Author's Note:

My first fic, beta-ed by KonohaFled.... Arigato gozaimasu!

Disclaimer:

I do not own Nodame Cantabile... it belongs to Tomoko Ninomiya-sensei! ^^

"Nightmare"

The day was still dark. The sun did not want to shine yet.

A young man and his girlfriend slept at their bed.

They were lulled by the beautiful night, when suddenly...

Nodame opened her eyes.

That girl woke up and gasped for air. Then she opened her eyes. When she wandered her gaze at her lover's room and aware of where she was, she exhaled a long breath.

"Nightmare..." she said.

Still wide awake, she felt the creepy incidents rushing into her brain. The nightmare relived again…

It was horrible.

"Nodame's... deaf?" she asked herself, "...and Chiaki-senpai..."

She moved her hand to reach the front of Chiaki's face, searching for a sense of hot breath escaping from his nose. Then she exhaled a long breathe again.

"...still alive."

Thanks god it was just a dream. Just a nightmare which sometimes crept into her sleep.

Nevertheless, that dream was horrified enough to make Nodame stay awake.

She got up from her bed. Her fingers explored the table and looked for Chiaki's watch.

In the vagueness of the dark, Nodame saw the number at the watch.

2.56.

Wasn't it too early for her to wake up? Then, what could she do at this late hour? At this early dawn? Watching Purigorota? Hey, that was a smart idea... as long as it didn't end with a pillow smashed on her head from the room owner...

Forget it, it's better to sleep again.

Nodame lied down at her side of bed.

Trying to close her eyes.

Ah, that nightmare relived again in her brain!

She opened her eyes again.

She looked at sleeping Chiaki.

She got up and moved that young man's body. She said,

"Senpai... Nodame had a nightmare..."

The young man gave a brief reaction,

"...Ngh..." Then he was silence.

Maybe he was still taken by his own dream.

"Shinichi...?" Nodame called again. No answer this time.

Nodame exhaled a long breath. She gave up.

She went back to her sleeping position. Intentionally she faced Chiaki's sleeping face.

Then she took Chiaki's right hand.

She pulled that young man's hand to her face. The hand that used to lead her gently was now at the front of her face.

She brought it to her own cheek.

She muttered to herself,

"Thank God it was just a dream... How can Nodame live without senpai...?"

Tears started to trickle down her cheek, dampening Chiaki's finger.

Slowly, Chiaki opened his eyes...

"Shut up..." he said with a soft voice.

Then, after he wiped tears from her face, he pulled that girl's head to his chest and said,

"...just try to sleep again."

Bewildered by his act, Nodame tried to speak again in his warm embrace,

"...Shinichi?"

Again, no answer. Nothing but the sound of soft breath of that young man. The half-awaken Chiaki was now back to his own dream. Sleeping.

That girl smiled.

She could feel the warmth of that young man's body. She could hear every breath of him.

All of her fear and restlessness have gone.

She put her arms on Chiaki's body, holding him close. And then she closed her eyes, trying to sleep again, just like what Chiaki tell her to do. But it was useless.

She would not sleep until the morning comes...

Why?

It was not because of her fear anymore, that's for sure.

Fin