Waking [Open] - After Stevening is done

[starlight_ace]

Truth be told, Nanoha hadn't expected to wake up. She'd still been in the beast's clutches as the lights had gone out around her, and that she hadn't been crushed or devoured in her unconsciousness was practically a miracle

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[ghost_bait]

Miku had spent the last few days thinking. Steve wasn't awake yet, and it wasn't like she'd gone to check on him anyway. In fact, she'd done a very good job of keeping out of sight, trying to figure things out on her own.

But, eventually, she'd made it into the medical bay without turning around and leaving like she had the last several days previously. At least today she could pretend that she was visiting Nanoha, and not trying escape out of seeing Steve.

She was a horrible girlfriend. "I'm so sorry," Miku said quietly as she looked over Nanoha's injuries that Steve-as-a-Monster had caused. Miku's injuries weren't nearly as severe, surprisingly. Several cracked and bruised ribs, a nasty bruise around her ankles where the plant had gotten her as well as strained muscle from trying to escape it. Looking at Nanoha, Miku realized just how much worse it could have been. "I had hoped nothing like this would've happened to you."

[starlight_ace]

Nanoha looked up at the other girl with a sheepish little smile, and she waved her other arm as much as she could (not much, considering it was the one with the IV in it). "Ah, well, this sort of thing happens in my line of work, you know?" She gave a weak little chuckle.

"If I'm not prepared for it to happen, I'd never get anything done. Don't worry about me, Miku-chan."

[ghost_bait]

"But it shouldn't have happened at all...!" Miku protested softly. "It... he..." she deflated a bit. "I'm still very sorry."

[starlight_ace]

"Miku-chan, don't apologize," Nanoha shook her head. "You didn't do anything wrong."

"It isn't though I knew this couldn't happen."

[ghost_bait]

"But he isn't awake yet," Miku replied. "And I heard them say they weren't sure if he was going to or not." She fumbled with the little pink butterfly charm on her necklace, and smoothed her finger over the crack in the stone. "So, I thought I'd do it for him."

Maybe as her last act as his girlfriend, if that icing fear that clenched at her stomach every time she thought about him didn't go away. And soon. Miku rubbed her face with both of her hands and took a breath, the little dark marks under her eyes were telling enough of what she'd been doing (or not doing) lately. "A-anyway... did they give you a time to get home? I've... ah... I've filed your reports from the others, and Aibgahalien-san seems to have been making a disturbing number of explosions lately..." she tried changing the subject, grasping for something normal.

[starlight_ace]

So Steve wasn't awake yet, and his condition was in doubt. Nanoha's expression softened. "Miku-chan," she said as sternly as she could muster. "You don't need to apologize. I'm sure Steve will be fine. You should have some more faith."

"I just woke up, so I'm a bit... groggy."

[ghost_bait]

"Ah!" Miku tried smiling. It felt flat and awkward on her face, "Then I bet they'll release you in a few more days."

"I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I didn't intend to overload you with things." She actually hadn't expected Nanoha to be awake in the first place, but at least this was a welcome surprise.

[starlight_ace]

"It isn't your fault," she repeated quietly. "You're just trying to do your best."

"Miku-chan... how are you?"

[ghost_bait]

"Me..?" Miku felt herself mentally scramble and backpedal. "Fine... I'm fine. A few bumps and bruise, but, just fine."

[starlight_ace]

"Miku." Even in bed, Nanoha could still give Miku a Look.

[rope_victim]

"I'm sorry," she responded instantly. "I don't know how I am, so I couldn't tell you." Miku breathed in deeply to sigh and winced. "I haven't slept very well lately... and I haven't... I..." She closed her hand around the butterfly charm tightly. "I just don't know."

[starlight_ace]

"Miku-chan..." Nanoha exhaled, wincing a bit. It hurt to exert herself. "Please, calm down. Try to get some rest, okay?"

"You'll only worry Steve when he wakes up."

[rope_victim]

"I can't sleep," she admitted. "Because I keep having nightmares of him as the monster." She was surprised that her coherency hadn't dropped, but then again, she'd done this sleepy/sleeplessness act before. It was disturbingly easy to fall back into. "So... I was thinking that maybe it was a bit too much. I want to give up on him."

[starlight_ace]

"Miku," she said again, in an even sterner tone than the first time.

"Don't say that. I don't ever want to hear you say something like that again!"

[rope_victim]

Miku seemed taken aback by Nanoha's tone and, if it were even possible, managed to look even more sad and shamefaced. "But it's true... I... I love him and... and I..." she grasped for the words to get Nanoha to see it her way, but found herself on the short end of the stick. "I'm terrified."

Even she didn't believe in herself. Good going, there.

[starlight_ace]

"Terrified of what?" Nanoha said softly, and then glanced at the chair beside her bed.

"...if you need to talk, then we should talk."