Lightning flashed, the ensuing clap of thunder making it impossible to understand Konata's reply, her downturned face making it impossible to get any clue about the nature of the reply from her lips. The only word that could be caught, as the thunder faded, was Kagami's name.
"What did you just say, Konata?" The tsundere asked, sure the answer wouldn't be a good one. After all, the blue-haired girl had looked rather sad as she had spoken. The azure-eyed student wondered whether she even wanted to know, if the following words were those she feared more than death itself – death wouldn't leave her that lonely, knowing that she'd been rejected by the one person she wanted to hold and be held by.
"I said I don't know… I don't think I love you that way but at other times I'm not sure, then it's almost as if I do but something's holding me back." Konata mumbled; her words indistinct but still clear enough to her listener, causing the girl to recline and think on the words for a few minutes, not noticing what her friend said.
Either she really is unsure or she's a brilliant actor… either way, she's left me my hopes and I wasn't even expecting that. This way, even if she doesn't love me, she's shown that she cares how I feel, despite the constant teasing.
The thought cheered the schoolgirl up, allowing her to overcome the feelings of fatigue and the aches that permeated her body. Her smile was interrupted by a bout of coughing, causing Konata, already concerned at the lack of response to her words, to ask if her friend, probably her best friend, if she was okay.
"I'm fine, why are you asking?" Kagami questioned, not wanting to let on how ill she felt. The coughs, along with her words upon waking, had given her state away to the otaku, however, along with the omnipresent fever that Sojiro had discovered the previous night, when he was trying to help the unconscious youth but also trying to avoid doing anything that would give people cause to arrest him.
"You said your head hurt, you've had a fever since last night, and you're not doing a very good job of hiding your shivering by the way, and you were just coughing. Oh, and you didn't seem to pay any attention to what I was saying for five minutes, almost as if your mind were somewhere else. Is that possible, could it be that Kagamin can separate her mind from her body?" Konata asked, gasping and slipping ever-so-gracefully into her normal, fantasy-filled nature.
"Oh… " The tsundere replied, not realising how obvious she must have made it that her health was less than perfect. Since the other girl obviously knew that she was ill, maybe it was best to tell her all the symptoms. "Well, I also feel very tired and ache everywhere."
"Flu." The otaku easily replied, surprising the twin as she would have thought that someone playing so many games would have no time to be able to recognise medical symptoms and work out what illness it was. After all, hadn't she and Tsukasa once asked Miyuki the difference between a cold and flu?
"How do you know that, it doesn't seem like something you'd know!" Kagami exclaimed, slightly startled and sitting up again, ignoring the pounding in her head.
"After Yutaka moved here, it seemed more important to know, since she's often ill. That and needing to know about medical illnesses to beat a game made me research them more." The emerald-eyed girl replied swiftly, once more proving that she would only do any research into subjects if it furthered her interests.
"So that's the reason." The lilac-haired girl sighed, realising her love-interest's hobbies extended tendrils everywhere and anything suggesting a desire to learn could be easily pinned on a particular game, manga or anime. Another bout of coughing seized Kagami, one proving that, whilst she may not have loved the studious girl, Konata cared deeply about her friend. This was because she gently pushed the other girl onto her back, pulling the cover over her and telling her to rest, concern evident in eyes that the tsundere considered worth more than every emerald in the world.
When Konata had left the room, Kagami closed her eyes and thought for a while, too many thoughts circling around her head for sleep to even be plausible, staying awake hardly being restful with the storm still raging outside.
She said she didn't know if she loved me but then she said that sometimes she nearly did but it was as if something was holding her back… but just now she seemed so caring, almost like she does love me… what could be stopping her? It can't be fear of rejection, not any more… but what, then? Fear of how people will react? I can understand that…
A choked sob escaped Kagami's lips,the recent past still too painful to think of. Quite apart from the event itself, it had coloured the good memories with her family, tainted them with feelings of betrayal and her family's evident hatred. Now with tears streaming down her face, she turned over, trying to go back to sleep and escape the thoughts, no longer confused but instead torturing her with what she had once possessed and now lost. In doing so, Kagami closed her eyes and turned her back on the door.
Konata, watching from the door, was amazed at her friend's mood – she had seen Kagami angry before, too many times to count, but never upset like this.
There's no way I can leave her alone in this mood, not and still consider myself a friend. She wouldn't want anyone else to comfort her, anyway – it doesn't cost me anything to give her something she must want and I have nothing else to do… apart from that, she's my best friend and it's my duty to help her.
At that, Konata slowly began to make her way across the floor, not wanting to fall and cause Kagami any more distress. Slowly, she slid herself under the covers, crutches lying nearby on the floor, and encircled her arms around the crying girl's waist, finally alerting the nearly-oblivious tsundere to her presence and actions.
"K-K-Konata?" Kagami stuttered, shocked. She had been sure that she would never be hugged like this, especially by the one person she wanted it from.
"Shh, Kagamin. Just sleep. I'm here for you, you're not alone." Konata whispered comfortingly, voice strangely reminiscent of a cat's purr, soft and peaceful, "Even if I don't love you, I'm still here for you and I'll stand by you through anything. You're my best friend, Kagamin."
Konata's tone, words and hug were enough to overcome the negativity and feeling of lost caused by her memories. Happy, tired and wrapped in an embrace she had never expected to receive, the tsundere swiftly sank into an untroubled sleep.
Sleep well, Kagamin. I might not be here forever…
With that, Konata closed her eyes and rested, deciding to make the most of the unexpected opportunity to sleep, unaware of the storm's ceasing. Less than ten minutes later, both girls were asleep.
AN: I like this chapter more than the others. Maybe because of the peaceful sleeping. And the hug. =]
Reviews always appreciated and desired, even if you've reviewed before.