Tired eyes burned painfully as they stared unblinking at a familiar yet foreign bedroom, its features obscured and lost within a haze of darkness, the barest hint of light flittering through the window revealing only a vague sense of shape and depth. The rest was lost within a sea of shadows and inky pools of impenetrable blackness.

Blinking once, twice, three times, Ena tried to will herself back to sleep, her body and mind feeling exhausted and drained, yearning for a rest that seemed painfully elusive for the artistic girl. Ena's restful slumber had come to an abrupt end, from a terrifying nightmare or an unknown exterior stimulus, she had no way of knowing. All she knew was that try as she might, she couldn't get back to sleep, leaving the brown-haired girl stuck in a twilight state of restlessness and exhaustion.

How long has it been? A couple of minutes? Several hours? Ena had no way of knowing, the darkness enveloping her bedroom, like a thick blanket of shadows, swallowing up all sense of time, the minutes ticking by without ever being observed by a watchful eye. It was definitely still late into the night, the moon still shining its light upon the land, the sun's shining rays not yet penetrating through the star-filled veil of the night sky.

This would have been the artist's usual prime work time, the stillness of her home, its denizens deep within the throes of slumber, giving Ena the perfect environment to work on her craft after her night classes were over. There was nothing to distract her, no annoying call from her mother to eat food, no incensed grumbling from Akito as he noisily stomped down the hallway, and no alarm to tell her to get to school. There was only her and her art.

But, Mizuki insisted Ena try getting a better…well, somewhat better…sleep schedule.

With her new sleep schedule, one more fitting for a 'normal' person, Ena oftentimes would find herself in situations such as this, wide awake when all she wanted to do was sleep. While she was trying, the idea of even going to bed this early was still a struggle for Niigo's artist, the brown-haired girl still struggled with teaching her body their new normal.

Usually, when sleep became elusive and the darkness was her only waking companion, Ena would do what she was doing now, which was to watch her girlfriend as she slept soundly in her arms. Watching Mizuki sleep so peacefully, the pink-haired girl the picture-perfect definition of serene tranquility, just much cuter, would help Ena relax enough that she would finally be able to get back to sleep.

Staring at her girlfriend's sleeping face, the soft moonlight flittering through the window making her pink hair shimmer with an ethereal glow, Ena couldn't help but notice just how peaceful she looked. Bundled up in her arms, gentle breaths passing from between soft, pink lips like a whispering ghost, Mizuki's face radiated serenity and calmness that made Ena's heart glow with a loving warmth.

Because it hadn't always been like this.

She remembered how distressed her expressions used to be, her girlfriend's beautiful features scrunched up with silent agony, as if even in her sleep Mizuki couldn't get any rest. It was like an invisible specter hung over the pink-haired girl at all times, covering Mizuki in a veil of isolation and heartache, one that seemed to follow her even into her dreams. There was a lot Ena didn't know about her girlfriend back then, about how much pain Mizuki carried with her, the veil cruelly separating their hearts, each desperately yearning for the other but afraid to reach out in fear of being hurt.

Rolling over slightly, a stray lock of hair falling into her face, a cute murmur passed Mizuki's lips as she continued to slumber peacefully, bringing a small smile to Ena's face. Gently moving the offending stray hairs that were lightly obscuring her girlfriend's adorable face out of the way, lightly running her finger over Mizuki's cheek, feeling the cool, softness of her skin, Ena wondered how such a beautiful, wonderful girl could have endured so many hardships in her life.

Mizuki, in trying to live her life how she wanted to, to be who she wanted to be, was callously rejected by her peers. She was shunned for being 'different', for being 'weird', when all she wanted to be was herself, to be the person she felt like on the inside. She wanted to be cute, to have beautiful long hair, and dress in the prettiest outfits she could find. She wanted to be Mizuki, the Mizuki she knew now, the one who had to fight to even exist.

Idly curling a strand of Mizuki's pink hair around her finger, Ena wondered how hard it must have been for her, to be rejected by others just for who you are, how hard it must have been to even figure out WHO she was. How confusing it all must have been for her, how isolated she must have felt, Mizuki slowly drifting away from everything without even knowing why.

Squeezing her girlfriend a little closer, the pink-haired girl exhaling a soft sigh before falling back into her restful sleep, Ena silently thanked Mizuki's sister for accepting her, for being a light in Mizuki's life when everything around her was shrouded in an impenetrable fog of doubt and hopelessness. Without her, without her kindness and acceptance, would Ena have been able to hold Mizuki as she did now?

Ena remembered their time on the school roof after Niigo's trip, how scared Mizuki looked, the fear of losing everything she had, and the friendships she had made, shining brightly in those gorgeous, pink eyes. It was agonizing, heartrending, to see Mizuki like that, so full of fear, yet with a quiet resignation, the pink-haired girl accepting it with a heavy heart. It was all she had ever known, even if this time it would hurt worse than before, it was a pain she was all too familiar with.

But, even with everything going against her, Mizuki continued to move forward. Even with life pushing her down, she just kept getting back up, even if it hurt to do so. Mizuki would continue to be who she was, through all the hardships, through all the pain, she would never give up who she was. Mizuki wanted to be cute, to dress and express herself in a way that made her happy, even if it meant losing those close to her.

Mizuki was always going to be true to who she was, no matter what. Mizuki was going to dress in the cutest outfits, even if they called her a freak. Mizuki was going to greet the day with a smile and cheer, even if they called her weird. Mizuki was going to be Mizuki, even if they said she should be something else. Mizuki was going to always pursue her own happiness, even if she had to do it alone.

It's that unwavering will, that unfaltering perseverance, that Ena admired so much about her.

'But, I will always be by your side.' Ena thought as she leaned down to place a gentle kiss upon Mizuki's cheek, a loving smile curling on her lips as she lay beside her, her girlfriend's beautiful face filling her vision as her eyelids slowly drifted closed. 'You won't ever have to be alone again.'

A/N: A silent promise given to the night.

The fluff is thick in this one(with a hint of angst). A little nighttime introspection from Ena as she watches her beloved sleep, thinking about how much Mizuki had to endure, and how strong she was for continuing to be who she was.

See you all in the next chapter!