AN:
Hey there! This had been up back before I deleted my stuff, so there's nothing new.
However, I'm still not against writing a second chapter for this should there be some demand for it.
SLEEP IS FOR THE WEAK
The room was just as dark as the landscape surrounding the squad's house; just barely illuminated by the countless stars that were visible only due to the clear sky. The blonde sat up on her bad and rubbed her eyes. She was dead-tired, and yet, she couldn't sleep peacefully until morning.
Mitsuba decided to go into the kitchen to drink a glass of water and then give her remaining beauty sleep another hopefully successful try. Not that she needed any beauty sleep to begin with but she knew how grumpy she was should she not get her usual amount of sleep. And she really did not want to put anyone through having to deal with her like that.
When she arrived in the kitchen and flicked the lights on, Mitsuba felt like she had a heart attack as startled ember eyes met her own purple ones. "S-Shinoa?!" She was more than surprised to find her squad leader of all people up in the kitchen at this godawful time. "Micchan is going for a secret late night snack? Betraying your diet like this is no good, you know!"
The ashen-haired girl was lucky Mitsuba was way too tired still to take this as much as in insult as it was to her and just sighed. "You surprised me. Why are you awake at such a time?" She didn't want to really show it but she figured there must be a rather good reason for Shinoa to not get the sleep she requires, especially considering she had the responsibility for her squad's lives.
"Unlike Miss Giddy here I don't think I need at least eight, preferably ten hours of sleep per night for a perfectly smooth, white skin," she replied with her usual smile that pissed Mitsuba off basically all the time. But before she could give into her rage, the blonde noticed very dark circles accenting empty ember eyes.
Stepping closer to her more-or-less friend, Mitsuba inspected the signs of sleep deprivation she just found more. Shinoa however wouldn't be Shinoa, would she not notice the concern her second-in-command's serious eyes showed. "Ahaha, Micchan, I didn't know you're so caring! Or do you perhaps only show this side because it's me? Could this be…forbidden love?"
Blood rushed into the tsundere's cheeks and she felt her face heating up; she couldn't ignore this kind of comment like the previous one. "L-L-Love? I don't even like you…! Ahh, you're hopeless," the blonde groaned, turning around and stomping out of the kitchen, towards her room. If there was one thing worse than reacting to Shinoa's teases just the way she wants one to, it's seeing that witch's smug grin for getting her expected response.
Not caring whether it might wake anyone, despite it being doubtful considering the boys all were heavy sleepers, Mitsuba slammed her room's door shut. "That girl…!" The blonde threw herself on her bed angrily. Then she thought back at how worn out her squad leader looked like.
"How am I supposed to sleep now when that idiot is blocking any help and support," she complained to herself and quietly added, pouting, "…not that I wanted to help her that badly… I just don't want her state to endanger the team, that's all."
Of course, she knew that was a lie, a bad one in fact. But something inside of her made it impossible to admit worry for anyone, especially to the mischievous girl, and even to herself. Pressing her pillow against her chest, she couldn't shake off the picture of Shinoa's expression.
It wasn't unlike her to poke fun at Mitsuba but it was now that the blonde noticed – these antics were an easy way to direct any attention away from her. And it worked especially well on a tsundere as she is. Internally Mitsuba facepalmed, not having realised this sooner. Doing such a thing, Shinoa must have worse trust issues than anyone else in her squad.
'Also, those dark circles,' Mitsuba thought, 'they definitely looked worse than just some bad sleep occasionally.' She wondered how long her squad leader had gone without sleep at this point or, more accurately, how much sleep she even got. However, she feared she the answer to that question wouldn't soothe her worries at all.
If anything, it would probably be the complete opposite.
She knew only her was aware of this issue and she was sure she had to do something. And yet, her pride kept her from facing the embarrassment of the ashen-haired's assumptions of Mitsuba's so-called 'feelings of forbidden love' for her yet again.
Mostly this was so embarrassing because the blonde knew it wasn't just an assumption. She had a crush on the petite girl for quite a while already, even before she joined her squad. Shinoa embarrassed her at every single opportunity and she had big issues managing her anger around her but those things just made her feel free.
For short but to her meaningful moments she could forget her family's name and the honour she had to maintain. For just a few minutes she could be her truthful self, not having to hide behind the mask of a member of the prestigious Sangu house. Mitsuba softly smiled to herself, thinking of those flustering but happy memories with her crush.
