by Momiji Hime

"You look like hell."

"Thanks a lot. You do too. What's your excuse?"

"I'm not feeling the love, sis."

"I thought I told you to stop calling me that...I'd be mad, but I don't have the energy today." Momiji sat up in bed, folding her arms and resting them on her raised knees. She actually felt like hell, so in truth, Sakura's comparison was highly accurate. Last night she had lingered somewhere between awareness and sleep, but hadn't quite chosen sides. Tell tale spots shadowed her skin underneath her tired eyes, and her mind felt muggy, muddled. Her limbs felt loose and foreign, and standing up to face the new day felt a little impossible. "Ugh.."

Sakura examined Momiji's face a little more closely, and became alarmed at what she saw. There was severe tension in her seemingly relaxed position. her eyes were beyond tired, but in them was something troubled. Something that told Sakura that today she should tread lightly.

"You two up?" Daitetsu opened the door a fraction, and seeing the two of them awake and somewhat alert, pushed it open fully. "Oh, good. Matsu's here to examine you, but she needs to take you into the office to do it. Are you up to it?"

Momiji nodded numbly, and slid one leg out of bed, gearing herself up for the task of standing on her own two feet.

Matsudaira eased in next to Kunikida. "It'll only take an hour or so, Momiji. I won't keep you, I know you're tired. I'll take you home as soon as I'm finished."

Momiji nodded meekly.

"Matsudaira blinked, squinting at Momiji. "Dear, when's the last time you slept?"

Momiji gave the question some thought. "Three days go.. or maybe it was four. I can't really remember."

"Four, technically." Kusanagi pushed his way inside. "But on the first night, you only dozed, so that doesn't really count. Five."

Matsudaira sighed. She had seen it the last few days. Momiji, sitting on the couch, in bed, or on the floor, drifting off in the middle of her sentences, then jerking herself back alertness. "Let's get going. The faster you get ready, the sooner I can get you home."

Momiji nodded again, and set about getting dressed.

***

"I don't know what to tell you, Momiji. Your signs, both vital and mental, are fine, and besides you being so weak, you seem perfectly healthy. There doesn't seem to be any further activity concerning your mitama, either. My main concern is of course, your sleeping habits." Matsudaira didn't buy the nightmare speech, and unless she could milk the truth out of Momiji, she couldn't help. "Why aren't you sleeping?"

"I told you, Matsudaira-san.. I had a really bad nightmare a few days ago. I've just been a little scared to go back to sleep."

"Momiji, Nightmares don't keep girls from sleeping. Nightmares pass, they fade, they become difficult to remember, if they're normal."

"It was frightening, Matsudaira-san."

"It's unhealthy, Momiji. You need to sleep, rest, and take care of yourself. You experienced some major trauma. Not sleeping or taking care of your body won't help; in fact, it might even bring it back. You might be making things worse for yourself."

Momiji looked up at Matsudaira, her tired eyes taking in the scientist's concerned gaze. "You're right," she said, nodding her assent. "I'll try to get some rest." Momiji crossed her fingers underneath the table. The hell she would.

***

"Sakura."

"What? I'm trying to read about men afraid of commitment. Hey, since you're here, let me ask you a question or two. Do you shy away from the 'L' word? Oh, wait! Do you refuse physical contact? Gee, we already know the answer to that one. I shouldn't even have asked."

"I don't care," Kusanagi almost growled, "I need to ask you a favor."

"Just a tip. When you're about to ask a girl for a favor, don't start it with an 'I don't care'. It doesn't go over well."

Kusanagi ignored her jibe. "I need you to talk to Momiji."

"What for?"

"She keeps insisting that this is just a nightmare, but it's got to be something else. She's lying."

"Oh, and you're positive she's lying?"

"Stop making that face at me. Of course, I'm sure. You know it too. She's scared of something."

"Of what?"

"I don't know, you idiot! Why the hell do you think I want you to talk to her?"

"And somehow, although Momiji and I pretty much can't stand each other, I'm supposed to get this precious info out of her? I think not, plant boy." Sakura shifted her position on the bed. "I'd have more luck getting you to sing Nuriko's memorial from Fushigi Yuugi."

"Fushigi-what?"

"Nothing."

"Please. Try."

Sakura wrinkled her nose. Those magic words. Please. That made things more difficult. "Okay, Kusanagi.. you owe me.. big time. I'll try. Try being the operative word."

***

The water was so warm, it threatened to put her to sleep, too. Everything had the potential to make her drop off. The radio, the terrific dinner Takeuchi had prepared, the gentle humming of the television. The heat of the house. Never before had so many things made her think of sleeping.

The water reached her shoulders, and seeking more of the soothing warmth, she slid downward, until the water lapped at her chin. A few mere inches more, and the water would cover her head. As tempting as the idea was, she didn't indulge. If she died, she'd probably just get sent back... just like everyone else.

Argh. Why the hell was Murakumo back? And more importantly, why was she involved? Oh great, headache time. On top of no sleep, the unpleasant thoughts were bringing along a headache. She turned her mind towards more pleasant thoughts. There would be plenty of time to figure out the rest. She was positive she would see Murakumo again. There was no doubt in her mind.

"Momiji?"

"Sakura?" Momiji jerked back to semi-awareness, and turned towards the door. "What do you want?"

