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Sheets rubbed against her skin as Ritsuka’s eyes opened and the bleary half-view of her room came into focus, the red light of her bedside clock shining through the dark. Fatigue ran through her body and fog that she didn’t want to leave slowly slipped from her brain.
Muscles creaked as the Chaldean reached out and spun the clock round so the numbers only had the wall to glare at accusingly. She didn’t need it to tell her she was awake early, and she really didn’t want to know how early she’d come to. She felt bad enough already without having an exact time to drive home how little she’d slept.
Bare legs slid from underneath the duvet as Ritsuka did her best to get up without falling out of bed and rubbed her eyes. Whatever time it was, sleep was something that she wouldn’t be getting more of tonight, or this morning, or whenever it was. Best to bite the bullet and start dragging the rest of her brain into wakefulness.
The Chaldean made her way towards the bathroom through the darkness, instinct telling her not to turn on any of her room’s lights to avoid disturbing her bedmate. After all the time she’d spent in the room whilst at Chaldea, and the effort that had gone into recreating it for Novum Chaldea, she’d gotten so familiar with the layout she could move around it blindfolded. Ritsuka fumbled for the door a moment and slid it into the wall just enough to let her squeeze into the small bathroom, the lock clicking shut with barely any noise. Practised motions moved to find the nearby light-switch and flick it on, the bright light shining through her eyelids after she braced for the sudden disorientation.
Brief flash of pain aside, it felt good to be up and doing something, even if her body didn’t feel like agreeing yet. The loose t-shirt she always wore to bed dropped to the floor as she stepped inside the shower and fiddled with the faucets, hot water her reward for navigating her room in the dark. Working plumbing with warm water at every hour of the day was one of the smaller comforts that living with so many skilled Servants had to offer.
Ritsuka held her head under the shower as the water coursed over her and she tried to bring her breathing into some sort of relaxing rhythm. Flashes of whatever she’d dreamt still lingered at the edges of her mind, enough to leave her groggy and off-balance but just short of letting her know what exactly she’d seen.
Nightmares were something she’d gotten used to over the years spent saving humanity. Some adventures gave her worse ones than others, and Shimousa had the dubious honour of being at the top of that particular list. But at least they usually left her something concrete to latch onto and talk about with her friends or try to mentally block out. The fading memories of this one just left her frustrated and tired.
Blue-black jolts of electricity ran across the ceiling light and Ritsuka felt her hair stand on end as the shadows behind her coalesced into a familiar cloaked form. The presence put her at ease as she stood there beneath the showerhead and began to run fingers through her loose mess of ginger hair. She knew he’d have his back to her to give a measure of privacy, even though the glass was fogged up and tinted to stop anyone peeking through anyway, so she didn’t really mind him being there. He was always such a gentleman about visiting.
“Are you alright, my accomplice?” The familiar tones of Edmond Dantes whispered.
“Yeah,” Ritsuka whispered back. “Just a bad dream. Not even sure what it was about, but I’m okay. Worst case I need a nap to get through the day. Anything on your end?”
“The usual.” Audible static fizzed along the brim of the avenger’s hat as she heard him adjust it, the setting of this conversation apparently still awkward to him. “You should be careful about these things. Even my powers have their limits, and I cannot protect you from everything. Consult someone about it in case things escalate.”
“Will do,” Ritsuka said as she turned the water off. “Just let me wake up some more and I’ll get on that later.”
The lighting fizzled one last time as the Chaldean turned around and found that Dantes had already left, a thinning pool of shadow the only indicator he’d ever been there. As much as his manners had improved over their time together, Ritsuka thought, he really needed to work on saying goodbye before vanishing into nothingness.
Fluffy towels dropped into the nearby basket as the Chaldean finished drying herself off and threw the familiar baggy nightwear back on, the light switch flicking off as she slid back through the bathroom door. She felt better now at least for having the shower, even if it was only a little bit.
“Mmggh…Ritsuka….where’re’ou…”
Half-mumbled words drifted across the room, the room’s other occupant now awake despite her best efforts. The Chaldean scurried towards the bed as the mass beneath the duvet rolled around in search of her warmth and she pressed herself against the sheets.
“Here, I’m here Melusine. I’m right here. Sorry, just went to get a quick shower. You okay?”
Bleary brown eyes poked out from beneath the bedding and Ritsuka yelped as strong arms reached out to drag her back under the covers. The brief sense of cold as the dragon held her close vanished as the warmth of the shower drained into the girl, still half asleep but slowly waking up.
“Nghhyeaah,” Melusine mumbled out. “Was cold…wondered where you were…tired…too early.”
