Let Her Go- Tenmiko

Love's a funny thing, isn't it?

"Nyeeh!" She screamed, eyes closed and swinging the stick around wildly.

"Himiko! What's wrong? Was a degenerate male attacking you!?" Tenko amidiatly ceased her training and went over to Himiko, gently placing her hands on the redhead's back and shoulder.

"Nyeh, I think I peed myself..." Himiko murmered to herself, recieving a questioning looks from the taller girl at the incoherent mumbles.

"Himiko? Are you ok?"

"Yeah... I heard sounds and thought someone was being attacked or something so I wanted to help..." The redhead spoke, voice lowering at the end.

"Himiko..." Tenko gave a sympathetic look before wrapping her strong arms around the girl. (recieving a surprised and slightly annoyed 'nyeh!') "That was so brave of you! Not just anyone could rush into danger like you did! I'm so proud!"

Though showering her with affection, Tenko couldn't help but also feel a soft warmth in her thumping heart. Maybe that means she actually cares...

"A-anyway Himiko, what were you doing out so late?" Tenko asked, releasing the girl from her embrace, (Reluctantly) and Himiko couldn't help the quiet, practically silent whine at the loss of contact. (Tenko was so warm! About as much as she'd expected... n-not that she'd ever thought about that!)

"I could say the same to you..."

"I was training of course!" She smiled.

"At 4 AM?" The redhead questioned.

"An early rise! I have to be ready by breakfast so it's best to be up and training as soon as possible!" Tenko's grin turned to a more serious look as she continued. "But what about you? It's dangerous to be wondering around alone! You never know if a degenerate male could be lurking around the corner..."

"Nyeh, I don't wanna imagine that..." Himiko rubbed at her eye. "I couldn't sleep because of a nightmare..."

"Oh you poor thing! You must be exhausted!" Tenko exclaimed. (How a person could have this much energy this early in the morning was unknown to her)

As if on que, Himiko yawned. It was a high-pitched thing, like a kitten.

Then silence.

"Himiko..." Tenko hushed. "That was the most adorable thing I've ever heard!"

Tenko hugged the girl again, not having enough energy to do so, she didn't resist, even laying her head on the taller's shoulder.

Despite her drowsiness, the magician (mage!) squeaked when she felt her body being lifted.

"Let's get you back to your room, okay?"

Himiko only nodded.

Tenko gently carried her body back to the dormitories, stopping once they reached her dorm. Tenko carefully placed the girl back down, giving her hair a soft rub.

"Go get some sleep, ok?" She whispered.

"I don't wanna..." Himiko quietly spoke, a childish pout at her lips. "I don't think I can..."

"Would it make it better if you slept in my room?"

Himiko paused at the offer. It was true, she didn't want to sleep alone and probably wouldn't be able to in her own room, but this was Tenko. Sure, the girl had been nice to her, (really nice, too much so, really) but she was weird. She made strange comments and always insisted on bothering and touching her when she wanted to be alone. It wasn't anything bad of course, quick hugs and gentle pats, but it irked the girl how little regard of her personal space Tenko had had. But that didn't matter to her at the moment. They wouldn't precisely have to share a bed, and it was most likely the only way she'd be able to actually sleep.

"Yes please..." she mumbled, allowing the aikido master to pick her up and bring her to her own room.

------------ time skip to Tenko's room, cause I haven't had one in awhile ---------

"You can have the bed, I'll sleep on the couch." Tenko reassured.

Himiko wanted to retaliate, she was the guest, and shouldn't be the one with Tenko's bed, but she was much too exhausted to do much more then simply nod and crawl into the large bed.

She wasn't sure how much time had passed, but she still couldn't fall asleep. Tenko's soft snores filled the room. Himiko looked over at the sleeping girl. Maybe...

She climbed onto the couch, awkwardly laying down next to Tenko. She stared at her face, (did she always have that mole on her chin? Her eyelashes were so long and pretty too-) What was she thinking? She didn't like Tenko, not like that at least. She closed her eyes. The space was admittedly cramped, but maybe it was that closeness that finally allowed the girl to drift off into sleep...

"Rise and shine ursine! It is now 7AM!"

The meaningless bickering of the Monokubs filled the background, but it's not like the redhead cared (what were their names again?) No, what filled her mind was the image of the green haired girl curled up next to her, snuggling her tightly from behind. She blushed, cheeks turning almost the same color as her hair and wiggled out of the grasp, trying desperately not to wake the girl.

She stood up, walking to the door. She paused, staring deeply at Tenko's curled up body on the couch. (How the girl kept snoring through the morning announcement she wasn't sure, though it might've had something to do with waking up at 4 AM everyday) She pondered waking her but decided against it. I don't know if I could even face her again...

The redhead let out a groan, rubbing at her eye and weaving her hands through her hair as she returned to her own room to get ready.

Her mind went to Tenko again, (Why was she still thinking of her!?) wondering if the girl had woken up already. Part of her wanted to sneak back in there and speak with her. But she decided against it.

She rubbed aggressively at her cheeks until they turned red, then finnished getting ready, and turned to go to the dining hall.

She wished she had taken the chance to talk to Tenko then.

_________________________________________

The girl's body lay there, eyes softly closed as if she were sleeping. But the wound on her neck and bright pink blood slowly pooling up beneath her brought the unfortunate truth that she was truly gone.

Cries filled the room, and it took a few moments to realize it was her own.

She thought back to those words.

"You didn't give two s***s about Tenko when she was alive... But now your like 'oh, no! Poor Tenko!' after she's dead. C'mon, really?"

It was right. She hadn't cared about Tenko when she had her. But then she was taken away.

"You only know you love her when you let her go" She sadly hummed along to a song one of her friends had loved for a short while.

And it was completely right.

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Himiko started at the gaping whole in the cage that once trapped them all here. She clung onto the false hope that this was all a lie, (even more so then what was already revealed) and she'd wake up in the aikido master's arms. Maybe even be in different circumstances. But at the moment she truly didn't care how.

"You only know you love her when you let her go."

The small redhead still cried when she realized that this was not just some crazy dream.

"And you let her go"

Love's a funny thing, isn't it?

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a/n

You know, this originally wasn't gonna be so angsty, but here we are.

(2056 words)