Another Kobayashi-san fic I wrote a while back on my tumblr, probably around the time episode 4 or so aired. Unlike the previous chapter, this one is very different and has an entirely different tone. Sort of a continuation from what happened at the end of episode 1, but in the current point of the series. Dragon angst and fluff. Enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kobayashi-san Chi no Maid Dragon.

Chapter 2. Nightmare

"Kobayashi. Kobayashi."

The sound of her name rouses her from a deep slumber. As she blinks her eyes open, Kobayashi finds herself in her room in total darkness. A glance at her alarm clock tells her it's just past 3 in the morning.

Moaning slightly, she squints at the person at her bedside who is peering up at her with wide eyes.

"Kanna-chan?" she mumbles. "What is it?"

This is a first. Since they'd moved into their new apartment where Kanna and Tohru shared a room, the little dragon had never come to wake Kobayashi in the middle of the night. She didn't think there was anything that could scare Kanna, and if there was, surely Tohru could handle it much better than Kobayashi herself could.

Kobayashi is just trying to clear her head from the residual fog that sleep leaves behind when Kanna gives her answer.

"Tohru-sama."

Kobayashi opens her eyes a little wider and slowly pushes herself up from her pillow.

"What do you mean? What about her?"

Kanna scuffs her bare feet against the floor nervously.

"She won't wake up…"

"…Huh?"

Immediately Kobayashi straightens her back, not paying any attention to the slight soreness at the base of her spine. A small surge of alarm shoots through her but she tries to keep herself calm.

"W-What do you mean? Did you have a nightmare like that?"

She hopes she guessed correctly with that assumption. But to her dismay, Kanna shakes her head.

"Not a nightmare. I woke up because Tohru-sama was making noise. But I couldn't wake her up. I'm scared…"

And for the first time now Kobayashi can see the fear in her eyes.

Kanna has known this fear before. When Tohru had left the dragons behind for the human world, Kanna had thought she'd died. She'd thought she'd lost her. And she is starting to feel that same fear again…

Kobayashi throws the blankets off herself in a panic and jumps out of bed with a swiftness that should've been impossible for her with her aching back. But her concern for Tohru is much greater than any physical pain.

"Stay here," she tells Kanna, picking her up and sitting her down on the bed. "I'll go help Tohru."

Kanna wipes her eyes and nods. Kobayashi can only spare a second to pat her head reassuringly before she takes off through the dark apartment.

She skids on the wooden floors out of her own bedroom, then rushes to round the corner to Kanna's and Tohru's room. Grabbing the door frame, she comes to a halt.

"Tohru!"

Even without her glasses she can see a lump in the blankets and a large green tail dangling over the side of the bed. But even at the sound of her voice, Tohru doesn't stir.

Kobayashi hurries to the bed and pulls the blankets down a bit. Tohru is curled up on her side, almost unmoving. But right away, Kobayashi can hear and see just how hard she's breathing. When she reaches a hand down to touch her face, her skin is torrid with heat and slick with sweat.

"Tohru? Oy…"

Kobayashi gives her a slight shake, but still, Tohru doesn't wake.

This had happened before. It had happened on their first night alone together, only then, Tohru had been able to escape her nightmares. But this time she is trapped in them.

Kobayashi can't imagine what kind of horrible pain she must be reliving. Judging by the physical effects it's having on her, it's clearly poignant and horrible.

"Tohru? Tohru!"

Kobayashi shakes the girl's shoulder, but still she doesn't wake. The only difference is a small whimper that tumbles from her lips. Her body is trembling, and her breathing becomes even more labored by the second.

The panic courses through Kobayashi as she tries to think of what she can do. At the very least, she decides to lay Tohru on her back so she might be able to breathe more easily.

So she slips her arms beneath her maid's side and tries to shift her weight. But the second her hand brushes against Tohru's right side, the girl lets out a strangled cry of pain. Kobayashi quickly lies her down and withdraws her hands.

"W-What? What happened?"

But she soon realizes what it must have been. She must have inadvertently touched the wound on Tohru's right side, the spot where she'd been impaled by a massive sword. She must be reliving that excruciating pain right now in her nightmares.

