! I'm on a roll, trying to get these chapters out~

Disclaimer: I own nothing~! The title of this piece is from Lydia's album "Illuminate"

Stay Awake

"G…Kou?"

Mikoshiba is nervous, his back pressed against the door he's just closed. He hopes Rin doesn't wake and hear him, but he also hopes he doesn't wake Gou if she's sleeping. This was stupid, he thinks, but it's too late to go back. No, he needs to know that she's okay and…

"Mikoshiba?" Gou stirs and the bundle of blankets shift to reveal her form, her back turned to him as she slowly props herself up.

"Is it alright if I'm here?" Mikoshiba asks shyly, whispering from across the room.

The moonlight from the sole window of the room catches her silhouette and he sees her nod.

"May I come closer?" He asks.

Again, she nods.

Mikoshiba makes his way across the room before crouching a few feet from the mattress, crossing his legs trying to get comfortable.

He opens his mouth to speak, but then doesn't know exactly what to say.

She beats him to it, though.

"Mikoshiba, I-…thank you."

"Kou-!"

"I mean it! You…if you hadn't been there…" Something suddenly clicks in her mind and she sits up straighter, turning to face him but still hugging the comforter over her legs, "How did you know to come after me?!" She asks suddenly.

"I, ah…" Mikoshiba blushes, thankful that the dark hides it as much. I was going after you to confess to you, he thinks to say. But, he can't bring himself to say that. Not after what she just went through.

He then remembers his excuse for coming here, into this room, in the first place and holds out what he's been holding all afternoon.

It's her Iwatobi swim club charm.

"I found this—you dropped it, and that's why I thought you might be in trouble…"

That was true, at least. He came across the charm just outside the school gate, and heard the faintest struggle. That's how he found her, and then everything else had been a blur to him. Twice in one afternoon it fell off her bag and he's grateful for it.

"Thank you," Gou admits quietly, lifting out her hands to take the charm from him. Their hands meet and for a moment it's like she's holding his. Then he realizes that she's shaking and suddenly all his concern for her and trying to gently approach the subject and tip-toe around everything melts away and he reaches out and pulls her into him.

He's bigger than her but his hug is gentle, like he's afraid to break her. It's unlike her brother's hug from before, where he held her to support her. Mikoshiba holds her to protect her and she slowly lets her free hand cling to his shirt, sinking into his hug.

"I was really scared," she admits and she doesn't try to control her shaking anymore.

Mikoshiba slides his hands on her back, still careful not to press too firmly against her, and lowers his chin to her shoulder.

"I'm so sorry," he offers. He's afraid he's holding her too tightly, or that she won't appreciate his contact. But, she doesn't push him away, or flinch, or anything.

She whimpers suddenly and that's the signal for tears to begin. Sniffling quietly, she tries to muffle her sobs in his shirt, clinging closer to him and he both hates and loves this.

Slowly, she climbs into his lap, bringing her knees to her chest and he takes the blanket from her, wrapping it around the both of them. The charm is still clutched in her hands.

"He…" she starts, and he recognizes that she's talking about the creep who had been touching her when he'd found them. The one leaned in close to her face…

"He told me…He called me pretty," she sniffles, trying to laugh through it, like how vain must she sound right now; but he isn't smiling and she really doesn't feel like it in actuality. "I…and I thought of you," she admits slowly, lifting her head to look Mikoshiba in the eyes.

"How…th-that one time, you said I was really cute!"

Mikoshiba's heart sinks. That that creep could have reminded her of him, in any way…

Her tears are soaking through his thin shirt and she shifts positions so her knees slide under her but she's still perched in his lap.

"I-I was so mad!"

Despite himself, he smiles a little, except it's a weak smile and he's almost brought to tears, too.

"You were mad?"

She nods against him.

"I-I didn't like hearing it from him!" Her voice hiccups and she cringes, burying further against him and he forgets trying to give her space and suddenly hugs her as tightly as he can.

"I'm sorry," he whispers. "I'm so sorry."

She shakes her head. "You d-didn't anything, though…y-you saved me!"

He brings his hand up to pat her head, smoothing her hair down as he whispers softly, "You're alright. None of us, me or your brother or any of those people outside this room, are going to let anything like that happen-"

But she's shaking her head again, pushing against him briefly. "My brother-!"

"You're not mad at him, are you?" Mikoshiba cuts her off suddenly. Her shoulders sink.

