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"I will." He bowed gently as she left before taking up his vigilance again.

But it had been a long end of the night & into the morning and before his prediction of an hour Remus had curled up at the foot of the bed, fast asleep.

So it was to a quiet room that Relm woke, less than half an hour later. She tensed for the briefest of moments feeling trapped, then seeing Keme was asleep instantly relaxed. Relm tried not to think about how they were sleeping together for real this time, no blanket between them to feign just friendship. Even the blanket would not help now... not since she had blabbed what she had been denying to herself. She wanted to soak up this feeling; this feeling of being warm & sheltered... and loved. Her eyes watered, thinking it could not last. Ever so gently she brought a hand up to caress his face. In a soft, tender, & very emotional voice Relm bared her soul in a way she had never done. Not even to herself. "Keme, I love you. You mean more to me than anything in the world. You deserve so much... so much happiness that I know I can't possibly give you. I'm blackened... bitter... I don't know how it happened exactly. I wish I could come to you as the confident, carefree child I was. I'm frightened of commitment, of being wrong... of hurting you." She hugged him as tightly as she dared without waking him, tears falling quietly from her eyes. "I ran from you when I guessed your feelings... when our lips brushed... because I was frightened. I can face monsters & demons & evil madmen with bone-chilling laughs... but I am terrified of loving you! I'm terrified of losing you -of hurting you! Oh Espers!! Keme, you deserve so much better than me! But I can't stop hoping... I can't stop loving..." Relm tucked her head under his chin, breathing in his scent. If this was the last time she would be in Keme's arms she wanted to remember. "I don't want to run... don't let me run. If you still want me at all... "

Hearing it all through her Ear in the kitchen Ginny began to cry tears of sympathy while she prepared a bowl of soup for Relm.

A quiet sob choked in Relm's throat, just barely hearing his words. She wanted to kiss him -but he was asleep. Not only that, but Relm found she lacked the strength to move other than to lightly stroke Keme's cheek. "oh Hummer..." She whispered tenderly, the nickname carrying with it a tenderness rather than Relm's usual detachment. "I'll try! I'll try! I certainly don't want to leave!

There was a knock at the door & Ginny entered, swishing her tails dangerously to deter those that were not supposed to enter the room. Above her hovered the same tray as before, a fresh bowl of soup upon it. "Welcome back Relm. Can you sit up to eat?"

Relm's stomach rumbled but she shook her head "Maybe... but I don't want to." The redhead shot her a look. "Relm... do you really think he'd want you to not eat? He did."

"Now sit up a little. Eat. Or I can feed you." "I'll do it." Slowly, painstakingly, Relm wiggled to a sitting position while keeping Keme's arm around her. Smirking, Ginny set the tray up beside her and watched as Relm began to eat.

It is Remus however that starts at the intrusion, waking from his nap & blinking his eyes. "It's okay, Morgana. I'm surprised we've kept them out this long." She did not whisper but kept her voice pitched low to let Keme sleep. Remus stretched through Ginny's answer, stifling a yawn. "So long s they do not wake him I cannot see how more warmth can hurt." He did however eye the two warily, ready to swish & flick the pair of them out if he suspected them of hampering with the patients' recovery.

Relm meanwhile was blushing furiously, tempted to lift her bowl with her slightly trembling hands & drain it dry so that she could sink back into bed & hide her face against Keme's chest. She did the next best thing -she pulled her WhiteMage's hood over her head until it shadowed her blush & ate s quickly as possible.

The pictomancer did not care half a wit about the cat & pamura. At least not as far as her embarrassment went. She had been a triffle worried they might wake Keme -or that the go'sath would sit on him- but when they did not do that she calmed. No. It was the flush of memory of what Morgana had witnessed, and a little embarrassment at their current sleeping arrangements. Whispered or shouted confessions of love while one was passed out or while they were sick did not a relationship make.

"I can get her." "Please don't." Relm interjected, working on her soup. "I'm almost finished & I'll be going back to sleep soon." Remus considered, not letting Ginny's sympathetic gazed effect him. Much "You both are over the worst of it, now that you've eaten the best thing for the both you is sleep. Ginny do you have your communicator?" The witch nodded, her red mane flying. "Sure do." "Good, I will ask that Myranda mind the board today." He smiled at Morgana. "Thank you. I will tell Trelweny myself. She will doubtless have questions." With a smile & a wave Remus departed.

Relm smiled softly as her empty bowl & the tray were taken away. Then she snuggled back into Keme & his embrace.

"Oh Keme..." She closed her lightly as she let herself be pulled close. They flutter open again in a moment and Relm ever so lightly runs her finger over his lips. When we're both awake, Hummer. Maybe when we're both awake... But her eyes were closing, sleep overtaking her and her thought went unfinished.

Later, Relm would not be able to remember a more peaceful sleep than that morning. It was roughly shattered when she hears Keme's outburst & the subsequent sound of him hitting the floor.

"Keme!" She exclaims, sitting bolt upright in the bed -her hand instinctually going to her pocket after her years of adventuring. It takes her only a moment to figure out what must have happened & her heart drops, hoping she was not the cause of his shock & subsequent fall. Her concern for Keme overcomes all else & she drops to her hands and knees to lean over the edge of the bed, ignoring the cat & go'sath. Her hood falls over her head as she looks at Keme with eyes full of loving concern & the slightest hint of fear behind. "Keme! Hummer! Are you all right?"

Relm let out a sigh of relief, a soft smile forming on her face. "I bet you do." Then she blushed, starting to stammer out an explanation. "I... I mean, that it's been a while, er, well, at least all night... or morning or..."

What was wrong with her. "Um... do you need any help?" Relm's eyes went wide & she blushed deeper at her words. That was not how she had meant it to sound.

From the foot of the bed Ginny stretched. "I can go fetch Tidus if you need a steady shoulder to lean on in getting there, Keme."