"

Maya nods confidently.

"I shall be sure to keep my vigil."

Claudine seems satisfied with that. She closes her eyes again, and Maya thinks she's about to welcome sleep until she opens them right back up again.

"Tendo Maya..."

"Yes? What is it, Ma Claudine?"

Claudine turns her hand over in Maya's and lightly squeezes her fingers.

"Thank you for taking care of me."

Maya's heart swells, and a blossoming warmth spreads across her chest.

"Of course it was my duty as your partner, but believe me when I say it was also my utmost pleasure. The highest honor. The most rewarding experience-"

"All right, enough."

Maya chuckles and leans down to kiss her again. Claudine kisses back as best she can. When Maya eases away, she gets to carding through Claudine's hair again, the curls still a bit clumpy after the shower.

"How is your stomach?"

Claudine grimaces and ponders for a moment.

"Not horrible."

"But still not ideal?"

Claudine nods. Maya gingerly lifts her free hand out of her partner's grasp and holds it above her.

"May I, then?"

Claudine seems to understand exactly what she's asking. She huffs, but even that hurts, so she nods her consent.

She closes her eyes as if bracing herself for more discomfort, but the second Maya rests her hand on her stomach, Claudine visibly relaxes. She exhales, and Maya feels her chest deflate a little shakily beneath her palm. Maya is a little alarmed at the fact that she can feel Claudine's pulse pounding so hard as far down as her stomach.

Slowly - very slowly - she begins rubbing her hand in circles over Claudine's sorest area. She only applies the slightest amount of pressure, enough to assuage the pain, but not cause more.

She traces her hand around Claudine's stomach and as far down as her abdomen and waistline, repeating circles over and over. She pays close attention to Claudine's reactions and her breathing, how her lingering in one area may make her a bit stiffer then another.

Maya goes easily, using her free hand now to caress her partner's face and hair to help her relax further. She leans down to kiss her brow, her nose, and her mouth.

Claudine sighs against her lips, letting slip a happy little whimper.

Maya moves her massaging hand up to Claudine's chest for a moment, tracing up along her sides and over her ribs. When she rests her hand on her chest, she feels Claudine's heartbeat has slowed down a bit now.

After a moment and a few more kisses, Maya goes back to her stomach and continues her ministrations.

Gradually, Claudine's pulse begins to calm down, and her breathing becomes deep and even. But even after she's drifted off, Maya continues to rub her stomach and kiss her cheek.

She keeps her vigil as promised for a little over an hour until the soft tingling alarm on her phone sounds. She gives Claudine a few more minutes of rest before slipping an arm beneath her head and leaning down for a gentle wake-up kiss.

"Princess Claudine?"

Claudine moans softly, tiredly, and her eyes slowly flutter open and shift into focus. Maya smiles warmly down at her.

"I've kept my word. It will soon be curfew. Do you think you're well enough to walk back, or shall I call Isurugi-san and ask her to bring her bike?"

With Maya's support, Claudine slowly begins pushing herself up, already flinching in preparation for more stabbing pain. But to her surprise, her stomach feels completely fine. She sits up all the way and moves about a little experimentally only to find there really is no pain anymore.

"That won't be necessary," she decides at last. "I'm as good as new now, thanks to you, Tendo Maya."

Maya lips break into a grin.

"Is that so? I am very glad to hear that, Ma Claudine." She eases forward and pulls her into a warm little hug. Claudine reciprocates and squeezes her tightly, no longer needing to be cautious of her own body.

"Merci. If not for you, I'm sure today would have gone a lot worse."

"You know," Maya says, twirling a curl of silvery-blonde hair. "This all could have been avoided if you'd simply been honest and told us you weren't feeling well."

Claudine heaves a long sigh.

"I know, I know. I'm sorry…"

"So long as you're all right now, you are forgiven."

Maya stands up first and offers her hand, ensuring Claudine can find her balance as she gets to her feet. They step into their shoes, make sure the office is neat and tidy, and at last sign themselves out and lock the door before exiting.

Maya is glad to see Claudine is back to normal and can walk with ease on her own again. But even so, she takes her hand anyway.

They stop by the main office to return the key and explain their situation, which their instructor had already advised the staff of, so the two girls are excused and soon set out on their walk back to the dorms.

They discuss the assessments and their routines, and Claudine declares how she'll blow everyone out of the water when she takes her make-up assessment tomorrow.

When they make it back to the dorms, all of their friends are eagerly waiting for them as Maya had anticipated. They all offer their words of relief, while Karen wails and throws herself at Claudine.

The girls eat supper together and retreat to their dorms as always for the evening.

Maya follows Claudine into her room and makes quick work of nestling up against her underneath the covers. They cuddle, kiss, and curl up together as is their usual nightly routine, and are fast asleep within minutes.

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A/N: I've given Claudine stomachaches before but I got the idea of "oh my god period cramps while wearing a leotard would be horrible" and just had to tackle it (solely for the sake of Maya comforting her after).

Now that we've hurt Claudine a little, it's only fair to hurt Maya just a tad next, isn't it...? Equality.