"No…"

"But you two aren't talking..?"

"H-how did you know that?!"

Mikoshiba leans back, supporting himself on his two hands behind him while Gou leans back herself so they can face each other, though she remains in his lap.

"He mentioned you hadn't texted him at all. And you normally do?"

Gou blushes a little, looking to the side, "W-well, I didn't have anything to talk to him about…"

"Nothing?"

She bites her lip but shakes her head.

"Then just say hello!"

Gou bowed her head, "It's not like that, though…"

"Huh? What do you mean?"

Gou still shakes her head but Mikoshiba brings a hand up to her chin, lifting it so she has to look at him. He smiles encouragingly, "I have a little sister too, ya know? I'll understand."

She didn't know that about him. Gou stares at him a moment longer before finally admitting, "When Rin first moved to Australia…he was always busy, with practice and everything. The time zone difference wasn't so bad, but there were only certain hours that he could call or talk. We'd try video chats, every day after school! And we kept it up for a whole year!"

Gou's eyes, again, got sad.

"Every day he seemed less and less himself. He was having a tough time over there, following his dream, I think. Then, he started missing video chats. He wouldn't call the house as often…finally, he stopped calling altogether."

Gou brought her knees up again, defensively curling her face to them. She remembers staying up all night by the computer, waiting for his chat icon to blink "online". She'd fall asleep with her face on the keyboard only to wake up in the morning and see her screen having gone blank. He never returned the calls.

"I'd log on, wait for him…he'd never be on, though. He'd visit for New Year's, but only for a week. He wasn't the same ever, either. When we got older, mother bought us cell phones. I'd text him, every day. Even after he returned, I'd text him, because he immediately went to Samezuka and moved into the dorms. I knew he got my texts, but he'd never reply. Still doesn't.

So, I finally figured I'm just bothering him. Texting him every day when he never texts me back." Gou finished with an indefinite shrug, trying to look away as though she wasn't bothered.

Mikoshiba didn't buy it.

"That's bullshit!"

"Eh?!"

"If my little sister texted me every day..! I think it's great that you try to reach out to Rin! He's a pretty heartless guy-"

"He's not heartless!"

Mikoshiba laughed, "No, you're right. He's not heartless. But, he's thick-headed."

Gou had to agree with that, nodding slowly.

Mikoshiba's smile softened, "Don't stop texting him, okay? I think you really worried him when you stopped."

Gou puffed out her cheeks, "Then why didn't he say anything to me?"

Mikoshiba shrugged. "It's Rin. He probably doesn't know how to reach out to someone-he needs them to reach out first."

Gou pouted.

"Don't make that face!" Mikoshiba laughed, calling her attention back to him. "You came to see him today, didn't you?" He asks, trying to hide his hesitation at mentioning anything about this afternoon.

Gou shakes her head, "No. We actually came to see you!"

"M-me?"

"Mm. To cheer you on!"

In the little light that seeped through the window, Gou could just make out the planes of Mikoshiba's face. His eyes looked black in the dark and his hair was ruffled from sweat and laying on it. Like the others, he'd changed out of his swim and school uniforms in clothes too big to be his own, lent out like hers from Coach Sasabe. Had she seen the others, though, she'd have noticed Mikoshiba fit best into the tall clothes of the Iwatobi's boys' occasional coach (Nagisa was swallowed by the shirt he borrowed).

His smile was what she mostly focused on.

Gou felt much calmer, having stopped shaking. Mikoshiba pushed himself off the support of his hands, slinging them again around her and pulling Gou into his embrace.

"You scared your brother a lot today…" all of us. Me…

"…sorry," she admits.

He's suddenly afraid she'll start crying again so he quickly pulls her shoulders back so she can once again face him.

Don't let it fester…

"G-Kou Matsuoka, I-I know today…now isn't the best time, b-but would you go on a date with me!"

Gou stares at Mikoshiba, still processing his request. He suddenly feels conscious and nervous; he thought he could handle rejection but she's so cute, sitting this close to him and he can't help but really, really want her to say yes.

"Mikoshiba…"

Here it comes, he thinks.

"You're sweet, but I just can't!" He braces himself for these words, closing his eyes because he doesn't want to look at her when she rejects him. C'mon, be a man about this, he yells at himself.

"Alright."

Mikoshiba's eyes snap open.

"R-really?!"

