Chapter Ten
"Where did you find her?"
It was around three in the morning, the search party now gathered together in Garderobe's infirmary, watching the child as she slept. Natsuki and Shizuru, of course, were right by her side.
"She was near a small restaurant in the middle of the city," Yukino answered. "I'm surprised she got as far as she did, and in this weather. "
"I want to thank you for finding her and bringing her back," Shizuru told her. "Both of you. If we had lost her for good…"
"I appreciate the thanks, but if there's anyone here who deserves it, it's Haruka-chan. She was the one who got the girl to actually listen."
"That little twerp thought she knew it all," Haruka said with a bit of anger. "All she did was talk, talk, talk. Someone had to make her listen."
"Our original intentions were to bring her back to you, but with her condition, we brought her here because it was close by," Yukino added. "We phoned Youko-sensei before arriving."
"Which was perfect timing," Youko piped in while standing by the bed and taking notes. "I'm usually not around this late, but there was some research I needed to do. I'm glad you brought her in."
"We thank you for it," Yukino said. "I hope she feels well soon. Knowing she's here, I can sleep a little more soundly, so for now, we take our leave. We'll return later in the morning to see how things are."
"Thank you, Yukino," Shizuru said again. "Thank you both. We very much appreciate the effort you put in to this."
Haruka merely nodded.
"It was never a problem," Yukino replied with a smile. "Thank you for letting us stay here. We will show ourselves to the guest room. Please do inform us if there are any changes."
"We will," Shizuru said back.
"Thank you." With a final bow, she turned and followed Haruka out the door.
After they had left, Shizuru walked to the other side of the bed and stood behind a very worried Natsuki, who had been quiet the whole time. She snaked her arms around the woman's waist, pulling her close and resting her chin on her shoulder.
"She must have been out there for a while," said a voice.
Over on the next bed was a red-headed female, a very cat like woman sleeping on her lap.
"I didn't even bother checking this far into Windbloom right away," Mai continued. "I honestly didn't think she'd walk this far."
"She must have really wanted to get away from us," Natsuki finally spoke.
"Natsuki," Shizuru said softly, nuzzling the woman's cheek comfortingly.
Reaching out, the blunette placed her hand on Aishu's arm.
"She's so cold, and she's shaking."
"She's still running a fever," Youko told them while feeling Aishu's forehead. "She might be for a while. She was completely drenched when brought in, and she was shaking a lot worst. We wasted no time in putting on dry clothing, but the chills haven't seemed to fade."
When Youko finished jotting some more notes, she placed the clipboard on a nearby table.
"There's nothing more that can be done at the moment, so I must take off as well. I'll be
monitoring her while I am down at the research room. There are a few things I must finish up."
She smiled up at them.
"Don't worry though. She'll be fine. She just needs lots of rest. I'll be back in a few
hours."
"Thank you," Shizuru told her.
Youko then left the room, the rest of them sitting quietly for a moment.
"You know, when she first came here, I had no idea how close we would end up getting," Natsuki said, breaking the silence. "I've never worried so much for a child as I do her, nor felt this type of bond before."
"It's what happens when instincts take over," Mai told her.
"I didn't think I had the instincts, especially in the beginning. She was so hard to get through to."
"She was," Shizuru said with a giggle. "She was always trying to stay away from us, but we knew how to get her. It was especially fun getting her all worked up over a hug."
A warm look appeared on her face as she continued to speak.
"I remember the day she first gave me a hug on her own. I was so happy and so proud. It was thanks to Mai-chan that she was finally able to do it herself."
Mai smiled at this, but shook her head.
"I didn't do much. She was already upset in thinking she was no longer going to receive hugs by the time I sat down with her. An idiot I believe she called herself. All I did was listen to her and give her advice on what course she could take if she wanted to fix things. Though uncertain, she agreed to them all on her own. Not much pushing was needed."
"You may not think you did much, but you must have to her," Natsuki said back, remembering that day as well. "She changed quite a bit after that. I was happy to see it no matter how slowly it came. Soon enough, she didn't get so worked up over hugs and kisses and sometimes snuggles. She relaxed more and was just a kid, a happy kid. Somewhere during these months though, even if was never really spoken aloud, she became ours."
"She is ours," Shizuru told her. "We're going to adopt her. She'll have two mothers, and we will have a beautiful daughter."
"What if she doesn't like the idea? What if she wakes up and hates us? What if she's not ready? What if she thinks we're pushing? What if-"
"Is there ever a moment in your life when you don't worry needlessly?" Mai asked with a smirk.
Shizuru had to snicker at this comment, Natsuki blushing slightly.
"Well, I-"
"Oh, shush you, " Mai cut in. "She's not going to hate you. From the story Yukino and Haruka told us, her feelings are far from hate. She wants to be with you."
