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One, two, three, four— maybe four.
Four, or, more accurately, three and a half steps.
That's all it took for Kanade to stumble and almost fall to the ground.
Her head ached. A dull, agonizing ache that made it feel like her body was punishing her for having the ability to see. Her two supposedly working eyes were now working against her favor, being drier than the Sahara desert. She breathed in blood instead of air, sending a sharp sensation up her head that clashed against the dull pain on her temples, causing it to throb.
Or, to summarize: Yoisaki Kanade, at that moment, felt like absolute crap.
Normally, it would've been difficult for the ever-so-hardworking composer to admit that pulling all-nighters sometimes took a toll on her health. Almost kissing the floor while trying to get to her bed, however, had her reevaluating that. If only a little bit.
“Ouchh…” Kanade mumbled, almost incomprehensibly.
“Kanade?”
Mafuyu called, standing at Kanade’s bedroom door.
“Mafuyu?”
Kanade, hunched over her bed, holding onto the sheets for dear life, replied. When had she got there?
“What are you doing?”
Well, that was awkward.
“Uhm— I kind of fell over while trying to get in bed, but it's okay, I’m fine.” She smiled, eyes narrowing a bit as her brows dipped.
“... Did you eat anything today yet?”
“Eh? Of course I did…”
No, that wasn't the problem.
…Though it could easily have been, any other day.
“Okay,” Mafuyu steadily replied. “Why did you fall, then?”
Kanade's eyes narrowed again. “I didn't say I fell…”
“... You literally just said that.”
Damned brain fog.
“...Okay, I did, but I just tripped over my feet. It's nothing, really.”
Mafuyu stared at her. Her mind instantly started analysing Kanade, as if she were some sort of robot.
A list popped up inside her head:
1. Darker dark circles.
2. Wobbly, slightly trembling legs.
3. A pained look on her face.
4. Somehow, even paler than usual.
That girl hadn't slept a wink.
At that moment, as Mafuyu started walking closer to her, Kanade knew she wasn't getting away so easily.
Mafuyu lifted Kanade by her underarms, eliciting a yelp from the smaller girl.
“M-Mafuyu?”
She sat Kanade down on the bed, still holding onto her, this time by the waist.
“Go to sleep.”
“I was planning to, that's kind of why I was slumped over the bed, you know…”
“No, I don't believe you. Or rather, I don't trust that you're going to sleep well.”
“What do you mean?”
Kanade looked at her, head slightly tilting to the side in confusion.
“You know what I mean. You're going to sleep for a while, then you're going to get up and get right back to composing. You need to sleep at least a full eight hours, even if every once in a while.”
“B-but…”
Kanade tried to argue back, but Mafuyu promptly cut her off.
“You’re going to sleep for the entire night tonight. I'm making sure of it.”
“How?”
“Get up.”
Mafuyu grabbed Kanade by her underarms again, she yelped once more. And upon realizing that maybe that wasn't the most practical way to carry someone (Kanade was a human, not a cat, after all), Mafuyu adjusted her position until she was carrying her princess-style.
“Ah- Mafuyu, I can move on my own…!”
“You almost fell trying to do so. Clearly, you can't.”
She headed towards the door.
“Where are we going?” Kanade asked, even more confused than before. “Didn’t you just say that I needed to go to sleep…?”
“Yes. You do need to go to sleep,” Mafuyu replied, maintaining the same deadpan expression throughout. “But you're going to sleep in my room. That way I can make sure you don't go back to composing as soon as you wake up.”
Kanade's heart skipped a beat.
“H-huh?”
“Sorry, I meant in your room.”
“No, that's not the issue—” at that point, it was Mafuyu's room. She didn't mind her calling it that, if anything, it just contributed to the strange feeling blooming inside her chest.
But that was another story.
“There’s only one bed there, you know that, right?” Kanade continued.
“I can sleep on the floor if sharing a bed is an issue for you. You're not sleeping alone or in your parents room tonight, no matter how many excuses you come up with.”
Did Mafuyu understand what she was saying? Or rather, did she understand how it sounded? How, if Kanade were to faint at that moment, it would be totally her fault, not the lack of sleep, or anything else?
“It's not an issue for me… but… we're going to be a bit cramped there… don’tyouthink…”
“It’s big enough for the both of us. I don't move a lot while sleeping, and you don't either. It shouldn’t be a problem.”
“...right. Right.”
Something about an unstoppable force meeting an immovable object. What was it, again?
Well, whatever the actual question was, Kanade had found the answer. The unstoppable force would win. She was actually a rather movable object.
They arrived at Mafuyu's room, and Kanade had somewhat gotten used to being carried around.
Mafuyu’s hands felt warm on her, pressing against her bare tights and clothed back. For someone who considered herself to be cold, Mafuyu was very, very comfortable.
Maybe it was the pleasantness of it all, or just the fact that she was almost falling asleep in her arms, but Kanade briefly wished that Mafuyu would hold her for a bit longer.
“Here.” Mafuyu carefully placed Kanade on the bed, giving her a pat on the shoulder.
Strange. But considering it was Mafuyu, not so much. Kanade, and everyone else in Nightcord, liked to call it ‘textbook affection’. A term that was actually coined by Mizuki after she made an offhand comment about how Mafuyu's hugs felt like something out of a wikihow article.
“Uh, thank you,” Kanade sheepishly said. “Are you sure you don't want to bring me my mattress, so we can set it up on the floor?”
Sure, Mafuyu had said she didn’t mind sharing a bed. But did she really want to, or was she just worried Kanade would sneak out early in the morning to compose or something?
“That is your mattress.” Mafuyu vaguely gestured to the bed where Kanade was sitting.
“Mafuyu, I haven't slept in this room for years now. You know what I mean…”
“I can argue semantics for hours if I need to.”
Meaning: I’m winning this argument, whether you like it or not. Throw in the towel already.
Textbook… tough love, maybe.
“I’ll be facing the wall,” Mafuyu said, getting on the other side of the bed.
She urged Kanade to lie down, and, at that point, Kanade really didn't feel like arguing anymore. Winning a debate against Mafuyu wasn't something she was particularly interested in (unlike Ena), especially when she had two working neurons left.
Kanade lay down with her back turned to Mafuyu, their bodies apart. She couldn't remember the last time her eyelids felt that heavy.
Still, falling asleep wasn't always an easy task for her, no matter how tired she felt. For the next twenty minutes Kanade lay there, too sleepy to move. Or open her eyes. Or do anything a human would.
So sleepy that when she heard Mafuyu calling out to her, she considered that it was a dream. And when she heard Mafuyu calling her name a second time, she was unable to reply.
“Kanade?” Mafuyu whispered a third time.
Upon getting no response, she hummed, mumbling something to herself.
The next thing Kanade heard was the rustle of bedsheets. A moment later, she felt Mafuyu's arm wrap around her.
Mafuyu snuggled up to Kanade, spooning her, and let out another little hum. It might have been the cutest sound Kanade had ever heard.
Not long after, Mafuyu drifted off, leaving Kanade wide awake, aware of her breathing and the gentle rise and fall of her chest against her back.
…
Frozen in place, Kanade felt her heart skip another beat.
… How am I supposed to sleep now?