"What a creepy smile you have there, Micchan~" Lost in thought, Mitsuba had not noticed the door of her room being opened and being watched while daydreaming about her crush. Immediately her cheeks turned reddish which Shinoa hopefully wouldn't notice in the room's darkness but deep inside the blonde knew the moon light would illuminate the room enough to make her flushed face visible.
"Can I come in?" Mitsuba was taken aback by this question, usually her squad leader was the kind of person to barge into the privacy of her shower despite being told not to. "Sure," she replied, sitting on her bed cross-legged and patting on a space in front of her. Her guest closed the door and followed the invitation to sit down where Mitsuba gestured her to.
However, she didn't say a word. The blonde didn't want to push her either. Seconds past, maybe a minute or two but to Mitsuba it felt much longer. Eventually, the petite girl spoke up, "I think I haven't really slept all week." Considering the date, it meant she must have gone about three days without sleep now. Mitsuba was right when she feared knowing about this would worry her more.
"That's…unhealthy," was all she could mutter. "I know." Ember still refused to meet purple. "Lack of sleep can be deadly…right?" Mitsuba was rather certain but the mere thought of her crush being in a state even remotely life-threatening made her heart feel heavy, like a stone and felt like it would choke her.
Glazed eyes met each other. "I know all that but I can barely keep my eyes closed at night. I feel so endlessly tired and I don't really know what to do anymore, Micchan." She noticed the blonde being on the verge of crying. "I didn't mean for you to see me like this, ever. I'm sorry I caused you to worry."
As she moved to get up from the bed, she was stopped by a rather tight grip on her shoulders. "You should have told me sooner!" Mitsuba didn't know what exactly to do but she wanted to be there for the girl. Just like she helped her get through the trauma of watching her own team annihilated, blaming herself.
"And… What would you have done had you known?"
This question felt like a sharp sting in Mitsuba's chest. She wanted to say something, anything, but she couldn't find the words. Biting her lower lip, she gathered all her courage and pulled her crush into a tight embrace.
Shinoa was clearly surprised by the sudden affectionate action of the tsundere. "I…would have been there for you, of course…! Idiot," she murmured, holding her crush more tightly. "All night?" The ashen-haired asked doubtfully. "If I need to…"
Shinoa sighed, a faint smile creeping its way onto her face. "Where's your tsun, Micchan?"
"…Shut up." She wrapped her arms around the blonde now, too. "Thanks." Mitsuba wasn't sure if she was really any help yet. "Do you think you could sleep now?" She asked, as she let go of her squad leader. Shinoa replied by shaking her head while showing her signature smile.
The frustration of her crush being in such a situation added to the self-hate caused by not being able to help her and that made her stubbornly state the first idea that came into her mind, "What if you sleep here? With me?"
Ember eyes widened in surprise, never would she have expected her Micchan to be this forward and willing to get as intimate as sharing a bed with her. "So Micchan has fallen for my charm after all! Not that it's any surprising, after all, it's me we're talking about."
"P-Platonic! As friends!" Mitsuba tried to save her slip-up but her flushed cheeks hardly helped. "Oh?" It seemed almost as if Shinoa felt hurt or disappointed, "We could try it." With those words, she laid on Mitsuba's bed, trying to give her as much space as possible before Mitsuba covered both with her blanket.
"Micchan?" The ashenette called in a serious voice. "Hm?" Mitsuba expected her to maybe talk a bit more about her sleep issues now as she rarely heard her squad leader use this kind of tone. "How often did you masturbate on this bed, thinking of me?"
Had Mitsuba drunk something right now, she surely would have spat it out this very second. "W-What the hell kind of question is that?!" She was glad she faced away from the perverted girl in her bed so she couldn't see the embarrassment and guilt that were clearly written on her face.
Of course, she had touched herself occasionally, thinking how it would be if instead of her own hands it would be crush touching her. But she would never want Shinoa herself of all people to know that.
"Just answer, Micchan." Her voice was sounding as stern as before and Mitsuba felt the other girl moving closer to her, making her feel nervous. "N-Never did such a thing…obviously," the blonde answered, hoping to end this topic for good. From behind her, Shinoa wrapped her arms around Mitsuba's stomach to keep her close, bringing her lips to the other girl's ear, whispering, "Liar."
The hot breath on her ear and the whisper-like voice of her crush made Mitsuba shiver. "W-What do you mean…" She had to play dumb now. There was no way she would be revealing her feelings to Shinoa, the mischievous girl would never let her live it down and call her a pervert or worse forever.
Nestling her face to the blonde's nape, Shinoa whispered seductively, "You do know I heard you moan my name often enough, all the nights I wandered around the house, unable to sleep." Flustered enough to feel like dying, Mitsuba bit her lips, staying quiet to not reveal more than her crush already knew.