"Tohru…" Kobayashi sits on the bed and leans over her frantically, pressing a hand against Tohru's heaving collar. "Her heart's going crazy…" Swallowing thickly, Kobayashi reaches out with her free hand to touch her cheek. "Tohru? Tohru, please. Wake up. Please."

She's scared. She doesn't know what else she can do for her. She doesn't know how she can fix this. She knows Tohru is suffering and she just wants it to stop.

"Please… Tohru…"

Then, as if she'd broken the curse cast upon her, Tohru's eyes fly open. Her voice cracks in another small wail, and her chest starts heaving even more deeply than before. She gasps so hard she chokes on it and tears start spilling down her cheeks.

Kobayashi can feel Tohru's heart jolt beneath her palm, and it continues to beat painfully. But she's just thankful she's awake now.

"Tohru!" Desperately, Kobayashi leans over her, caressing her cheek with one hand and rubbing circles over her heart with the other. "Tohru, it's okay! It's okay. It was just a dream."

Tohru's voice leaks out in whimpers between her labored breaths. Kobayashi can immediately tell that this is much worse than the first night. Even if her mind is now free, Tohru's body is still trapped in that nightmare. She needs to calm down, or else Kobayashi fears she might hurt herself.

"Tohru… it's okay…" she repeats, stroking through her bangs. "I'm here."

Tohru continues to struggle for breath, her hands clutching the sheets so tightly the blood drains from her knuckles. Swallowing thickly, she tries to find her voice past the sobs.

"K… Ko-"

"Shh." Kobayashi brushes her thumb over Tohru's forehead, clearing away some of the sweat. "It's okay. I'm here. Just breathe, Tohru."

Tohru sniffles, and more tears fall back and dribble down over her temples.

Kobayashi can tell she's still in a panic. Her breathing is clipped and shallow now, and her heartbeat is frantic and hard. Kobayashi moves her hands slowly, taking care not to touch Tohru's right side as she coaxes her up into a sitting position. She can feel Tohru's hands clutching at her back, trembling.

"That's fine," Kobayashi murmurs over her shoulder. "Just hold onto me, Tohru. I won't leave. I promise."

Now that they're both sitting up, Kobayashi allows herself to press close to Tohru. She's shaking so badly, and her pulse is still thick and out of control. Kobayashi rubs her back slowly, running her palms in soothing circles.

"Breathe," she reminds her. "It's okay, Tohru."

Tohru continues to cry, sobbing weakly into her shoulder despite the fervent grip of her hands and the jarring beat of her heart.

Kobayashi waits and holds her for as long as Tohru needs her to. She measures the minutes not by how many seconds are in them, but by how many times Tohru's heart slams against her chest. Kobayashi doesn't stop whispering soothing phrases to her, reminding her it's all over.

"I'm here, Tohru. You're safe now."

And Tohru finally understands that this is reality. Gradually her pulse begins to slow, and her breathing deepens.

Kobayashi is flooded with relief as she feels Tohru's condition changing for the better. She waits for a long while, until Tohru's heart has calmed down and her breathing has slowed to a normal pace. Kobayashi pets through her long, loose hair and murmurs softly to her.

"Tohru… are you okay?"

She's always so happy and energetic during the daytime. But at night, when the memories of her past attack her, Tohru reveals her weaknesses.

This is when she is at her most vulnerable. Kobayashi longs to help her through it.

She hears a small tremor of breath. Tohru loosens her grip on her back and inhales slowly.

"Y…Yes…"

And Kobayashi lets out a breath of her own.

"I'm so glad…"

She holds onto Tohru for a while longer, not only because she knows Tohru needs it, but because Kobayashi herself needs it, too.

She has no idea what time it is, but she can assume it must be half past three in the morning by now. And though this ordeal has undoubtedly drained Tohru even more than it's drained herself, Kobayashi isn't surprised to find the girl refusing to go back to sleep.

But clearly, Tohru is beginning to feel guilty about everything now. She sniffles a little, letting out another sigh.