Suddenly, mid-conversation, they heard what sounded like a small cry. They all looked down to find Aishu moving in her sleep, her eyes furrowed as she mumbled something inaudible.
"She's restless," Natsuki said sadly. "She can't even find peace in her dreams."
Aishu silenced for a moment, but a few seconds later, she began mumbling again, this time her words a little more clear.
"Natsuki….Shi…zuru…"
This brought tears to the blunette's eyes. Breaking from her wife's hold, Natsuki leaned her face in close to Aishu's, kissing her gently on the cheek.
"We're here, love," she whispered. "We're here."
Shizuru chose this moment to walk to the other side of the bed. Lifting the covers, she slipped in with the child, holding her tight.
"She's still so cold."
Natsuki wasted no time copying Shizuru, the woman slipping in on the other side and wrapping her arms around Aishu protectively.
"Natsuki. Shizuru."
"We're not going anywhere," Shizuru whispered. "You're safe. You're ours now."
After a good few minutes of comforting the girl, Aishu finally relaxed, her mumbling coming to a stop as a peaceful look fell upon her face.
"You look good together," Mai told them, smiling at the sight. "She belongs in your family. You guys were met for each other. I think she'll love waking and hearing that she'll be adopted by you."
Natsuki held the girl a little closer, silently praying the chills would soon go that way. Shizuru followed suit and leaned in so close to Aishu that their heads were almost touching.
"You know," Mai said. "If either of you wish to sleep, let me know. I'm going to be up for a while anyways. I will happily keep an eye on things."
"Thank you," Natsuki told her, but sleeping was the last thing she could do right now. She just wanted her girl to feel safe, to feel warm. She wanted her to know she was loved.
"Sleep peacefully, my little Ai-chan." Shizuru whispered. "You have nothing to fear. We'll watch over you, so just sleep."
"That smell. Lavender. Roses. It's so…"
"Natsuki. Shi-Shizuru."
"We're here love. We're here."
"That warmth. So familiar. I know it."
"Natsuki. Shizuru."
"We're not going anywhere. You're safe now. You're ours."
"Natsuki…Shizuru…"
Aishu gasped and sat up, breathing heavily as she did. The remnants of the dream she had floated inside her mind, the scents and the feelings still surrounding her. For a dream, it was quite vivid.
"Ouch."
Bringing her hand up, she rubbed the side of her head, a headache suddenly forming. In fact, it wasn't only her head that hurt, but her body, too, noticing it felt achy and tired as she attempted to shift in bed.
"In bed?"
Indeed she was in bed, and in new night clothing as well. Looking up now, she peered around the somewhat familiar room, eyes squinting as they slowly became adjusted to the light.
"Where am I?"
"You're at Garderobe."
Aishu jumped at the sound of the voice. Turning to the side, she spotted a face she recognized.
"M-Mai?"
Mai shot her a smile and reached out, placing her hand on the child's head gently.
"Good, it hasn't come back. I was hoping it wouldn't. You had us all worried for quite a while."
"W-worried?" She asked, clearly confused thanks to her immense grogginess. "Why worried?"
"Why? You've been here since at least 3:00 this morning with a fever, and it only broke a few hours ago. You had a good case of the chills too for a long time, too, but those seem to have subsided as well. Your color has also come back."
Aishu rubbed her eyes, trying to rub some sleep away as she tried processing what the other was saying. None of it made much sense, things not quite connecting in her early wake up stage.
"In Garderobe? What happened?"
"You don't remember?" Mai asked, looking a little concerned at this. "I know that storm did a number on you, but…"
"Storm…"
Almost instantly, a light flickered on in her mind, memories of the previous incident now becoming much clearer. There was the letter that made her think she was wanted merely to be fixed for Otome purposes, and upon reading it, she had run away. The storm she treaded though was bad and had left her wet and cold. Then she ran into Yukino and Haruka.
"Since this morning…what time is it now?"
"It's a little after ten at night," Mai answered. "In the middle of talking to Yukino and Haruka, you passed out, probably from having such a high fever. They brought you here, and you've been out ever since."
She passed out? That long? She could hardly remember doing so.
"Youko-sensei, the Chief medical doctor you met during your visit here, has been taking care of and keeping an eye on you. I've been here since you arrived and the President and Haruka have been checking on you periodically. Up until recently, Natsuki and Shizuru were here, too."
At hearing those names, the pain, confusion, the guilt, and other emotions, burst inside her chest. She ran away because she thought they really didn't love or want her when, in reality, it was the complete opposite. If she had just trusted them to begin with.
Aishu hid her face inside of her hands, letting out a sigh as she did so.
"Oh no, what have I done?"
