Author's note: This is my first Hana-Kimi fic, so I hope it's okay. I've only read up to volume six of the manga, and unlike with a lot of other series I've been reading, I'm trying to avoid spoilers. Therefore, if I say something that doesn't agree with later volumes, I'm sorry. This isn't placed at any point in the story in particular.

Disclaimer: Hana-Kimi belongs to Hisaya Nakajo. I don't speak enough Japanese, let alone draw well enough, to even think about creating a manga.

Sweet Dreams

He made her feel… safe. There was no other way to describe it. When she was with anyone else she was always so careful about how she acted, making sure they didn't see through her masquerade. But with Sano… that was another matter. She let that act drop, almost without thinking. Sure, she made sure he didn't catch her changing, or talking to herself about the whole act, but other than that she really didn't monitor her behavior around him.

Before she arrived at the school, she had been terrified of the idea of her roommate accidentally discovering her secret. Living together with a guy certainly offered enough opportunities for her secret to be revealed. And for a while, she had been more careful around Sano than anyone else. But at some point, her level of caution around her roommate had dropped.

Maybe it was when she first ended up sleeping in his bed in her sleep-induced stupor. Before she had realized what was happening, it had just felt so… nice. And comfortable. Something about his nearness made her feel safe. Like nothing was going to hurt her because she had that one person looking out for her.

Maybe it was when he rescued her from Makita. Not so much when he came to her rescue, but afterward. When he was holding her. Mizuki felt almost deprived of physical contact in Japan; it wasn't as though boys constantly gave each other hugs. But Sano didn't seem to mind the contact, and he had held her the entire time they were stuck in that hole in the ground. Even though it must have been boring and uncomfortable for him to just hold her for hours, he had done it. And the thought of his embrace still made her smile. She had known that she was safe during that time, and even thinking about it made her feel better.

Regardless of when these feelings had started, something about Sano made her want to trust him. A part of her even wanted to tell him the truth.

What am I thinking? Do I want him to find out about my secret? she wondered. And what'll he do if he does find out? Will he hate me? Or will he understand and forgive me for it?

By this time, her thoughts had jerked her awake, and she began to toss and turn, trying to get more comfortable on her bed and to push all of the thoughts out of her mind so she could relax. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately, for her, Sano was still awake in the bottom bunk.

"Mizuki? You okay up there?"

"Yeah. Just, um, well, …"

"Another nightmare? Do you, um, want to sleep down here again?"

"Um, sure." Although it would, as usual, be dangerous, that was all Mizuki really wanted to do.

She climbed down the ladder and carefully got into Sano's bed, trying to position herself so that he wouldn't accidentally feel her vest. Pulling the sheets around her, she suddenly realized how comfortable it was, lying there next to him.

Sleep beckoned to her, and soon, Mizuki drifted off to sleep. Her last thought before her dream world claimed her for the night was this really is nice; I love the way this feels. I wish I could sleep like this every night.

As the girl next to him drifted off the sleep, Sano couldn't help but watch her. Slowly, peacefulness replaced agitation on her face, and her body relaxed. When he was sure that she was asleep, he pulled her closer to him, wrapping an arm around her waist. She really was beautiful.

"Sweet dreams," he whispered into her ear, before falling asleep himself.