#I tried to include more elements inspired from Minigrams

[blueepink07]

In search for warmth

I'm too impatient to get my invitation link from ao3, so I will post it here until I receive it! I should get it around 4 January... It's a Yuno centered fic with a wholesome interaction with Amane! I hope their interaction is spot on!

"Cold. Too cold"

The blanket that should have kept her warm was now half on the floor, standing lifeless, like a puppet in the strings, waiting for its owner to pick it up. Tired eyes are trying to get used to the dim light, a deep sigh resounding in the cell at the apprehension of the mocking blanket.

Did she have a nightmare again? That's why she moved so much in her sleep? Whatever the motive was, Yuno can't answer, her mind being too fuzzy.

She stays in silence as she is watching the gray and monotonous walls. Maybe she should have decorated them, when she had got the chance. Mahiru told her, when they first arrived here, that decorating would definitely have a greater impact on her mental state and she would feel more energized every time she wakes up. She even offered herself to help Yuno with ideas inspired from her favorite magazine. At that time, the high school girl declined as she had never considered that the interest she had for the Milgram prison would ever disperse. But, oh how wrong she was…

Sometimes, during the rougher days, she can't even manage to get up. Everything is so dull, without color… How much she wishes that she could turn back in time, before the voting results, to decorate her walls together with Mahiru, to have a girl talk with the other prisoners, maybe Kotoko too. Yuno is sure she would have many interesting stories to tell.

The girl moves over, watching again the blanket that is now entirely on the floor. Alone, cold and lifeless, that’s how she would describe the blanket. Awfully familiar descriptions… When was the last time she felt herself, lately…?

Yuno is still watching the blanket. It feels like a war between her lazy consciousness, she should really wash it before covering herself with it again, and her wish to sleep more.

But she knows it's futile, she can't sleep when her body is cold. With a tired sight, the girl stretches out her limbs and picks up the blanket.

She carefully opens the door from her cell, not being in the mood to talk, if there is someone still not sleeping at this late hour. She slowly walks to the washroom, her pink irises desperately shoving off the eyelids. How annoying, only if the blanket could wash itself…

When she finally arrives, after lots and lots of yawns, Yuno takes the laundry detergent, a faint sweet smell of tuberose reaching her nostrils as she is pouring the contents in the washing machine. Then, she swiftly places the blanket and sets the time for a 15 minute wash.

"That should be enough…! "

What Yuno had to do now was to wait for the timer to finish, so she can finally go to sleep! How hard can it be?

"Poor Yuno, why is she even in prison?"

"It's not even a crime what she did…"

"She is so innocent!!"

The voices. How she would sometimes wish to have a button to turn her brain off. She knows that she should be thankful. Yuno often stays with Mahiru, after all, and knows that her older friend is haunted by them. At first, it was hard to convince Mahiru to not let herself be swayed by the voices and to distance herself from her own beliefs… From being herself… But with some time spent together, Yuno put her back on the right path. She would never change, because of Es's judgment, and neither should Mahiru.

"Poor Yuno…"

"I'm sure that in that prison it is so cold…!"

For once, the voices aren't wrong, it really is cold in here. She makes an attempt at hugging herself tightly, but she knows it's pointless. It's still cold.

*Stomp!*

"…!" Is she so lonely that she starts imagining noises…?

*Stomp!*

No, there is someone awake. Should she really check…? After all, her mission here will be done in 10 minutes and she really wants to sleep.

*Stomp!*

Curiosity kills the cat, that’s what she has heard and has been told many times, when she was a child. But the noises feel almost…desperate. Maybe she should really check.

It wasn't hard to pinpoint from where it came from as Yuno quickly could register the stomping gradually becoming louder as she was approaching the kitchen.

What she wasn't prepared for was seeing Amane jumping, if she could call that, as the green haired girl was hardly propeling herself, due to her restraints. Yuno followed Amane's hand, who was trying to reach a… box of soy milk?

Now that she thinks about it, she remembers, a few months ago, Amane's mug not being placed in the kitchen cabins, instead sitting neatly in the support for drying dishes. So, it's not the first time Amane has woken up in the middle of the night.

Yuno moves carefully, not wanting to scare the concentrated girl. She slowly raises her hand and takes the box of soy milk, placing it on the table.