"Right now, there's no need to worry. You're here and you're safe, and that's all the matters. What's done is done."
"You don't understand," Aishu said back. "I screwed up. I really screwed up. I always do. I ran away and caused people so many problems. With Natsuki and Shizuru, I've been a problem for them from the start. They probably hate me now, don't they? I-"
Before Aishu got a chance to finish her sentence, she felt a smack upside her already hurting head.
"H-hey!" Aishu snapped, rubbing at the sore spot. "What was that for?"
"Baka. It's for thinking that way," Mai replied. "They don't hate you. They never could."
"Ok, maybe not hate, but they're probably really, really mad at me. I made a mess of everything and I-"
Smack!
Aishu rubbed the same spot on her head.
"What now? I can't assume they're mad at me? Look at the trouble I caused."
"No," Mai answered simply. "You can't. You're not allowed to assume anything unless you know every single little fact. Assuming is what started this whole thing in the first place. Granted, any child with a similar background such as yours could have easily made the same assumption upon seeing that letter, however, instead of assuming the worst, you could have gone to them and asked what it was all about."
Aishu stared up at Mai, eyes saddening a little. Yes, she could have just gone and asked. It would have been the easy and right thing to do. Yet instead of doing so, instead of trusting the people who gave her nothing but love, she reverted back to her old self and did what she did best when she wanted to avoid a problem and ran.
"I guess I could have, but…"
"You were scared. I know, and it's understandable. It's a hard thing to trust others after spending a life with other people who broke it. However, there does come a time in life when you have to let go of the past and understand that not everyone in the world is out there to hurt you."
She knew Mai was right about that, too. She couldn't remember when, but at some point in her life, she regarded all adults as bad people. She told herself they could never be trusted, and for the most part, with the adults she got placed with, she really couldn't. Then Natsuki and Shizuru came along, proving her normal thought process wrong.
With these two now in mind, she brought her knees to her chest and looked at the other woman questioningly.
"Ne, you said until recently, they were here. Where are they now?"
"Sleeping," Mai answered. "They've been up since you went missing. Between them and myself, we've been taking shifts to help keep an eye on you."
"Wh-what? You guys have? I caused trouble for everyone, and in return, you do this? I don't get it. Shouldn't you guys be angry? Wouldn't you all want to be away from me? Shouldn't you all-"
Smack!
"Mai," Aishu grumbled, rubbing her head yet again, clear frustration in her voice. "What the hell did I do now?'
"You're over-worrying! That's what you're doing! There's no need to worry about that when I've already told you that you don't have to. I swear, you are just as bad as that Natsuki. Look, we took care of you because we wanted to. You seem to be under the impression that when someone does so, you are being a burden, but that's not the case at all. There's no need to feel sorry or to feel like you're in the way when someone cares for you. Instead of apologizing, you should just try and accept it by saying thank you instead. It goes a long way you know."
Aishu felt very guilty upon hearing this statement. It was true. She had always had a bad habit of either getting angry, feeling uncomfortable, or feeling like a burden every time someone had tried to care for her. She thought she needed to be able to take care of herself all the time, and because of this, she never let anyone help her.
"This may come as a surprise to you, but there are people in this world, myself included, who really do care about you and love you for you. I can think of two very special people who love you more than life itself and want nothing more than to love on you for the rest of your life. You just have seem to have some trouble letting them in."
Mai was on point with everything. Yes, she had made quite some progress from her early time with the two women, but even then, there were things she was afraid to say or do. Right when her heart was just on edge to really let her feelings out; it would retreat back in fear of getting hurt again, leaving herself always in struggle with her emotions.
"You just have to stop hiding and running away every time someone wants to show you a little love. Ai-chan, especially with them, you have nothing to be afraid of. I have never seen those two love a little girl so much in my life, and not only do they want to say it, but they want to show it, too. It's not scary, I promise, but if you start feeling scared, just take a deep breath and let it happen. You'll see how easy it is and how easier it becomes over time. You just need to realize, and I mean really realize, that it's okay to be loved and cared for by other people. You're not alone."
Aishu sat quietly after Mai's little speech, taking in everything she said. Her words were truth, and after all this time, Natsuki and Shizuru did nothing but love on her and make her happy. Naturally, it should lead her to believe she was safe and that she could trust, but old habits, she supposed, died hard, for her defense system always seemed to kick in.
"You're right," she said softly. "I know. I know I just need to give them and everything they do a chance, and I've been trying really hard, but I guess my habits are a little hard to break. I've spent forever taking care of myself that I forgot how to let others do it. After a while, I became afraid of it. I'm always afraid. Ne, here I was thinking I was strong and tough for being able to carry my own weight, but really, I'm nothing more than a coward."
