Rising Shards

Iris sat hunched over the desk in her room. She had to be stealthy about this, prepared at any moment for Maia to show up. Sure enough, her roommate/best friend entered almost as soon as she had the thought. Iris tried to cover up what she was working on.

“What are you doing?” Maia asked.

“You’re gonna think it’s stupid…” Iris said.

Maia shrugged and sat down on her bed, checking her phone.

“Aren’t you going to ask what it is?” Iris asked.

“You don’t want me to see it, so…” Maia said.

“MaiMai…you should know when a girl really wants you to just pay attention to her…” Iris said, batting her eyelashes.

Maia flinched. “Don’t say weird crap like that…”

While Iris did like catching Maia off guard, she didn’t like when whatever she was saying apparently made Maia gloomy and quiet.

“I was just quoting a sitcom.” Iris said. “Kinda. I was half asleep when I was watching it.”

“Whatever.” Maia said. She got up and tried to see what Iris was working on. Iris covered up her desk more. “I’m gonna think you’re really stupid for telling me to come over here only to cover up whatever you’re working on more.”

Iris giggled. “Isn’t the mystery alluring?”

“No.”

“Aren’t you just a little curious?” Iris asked.

“I’m a little annoyed.” Maia said.

“I’ll show you if you guess correctly.” Iris said.

“Is it…a card or something?” Maia asked. She scratched at her ears, which made Iris laugh more. Maia scratching at her ears in that agitated way was basically her tell that she was blushing. Blushing was better than gloomy.

“Noooo,” Iris said.

“Is it a letter?” Maia asked.

“Nope!”

“I got nothing.” Maia said.

“Awww, you were so close,” Iris said. She smacked on the desk in an attempt at a drumroll before lifting her arms up for the big reveal. “It’s homework! Yay!”

Maia blinked. “You thought I’d think you were stupid for doing homework?”

“Yeah, maybe,” Iris said.

Maia peered over her shoulders. “You got, like, every answer wrong.”

“See?” Iris asked. “Now let me copy yours!” She sneezed. Then sneezed again.

“Dude, did you get Feral Flu again already?” Maia asked.

“Don’t get all Oka Ohri on me about it,” Iris said. “And no, I didn’t! It’s probably just allergies.”

Maia usually didn’t get mad when Iris got Feral Flu, but it was pretty recent to her last attempt, so Iris understood if her friend would be judgmental there. But she really didn’t get Feral Flu this time. She sneezed again.

“Sure it’s not Shearing Infection?” Maia asked.

“It’s not! You wanna check for bite marks?” Iris asked.

Maia scratched at her ears with the intensity of a cat or dog doing that leg to ear scratch. It was precious. Iris sneezed again.

“I’m kinda sleepy too, I think I better lie down.” Iris said.

Within a few hours, it was pretty clear that Iris had come down with something. Maia grilled her about it being Shearing Infection, but with her fever, sneezing, and no bite marks on her arms where she usually got Feral Flu, it seemed like just a regular cold.

Maia didn’t look like she knew what to do with herself while Iris nestled under blankets. She awkwardly moved around the room, like a palm tree on roller skates, grumbling to herself every few seconds.

“Oh.” Maia said.

“What’s up, MaiMai?” Iris asked.

“Got an idea,” Maia said. “Er. If…don’t say I’m stupid for…this, but…” She marched into the bathroom and ran the sink. She returned and held something out towards Iris.

“Huh?” Iris asked.

“Just. Sorry. Maybe I can.” Maia put a damp cloth on Iris’ forehead. “That might…help, I dunno. Do you even want me here right now? I’m probably no help, right?”

Iris sighed in comfort at the cool cloth. “Noooo…”

“Right yeah, sorry. I’ll just go then, sorry—” Maia tried to get away, but Iris flailed her arms.

“I mean no as in don’t go,” Iris said. “Don’t leave me alone like thiiiiis. The cloth helps a lot, Nurse Maia.”

“Don’t call me that,” Maia said. She fiddled with her claws.

“You can sit on your bed, just do whatever,” Iris said. “Sit at the desk. Sit by me. I just don’t wanna be alone. When I get Feral Flu, I either have to be alone or get paired up in a room with someone that I don’t want to spend the night with. I never get to be with you when I’m sick.” Having to talk that much made her sneeze and cough, so Maia got her some tissues.

“See? You’re a vital part of this operation here.” Iris said before blowing her nose.

Maia decided to sit between the beds. Without thinking much, Iris reached out and patted Maia’s head.

“Whoa,” Iris said.

“What? Crap, is there something in my hair?” Maia asked, feeling around her head.

“No, your hair is just so soft.” Iris said. She started stroking it. “You don’t mind, do you? I know I got a cold and all, but…”

“I…you can,” Maia said. “Keep…doin’ that. I dunno. Sure.”

“Thanks,” Iris said.

Iris enjoyed feeling Maia’s silky hair for a while. There were spots where Maia’s brushing was a bit messier, but Iris liked that. Something about Maia reaching a point where she just gave up on brushing her hair to get on with her day was a trait Iris admired.

“H-hey,” Maia said. “Just something I’ve been thinking about.”

“I can stop petting if it’s really bugging you.” Iris said.

“No, it’s not that,” Maia said. “I like that.”

“What’s up, MaiMai?” Iris asked.