"My apologies, Kobayashi-san. You have work tomorrow and you need your rest…"

"Tohru." Kobayashi pulls herself back, not enough to let her go, but just enough so they can see each other's eyes now. Tohru's are still watery and scared, but they are more guilty than anything. Kobayashi looks back at her with a firm, unwavering expression. "I don't give a damn about that. I don't care about work. All that matters is that you're okay right now."

And she means it.

For the majority of her life, she hasn't had anyone to care about. But now she does, and Kobayashi has found that they matter to her more than anything else in the world.

Her words cause Tohru to start crying again, but they are tears of relief this time, not pain or guilt.

After a few more minutes, Tohru has stopped crying. But when Kobayashi makes an effort to move away, Tohru clings tighter to her back. Kobayashi pats her shoulder gently.

"I know. I promised I'd stay with you, didn't I?"

Tohru nods. Kobayashi wipes a few of her tears away.

"I'll stay with you tonight, Tohru. Would you like that?"

Tohru can't even find the words to say it, so she just nods vigorously, sniffling and whimpering more and more. Kobayashi pats her head this time.

"Then I will. But I've gotta tell Kanna-chan you're okay first. She was so worried about you. She's the one who came to get me."

Tohru looks up past her bangs.

"K-Kanna…?"

Kobayashi nods.

"Yeah. She was scared for you. So I've gotta go tell her you're all right. I'll be back in a minute, okay? Promise."

She reaches out her hand and extends her pinkie finger.

Tohru hesitates and keeps her hands on Kobayashi's shirt. Kobayashi can see it in her eyes, that she's been made a million promises before, and she's probably had every single one of them broken.

But even after all of that, Tohru is willing to trust her now. She reaches out and curls her pinkie around hers.

Kobayashi swears she won't ever betray that trust.

Slowly, Tohru lets her go. Kobayashi dips her head as a silent way of thanking Tohru for trusting her. Then, she slips off the bed and leaves the room, only to return to her own bedroom next door.

Kanna is curled up in her bed, still awake, though just barely. Her concern for Tohru is likely all that's keeping her up. The second she sees Kobayashi, however, she perks up in the darkness.

"Kobayashi… Tohru-sama?"

"Tohru's all right," she assures her. Kobayashi sits on her bed and pats Kanna's head. "I'm glad you came to get me. Tohru was in a lot of pain."

Kanna nods and snuggles into her side.

"I know. That's why I came to get you. Dragons have bad nightmares about their pasts sometimes. It's like you're reliving it for real. If it's painful enough, just remembering the pain can almost kill us. And Tohru-sama has the most pain…"

Kobayashi listens in subdued silence.

Her nightmares could almost kill her…? She shudders at the thought. Images of Tohru's pained expression run back through her mind. I guess it could really happen if it puts enough strain on her body…

Kobayashi shakes the thoughts away as Kanna continues.

"But Tohru-sama is safe here with Kobayashi. Kanna is, too."

Kanna smiles and throws her little arms around her stomach. Kobayashi hugs her in return.

There's no way to describe this feeling. Even though it's a lot of responsibility, it doesn't feel heavy or pressing.

It almost feels… nice. She's never had people who relied on her before, people she could help, people she could keep safe…

Eventually, a yawn from Kanna reminds her of the time. Kobayashi helps the little dragon lie down in her bed.

"Kanna, you can sleep here tonight. I'm going to stay with Tohru. Is that okay?"

"Mm. I like Kobayashi's bed."

"Glad to hear it."

Kobayashi stands and pulls the ruffled blankets up to tuck Kanna in. And even before she's left the room, she can hear the little dragon snoring softly. Hearing confirmation that Tohru was all right must have been all that she needed.

Kobayashi smiles fondly at her before leaving her bedroom.

She stops in the kitchen, opening the fridge and wincing at the brightness as she takes a bottle of water. She grabs a clean dish towel, dampens it in the sink, and finally makes her way back to Tohru.

She's still sitting upright with her back leaning against the headboard. Even in the dark, Kobayashi can see she has a hand over her right side. As she approaches, Tohru quickly puts both hands in her lap instead.

"I'm back," Kobayashi murmurs. "Kanna-chan's glad you're all right. She's asleep now."