Mai reached over and tucked a piece of Aishu's hair behind her ear.
"You're not a coward. You've just never known what it's like, and now you have that chance. It's been given to you, so you need to hold on as tight as you can. They love you Aishu, they really do."
Aishu couldn't help but smile at this thought.
"They do…"
"Hell, they loved you so much they didn't want to leave your side. " Mai said, leaning back in her chair and placing her hands behind her head. "When I said taking shifts, it was more like they'd leave to use the bathroom or to eat then come right back. They really didn't want to leave you. In fact, when you first got here, they climbed into bed with you for a while because you looked like you were having a restless sleep. You also called out their names."
With a sense of embarrassment taking over, a blush grew on the little girl's face.
"I called for them? In my sleep?"
"Mhm!" She replied with a giggle. "You did! It was the cutest thing. They wanted to comfort you and keep you warm, so they just held you, and after a while, you calmed down. You would still call out their names every so often, but they would just continue snuggling you and telling you that they were right there by your side. It seems that even when you can't admit it to yourself, your heart knows what it wants, and it will call out for the people who make you feel happy and safe. It will call out for the people you need the most."
Aishu's eyes became glazed over slightly in thinking about this, the thought warming her heart. She had yearned for them, always wanting them nearby and wanting to be with them even when she could never bring herself to show or admit it. They made her feel extremely safe, a feeling she had never felt so much in her life. She was the happiest with them. How could she have ever thought about running away?
"Um, Mai? You said they were sleeping?"
"They are. I kicked them out a couple of hours ago to finally get some sleep. Told them they couldn't very well take care of you if they exhausted and killed themselves in the process."
Aishu furrowed her brows in thought. There was a question she wanted to ask, but she wasn't sure if it was okay to. Everything inside of her was telling her to do it, her skin crying for their warmth.
"You know, if we move quickly enough, we can get there before Youko-sensei comes back."
Aishu broke from her little daze, looking at the older woman with a little confusion. Mai simply winked back, holding out her hand. How did Mai know exactly what she was going to ask? Was this a good idea? What if the other two were too tired to see her right now? What if they-
"Okay."
Aishu didn't even let herself finish that thought. She didn't care. She wanted to be with them, and she knew in her heart that they wanted her, too. There was no need for the worries this time. She no longer wanted to run, and if she did, it would be towards them.
"Mai-chan, please. I really want them."
Mai nodded, a smile on her face. She knew Youko didn't want her to move, but she wouldn't keep them apart any longer than she had to. So, taking Aishu's hand in her own, she helped the girl up and out of the room.
"We need to be quiet," she whispered. "It won't take long to get there."
Aishu nodded, butterflies fluttering in her stomach, but she ignored them, too. All nerves were blocked by the need for them nearby, and after a few more minutes of walking, she found herself standing in front of their door.
"Here we go," Mai said when they arrived. "Are you going to wake them up?"
Aishu shook her head.
"If they've been up as long as you say they have, then they should sleep. Instead, I'll crawl into bed and sleep with them. They'll see me in the morning. They deserve some sleep after what they've done for me. Thank you, Mai-chan. Thank you for helping, too."
She snuck a hug to the older girl, Mai blushing slightly and hugging right back in return.
"You're welcome. They're going to be so excited to wake up and see you. Good luck, Ai-chan. I'll see you tomorrow."
"Night," she whispered back, pulling away, and soon after, she opened the door and disappeared inside. Upon entering the room, she made her way straight to the door that led to their living quarters. When she got there, it didn't take her long to find their bedroom, Natsuki's snores leading the way. No matter how much the woman denied it, she did indeed snore.
Quietly opening the door, she snuck in and closed it behind her. Lucky for her it hadn't been completely dark thanks to the light that came from the full moon peeking through their window. She then tip-toed across the floor and to the end of their bed, the two completely passed out. Glancing in, she spotted an opening right between them, wasting no time in crawling up. She froze for a moment when she saw Shizuru move, but was relieved and continued on when she didn't wake. After reaching the top and sneaking under the blankets, Aishu carefully laid on her back and let out a quiet sigh.
"You're here…."
If she didn't feel very safe before, she did now with being nestled between the two. Looking on either side, they were both facing her, Natsuki still snoring. Yes…she was safe.
She let out a small yawn. She could already feel her eyes drooping. With her body feeling the way it was, which was still not so great at all, she was tired, and before any more passing thoughts could reach her mind, her eyes shut, and she was sound asleep.
A/N: This is the second to the last chapter! Thank you so much for the reviews so far :) thanks to the people I cannot reply to as well! (If you review as a guest, it does not allow me to reply to you personally, but thanks!) One more to go and then book two, Coral Year, will be worked on.