The night was quiet and still, as it always was. At exactly 1:47 am a cat would disrupt some garbage cans. Around half past 2 am a distant thunder clap would sound but would never bring the promised rain. It was always an uneventful night no matter how many times Homura relived it but it didn't stop her from being furious.
It had become a routine. In the event that Kyuubei might try to pressure the sweet and naive Madoka into making a wish far sooner than usual in the timeline while they lay together in her bed, Homura would put an end to the monster.
Perched a mere few feet away on the gentle curve of the next door neighbor's roof, Homura watched with silent diligence for the incubator to try prodding the dozing pink-haired girl awake. If one of his paws even touched her arm, she'd be in the house in 3 seconds flat to dispose of him while Madoka would remain nonethewiser. It would not be exceptionally helpful, as a new incubator would arrive to devour the old and take his place but it at least let Homura get out a bit of frustration. She thought back guiltily on timelines in which she hadn't cared enough to stop the flow of time, decimating Kyuubei right before Madoka's eyes and successfully erasing what semblance of trust she and Madoka may have developed.
How long ago had that been? It was hard to keep up. How many times ago had they been sweet on one another? How long had it been since she'd been able to prevent any of the other girl's deaths? How long ago had it been since she'd been able convince them all to trust her before everything went horribly wrong? What was most frustrating was the common denominator within every try: she had always failed. With each passing failure she wondered, would she always be doomed to fail and relive this nightmare?
And yet Madoka slept on, not a single worry in her little head. Homura envied her. It had been a long time since Homura had been able to sleep at all. Her thoughts always wrenched her out of bed, covered in a cold sweat. How could she sleep when Madoka was once again hurtling towards catastrophe? Madoka, who had been kind to her. Madoka, whose dead body haunted Homura as it always loomed just around the corner.
Her thoughts came to an abrupt halt as a miniscule movement flashed in Madoka's bedroom. It was Kyuubei, of course. The white beast had sat up, awake and staring straight out the window to where Homura sat. They eyed one another, Homura's face was filled with scorn and Kyuubei's, a blank cat-like smile.
There were some times where it was smarter than others and this seemed to be the case this time around. Kyuubei cautiously made it's way up to the top of the bed where Madoka lay curled and sleeping peacefully. Rather than prod her awake as it sometimes would, it burrowed its way between her arms, curling up against Madoka's modest chest. The pink-haired girl stirred briefly, her eyes cracking open and recognizing the little demon, before she pulled it toward her, hugging it close.
Bastard! Homura seethed. She could hear the blood rushing in her ears. Kyuubei's lamp-like eyes pierced her from within Madoka's loving arms. Arms Homura wished every day to be around her as they once had been.
Kyuubei's childish voice tickled the inside of Homura's head like a bothersome fly. "What is it you're here for, Homura? We're doing just fine without you."
"That's none of your concern." Homura thought back, her eyes narrowing at the little demon. The beast had the gull to roll onto his back, displaying his soft belly, as if to show her how safe he thought he was within Madoka's arms and out of her grasp. He was taunting her. It worked.
That night Homura would kill the beast more times than she could count, and while the slaying was not as sweet as Madoka's kind smile, for the time being, it was close enough.