Back To Back (ch5)

As I said before, this chapter will be Akko repaying the favor of Diana helping her last chapter (though the events aren't specifically linked). I wanted to have these two hurt/comfort oneshots be next to each other.

Disclaimer: I do not own Little Witch Academia.

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														Chapter 5.

After a long, exhausting day of classes and exams, Akko is more than content to flop down into her bed.

"Ahhh, it's finally over! Somehow I survived just by getting C's on everything! Oh! But I actually got an A in Croix Sensei's class!" She sits up and turns to her teammates who are just walking in behind her. "How did you guys do?"

Sucy shrugs.

"Got an A in Lukic's class. Nothing else really matters to me. Lotte?"

"I've been getting A's and B's," she says modestly. "But I still have one more exam to study for tomorrow."

"Oh, right," Akko mumbles. "The Advanced something-or-other exam, right?"

"Advanced Proficiency exam," Lotte clarifies.

"Oh right! Lotte, you're so smart~!"

"Not really. It's people like Diana I'm amazed with."

"Diana?" Akko parrots. "Why her?"

"Well, Advanced Proficiency courses are extremely difficult and take a lot of time and commitment. The Academy actually set a limit so that a student can only take up to five of those courses at a time. Diana's the only person who's in five at once, plus all her other classes."

"Oooh..." Akko mutters. "Sounds like Diana, all right. She's probably used to this kinda thing. I'm sure she'll be fine."

"Probably," Lotte agrees.

"No one was worried she wouldn't be," Sucy mutters.

From then, the three girls decide to hang out and relax in their room a bit before supper. But even though Akko had been the one to reassure her friends about Diana, she's now the one who can't stop thinking about her.

/I wonder if she's okay with all those tough exams coming up? She must be studying a lot.../

By the time they're heading to the cafeteria for supper, Akko's mind is still on Diana. She searches for her in the mess hall, but only finds Hannah and Barbara together at a table. As they often are, they're talking about Diana, so Akko decides to listen in as she passes by.

"We gotta remember to bring her something to eat," Hannah is saying.

"Right! She's been studying for those exams for like... ever!" Barbara agrees.

"Doesn't she also have night watch tonight? That's stupid! Why would they schedule her on an exam night?"

"I know! And isn't it supposed to rain...?"

Both of them fall silent, sharing perturbed looks with one another.

Akko bites her lip a little as she passes them by to pick up her own meal.

All throughout suppertime, she keeps an eye on the other team's table, but Diana never enters the cafeteria.

Just as Akko and her team decide to head back to their room, it begins to rain.

Akko almost feels guilty curling up snugly warm in her bed with all her exams finished, but knowing Diana is out in the rain tonight and still has five tests to take tomorrow.

/Sh-She'll be okay... She probably doesn't need to study since she's already so smart. Pulling one all-nighter won't kill her. Plus, she can cast a barrier from the rain./

Akko vows to stop thinking about Diana and just try to get some rest for herself.

But it's a few hours of lying in bed, listening to the hissing rain, and imagining Diana flying outside alone in it before Akko actually manages to fall asleep.

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The professors had told Diana she needn't go on her patrol tonight due to the weather, but Diana had insisted.

After all, there was likely a higher chance that something suspicious could happen on a rainy night rather than a clear one.

With that, she had taken her broom and set out into the night.

The rain is frigid, and every drop of it seems to seep through her robes and sink directly into her skin. She tucks her hair away inside her hood, but it gets plenty wet anyway. Her hat does little to shield her from the rain when the wind is blowing at her from every possible angle.

She knows she should cast a barrier with her wand. However, considering the current energy crisis with the Sorcerer's Stone, she opts against it. She does not believe in Professor Croix's methods to sustain magic by using recycled energy, and thus, Diana refuses to use pure magic for such a trivial thing tonight.

She flies her course in the pouring rain, diligently keeping her eyes trained below for any signs of misconduct.

By the time her patrol is up, she's soaked to the bone.

But there is no one there to take over the next shift as there should be.

And so, Diana decides to proceed with the night watch herself.

The rain continues all night, until just before dawn. Only when it stops does Diana dry herself off with a quick spell.

But the damage has already been done, and she can't bring herself to stop shaking.

She lands at long last and quietly retreats inside the building.

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There is no time for her to sleep or eat. She needs to change into her class uniform and prepare for her exams.