Maia turned away from her, so Iris could only see the back of her head as she continued running her fingertips through Maia’s hair.

“Remember when you bit me?” Maia asked.

“Sure, why?” Iris asked.

“I dunno. I just am thinking about it, I guess. Did you…like are you good with it?”

“It definitely helped—” Iris sneezed. “Sorry. Definitely helped me out with my mom.”

In giving her Shearing Infection to Maia, Iris gave her mom enough evidence to believe it wasn’t another case of Iris trying to give herself Feral Flu (even though it was).

“Yeah, but…did you, I guess what I’m asking, is did you. Enjoy it?” Maia asked.

“Hm.” Iris hadn’t given the bite too much thought since it happened. She’d given and received plenty of Feral Flu bites. Although none were on the shoulder like she did for Maia, but she got the best friend bonus. Even with that, it was just something necessary that had some fun best friend bonuses to it. Nothing to regret or overthink there.

“Can I answer your question with another question? A double questionnaire deal.”

“Sure, whatever.” Maia said.

“Did you like it?” Iris asked.

Maia’s shoulders raised instantly. It took Iris a second to see that Maia had her fists clenched in front of her. Maia looked like she’d been mildly electrocuted as she barely made it through the slightest of nods.

“Then I liked it too.” Iris said.

Maia continued to nod. Then froze. Then went back to nodding. “Cool.”

The cold or flu or whatever Iris had made her think even less before speaking. “I don’t wanna give you a cold. But how about when I get better, I can pay you back for that?” She asked.

Maia finally turned around. Iris still had her arm closest to Maia out, so she continued petting Maia’s hair.

“I’m probably gonna get sick anyways,” Maia said. “Sitting so close to you and sharing the room in general.”

“Yeah, true,” Iris said. “And I did force you to stay here.”

“Pfft,” Maia said. “But if I’m gonna get sick, anyways. You know?”

“Know what?” Iris smirked.

“You know what.” Maia said. “If you wanna…pay me back now. I guess I wouldn’t mind. I guess.” Iris continued smirking as Maia realized what she’d just said out loud. “And like, if you’re not too sick or anything.”

“It’s a cold, it didn’t fry my brain or anything,” Iris said. “Or freeze it? Wait, wouldn’t me paying you back mean…you biting me this time?”

“Yeah, I mean I guess, that’s how I was thinking,” Maia said.

“So you’ve been thinking about this a lot?” Iris said.

Maia stammered for a while, so Iris lightly bonked her head. “You’re thinking too much about this.”

“Sorry.” Maia said.

“No, I mean like. Stop thinking.” Iris said.

Maia squinted. “Sorry?”

“I mean! Like you’re thinking about this so much when you should just like trust your gut!” Iris said. “What that gut telling you?”

“I don’t know,” Maia said.

“Well make your brain shut up so you can listen to your gut! Your gut knows more about bites anyways, right? What with the food connection?” Iris said.

“I am barely following you, dude.” Maia said.

“Then don’t follow me! What’s your gut saying about this bite payback thing? Cuz my gut’s telling me something.” Iris said.

“What’s your gut telling you?” Maia asked. “Maybe your gut can help my gut here.”

Iris rolled to one side, making the damp cloth fall off her forehead and plop onto the bed. Wordlessly, she pulled her shirt collar to the side just like Maia had for her bite.

Maia looked like she was going to faint, or throw up, so this was pretty risky. But Iris trusted her gut.

“You sure?” Maia asked.

“My gut is,” Iris said. “So pay me back.”

“I thought you were paying me back.” Maia said.

“You’re thinking too much again.” Iris said. “Come here.”

“Kay.” Maia said. She got up to her knees and held Iris’ upper arm under her exposed collar. The positions were kind of awkward, but Maia quickly got her fangs on Iris’ shoulder.

With normal Feral Flu bites, Iris or whoever was giving her the bites operated on a “clamp down for a sec then that’s it” method. But like last time with Maia, this time it felt like something different than a second of clamping. Maia almost felt like she was nibbling at first, which tickled, but she started biting harder. Iris inadvertently let out a contented sigh. Her first impression was that she was glad she trusted her gut. She resumed stroking Maia’s hair as continued to bite down on Iris’ skin.

“You’re good at this,” Iris whispered. “So soft.”

Maia flinched and immediately let go of the bite, backing away. She started scratching her ears again. Iris couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed it was over that quickly but seeing Maia’s flustered expression was worth it.

“Yeah,” Maia laughed nervously. “So thank you. Yeah. That’s what I was looking for, I think.”

Iris sneezed again, then yawned. “I’m really sleepy. I think I might nap.”

“Cool. Yeah.” Maia said. More ear scratches followed.

“So if you need to take a walk now to cool off, I don’t mind,” Iris said.

“Th-thank you. Yeah. That’s cool. I mean, I will cool. Off. Thanks.” Maia said.

“Just be back here before I wake up.” Iris said.

Maia gave the slight electrocuted-trembling nod again before rushing out of the room. Iris yawned, coughing mid-yawn. The cold or flu or whatever sucked, and despite her nature she knew she’d probably have to think a lot more about what just happened. But as she drifted off to sleep, she thanked her gut again for pushing her in the right direction to something really fun. At least, she hoped she would drift off to sleep, but found herself staring wide eyed at the ceiling, her heart pounding from excitement.