Ritsuka smiled as the dragon embraced her and she did the same. This side of the fairy knight was one that only she was allowed to see. How she struggled to wake up early in the mornings, how she pined for Ritsuka even if they were apart for only a moment. So sweet.
“Yeah, it really is too early. There’s not much on today, so I’m not going anywhere. Chaldea can survive without me for just one morning.”
Peace flowed through Ritsuka as Melusine held her close, the effort of being awake already too much for the dragon as she drifted back to sleep. The Chaldean squirmed a little to make herself comfortable and then lay back into her girlfriend’s arms, the warmth of the bed surrounding them. She didn’t need to have slept well to enjoy every second of this.
Something thumped into the table as Melusine and Ritsuka stole a few more moments of sleep in a corner of the cafeteria, both of them startled awake by the sudden interruption. The fairy knight slumped back against her girlfriend’s shoulder hoping that it was only someone making a mistake and dropping their tray on the wrong table. Right now she just wanted to be close to Ritsuka. Anything else could wait until later.
“Ah, there you are Miss Ritsuka! Behold, the fruits of progress and innovation!”
Eyes dragged themselves open as the dragon looked up at the unwelcome intruder, the soft grip of Ritsuka’s hand on her shoulder the only thing that stopped her from giving the lion-headed giant a pointed glare.
“Good morning to you too Edison. Sorry, didn’t get much sleep last night and Melusine’s not much for mornings. What can I do for you?”
The Caster known as Thomas Edison had the decency to awkwardly clear his throat at that, and the fairy knight did her best not to look too smug.
“Well, I um… do beg your pardon. The vigour of industry is all I need to stay awake, so I forget that it’s not so easy for others. Anyway, I’ve been going over some improvements to the Storm Border that I wanted to run past you before I spread the plans around. See what you think of them.”
“Sure thing,” Ritsuka said as she rose from her seat. “Just don’t expect too much from me though. Nemo, Sion, and Da Vinci are the ones who know the Border inside and out. I just like being inside it.”
Fingers reached out for Ritsuka’s sleeve instinctively as the Chaldean started to move to a larger table, enough to give the girl pause as she turned back to Melusine and held her close for a few more moments. Warm lips pressed against the dragon’s forehead as her lover slipped away and she heard a gentle whisper.
“I’ll be right back. This’ll only take a few minutes and I’ll be all yours again.” And then she was gone.
Another thump hit the table as Melusine slumped forward now that Ritsuka had moved away and any drive to move about had gone with her. It was still too early; she didn’t want to be out of bed or away from the heat of her girlfriend. Even the food she’d been eating earlier lost its appeal now that she was eating it alone.
The sounds and sights of the Chaldea cafeteria blurred into the background as Melusine sat and watched the lion-headed man unfurl a set of blueprints and set them in front of Ritsuka. She could see the girl’s eyes light up at whatever was on them, fingers running over the outline within and asking Edison to explain what he’d designed. Even if it wasn’t something they were doing together, she always liked watching Ritsuka enjoy herself.
“Uh, hey there, mind if I take your seat time? I mean take a seat and some of your time, if that’s okay and if not that’s fine I get it… sorry, can I start that over?”
Melusine rolled her head around to the unexpected newcomer, an oddly dressed human carrying a wooden sword with metal pieces jutting out at random points along the shaft. He rubbed the back of his head and gave an awkward grin as she looked him over and tried to dredge up where she’d seen him before.
“Man…dricardo, isn't it?”
The Rider started as she said his name, the general awkwardness of a moment ago vanished as the smile became more genuine.
“Yeah, that’s me. I’m a friend of Ritsuka’s like you. I mean not like you you’re way stronger and way closer to her than I am and…sorry, I’m a little nervous around amazingly powerful types like you.”
Further recognition crept into Melusine’s mind as the colourful figure’s rambling ground to a halt. He’d been around Ritsuka a few times when they’d been together, and she had a vague feeling his name had come up when the Chaldean had talked about her journey so far. She seemed fond of him, and that deserved some knightly effort on her part.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you,” Melusine said as she rose to her feet and offered the stuttering man a hand. “Ritsuka’s mentioned you before. I’d like to thank you for keeping her safe on her journey so far. I know she really appreciates what you’ve done for her.”
Mandricardo blushed at the sudden praise as he reached out his hand and gave what human standards regarded as a strong shake. “Yeah, we’ve been through some stuff together. Not as much as some of the other Servants here but I do what I can.” Silence hung between the pair as the Rider stood there having forgotten what he was going to say before he slapped himself in the head and continued. “Ah crap, sorry, I nearly forgot there was something I was told to ask you about. I get nervous easily and right I’ll move on now.”