"Hey, Lotte," Akko asks her at lunchtime. "Did you have your Advanced test thingy with Diana this morning?"

"Yes. We're only in one class together, and she was there for that exam. But she didn't look too well."

"W-What do you mean? Do you really think she stayed out in the rain last night?"

"I think so... But she was still the first one done with her exam and the first one to leave."

"And I haven't seen her in here to eat yet either..." Akko mumbles.

"What's this?" Sucy grunts. "Akko cares about Diana?"

"W-Well not normally I wouldn't!" Akko pouts. "But if she's overworking herself like this, it's only natural I'd worry, right?"

"Really? Doesn't seem like any of your business," Sucy shrugs.

"Maybe not," Lotte concedes. "But I think it's nice to worry about other people from time to time."

"Lotte, you're too pure."

"Sucy, you're too mean."

As the two of them go off on their own little tangent, Akko excuses herself to throw away her garbage. But on her way back, she steels herself enough to stop by Hannah's and Barbara's table.

They aren't talking nearly as much as they usually are, and that sends a prickle of worry through Akko's chest.

"H-Hey," she says in greeting, smiling awkwardly. "D-Do you guys know where Diana is?"

She's expecting some kind of chorused retort, jeering laughter, sharp comments. But to her surprise, both of them lift their heads rather wearily.

"Why?" Hannah asks. "She's got enough work to do."

"She's studying for her exams," Barbara says. "She still has two more this afternoon."

"And she still hasn't eaten yet."

"Plus, she stayed out like, all night in the rain because someone else didn't take their shift!"

"So whatever you need from her-"

"Do you think it could wait?"

They both take on a kind of serious, almost miffed expression in defense of their teammate. Akko puts her hands up and takes a step back.

"Y-Yeah, sure! It's no problem..."

With that, she backs away. But her thoughts and concerns about Diana have only increased tenfold now.

/I know she can take care of herself... but it's not a crime to worry about her, right?/

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She doesn't see Diana throughout the afternoon either.

Even though Akko is supposed to have one class with her, Diana's exam schedule overlaps, therefore she is not in Akko's class this afternoon.

By the time classes are dismissed, Akko can't think about anything other than how Diana is doing.

/Hopefully she's finished with all her work now.../

Evidently, Akko isn't the only one thinking about Diana this evening. People are gossiping left and right about how she got perfect scores on all of her exams. Akko lingers around the crowds, hoping Diana might show up to soak in the praise. But apparently, she still has some duties to attend to.

"I think she's taking inventory in the greenhouse," Hannah informs the others. "But she should've been done by now..."

"L-Let's just wait for a few more minutes," Barbara says. "Maybe something came up."

But Akko isn't willing to wait. She has a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

So she leaves the bustling hallways and dashes out the doors towards the greenhouse. She asks a few of the gardening trolls if they have seen Diana, and they indicate she is indeed inside.

So Akko hurries in, keeping her eyes peeled for any signs of her classmate.

She passes by the Jennifer Memorial Tree and continues down the little paths surrounded by various magical plants. She scours each area, until there's only one path left to follow.

Relief floods through Akko as she finally spots her classmate. Diana's facing away from her with her arms crossed, and appears to be observing some of the plants in front of her. Akko pauses to call out for her

"Dian- uwah!"

She cuts off with a shriek as Diana suddenly falls to her knees without warning. It's such an unsteady motion Akko knows right away it isn't intentional. It's clear the strength has just completely drained from her legs.

Akko feels a jarring sensation in her stomach as she hurries forward.

"D-Diana?!" She skids to a halt and drops to her knees beside her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Diana! Are you okay?"

Now that she can get a good look at her, Akko can already answer that question for herself.

Diana's pallor is even paler than usual, to the degree that it's definitely not healthy. Her eyelids are drooping and her posture is slouched. Now Akko knows Diana's arms had been crossed not because she was focusing on observing the plants, but because she was shivering. And she still is, rather violently.

Alarm shoots through Akko like a blast of lightning as she frantically starts rubbing Diana's back to help warm her up a bit.

"Oooh, I knew it! I knew this was gonna happen!"

It's taken Diana this long to comprehend what's happening. Her eyes are glazed as she looks up at Akko, her vision shifting in and out of focus.

"A-Akko...?"

"Geez! Diana, you should've said something! You should've told someone! You can't go out flying in the rain all night and then studying all day without sleeping or eating or taking a break!"

