Kuroko clocked into the office while covering a yawn with a palm. The other hand fluidly threw her bag into the swivel chair parked in front of her cluttered desk. When she saw Uiharu, who was occupied with the giant printer standing against the wall, she cleared her throat and sighed.
"Sorry for being late."
Uiharu glanced at her for only a moment before returning to monitoring the papers.
"No worries. I've been so caught up in trying to get this stupid machine to work I hardly noticed." She groaned when the printer stopped prematurely. "I'll keep quiet when Konori comes around if you lend me a hand..."
The dreaded printer was the machine one could argue was older than both of them. Kuroko had grown accustomed to its rebellious nature before Uiharu; it was a situation that would be considered backwards, as Uiharu seemed to always know the answer when it came to anything technological.
Neutrally, Kuroko made her way to the girl and her opponent, where she proceeded to pry the top open so she could get a decent look at its guts. All that laid underneath was a jargon of parts overlapping and laying across one another, but her trained eyes successfully diagnosed the problem.
"Oh. I see what's wrong," she started while reaching inside. Uiharu curiously peeked over her coworker's shoulder as her petite hands steadily wove through the network of wires and cylinders, prepared to reach or grab. "There's just something jammed in here."
"Can you reach it?" Uiharu inquired. All Kuroko had to do was touch it, as it would grant her the ability to teleport it to a place where it was less burdensome.
"Barely." Kuroko was nearly shoulder deep in the machine's organs, grasping for her prize, when it suddenly spurt an awkward noise. The two paused to stare at it with a frown, especially when the machine stated that it was prepared to continue printing. Mildly panicked, Kuroko attempted to yank her arm back to safety, but, to her misfortune, she was not fast enough. Two pieces of the machine clamped her wrist into place, and, like a bloodthirsty hound, would not release her. She groaned after several vain attempts to free herself. "Gah! Quick, Uiharu, turn it off! Turn it off!"
Also panicked, Uiharu turned to the printer and proceeded to violate its power button not once, not twice, but somewhere around the thirties. No matter how many times she insisted for it to halt, the printer responded with a pair of angry beeps before disobediently continuing to print. Nothing of such nature was going to allow Uiharu to reach her goal, so she sprinted along the wall to find where the extension cord met an electric outlet. Upon arrival, she immediately yanked its prongs out of the socket.
At last, the printer died, granting Kuroko freedom. With a painful hiss, the girl observed her previously captive wrist, where she took notice of a thick red band and a shallow patch of skin that had been stripped away. Uiharu, when she rushed to her side, took notice as well and chewed on her lip.
"Uh oh..." appeared to be the most that could spill from the lips she previously chewed.
"I've had a lot worse happen out on the field," Kuroko sighed nonchalantly while running the very tip of her finger over the injured patch of her skin. "Except I can't just neglect this little part here..."
"Go sit down and I'll grab the first-aid kit."
They knew the situation was not dire enough to require Uiharu to rush, nor did it require Kuroko to plop down in a chair as if the injury had been critical. The look in her dulling eyes seemed critical, however, as they were steadily growing glassy. They wandered to the ceiling, where they stared directly into the light with little regard to the consequences. She became enveloped in a trance, a dreadfully consuming trance that distracted her, even when Uiharu appeared at her side.
"Today's already off to an interesting start," Kuroko commented, seemingly apathetic. Uiharu saw through whatever facade she was trying to construct, but she neglected to verbally acknowledge it. Instead, she engrossed herself with digging out needed supplies from the kit she delivered to a nearby desk.
"That just means it'll keep getting even more interesting." When Kuroko offered it, Uiharu gently took her hand and proceeded to clean it with a solution-soaked cotton ball.
It became oddly quiet, but it was not a mysterious sort of quiet. Both had a good idea why.
Kuroko flinched when the solution seeped into the deepest part of her wound, but it was luckily the last to be treated. A quaint adhesive bandage protected it from anything that meant further harm, but it was not the last of the ordeal. Kuroko knew the question was locked and loaded when Uiharu lifted her head to gaze at her in the eyes.
"You could've easily teleported to get your hand out of there," Uiharu stated softly. "Your powers still aren't working, huh?"
With a reddening face, Kuroko tried to avoid her eyes.
"...No."
"This makes the sixth day in a row."
"I know."
"Did you have another nightmare last night?" Uiharu paused to allow Kuroko to nod. "Figures. What happened this time?"