Gou giggles and that about melts his heart because not only is she finally smiling but he's also gotten her to giggle and Rin could walk in on them right now and murder Mikoshiba in cold blood for touching his sister and Mikoshiba would die a happy and satisfied man.

Well, no, he'd be more so happy if he actually survived until the now-confirmed-to-happen date.

Gou just nods and Mikoshiba almost leaps onto his feet except Gou is sitting in his lap still and he doesn't want to push her off him. He could stay like this for a while longer.

Gou's smile drops a bit and she curls closer in to Mikoshiba, instinctively, and his own smile fades.

"Kent…" She whispers, and Mikoshiba feels the hairs on the back of his neck stand.

So that's what the creep's name was. He hadn't asked for a name when he was beating the crap out of the bastard earlier.

"Gou…are you sure you're alright?"

Gou nods, not looking up at Mikoshiba.

"You saved me," she repeats, more to herself than him and he wants desperately to wrap his arm around her waist and cling her closer to him.

Instead, he lowers his head so that his chin rests on her forehead, thinking for a moment before risking everything and kissing her brow, quickly and lightly.

"You're safe now," he adds, like some cliché line that's supposed to make her feel better except he doubts it does anything.

His cheeks now burning, he slips her off him because he's pushing his luck already, staying in here with Rin just outside the door. But, just as Gou slips off him and he begins to stand, she reaches out and takes his hand in hers.

"Will you stay?" She suddenly asks.

Truth be told, she wishes Rin was here. She wishes she'd called out to him, when he was leaving, and asked him to stay with her in this room. To sleep beside each other like they used to when they were kids.

But she was afraid he'd be annoyed. That he'd tell her to stop being so childish, or worse; that he'd stay begrudgingly and silently seethe in annoyance at her request.

She doesn't want to be alone right now, to sleep by herself in this strange room after everything.

Mikoshiba falls back on his legs and nods slowly, like he's lost for words. In one fluid motion he lays himself down beside her, at the edge of the mattress, still staring with wide eyes as she slowly pulls the comforter over the both of them.

Her face is burning and she tries to hide it with the blanket, only to remember it's dark and hopefully he can't see just how embarrassed she is. He keeps looking at her and she wonders if he has blinked yet.

He seems to notice because he all of a sudden returns his attention to the now and glances aside, flipping on his back so he's no longer facing her, watching her awkwardly.

She does the same, pretending to close her eyes and fall asleep, though her mind is racing.

Maybe she shouldn't have covered them both in one blanket. Maybe she shouldn't have asked him to stay beside her.

He slips his arms under his head, stretching and adjusting and she makes the mistake of glancing at him, catching the outline of the moonlight hitting his arms. Those muscles…

She flips over onto her shoulder so he's completely gone from her sight. He wonders if he did something wrong, but a moment later she flips back over as if to assure him that she doesn't take it back; she wants him to stay.

Neither is sure which one of them falls asleep first, but Gou lets the penguin charm roll between them and sometime in the night her hand reaches out and grips his shirt, like it used to do to Rin when they were children.

Mikoshiba jolts awake to someone shaking his shoulder. He flips out instinctively, throwing his arm out to defend Gou, only for the hand to grip his shoulder and a voice to shush him warningly.

"You don't want to wake Gou…or Rin."

Mikoshiba recognizes Coach Sasabe leaning over him, smiling smugly.

Next, Mikoshiba notices that it's morning and the sun is just rising.

"Better move outside before Rin wakes up and finds you in here, sleeping with his sister," Sasabe winks.

"I-it wasn't like-!"

"Shh! I just said, don't wake either of them!"

Mikoshiba silently stands, following the former coach out of the room and tip toeing over Rin's body, pressed almost entirely against the door to the bedroom. Mikoshiba knows he owes Sasabe greatly for this, but before he can express his gratitude, the coach slips out of the room, towards the kitchen where Mikoshiba can lightly hear Miss Amakata also moving around in.

A/N: This entire chapter is told from Mikoshiba's POV, which kinda makes up for him not having much of a POV in the previous two chapters and really cements the start of him being one of the most prominent characters of this story~

In the first draft of this story, Rin sleeps in the same room as Gou and Mikoshiba and her sneak out and sit on the porch together and talk outside; they eventually fall asleep beside eachother and Rin does wake up to find them, though this draft saves Rin/Mikoshiba confrontation for later chapters (There's plenty of it).

Not much else to say about this chapter~! Hope you enjoyed it!