"A bath, same as you." Sakura busied herself hastily scrubbing at her body and hair, before rinsing and joining Momiji in the tub. The added mass brought the water level up, and Momiji raised her head a bit, and closed her eyes, praying that Sakura wasn't up for another found of arguing. She simply wasn't in the mood.

"Uh.." Sakura held a quantity of water in her cupped hands. "Momiji? What was your nightmare about?"

"..I can't really remember.. why?" Momiji bluffed, wondering if she would be able to hold the blonde underwater in her exhausted state.

"Just wondering... if you can't remember it, why can't you sleep?"

"Why are you harassing me?"

Sakura held up her hands in a defensive motion. "I'm not harassing you! I just wanted to know."

"I don't feel like talking about it."

"Fair enough. It's just awful weird that if you don't remember it, that you still can't sleep. Usually, when people have nightmares, they forget about them.. I've had nightmares, woken up, and forgotten about them five minutes later. If you just had a normal dream, you wouldn't have been up for five days straight. Does that make sense to you?"

Momiji shot Sakura daggers with her eyes. "What are you getting at?"

Sakura drew her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop them. "I'm getting at the fact that you're lying. It's obvious. You're scared to death of something, and that something is more than just your standard nightmare. Kusanagi knows it. I know it. You can dodge the question, make up excuses, or change the subject, but lying can't help you sleep at night."

"And neither can any of you.."

Sakura never broke their gaze. "And why can't we?"

"There's no point in talking about it... there's nothing anyone can do." Momiji looked over at Sakura, her tired eyes conveying a sort of longing. Something told Sakura that Momiji needed to talk about it, whatever it was. So, despite her disgust at the possibility of having a heart to heart with the girl, she pressed on.

"But, it might make you feel better to talk about it, right?"

"I.. had a really, really vivid nightmare."

"About..?" Sakura prompted. "What did you dream about..?"

Momiji shut her eyes tight, burying her face in her hands. "..that.. someone came into my room. He.."

"He?"

"He. He came in through the window.. and touched me, held me." Momiji choked out the last sentence. "..Kissed me.."

"I don't get it." Sakura propped her chin on her hands. "What was so scary?"

Momiji massaged her temples. "It was Murakumo."

"Oh... understandable." Sakura lowered her eyelids whistling under her breath. "But it was just a dream. Let it go."

"No, it happened. When I woke up, I could almost still feel him, smell him.."

"Don't go there, Momiji. The guy is dead."

Momiji shook her head vigorously. "No, he's not." Now that she had spilled part of the story, she felt the need to clarify. "He's here. I saw him."

"What?"

"I saw him.. five days ago. That morning, when I went outside by my self. He was there, in the trees. H-he says that the mitama belongs to him."

"You're kidding around, aren't you?" Sakura's eyebrows were raised sky high. "No.. you're serious. I can't believe this."

The two of them sat in the steaming bath, sharing a long, poignant silence.

Sakura wished she had never asked.

***

"Did you talk to her?"

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, I did." Through hooded eyelids, she gauged his reaction.

"What's going on, then?" He shifted from foot to foot.

"..nothing. Absolutely nothing. Just some real vivid dreams she can't shake. They must have been pretty realistic." Sakura looked up at him. "But, you know that big favor you owe me? Let's discuss this.. favor."

Kusanagi looked severely nonplused as the blonde led him off towards the bedroom she shared with Momiji. "What kind of favor?"

"First, promise you'll do it. No backing out."

"....."

"Promise."

"Okay, okay. What kind of favor?" he repeated, trailing behind the blonde as she tugged at his arm.

"A fairly easy one, and for Momiji's sake. I think you should sleep with her."

***

"What is it, Kusanagi?"

"Can I talk to you for a minute? In my room."

"Um.. alright." Momiji glanced toward Sakura warily, and was presented with a indifferent, blank stare. Shrugging to herself, she followed Kusanagi to his room, standing back as he shut the door, then turned to her.

"Lay down."

A brief pause ensued.

"You heard me. Get in bed." Kusanagi turned back the covers.

Momiji stared. "I know I didn't hear you right."

She had. Her eyes went from wide to enormous as he stood before her, slowly shedding his shirt.

"Yeah." His voice was quiet. "You heard me right. Go on, get into bed." He threw his shirt onto an armchair, and took a step towards her.

"You're nuts." Momiji headed for the door. "I'm going to lay down, all right, but not in here. Goodnight, Kusana- oof!"

Kusanagi's arm caught her around her midriff, and he gave a little yank, stopping her from leaving. "No," he stated, smiling slightly, "you're going to lay down right here." He gave her a gentle shove, which sent her backward, and her knees hitting the back of the bed, she went down with a thump.

And then her eyes went from wide and confused to panicked. He joined her, and with both arms, proceeded to pull her up to the head of the bed, where he kneeled next to her. "It's a pretty comfortable bed, you know."

With that, he stretched out next to her, and flipped the covers over both of them. "I hate sleeping underneath stuff, you know," he admitted, getting comfortable, "but since you're used to it, I guess we've got to."

"Just what do you think you're doing?"

"Keep it down, will you?" Kusanagi said, refusing to heed her protests. "You'll wake everyone up."

"What do you think? I'm going to keep the nightmares away." He turned onto his side to face her. His grin remained sly, but there was a strange tenderness in his eyes. "Now go to sleep. Do you want to lay next to you, or do you want me to hold you?"

"You're crazy. You're out of you mind. There's no way I sleep in here." Momiji paused for a moment. "Hold me, okay?"

And that was that, it seemed.

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