His eyes turned to look at Ritsuka and Melusine followed, the Chaldean pondering the blueprints in front of her as Edison went on about the possible applications or methods for getting the work done, or something like that. The fairy knight knew broadly what he was like, but she never listened to what he talked about. She liked the technology others in Chaldea wielded more than the lion’s constant ramblings about electricity and America.
“Does Ritsuka seem a little off today to you too?”
Melusine glanced to the side at that, unsure what exactly Mandricardo meant. The Rider looked back at her and hurriedly averted his gaze before continuing, the awkwardness of earlier returned in full swing.
“I know it’s not my place to pry but I’m just worried. That Dantes guy swung by earlier and said something might be off with her today and to keep an eye out in case. And since you’re together with her, I thought I’d ask if you might know why and all. Sorry if that’s outta line.”
The dragon turned her gaze back to Ritsuka and looked her over again, the sleepiness of earlier thoroughly dispersed by the sudden conversation and the direction it had taken. There was something off about the Chaldean now that the strange man mentioned it. Nothing too obvious, just brief moments where she visibly lost focus and mentally slipped away that didn’t feel like they had anything to do with Edison’s ramblings. She seemed far more distracted than Melusine remembered ever seeing her.
“Do you think she’s ‘off’ because of something specific?”
“Yeah,” Mandricardo replied without a trace of the earlier awkwardness. “Might be something big or small, I’m not sure. I’ll keep an eye on her and see if there’s anything she needs. Probably best I leave you two alone now though, I bet she’ll feel better with you than with me. Thanks for the time and see you around.”
Fabric rustled as Mandricardo turned and made his escape from the conversation, but Melusine wasn’t paying attention to him now. Ritsuka had finished going over Edison’s blueprints and was moving back across the cafeteria towards her, fingers rubbing at her eyes as she went. She really was tired.
“Sorry,” the Chaldean said as she stepped in close and took the dragon’s hand. “Edison got into one of his speeches again, and Helena’s the only one who can cut those short. What he had to show me was kinda interesting though. I think you’d like it.”
“You can tell me about it later,” the fairy knight said as she mustered her princely aura Ritsuka so loved. “But please finish your food and get some rest. You look tired, Ritsuka.”
Sheepishness crept across the Chaldean’s face as she settled back into her seat, fingers still wrapped around Melusine’s as the other hand picked at the food she’d left a moment ago.
“Sorry, like I said earlier I didn’t get much sleep last night. I thought some breakfast might get me moving again but I guess I was wrong about that. I’ll take it easy for today then, don’t worry. Osakabehime showed me a good spot we can take a nap together if that’s alright with you.”
Dexterous fingers swung Melusine’s fork out and around to skewer some of the breakfast on Ritsuka’s plate and hold it out triumphantly as the fairy knight grinned at her lover. She let her eyes linger on the Chaldean as she blushed and leant forward with a small ‘aaaa’ to pluck the food from the fork before chewing it slowly. Intimacy like this was always something the two of them enjoyed, and Melusine’s favourite way of getting Ritsuka to relent and let herself be spoiled.
“Of course. Anything to spend more time with you. My love~.”
Time drifted past as Melusine lay with her arms wrapped around Ritsuka, the Chaldean’s breathing low and steady. It hadn’t taken long for her to fall asleep once they’d reached the hidden nap spot and ever since she’d been lying there so peacefully it made Melusine’s heart ache. She’d happily spend the whole day just laying in bed with her girlfriend if the world around would let them. It was just a shame today’s rest was a result of Ritsuka being unable to get any last night.
Soft mutters came from the Chaldean’s body as the dragon lay in thought, and twitches started to run through the girl’s form. Barely anything at first, enough to seem like a passing moment of restlessness. Then they came more frequently and Ritsuka’s body started to toss and turn as she slept, and the mutterings slowly grew.
Melusine wrapped her fingers around Ritsuka and rested her head on the Chaldean’s shoulder in hope that it would give her some support whilst asleep. Dreams were not something she held any deep knowledge over or power to influence, but she hoped the active closeness would help. As much as she wanted to wake her up and spare her the bad dream she hoped it would soon pass and let her return to a peaceful slumber. She needed it too much to risk letting it slip away.
“Mmmnnoo…” Ritsuka muttered as she held her close. “Mmmnnoot that one…not that one…it’s here somewhere….’sgotta be…”
Mana flowed around Melusine as she released the form she usually held around Chaldea, the privacy of their resting place and the need in Ritsuka’s voice enough to move her to this. Her knightly dress faded into strips of black cloth that clung to her skin and her body shifted into its more draconic winged form. Slowly, gently, the dragon wrapped Ritsuka in her wings’ embrace and held her close to try and soothe the worst of the dream.