"Kashiki Yuno… what are you doing?"

"Giving you the box of soy milk…?"

"... Your eyes… If it's pity, I don't need it. I can manage on my own without help."

"... It's not pity. I just thought you needed help. You didn’t seem to have done much progress, and since I was awake and heard the stomping, I decided to prevent you from tormenting yourself like this."

"I was actually very close… Just one more jump and I could have reached the box!"

"Is that so? Then ~ I guess I should treat myself from time to time! After all, you can easily get another box, right? ~"

"Yes… Of course I can."

Yuno carefully opens the box, watching with anticipation at the green haired girl. Amane has turned her back to Yuno, contemplating if she should jump again. She already feels embarrassed that the older prisoner has seen her like this, but, at the same time, she really does want to prove her point.

Yuno starts to hum as she is heating up the soy milk. The sound does nothing more but to annoy the younger girl. Amane doesn't want to jump again, so, in order to show that she's capable, she needs to find another solution. She tilts her head, so she can have a good view of the kitchen, trying to search for something that could help her. Next to the table, there is a small chair, which has fur…? Since it's already dirty, then it would be no problem to use it, so she can reach the kitchen cabin. Her younger self four minutes ago, would have found this idea a disgrace. However, considering that she has been already spotted by the older prisoner in such a childish stance, this is no more an option to be embarrassed about.

Yuno watches with a small amused smile as Amane is dragging the chair below the kitchen cabin. The high school girl looks at the time and decides that the milk is warm enough. The moment she turns around to take a mug, a desperate yell comes from the green haired girl, who is struggling to maintain her balance.

Right when she was going to fall, Yuno quickly holds Amane by her left hand and stabilizes her on the chair.

"... That was unexpected… Are you okay?"

"I'm… Fine! ...Can you please take your hands off me? I'm fine, Yuno, it's not like I'm going to break at any moment…"

"Considering your distaste towards Shidou, you would have never accepted medical care, if you would have been injured. That's why, I was holding you like this…" That’s what Yuno would have wanted to say, but decided against it, in order to not inflict more rage to the younger prisoner."Wait…when was the last time she had been called Yuno by Amane?"

"... The box… "

" Hm~?"

"I couldn't take it. I… Disappointed… I-I…!"

"Let’s take a seat!"

"..."

"I just wanted to mess with you, I don't want to drink it. Take it~"

"... Thank you… "

While Amane was drinking the liquid, Yuno decided to break the silence:

"I wanted to ask you something, actually. Why are you awake at this hour?"

"The same question, I could ask you too, Kashiki Yuno. But… Since you helped me… The reason it's simple, I just couldn't sleep. That's why I decided to drink warm soy milk. It usually works… "

"I see… But, me too. I woke up suddenly and I couldn't sleep anymore. My blanket was on the floor, so I went out of my cell to wash it."

"... You said that you don't want to drink it, however, warm milk usually helps you sleep. I suggest drinking some."

"No, no, It's for you, I don't need it!"

"It's too much… I can't drink it all, I apologize for the waste. Unless…somebody helps me finish it."

"It will not work with me! I'm an older sister immune to such tricks!"

*Beep* *Beep*

"Seems that my blanket is ready! Good night, Amane, it was a nice talk!"

"Good night to you too…"

Yuno stands up from her chair and goes to the washing room. Despite, initially, not wanting to have a conversation with someone at midnight, Amane was really a good company. It was nice seeing a glimpse of her older self, before the verdicts….

She swiftly takes the blanket and starts walking, as carefully as before, to her cell. Right when she was going to enter, in the dim light she saw an object shining at her door. A glass? Has Amane…?

"It would be impolite of me to not accept it, wouldn’t it…?" Smiling, she goes into her cell, places the blanket on the bed, not forgetting to take with her the small gift. She finally sits on the edge of her bed, slowly drinking the liquid, a warm sensation spreading in her body.

"Warmth…"

Yuno feels so warm, so cozy… A yawn splits her lips in two, a sensation of lightheadedness slowly taking over her body. She crawls on the bed, covering herself with the washed blanket. With the smell of tuberose reaching her nostrils, Yuno can finally sleep.