Hold me tight in your arms tonight
There are days in which the scars on her back hurt more than others, not letting her sleep at all. Tonight, is one of those nights in which the pain of where her wings used to be is so unbearable that Yoshiko finds herself unable to sleep at all.
She can't help but toss and turn around restlessly in her futon for what seems the nth time of the night, trying to not make any sound that could disturb the peaceful sleep of her group mates.
She sighs heavily, and gazes up at the starry sky through the window of the room with a mix of nostalgia and angriness bubbling inside her.
She can't help but remember how she was unfairly taken off her beautiful long and dark wings, her pride, and exiled to Earth with no sympathy whatsoever, obliged to live with these mortals as another simple one.
Yoshiko grumbles under her breath as she thinks about it, turning around to face Riko's beauty, letting the cute expression adorning her face as she sleeps soundly calm her down.
She contemplates to stretch out her hand to brush her skin feathery, when another painful pang makes her change her plans.
Reluctantly and quietly, she gets out of her futon to wander around the hallways of Riko's house hoping that a little walk around the house would be enough to calm the pain, but it doesn't.
So, resigned, she enters Riko's piano's room, observing the way the moon sneaks and reflects against its well-polished surface, to then look at the inviting floor beneath her.
Yoshiko decides then to lay down on it, finding it surprisingly cold, something she's grateful for as it seems to calm down the pain in her back.
She sighs once again and closes her eyes trying to not remember about those past and happy days, neither about the feeling of the wind lashing at her face nor stroking her unfolded dark wings as they carried her wherever she pleased.
She tries to get comfortable on the floor with her head over her arm almost falling asleep, when she hears light footsteps walking around the house. She tries to brush it off and go back to try to sleep, when the door of the room in which she is opens slowly.
Great.
It's all she can think of, pretending to be asleep.
- Yocchan?
She hears the voice of her unmistakable Riri calling her name softly, but Yoshiko chooses to ignore it.
- Yocchan, are you awake?
Riko asks once again, this time entering to walk and kneel beside her, touching her arm gently.
Yoshiko can't help but sigh and place her own hand over Riko's briefly to let her know she's still awake.
- This isn't a good place to sleep. You'll wake up all sore tomorrow – Riko says softly, causing a smile to appear on Yoshiko's face.
- I'm okay here. You should go back to sleep with the others – Yoshiko says while turning around, her aching back facing now Riko.
She hears Riko sighing heavily, before she stands up to leave the room.
- If that's what you want…
Riko says softly as she leaves, closing the door behind her but not completely, and Yoshiko can't help but let out a soft sigh, closing her eyes again while getting more comfortable on the floor to try to sleep.
She's almost falling asleep, when, once again, she hears Riko's light footsteps approaching the room in which she is, entering it to then actually close the door behind her with a click.
Yoshiko furrows her brow, yet brushes it off, before she feels Riko's hand reaching under her head to lift it up slightly and place under it something fluffy, and all Yoshiko can smell is the Sakura scent of Riko's shampoo.
Her pillow.
She thinks to herself, inhaling deeply her soothing scent.
Soon, a light sheet covers her body, and she feels Riko laying next to her on the floor.
- Didn't you say this wasn't a good place to sleep?
She asks Riko sardonically without bothering to turn around to look at her.
- Well, a certain stubborn fallen angel didn't want to go back to sleep with me and the others, so what else could I do? – Riko retorts, and Yoshiko can't help but snort.
Silence falls over them as Riko's hand caresses her back gently, feeling Yoshiko tensing up under her touch.
- Do they hurt? – she asks her softly, so softly that Yoshiko almost doesn't hear her.
- What?
- Your scars. Do they hurt?
Riko asks again without pausing on her caresses, before Yoshiko turns around to look at her warily.
- How do you know about them? – she asks her confused.
- I saw them by accident one day while we were changing for a practice. I'm sorry.
And even though Yoshiko can't see the blush adorning Riko's cheeks in the dark as she says it, she knows is there.
- It's okay Riri. And no, they don't hurt anymore.
She lies, turning around so Riko can't notice how she lied to her, and soon, she feels Riko's breasts pressing against her back, against her scars, and strangely, it doesn't bother her at all. She doesn't feel pain anymore.
- Is this okay?
Riko asks timidly, and Yoshiko can't help but smile at it, taking Riko's arms to surround her own waist with them, letting Riko embrace her from behind while she interlaces their fingers.
- This is more than okay, Riri – she says calmly, smiling wider as she feels Riko pressing herself more against her back, holding her tight in her arms.
- Sweet dreams, Yocchan – Riko whispers against her neck, leaving a soft kiss on her nape, and Yoshiko can only sigh contentedly.
- Sweet dreams, Riri.
She whispers back softly, squeezing Riko's fingers as she closes her eyes once again to sleep, the pain in her back and of her scars far forgotten. And for the first time in what feels forever, Yoshiko has a good sleep.