Tradition's End (A Touhou Project Fanfiction)

The Second Heart to Heart

...What am I doing?

Alice thought to herself as she stared down at Eric's limp right hand. Or rather, it was the top of her own hand that she saw.

A gesture of sympathy. A gesture of goodwill. A gesture of fondness.

How exactly had she meant it?

'How wonderful. Not everyone is so fortunate.' Remilia's voice rang in her ears.

Alice became acutely aware of a faint blush creeping onto her face. If Marisa could see her now... she'd certainly tease her endlessly.

She could scarcely believe it herself... that she was willing to do something so intimate.

...

But, while he was unconscious like this, it all felt just a little less personal. Like she could distance herself, if only a bit, from what she was really doing.

...Had she ever actually touched him before? Shanghai had, a few times, but... had Alice herself?

An accidental shoulder bump as they walked? A simple brush of the fingers while handing something to the other? Anything?

Sure, he had touched her arm when he tried to heal it after her duel with Marisa, but that had strictly been so that he could channel the magic directly into the damaged limb.

And... the touch had been so light and delicate that his fingers may very well have been hovering a hair's breadth away from her skin.

However, this... some part of her told her that this was different. A touch with the intention to feel.

That she had initiated.

...

Alice wasn't even all that fond of touch in the first place. At least, she didn't think so.

She remembered craving it more when she was younger, back when she still had... people around. People who would give her hugs and brush her hair.

Those days... Admittedly, she missed them.

Lately, the only things that had come into contact with her that weren't her own constructs were things trying to hurt her. Usually during battles, but not always.

Or it was Marisa, throwing an arm around her shoulders or ruffling her hair (even though Alice was the older one!) with that obnoxiously Marisa-like attitude.

That... Well, it wasn't that bad, she supposed.

But now, as her hand rested atop his, she couldn't help but fixate on the sensation.

Despite its thinness, the back of his hand was quite soft. It... was probably just a little cooler than it should have been, but it was still warm.

It was alive, and right now, that was enough.

...

Alice really did hope that he would wake up soon.

There was... a certain powerlessness to the 'wait and see' approach.

Certainly, she was no doctor... Was there nothing else she could do but sit here?

It was then that a thought found its way, unbidden, into her mind.

What would Mother do?

It was a question that Alice occasionally considered when presented with uncertainty. Her mother was... better at these sorts of things. She had much more experience, considering she was 'Mother' to an entire realm.