"I'll just make you admit it then, Micchan~" The petite girl's hands moved under Mitsuba's pyjama shirt, up to her decently sized breasts and gave them a soft squeeze. The blonde couldn't help but sigh in pleasure at the skin ship, but immediately covered her mouth with her hands to prevent her voice from slipping out.
Feeling the foreign hands grope and massage her made it harder by every second not to show much of a reaction that would give her away. It only took Shinoa's warm, wet tongue licking slowly behind her ear, accompanied by hot breath, to break Mitsuba's resistance. "Hnn… Shinoa," she moaned out, to the amusement of the teasing girl behind her.
"Micchan is surprisingly perverted, getting off of her squad leader of all people feeling her up," she seductively licked her own lips despite the blonde being unable to see this before sensually nibbling at her neck, "Just admit you're oh-so-hot for me." Not being quite satisfied with her technique yet, she proceeded to flick Mitsuba's erect nipples with her thumbs.
"I-I, ahh… I'm nngh not h-hot for you…" Her own disruptive moans didn't help the credibility of her statement any bit. And Shinoa knew this very well herself, sliding her leg in between Mitsuba's thighs to assault yet another weak spot of her. The blonde arched her back, pressing her breasts into the ashenette's hands upon the additional stimulation, gasping in surprise.
"My my, you're a sensitive one, Micchan," Shinoa teased, knowing fully well, her friend's mind was too occupied with pleasure to be thinking straight enough for a witty comeback. Seductively, she whispered to the other's ear. "I could make you feel even better. You just have to be honest and answer my question."
The tingling feeling in her abdomen made building as well as maintaining any resistance impossible, all she felt was heat and need. As embarrassing as this whole moment was, she truly would not mind it lasting forever, her perfect squad leader's skilled fingers pleasuring the blonde much better than she herself could ever do or imagine her crush to.
"Okay," she admitted defeat, her voice no louder than a susurration, "I did it almost daily." Mitsuba was too lost in pleasure to have her shame keep her from telling Shinoa what she wanted to hear. "Because you love me?" The dominating girl probed. "T-that's…"
But Mitsuba was cut off by a small hand getting into her damp panties. Feeling skilled fingers softly massage her core, she arched her back again, moaning out loudly. "Shinoa," the blonde breathed, rocking her hips to increase the contact with the ashenette's teasing fingers.
She felt too good to give any damn about her pride. All she wanted was feeling better, she needed Shinoa to make her feel so unbelievably good.
"Yes, dear?" Shinoa replied as if the blonde had just called her normally but the pet name aroused Mitsuba even more. Both of them knew the blonde wouldn't last much longer. "I…l-love you," she sighed, confessing her feelings for the release. But instead, Shinoa stopped and retracted her hands.
Confused at first, Mitsuba couldn't help but feel mildly frustrated, at least – She had been so close!
A second later she realised what she said. She confessed to her crush, despite making clear to herself she never would. Is that why the other girl stopped? Was she disgusted by Mitsuba's feelings?
"I'm sorry," the ashenette said, distancing herself from the other girl, sitting up, "I shouldn't have…taken advantage of you." Hurt flickered over the blonde's face, a sharp pain setting in her chest. Shinoa had just been playing with her.
She sat up as well, facing Shinoa who immediately noticed the wet eyes. Her ember eyes looked apologetic, full of regret. "Is it…true?" A faint blush crept onto the ashenette's face.
Mitsuba was sure this was the very first time in her life to see her squad leader blushing. Maybe there was more to it. She had to bet on this chance, but she couldn't bring a word over her lips. At this moment, she cursed her tsundere personality for making her so dishonest with her feelings.
Usually Shinoa looked behind the tsundere deception but now she herself was too unsure to make any assumptions.
The frustration still apparent inside of the blonde, she leaned in, pulling her squad leader's face closer to herself and closed the distance between them with a deep kiss.
Shinoa's lips felt softer than she had ever imagined them to, she felt like she could melt into this kiss. After seconds, that felt way too short for both of them, Mitsuba pulled away. "D-Did I make myself clear?" She asked irritated.
Shinoa chuckled, clearly alleviated. "You're such a tsundere. But that's one of the things I love about you." Mitsuba felt flustered but at the same time happier than ever. Knowing her feelings were reciprocated seemed to fire her up as well, her arousal raising.
Pushing her guest down, staring into her beloved ember eyes that, for once, showed more emotion than none at all, she leaned closer to her squad leader's face. "You still owe me, don't you think?"