"E-Eh? H-How-"

"It doesn't matter! You're a mess and I'm gonna bring you back right now and you're gonna take some medicine and get something to eat and then you're gonna go to bed! No excuses!"

"Akko-"

"Shush! I'm not listening!"

Akko almost feels bad for shouting at a sick person, though. Especially Diana. She's still shaking like a leaf in a hurricane, but Akko can sense a torrid heat wafting off her skin. Tentatively, she reaches out her free hand to press it against Diana's forehead. She recoils almost instantly.

"Yeesh! Y-You're burning up, Diana!" It's a miracle she's managed to stay on her feet for as long as she did!

Diana makes no effort at a response. All she can do is close her eyes and lean into Akko's embrace. Akko encircles both arms around her shoulders to help fend off the shivers.

"Ahhh geez, this is what you get for staying out in the rain! You gotta keep warm now!"

She continues squeezing Diana and rubbing her back for a moment longer, but realizes she's doing little good.

/I need to get her inside./

Easing herself back, Akko lowers her voice a little.

"D-Diana? Come on, let's go back inside."

She keeps hold of Diana's shoulders and braces herself to stand.

But Diana can't find her balance at all. There's no strength in her legs. Her knees buckle within seconds, and she sinks back into the soil with a whimper.

"Ah-"

Akko frantically kneels back down beside her.

"S-Sorry! Was that too much for you? Can you get up? M-Maybe not..."

Diana still says nothing. Akko guesses she's too mortified to admit she doesn't even have the strength to stand.

"Okay. Th-Then I'm gonna have to carry you back."

Diana tenses at that.

"Akko-"

"Nope! I said I'm not hearing excuses!"

With that, Akko slips an arm beneath Diana's shoulders and the other beneath her knees, then brings her into her lap. Diana can't bear to look up at her, so she simply buries her face in Akko's uniform.

Akko's about to stand with her like this, but she hesitates. Diana's still shaking so badly. There's another way she can carry her that'll keep her a bit warmer.

"H-Hold on." Akko gently lets go of her classmate, allowing Diana to kneel in the grass once again. Akko turns her back to her instead. "Maybe this way is better. Here, put your arms around my shoulders."

Diana doesn't budge. She'd seen this before, but never in her life has she been a participant. She'd never needed to be. But she's gotten herself to this point, so perhaps it's her punishment now.

Timidly, she reaches her arms up and drapes them around Akko's shoulders, then secures her hold at the base of her throat. Akko leans back a little until she feels Diana's chest bump against her back. She lifts her arms and coaxes Diana's knees into place on either side of her, then gets a firm grip around her thighs.

"Are you ready? Hold on tight," she murmurs.

Ensuring Diana's hold on her collar is sturdy, Akko hoists herself to her feet very slowly. She hunches forward a bit so Diana can lean more fully against her back.

As she stands, she hears Diana make a small sound. Akko waits for her to adjust.

"Are you okay?"

She feels the other witch shifting slightly, trying to find a place to rest her head.

"Yes..."

"Okay. Just hold on. It'll only be a few minutes."

With that, Akko begins walking back through the greenhouse the way she'd come.

She makes absolutely certain to keep Diana's weight balanced properly on her back. With her pressed so closely against her now, Akko can feel just how badly she's still shaking. Diana's pulse beats hard and thick against her back, enough so that Akko feels it throughout her whole body.

/Gosh, she's in really bad shape.../

She wants to bring Diana to the nurse, but fears those hallways might be crowded right now. She doesn't want everyone else to see Diana like this, and she knows Diana doesn't want that either.

Therefore, Akko decides to take her straight back to her suite.

She carries Diana out of the greenhouse without a hitch, but when she reaches the school building, she's met with a closed door. Akko pauses and carefully twists her left hand around Diana's skirt so she can grab her own wand. Thankfully, she successfully manages to cast a quick spell to open the door and slips inside before it closes again.

Akko moves just a little more quickly now in hopes of avoiding the crowds bound for the cafeteria for supper. She pauses for a brief rest around the corner of one of the deserted corridors to check on her passenger.

"Diana? Are you okay?"

She hasn't moved all this time, but she's made little grunts and moans of pain on occasion. Now that she's being addressed, Diana rasps a familiar reply.

"Yes..."

It's the most unconvincing response Akko's ever heard.