“Ssshhh… I’m here, Ritsuka,” Melusine whispered as she stroked her lover’s hair. “I’m here for you. It’s okay. You’re okay, Ritsuka.”
Tension bled from the Chaldean’s body as they lay together and Melusine kept whispering in her ears. The muttering slowed, the twitches stopped and soon Ritsuka seemed fast asleep again. Talons gently traced their way over the girl’s forehead as Melusine pressed her lips into the soft ginger curls above it, thankful her efforts seemed to have worked.
“Mmm…,” came another rumble from between her arms. “Melusine? Where’m I?”
Wings unfurled as the dragon drew back to gaze down at Ritsuka as she lay between her arms and did her best to maintain the princely aura the Chaldean so loved.
“Just resting with me, my lady. You were muttering in your sleep, so I thought you’d enjoy being held like this. That it might help you rest.” A pause hung between them as Melusine weighed her next words carefully. It almost felt like overstepping a bound of some kind to even raise the issue. “…You don’t have to tell me what it was, Ritsuka. I’m always here for you. Always.”
Ritsuka looked into her eyes at those words, something swirling behind the girl’s gaze as the scales of her mind weighed whether she should take the offer. Melusine had been with her long enough to know what she looked like when she was giving something serious thought. She’d be fine whatever Ritsuka decided to share with her. So long as she spoke with someone about it, the dragon didn’t mind if it wasn’t her.
“No,” the Chaldean said as she pressed herself against Melusine. “I kinda do. It’s not that big a deal, it’s just something that hasn’t hit me for a while. I’d almost forgotten what it was like, and last night I couldn’t quite remember what I’d even dreamt so… just gimme a second to put it all together. Then I’ll tell you.”
Slow breaths filled Ritsuka’s lungs as Melusine looked at her. The drowsiness of her nap still lingered in the Chaldean’s mind as she tried to assemble the words she wanted to say. It made her look cute, the way she gently pressed herself against the dragon’s body and tried to concentrate with her hooded eyes and drowsy face.
“I’ve just been feeling really homesick lately,” Ritsuka began to say, slowly and carefully as if she were worried about saying the wrong thing. “I haven’t been home in years, not since Chaldea recruited me. I had a chance to tell my parents how I’d been doing after we restored humanity, but it wasn’t much. Everything I sent to them had to be approved, and I wasn’t allowed to talk with them on the phone or face to face.”
Tears began to flow down from Ritsuka’s eyes as she spoke. Not fast or freely as if she were suddenly sobbing. Just slow tears building at the corner of her eyes as she put her feelings into words openly and without restraint.
“I like it here at Chaldea. I really do. I’ve met so many amazing people, and it’s how I met you. And I’m grateful for that, it’s just…” Ritsuka’s voice began to crack as she buried her head in Melusine’s chest and tried to carry on. “I miss them so much. I want to go home and see them again. I want to eat my mom’s cooking. I want to watch giant robot shows with my dad. And I just had a horrible dream where I couldn’t even remember their names. I couldn’t find the house they live in. And I felt so afraid that I wouldn’t recognise them when I go home from all this.”
Gentle sobs wracked Ritsuka’s body as Melusine lay next to her, the tears flowing more freely now she didn’t have to hold them back to speak. Aches ran through the dragon’s heart as she held her lover close and let her cry as much as she wanted. After everything Ritsuka had gone through on her journey, a moment like this was the least she deserved.
“It’s okay Ritsuka, it’s okay.” Melusine whispered. “It’s alright that you miss them so much. It shows how much you love them. Why don’t you tell me about them whilst you try and get back to sleep? There’s so much I’d like to hear about before I meet them. Please.”
The Chaldean sniffled at her words, red-rimmed eyes hidden as the girl rubbed the last of the tears away and began to try and make herself comfortable again. Black wings rustled as Ritsuka shuffled around until she found a spot she liked and let herself speak.
Stories of the Chaldean’s childhood flowed past her lips and a pleasant smile drifted across her face as she told Melusine everything she could remember about her parents. How she’d bonded with her dad over mecha anime. Times they’d gone on memorable trips as a family. The last few days she’d spent with them before her time at Chaldea.
Melusine drank it all in, every word building a picture of what her girlfriend’s parents were like. They sounded like truly wonderful people. Soon enough Ritsuka’s eyes began to droop again, the fatigue of two interrupted attempts at sleep catching up with her. Just before they slipped shut completely Melusine reached out to cup her chin and tilted the girl’s head gently as she pressed their lips together in their usual goodnight kiss.
“Sleep well.” She whispered. “I’ll keep you safe until you return home. As the strongest being, and the one who loves you, I swear it. My most precious, kind, and dearest Ritsuka~.”