Comfort Time
By: Fullmetal Ai
For RaevanDawn

Clef sighed. Four important meetings, dozens of protection spells cast, and not nearly enough rest. Today was just not his day. Clef wasn't normally one to lose his cool; However, he was about three nerve endings away from screaming at the next person who crossed his path.

Grumbling to himself, Clef wearily pushed open the giant doors of his chamber, dragging himself into the room as quickly as he possibly could, silently thanking the creator that his duties were over for the day. He gently set his staff in its holder, then slowly began to undress himself, relieving himself of the heavy mage's clothes he always bore. Setting his wardrobe on their respective hangers, He sighed once again in satisfaction. Finally. Finally, he would get some rest. As Clef turned to walk to his bed, however, he nearly jumped out of his skin. He placed a hand over his rapidly beating heart, eyes wide with disbelief.

There, on his bed, lay Umi Ryuuzaki, Cephiro's very own Magic Knight of water. She was laying stomach-down, her head propped up between her hands and her legs slightly lifted up in the air. On her angelic face, though, there was the single most annoying thing ever; a smirk that clearly stated 'I caught you.' Clef closed his eyes, trying to restrain himself from screaming bloody murder. That smirk had just broke two of his three remaining nerve endings.

"Hello, Umi," Clef said, smiling as gently as he possibly could in her direction. Umi smiled even more.

"Hello, Clef," She said sweetly. "How are you doing tonight?"

Once more, Clef fought to restrain himself.

"Well, as you can see, I'm about to get ready to get some well-earned rest, so if you don't mind--"

"That's what I'm here to help with," Umi suddenly said, interrupting the Master Mage's furthermore unspoken request. Clef raised an eyebrow in question. Umi was here to help him get to sleep? That was nice of her, yes, but he was quite capable of sleeping on his own ..

"Clef, I've noticed the bags under your eyes. Don't even try to tell me you've been sleeping well."

... Or so he thought.

"Umi, I'm sorry to have to say this, but you're horribly mis-"

"What did I just get through saying, Clef?" Umi sat up, frowning. "Look, just let me help. Just this once." Clef crossed his arms over his chest and sighed.

"Why, Umi?" Umi stood from her seat on Clef's bed, walking towards the vertically challenged master mage and kneeling behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders and beginning to gently massage them.

"Because I care, Clef. I don't like seeing you exhausted beyond control, and everyone in this castle knows that you have one of the most important jobs as part of Cephiro's head council. Just let me help you relax, for once .." Umi explained gently, smiling as she continued kneading the taut muscles in Clef's shoulders. Clef closed his eyes, feeling himself melting into her touch, but opened them when he didn't feel the repeating motion of her petite hands on his shoulders. He looked around to see where she had gone, and found her moving toward the bed once more. He stared at her, watching as she sat on the bed once more, patting the space in front of her; a gesture that told him to come sit down. Clef smiled a tiny smile at the girl and complied, not so reluctant as before. When he had climbed up onto the bed, she placed her hands onto his shoulders once again, kneading the still tight muscles in his shoulders, moving to his neck as she began to feel his shoulder muscles relax a bit.

"I still don't understand, Umi .." Clef mumbled sleepily as her hands moved to his lower neck. Umi smiled and laughed a little.

"You will in time," Umi answered softly, smiling as she heard Clef's breathing steady itself, telling her that he was finally asleep. She layed him down onto the bed, covering him up with his blankets and tucking him in. She stood up, watching the sleeping form of the Master Mage, smiling once more at the look of contentment on his face. Slowly, she leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on his forehead, whispering a soft "Good Night" before she turned out the light and headed out the door.

Umi closed the door to Clef's room, gazing longingly up at the wood before turning around and heading toward the room that currently held the other two Magic Knights.

"I still don't understand, Umi .."

Umi sighed.

It's because I love you too much to see you hurting, Clef.

End

Author's Ranting: OKAY, RAE-CHAN. Are you happy now? xD Haha! I've just written my first - and possibly my last - Clemi fanfiction. All praise can go to my little sister, RaevanDawn. She saw the request form on my profile and took advantage of it. Since I half like the Clemi pairing, I decided .. "Hey, why not?" And out came this. Shame on you, Rae-chan. Shame on you. Making an Asmi lover like myself write Clemi. Shaaaame.

Anyway, If I've gotten Clef even halfway in-character, I will be happy. I've never written Clef before, and to be quite honest, I am not completely confident in my Clef-writing skills. So, yeah. I'm expecting him to be at least a little out of character. Buwah. xD

Anyway, I hope that Rae-chan and all of you Clemi fangirls (and fanboys) out there on the world of the MKR fandom enjoy this ... it could be my last. xD