Nervous, Kuroko gently ran the tip of her tongue over her lips. She glanced at her coworker for only a moment before averting her eyes a second time.
"I accidentally teleported into the ground. I was being smothered and couldn't get out."
Uiharu frowned.
"That's a pretry reasonable fear for a beginner, but for someone like you... Shirai, you teleport yourself all the time. Where's this doubt coming from?"
"If I knew, I'd fix it. But I..." She froze. "I just don't. And it's only getting worse."
"You need to talk to an expert about this. Surely there're counselors available at Tokiwadai, right?"
The school counselor, contrary to what she had hoped, did not seem to help either.
Kuroko sacrificed class time to pay a visit to the counselor's office the following Tuesday. It took time to find such a place after several interrogations for directions from multiple people who did not know what they were talking about, but the fact that she emerged successful was enough to keep her from frustration. Timidly easing the door open to peek inside was the most of her fears, but they were for naught. Inside, she was met with the sight of a humble room with a seemingly humble woman. Said woman turned around in her swivel chair to greet her.
"Miss Kuroko Shirai for the appointment at noon?" asked the woman.
"Yes ma'am."
"Welcome. Come have a seat."
The counselor reeked with professionalism, for she started the session by asking many questions and jotting down each answer on a sheet of paper.
"Have you been sick recently? Are you getting at least eight hours of sleep every night? Are you eating normally? Have you had an emotional event with a friend or family member recently? Do you have plenty of energy? Do you take naps in the middle of the day? How are your grades in class?"
According to Kuroko's responses, she was perfectly normal. Luckily, that did not mark the end of the session. Upon finishing the necessities, the counselor removed the sheet of paper from her clipboard and set it aside. Prepared was a fresh sheet, begging to be tattooed.
"Well then, Miss Shirai," she began, "I don't know how to diagnose you just yet, so why don't you tell me what's wrong in detail? All that I've been told ahead of time is that you're having difficulties activating your esper abilities."
So Kuroko told her.
"I think it has something to do with the chain of dreams I've had for the past week."
"When did it start?"
"Last Monday. I haven't had any problems teleporting for years, but I've begun having dreams where something goes wrong during the teleportation process. First I was just missing targets during a physical, and the same thing happened the next night, except I was on duty in that dream. The dreams're... They're getting more and more morbid."
The fascinated woman furiously took notes. Once finished, she eyed her patient.
"What's your definition of morbid?"
"Dangerous. It's gotten to the point where I die from sort of mistake." She looked up with anxiousness building in her expression. "Mistakes I rarely make, I should add. Mistakes like making bad calculations and teleporting underneath a crumbling building or not getting away from a weapon in time. Like I said, I've been confident in my abilities for years, but the dreams are so vivid... It almost feels like they're real. I took a break from my powers for one day, and after that I couldn't activate them."
Whatever it was, it was not normal, for the counselor had never heard of such a case in her entire career, especially for an esteemed Level Four. Kuroko was given few instructions to remedy her dilemma, the majority being resting. The problem was that resting was the last thing she wanted to do, as it would surely trigger unwanted visions in her slumber.
Nonetheless, Kuroko did as she was told, so she glued herself to the bed upon returning to the dormitory... Which was a bad thing, for she fell asleep almost immediately on accident.
The first to take notice was Misaka, who departed from the washroom, fresh from a bath and dressed in her Gekota-adorned sleepwear. She spied upon Kuroko, who had yet to shed her uniform, fast asleep... On her bed. The sight gifted Misaka with an unpleasant frown that arched deeper as she drew closer to her seized territory, thinking of ways to reclaim it. She balled up the towel she once used to wipe her face, prepared to make it a projectile that would home straight for the enemy's base.
But she paused when she got a closer look.
A sweat-drenched brow sat above the troubled expression of her intended target, and she failed to rouse when she drew near. With relaxing arms, Misaka felt her face melt; where once there was irritation, there came pity. The pity lowered her to her knees, where she became eye-level with her bed's intruder.
Seldom had she seen such a troubled expression on the face of her friend. The sight alone set her at unease, so she made haste to correct it. With a gentle hand, she reached toward the girl, placing a hand upon her shoulder. She flinched at the feeling of tense muscle, which she grabbed to give a good shake.
"Kuroko..." she whispered. "Wake up please."
It took doing, but Kuroko's eyes did eventually open, just not peacefully. They snapped open wide and were accompanied by a dreadful gasp for air. She winced as she coiled away from Misaka's touch. Time allowed her to collect herself, for whatever fear had taken her captive released her to the custody of a smile, which she directed to her audience.
