Matutine: Just before the dawn

The dawn was different than sunrise itself. The misunderstanding was in their close meaning in the rising light before day broke, but dawn came before sunrise. It was the world without the sun and only its light dividing the horizon from the black void it was during the night. Dawn was the subtle herald of the sun announcing it with no fanfare. It suggested the coming day in the soft light and it was her favorite time of the day.

To Naoto, it was the time of waking drilled in by years of living under Fuyumine. He rose early, everyday, and bedded late living off a shaved off recommended amount of sleeping. She did not hold him with such wide eye idealism to not remember the tired look in his eyes. Even prior to seeing a break in his expression, he seemed tired and yet too stubborn to rest. It was passed on to her, the stubbornness to ignore wellbeing for doing right. She never knew in his lifetime and would never know why he went about taking care of her, pointing her hatred toward him for sins he did not commit.

Rising early stuck with her. Stuck with when her time underground outweighed her time spent above. Even without seeing the dawn, she knew when it was happening due to some internal clock. It was constant in a world of constant change and she cherished it.

Months had gone since she had been above the brewing chaos of the underground. It had boiled over rattling the lid that was the city above. Now everyone knew something was happening. News reports and word of mouth did not have to spread it, feeling spread it far and wide making people take notice of things they had long chosen to ignore below their feet.

She could tell the weeks spent without real sunlight were showing. Naoto was pale by natural means, yet she had gotten paler to what her mind projected her as being. Mirrors were avoided and the long term change was sped up when a passing glance after a shower put the stark contrast of her black hair to her white skin. She was pale, but she was not Heine pale; his skin a vivid white and ethereal. Once upon a time she thought him a ghost unable to part with this world, but she discovered by her hand he was very alive.

He was leaning on the railing when she crossed him, their paths unavoidable in recent weeks. Sleep did not pass over her in the night. A couple of winks and tosses of the night were all many could spare. If nightmares did not plague someone, then the day's need of labor kept them awake to avoid it. She hovered in taking perch feet away, coat grabbed before leaving the build wrapped tight.

"How long have you been out here?" Always to speak first, habit to alert him she was near to not shock him. Alerting him did not seem so imperative anymore.

"Hour or so." His fist balled up on the rail pushing him back.

"You should try to sleep a bit longer." Then added soft, "If you can." Asking him to sleep was an effortful demand to make of him. Heine slept less than everyone. Knowing he caught nothing substantial bothered her, a concern that went above and beyond comradeship.

"Can't." Which was not of any surprise, what followed earned a sharp turning look. "It's almost morning, dawn I'd guess."

How a man who spent his life without sun knew baffled. He could, no one needed the sun to know it rose and when. To have him remember it was striking.

"Mhm, it is dawn." She answered after a pause turning her gaze back to the scattered cityscape. Dawn onto sunrise was spent there against the railing. It felt close to seeing dawn break again. Not by light, but by the illumination of presence. That something brighter was below the surface and time would set it rise casting the world in light.