/But I should've known better! I know she's not okay! Her skin is on fire and her heart's beating like a gong!/

"Just hold on. We're almost there..."

Diana says nothing more as Akko makes her way to the dorm rooms.

Somehow, she manages to avoid detection and reaches the room she knows to be Diana's suite. To her relief, she can hear two familiar voices chittering nervously on the other side.

"She still isn't back yet."

"I'm getting worried..."

Akko taps her foot against the door hastily.

"Hannah, Barbara! L-Lemme in!"

There's a scurry of footsteps and surprised voices, but the second the door opens, both girls shriek.

"D-Diana?!"

"Oh my gosh!"

Akko staggers past them as they dart about like frightened chickens.

"W-We were just going to go look for her!"

"H-Here! Lie her down!"

Akko makes her way to the nearest bed. She knows it isn't Diana's, but whoever it belongs to doesn't mind. Hannah and Barbara carefully ease Diana down onto the mattress. Akko gulps when she realizes Diana's unconscious now.

For the next few minutes, she, Hannah, and Barbara are at a temporary truce with each other as they tend to Diana. Hannah removes her teammate's shoes to help her get situated on the bed, Barbara rushes to a closet to retrieve a thick wool blanket, and Akko helps position Diana's head onto the pillow.

They cover Diana right away to keep her warm as Akko briefly explains how she'd found her. Hannah and Barbara are all but crying in distress, but Akko snaps them back to their senses.

"She's gonna need medicine," she tells them. "And definitely something to eat when she wakes up."

The pair of them are so worried about Diana they don't even question taking orders from Akko.

"Right! L-Let's go get something from the cafeteria!"

"A-And some medicine from the nurse!"

With that, the two of them tear off across the room, out the door, and down the hallway.

Akko watches them go with a small smile. They might be bullies to her at times, but at least they're good to Diana.

Akko turns and looks over her classmate again. Her forehead is still beaded with sweat, and her breathing is still a bit labored.

Akko hurries into the bathroom to fetch and dampen a wash cloth, then returns to Diana's bedside. She sits on the edge of the bed and begins to dab the cloth across Diana's brow.

Bit by bit, she saps away the stifling heat that's been assaulting her. She's also stopped shivering, and Akko's extremely relieved about that.

After a few minutes, she puts the cloth aside, but she doesn't want to leave Diana alone until her teammates have come back. So Akko lingers, heaving a small sigh to herself.

"Geez, this is what you get... You gotta take a break every once in a while, Diana..."

There's a lock of hair sticking to Diana's cheek, and Akko feels compelled to brush it aside. The backs of her fingernails just barely make contact with Diana's skin, and it rouses her. Akko withdraws as her classmate stirs, moaning softly. Her eyes flutter open as she takes in her surroundings.

"Akko..."

"Y-Yeah! I brought you back like I said. And don't worry, no one saw us. Hannah and Barbara are getting you something to eat. But right now, you should rest. H-How are you feeling? Are you too hot? Too cold?"

"I feel immensely better than I have been these past few days," Diana admits.

"That's cuz you were pushing yourself too hard!"

"I presume I shall soon be getting the same lecture from Hannah and Barbara."

"Well good! Maybe if more people let you know they worry about you, you'll take better care of yourself!" Huffing, Akko crosses her arms, unaware that her comment has caused Diana's cheeks to flush. Diana promptly turns her face away and draws in a steadying breath.

"You have my thanks, Akko. For assisting me..."

Akko looks back now to find Diana blushing. She smiles.

"Don't mention it. Just get better soon."

With this, Akko feels it's time for her to go so Diana can rest. She stands and quietly makes her way to the door, then turns back to find Diana watching her. The white-haired witch blushes again, then turns herself away.

"Farewell, Akko."

Akko grins.

"Yeah! Bye, Diana! See you tomorrow!"

And with this she slips out the door.

She makes her way down the hallway just as Hannah and Barbara scurry back, their arms full of food and bottles of water and pills.

Relieved and accomplished, Akko leaves Diana to them and heads back toward her own room for the evening.

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A/N: I thought having both of them do princess/bridal carry would be a bit redundant. Plus, if that style is more Diana's method, piggyback is definitely more Akko's. Both styles have their own charms and I'd kill to see this pair do either :'3

This chapter and the one before sort of go together. But the piggyback ride is what determined I put these in this drabble collection, where all the chapters have something to do with their backs to/with one another. Which is, of course, a symbol for support~