[C] Anxiety

“He’s going to be okay,” Nao assured again. 

The redhead looked around the desolate waiting area they were sitting in. Takumi’s surgery started six hours ago and the two have not been able to do anything but wait. 

“What’s taking so long?” Mai asked worriedly, fidgeting her hands and glancing over at the surgery room doors.

“Mai,” the lime-eyed girl turned her girlfriend’s attention to her. “He’s going to be okay, alright? Takumi is strong. He’ll get through it.”

“I know. I just-- what if--”

“Shhhh,” Nao lulled as she pulled Mai into her, holding her in an attempt to help her anxiety.

“Thank you,” the orange-haired woman suddenly said.

“I’m always here for you, you know that.”

“No, really,” she pulled away slowly so that she could stare into Nao’s eyes to show her sincerity. “Thank you for everything. Not just for specifically taking off and being here with me today. But also for making it possible. You are the reason Takumi was able to afford this procedure.”

“You love Takumi, and I love you. If you wanted Takumi to have this surgery, then I will do everything in my power to make it happen. My biggest failure as your girlfriend was that you felt that you could not tell me this right from the very beginning. I have always, always wanted to show you that you can depend on me. That if you have any worries or want anything, you can come to me and I will make it happen.”

“I know. It’s just... I knew that if I told you, you would want to do something. I didn’t doubt that you would help me or that you could make it happen. I just... didn’t want to burden you with everything else that you had going on in your life. You were already so busy with taking classes and working full-time. I didn’t... asking you to help seemed too much.”

Nao gave a small sigh as she took Mai’s hand into hers. “I can handle it. Whatever it is that you want or need, just tell me. I can assess what is more important to me and do what I think needs doing. I mean, in the end, we got it worked out, right?”

Mai brought their entwined hands to her lips and kissed the back of her girlfriend’s hand. “We did, but you’re overworked.” She brought her free hand up to caress Nao’s cheeks, her thumb rubbing the slightly noticeable dark circles under lime-green eyes. “When this is over, you need to get some rest.”

“When this is over, I will assess what I want, and I expect to be spoiled,” she said with a grin. 

“Of course,” Mai replied. After a moment of silence, she glanced at her watch again. “How much longer will he be in there?” 

The fidgeting started once more, so Nao returned to her task of reassuring her girlfriend that everything will be okay.