"Oh hi, Sissy. Do you need something?"
"Yeah. I need you off my bed."
Kuroko paused, lifted her head, and gave the room a brief scan. For a moment, Misaka could have sworn, it appeared that Kuroko did not even know where she was. Kuroko quickly released a nervous laugh and hurriedly turned back to her.
"Oh... Sorry about that. I came in the dorm while you were in the washroom. That must've been when I caught wind of an intoxicating scent on your bed..." She grunted when a fist clashed with the side of her skull. A growl escaped Misaka's teeth while she sent hands to nurse the wound.
"That was uncalled for."
"Ow..." Kuroko mewled pitifully. When her eyes opened again, she was met with the sincere glare that was in Misaka's eyes; for just a moment, the two were locked in a long stare down. Whatever anger Misaka had did not last long, Kuroko noticed. She did not know whether to be happy about it because of what stood as its replacement.
"Have you been feeling okay lately?"
Kuroko reddened, blinked a few times, and struggled to maintain eye contact. She feigned a grin wide enough to pass her definition of convincing. She and Misaka clearly had differing opinions on the word convincing.
"Of course I have," she replied.
"Really? All these nightmares you've been having tell a different story," Misaka replied bluntly while running a finger over Kuroko's soaking forehead. "You do realize you're drenched in sweat, right?"
The feeling of being caught. Kuroko took no liking to it. She was the one who was supposed to be catching people, being a Judgment officer; hers was a table never meant to be turned, not even by her beloved Misaka.
"Ha ha, you got me there..." she tsk'ed. "The semester exams're tying my stomach into knots. How about you?"
"Since when does an honor student like you worry about her grades?"
"Since now. I've been having difficulties in my science classes."
"Right..." Misaka still did not sound convinced, but she did seem to give up on trying to pry the girl open. With a sigh, she plopped on the edge of her bed and proceeded to run a brush through her thin auburn locks. The subject was left to rot, but a faint piece lasted long enough to leave Misaka's lips. "Kuroko, I want you to know that I'm here if you need to talk about anything."
"Great, because I do need something from you!" Kuroko bolted up and drew frighteningly near the girl, eyes large with longing. "Can I sleep in your bed tonight? Please? In case I have another nightmare?"
Misaka sounded with a distasteful groan.
"Leave it to you to use this as an excuse to sleep with me," she grumbled. Her feet spread across the floor when she rose from the bed to set her brush on the coffee table in the middle of the room. She then reached for the large stuffed bear that sat against the wall, presented it, and gave Kuroko a cold glare. "Since you aren't feeling well, I'll let you this once." She continued speaking when Kuroko bEgan to squeal. "Up up up! But there's a catch! Kill Bear's going to be our wall. If you cross him, I'm going to fry you. Got it?"
Needless to say, Kuroko did not have any nightmares that night, but it was not because she took a vacation to the shores of bliss. Instead, she was kept from having a nightmare because she woke up alost every other hour when a tingling sensation erupted in her arm. When she awoke, she realized that she had strewn her arm and legs over Kill Bear in attempt to grapple for her partner. She turned herself the opposite direction in hopes that she would not do it again as she slumbered, but only a fool would truly believe such a measly attempt cold remedy the problem.
It was a near-sleepless night for both of them, and it showed the next morning. Misaka awoke with a steep frown and an unsoundly groan. Her eyes, bordered by thick black lines, slid to her side. Bathing in the morning light was Kuroko, who was strewn across the bed, inhaling deep snores. As Misaka brought herself up to sit, Kuroko's hand slid limply off her arm.
"This is probably the last time I'm letting you sleep in my bed," Misaka growled... At least that was what she believed before her gaze landed on the slumbering face of her friend. It had been more than a week since she last witnessed her sleeping so soundly. What was once commonplace became a privilege, a privilege that melted her stiff expression as she anxiously nibbled on her lower lip. "But... it has been a while since you've looked this content. There's always room for a second chance."
Her voice, gentle as could be, was somehow loud enough to wake the subject matter. Eyelids slowly eased ajar to unveil caramel irises. They tiredly gazed at her.
"...Hm?"
Misaka only mustered a tame smile.
"Nothing," she said, reaching for her friend's face. The tips of her delicate fingers grazed across a dry forehead, brushing aside strands of messy bangs. Kuroko must have thought the action was part of a sweet dream, otherwise she would not have been recaptured by sleep so easily.