Dream Lovers

- Some Sakura Taisen, Sumire/Kanna angst drabble

A/N: Continuation in shameless disregard of pov-consistency-rules. Forgive or don't read.

Find some S/K graphics here: http/www.cjb.cc/members/kyanite/kansum/index.htm

xxx

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The day had been flying by like a dream.

Sumire's head was spinning from the latest events. Things were not going as they should. Not at all.
As far as she knew her partner of several years had been badly injured, and she was not allowed to see her.
Somewhere something must have gone completely wrong.
Why was Maria acting like Sumire would hurt Kanna or damage her even more.
True, they argue a lot. But those were arguments over nothing, little fights to release some steam, never serious, never...

But why would Maria think she'd hurt Kanna now, they were teammates, after all. Friends, even, she thought, and... just sometimes... she wondered... wished... but then, her pride would kick in and urge her to try and land another blow to the redhead's apparently and annoyingly indestructible ego.

The entire day had been flying by like a dream.

It had been decided that Maria would take Kanna's role in the play. Fortunately, her original role was only a minor character. It sufficed to rewrite only a few passages in the play to keep the character without actually needing it to be embodied on stage.

Sumire had noticed how everyone except Maria disappeared at some point, and she assumed it was to pay a visit to Kanna.

All through the day she had felt Maria's eyes on her, the captain made sure she would not sneak out together with one of the others. It really started to worry her, how bad was it really, and why would she not be let in if it was that bad.

The entire day was a mere fuzz in her memory.

And now she was lying in her room, in her bed, unable to find sleep. Everybody else had already gone to bed as well and it was eerily silent in the whole building.

There was only the occasional sound of a creaking bed when someone turned in their sleep, and a groan.

And another groan.

And then she heard a muffled voice calling her name. Sumire sat up in her bed and listened more carefully, trying to find out where the voice was coming from. She realized that it must be one of the rooms across the hallway and that was also where... Without another thought she got up, quickly throwing her morning gown over her shoulders on her way to the door. Barefooted she made her way to the door to Kanna's room, just to find it already open, and as she peered around the doorframe she saw Maria lighting the candle on the bed-side table.

In the flickering light of the two candles, the one Maria had brought into the room and the one she had just lit, Sumire saw Kanna, or what she presumed to be Kanna, since all she saw was a bandaged head on a pillow.

There was another groan and a weak, desperate sounding call,

"Sumire... !"

"Sshhh." With quite some fascination Sumire watched how the cold Russian warrior sat down on the bed and leaned back to pull the injured woman against her chest. Holding her close with one arm she gently stroked her cheeks with the other hand, making cooing sounds in an attempt to calm the obviously distressed dreamer.

The words were spoken in low whispers and Sumire had some difficulties understanding them.

"Kanna, Kanna... sshhhh... it's alright, everything is alright, you're safe... I got you... sshh... sweety... it's a dream, it's only a dream... "

Sumire had never heard the Russian speak with so much emotion nor had she ever heard anyone address the muscular Okinawan giant with any kind of endearments, and hearing them now, coming from Maria, she felt a light twinge in her chest.

"Sumire... "

"She's safe, too, Kanna, she's fine, everything is fine, sshhh..."

Sumire's breath hitched when Maria had said she was here. Had she been detected already?

The sound made Maria look up from her distressed but apparently still sleeping friend.

"Sumire."

"Maria-san."

"What are you doing here." The face that had been showing worry and compassion so expressively just an instant ago was now as stony and cold again as she remembered it. And it intimidated her, even when she knew she had done nothing wrong. Or had she?

"I couldn't sleep and then I heard someone calling my name... I didn't know it was her before I reached the door and saw you..."

She was still standing by the doorframe, not sure if Maria would allow her to enter the room. Right now she looked like a tigress protecting her cub and Sumire knew better than to mess with wild... creatures.

Looking back at Kanna's face, Maria simply repeated a variation of what she had told Sumire several times during the day. "You shouldn't be here."

A small flame of confidence flickered up in Sumire as she replied, "But she was calling my name. She was calling me, so why should I not be here."

And again, Maria only repeated what she had said before, "She doesn't want you to see her like that."

"Like what, sick? Bound to bed? I have taken care of her before, when she had this bad case of flu, and she didn't mind me seeing her back then."

The captain sighed. "Sumire, she... I don't know... we don't know if... she might..." Her hands gently feathered over the uncovered areas of the usually healthily sun burnt face.

Sumire swallowed. "Maria-san...?"

When the Russian looked up Sumire swore she saw something like a tear lingering in the corner of the captain's eye.

"Sumire-san, when I found her, her hands were practically torn from the fight and she was bleeding from several wounds and cuts at her head. The doctor said it's too early to make any predictions, but there's the chance she might not be able to... fight anymore... and... her face... she might..." Her gaze intensified.

"The damaged could be permanent. She would be ashamed if she knew you saw her like that, if she lost all she had left to be proud of."

Sumire nodded, finally understanding why Maria had tried to keep her away. She was not protecting her from Sumire, but from shame and embarrassment. Considering the seemingly blissful ignorance or playful banter with which the Karateka countered every attack at her personality, no one would have believed she would be capable of feeling ashamed or embarrassed. But Sumire understood that the strong ego of her partner was backed by her faith in her abilities, and if she lost them, she might also lose her self-confidence.

Still, all the rest of the Hanagumi was allowed to visit the injured member of the troupe, it made her wonder...

"Maria-san, how much did she... do you... know...?" the defensive tone in her voice was just as rare as the emotional display of affection by the captain a few minutes ago.

"Everything, I think, ... "

Again, the Kanzaki heiress nodded slowly, "I see. So you know she..."

"Yes."

"Maria-san, I... Thank you for taking care of her."

"Sumire...?" Kanna's head still leaned against Maria's chest but had turned towards the door. Her eyes seemed to be still closed, even thought her eyelids fluttered as if caught in a struggle to open against the flickering light of the candles.

Hearing the croaky voice saying her name was too much for the star actress. As tears sprang to her eyes she quickly turned and ran off, to her room, her bed, and into a sleepless night.

xxx

TBC...