AN: Something I wrote up on a whim to try and get back into writing. I know Sherry was just fine by the end of the anime but I had a theory that the Soul Binding Gate inflicted some terrifying wounds and so I wrote it out. Please leave a review.
"Sherry, are you asleep?" The Frenchwoman opened her eyes, looking down at the nude woman by her side. Sherry's gaze drifted lower and lower and straight back up at Aki's face, almost as if she was chiding herself for letting her eyes wander. The younger woman found this amusing but continued on, "Do they still hurt?"
Sherry didn't answer as Aki ghosted her fingertips over the dark burn scars on the blonde's midsection, ugly reminders of past events. The Soul Binding Gate had been burning through her throughout the duel, the grip of the gate increasing with each turn. But she didn't care at the time, fighting through the pain with the false idea she'd get her family back from the world she'd damned. Thank God it was all over now.
The Frenchwoman remembered the long months of lying in the hospital receiving treatments for her burns only to find that they were inefficient. The burnt flesh had scarred and the bleeding had ceased but the pain was still there. The doctors all claimed it was probably phantom pain but Sherry had doubts. She took the earliest flight to Leipzig, Germany where Aki was studying medicine. From there, the treatment began. The healing aura from Black Rose Dragon in the Ark Cradle hadn't been enough, only healing Crow and Aki completely while Sherry merely became numb to the pain.
Sherry remembered Aki having to coax her out of her jacket and shirt in the hotel room and how the Japanese woman's eyes softened at the sight of such heavy scarring. She remembered the cool fingers massaging her warped skin, an energy beyond her comprehension relieving her pain. She remembered how embarrassed they both were afterwards and how she hid under a calm facade while the medical student was red as a tomato. She remembered sleep coming easily for the first time in years that night.
"... oui," the duelist finally answered as she pulled away from her memories. "They hurt a little bit." Neither of them spoke for a good length of time. The only noises in the bedroom were from their synchronized breathing and the occasional shift of the blanket. "But it doesn't hurt as much now, thanks to your powers. You could perform miracles."
"Just don't tell the head physician at the hospital or I'll be swamped." Aki felt a chuckle rumble through Sherry's throat and she grinned. "And I'd get even less time to spend with my favorite person." The redhead received a kiss on the top of her head.
"Can't believe it was a doctor who had planned our excuses. Sick for a week with the 'flu.'" Sherry picked up her hands and made air quotes while Aki rolled her eyes. "Tu m'as manqué..." Her emerald gaze softened and she pulled Aki into a hug, their bodies melding together under the thick blanket. "Those three months of training for the next tournament were hell..."
The physician stroked Sherry's arm soothingly, trying not to think about how lonely she'd been during that time. "You need to bring more clothes here next time..." she said, her soft voice muffled by her lover's chest. "It's so weird to take my own bras and panties off of you."
"You don't think I enjoy wearing your underwear, Aki?" The redhead blushed. Sherry pulled her head back to give Aki a mischievous grin. "We have the same bra size but your panties seem to be bigger than before. Did you put on weight from all that desk work?" The Japanese woman pouted.
"I only gained two kilos, meanie." Aki pulled away from Sherry and turned her back on the blonde, pulling the blanket with her. The Frenchwoman shivered as cold air hit her skin. "You're sleeping on the other side for the rest of the night."
"Hey wait I was only joking, cherie! Please understand!" Sherry pleaded, hugging the blanket covering her lover. Her hands slipped under the covers and rested on Aki's lower abdomen. The doctor flinched at the sudden touch. "Blanket please?" a low voice asked. A shiver ran up Aki's spine and she reluctantly let Sherry back into the blanket. "Merci, cherie..." Her muscular arms wrapped around the smaller woman, pulling her in. "Should we sleep or...?"
Sherry's hands dipped lower and Aki felt warm hands on the small of her back. "What ever could that final option be, Sherry?" the redhead asked teasingly.
A grin spread across the blonde's face. "Oh you're too precious." The next hour was very busy for the two of them.