In watching Black [star] Rock Shooter, I found Mato and Yomi to be about a million times more interesting than Black [star] Rock Shooter and Dead Master—although, I did love STR and Yuu quite a lot as well.

Have a 300 word drabble.

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Strength of Words

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Mato's whisper brushes fiercely against Yomi's ear, "You can't do that ever again."

Dazed, Yomi lifts her hands to place them over Mato's, which seem to be fisted in the collar of her uniform, holding her close.

Mato is still hissing out frantic nonsense; Yomi tries to listen and catches her urgent words. "Can't just leave like that, I can't stand it when you're gone. Don't leave me again, don't ever, ever leave me again, I told you I love you, don't you remember? You can't leave me behind like that because I'll find you, I'm useless without you..."

Yomi has never forgotten Mato's embarrassing declarations of love, strong words spoken over the trivialities of shared homework. She remembers Mato's cheek rubbing against her own, boundless warmth and affection, and she'd fought the creeping blush away and pretended it was nothing. Pretended it was only Mato's misplaced enthusiasm, pretended Mato had no idea the strength of her words.

"I'm here," she manages to croak out, barely intelligible, and Mato's babbling dissolves to sobs. Yomi disentangles the other girl's fingers from her collar, but only, it seems, to exchange the fabric for her own hands. Mato clings on, stubbornly, as if her friend might dissolve into shadows and nothing at any moment.

Her head drops, her forehead resting against Yomi's shoulder, and the sobs slowly quiet. "Love you love you love you..." Mato repeats into Yomi's collarbone, and though the sentiments are muffled, they echo through Yomi's entire body.

An image of intense blue eyes and an imploring, burning gaze flashes through Yomi's thoughts. As awareness and recollections wash over her sluggish mind, as memories of what was surely a dream start to return, she stops trying to free her trapped fingers, and instead returns Mato's grip.

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[fin]

[je t'aime je t'aime je t'aime toujours]