"I see…" Tohru's finally gotten her voice back after the ordeal. "I'm glad she's all right, too."

Kobayashi sits on the bed beside her.

"You're covered in sweat, Tohru. Close your eyes."

And for once, Tohru doesn't make any energetic comments about licking herself clean or anything of that nature. She simply does as she's told and lets Kobayashi run the cloth along her forehead, cheeks, and neck. Kobayashi is gentle with her motions, and she's able to feel the heat soaking into the cloth as it leaves Tohru's skin.

Once she's finished, she places the cloth on the bedside table and hands her the water bottle.

"You should drink. You've lost a lot of fluids."

Again, Tohru simply nods. She downs almost the entire bottle, and Kobayashi praises her for that. When she takes the bottle back, she finishes the rest of the water herself, then puts the empty bottle on the nightstand as well.

From there, she puts her hand over Tohru's in her lap, then looks to the girl's right side.

"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?"

Tohru shakes her head.

"Not anymore. Thanks to Kanna and you, Kobayashi-san."

"I'm glad. Let's get some sleep."

She coaxes Tohru to lie back down, and Kobayashi lies beside her. There's a feeling of weight shifting against the mattress as Tohru slides her tail off the edge and lets it balance her.

They've only slept together like this once since they've started living together, and on that night, Kobayashi had refrained from touching Tohru. After all, they'd only just met at the time, and she wasn't sure what kind of contact was permitted.

But now that they've known each other and have been together for so long, and especially after what had just happened tonight… things are different.

Tohru is still getting over the pain and fear of her nightmare, and Kobayashi is still trying to get over her own fears. She'd never been more scared in her entire life than she had been tonight at the prospect of Tohru's distress. She never wanted to see her in such pain ever again.

That's part of the reason why she turns onto her side to face Tohru and opens her arms up to her. The other part is something entirely different that she doesn't care to think too hard about right now.

Once Tohru sees the invitation in her open arms, she can't help but smile and snuggle close, wrapping her arms around Kobayashi's sides and back. She's careful not to let her horns bump against Kobayashi's chin.

In turn, Kobayashi lightly hugs her shoulders and begins to stroke through her hair once more.

For a few moments, they are silent as they try to collect their thoughts and get their bearings. Kobayashi is absent-mindedly moving her hands when she accidentally brushes over Tohru's injured side again. She feels Tohru gasp and tense up, and instantly moves her hand away.

"Ah, s-sorry."

But just before she can let go of Tohru altogether, the other girl stops her.

"No… It's okay. I thought it would hurt again, but it doesn't." She peers up at Kobayashi, and even in the darkness without her glasses, she can see the sparkle in Tohru's eyes. "In fact, I think it feels better. Just a little."

Kobayashi feels another small smile coming on. Slowly, she moves her hand back along Tohru's ribcage, feeling her breathe, until her palm settles against the old wound. Tohru doesn't tense up or flinch this time. She simply lets out a long, steady breath and closes her eyes. She finally seems like she'll be okay now.

Kobayashi pulls her in just a little closer.

The first night, she'd commented on how cramped her old bed had been with both of them in it. But this bed is a bit larger. And when they are pressed close against one another like this, it doesn't feel cramped at all.

"Night, Tohru," she murmurs.

And Tohru replies in a small, grateful voice.

"Thank you, Kobayashi-san. Goodnight."

Kobayashi holds her, keeping herself awake for a while longer, until she's certain Tohru is asleep again. Her heartbeat is steady, and her breathing is calm and peaceful.

She'd been so scared for her tonight. But now, she's so relieved she's all right.

Kobayashi can't stop herself. She dips her head and presses a small kiss in between Tohru's horns before allowing sleep to come.

She decides she'll ride Tohru to work in the morning.

A/N: It was tricky writing this. Because I know these two aren't together, and I don't want to impose the romance in their relationship this early on, but I still want them to be closer than they are in canon.

I wanted to do fluff/comfort obviously, and I get the feeling Kobayashi isn't really a person for close physical contact. But I feel I had to let her get close to Tohru in this. Something I wanna see in canon so badly is a comfort scene like this with them both really close and helping each other feel better. Season 2 please.

Please review!