Title: Disturbance
Fandom: Magic Knight Rayearth
Rating: General?
Length: 300 words?
Content notes: None
Author notes: Spies!AU, Umi/Clef & Emeraude.
Summary: "We're just about to have company who forgot their keys. Again."


oOo

Umi had just about crashed into unconciousness when there was a noise at the door to the apartment. A small, furtive noise - the kind of quiet sound that had her instantly coming awake, head snapping up.

"Did you hear that?" she hissed, starting to sidle off the bed and towards the closest weapons.

Usually, Clef was the one who was more paranoid about things. But right now, he just sighed, glancing up from the laptop propped on his knees. "Yes. It's fine, we're just about to have company who forgot their keys. Again."

"We're-" Umi blinked, then muttered something rude, dropping her head into the pillows. On the bed in the one-k apartment that didn't belong to her. "Is it my boss, or her brother?"

"Em." Clef shook his head, lips twitching. "She's out of practise with locks, Ferio's much quieter, and also actually polite enough to knock."

"I'm not getting up. I'm off duty, even if you're still working."

"You're fine. She would have rung if it was urgent - on the other phone." Clef sighed, looking back at the laptop. "Though we're probably going to be talking over these stats for a while. It might not be the most restful night, sleeping here."

Umi didn't know quite how to say that she slept better, felt safer, when she could hear him talking to someone she also knew and trusted rather than being alone in her own space. It felt a bit too big to confess given how exhausted she was, how soon they were going to have company.

But then, it was something she knew Clef understood - and Emeraude, for that matter. She'd seen both of them seek the other out to feel safe enough to get some real sleep, after years of friendship and working together.

She shrugged, awkwardly. "I'm used to it after missions with the two of you. And maybe you'll make it up to me tomorrow, anyway."

Clef shot her a look that was more amused than anything else. "I'm retired from field duty," he insisted, the refrain just as inaccurate as it was common. Then the front door opened, quietly, and he raised his voice. "The alarm's not on yet, Em, so you don't have to go clattering about with that."

"I thought Umi might be sleeping here, I didn't want to wake her," Emeraude said, and then looked over and blinked at Umi. "Ah."

"Your lock-picking is loud enough it did that well enough on its own," Clef said. "Come on, then, did you bring a laptop or are we just looking at the data I already have?" He shifted across the room to the small desk by the other wall.

Emeraude locked the door again, set the alarm, and shot Umi an apologetic look - but headed across to join Clef, pulling a small laptop out of her bag. "I have a little more," she said. "What do you make of it so far?"

Umi pulled the covers up around herself, and let the low murmur of voices wash over her as she drifted off again.