As their living together arrangements continued, Chisato continued to discover new things about Takina, and she may have just discovered her favorite one.
It seems like, Inoue Takina, 2nd lycoris and accountant extraordinaire is bad with mornings.
At first, they took turns sleeping, and with enough nudging and convincing arguments from Chisato, Takina understood that overthinking and losing sleep was not worth it so they started sleeping together.
The first few days were odd. Chisato considered herself as someone with good sleeping disposition. She was a light sleeper, well, that was her nature as someone sensitive to things before her, but she also falls asleep as soon as needed. Even though they weren’t taking turns anymore, Chisato knew that Takina still wakes up at the slightest noises. They were sleeping next to each other after. She was unmoving, and she would wake up every two or so hours.
Eventually, the fatigue and lack of sleep caught up to Takina, and that was where everything started. Chisato wasn’t sure if it was because of the change in their relationship, but Takina has started to loosen up recently, and it was adorable. Chisato always woke up a certain time in the mornings without the help of an alarm clock. Do it for ten years and you’ll get used to it. She couldn’t move her arm at all, and there was an extremely sweet scent just below her nose.
Takina had rolled over to Chisato’s side of the bed, used her arm as a pillow, and was curled like a cat next to her. Her head rested onto Chisato’s shoulder, her arms folded to her body and her legs curled.
How do you sleep like that…? Chisato stared at Takina’s position. Given that she had her own blankets wrapped around her body with just her hands, feet, and face peeking out, it must be adequately warm. However, the best part was of course, her cute sleeping face. She slept so peacefully, without a worry in the world. I hope this meant that she trusted me.
Unable to move her pillow arm, Chisato agonized over her options that does not include waking her up. If she was careful enough maybe she could put a pillow in place of her arm, but there was a hand gripping her pajamas tightly. “…Takinaaa.” Chisato groaned in a whisper and Takina stirred in her sleep.
“…Mm… Chihyato…?” Takina murmured sleepily and looked up at her with half opened eyes. Chisato watched her, mouth open and eyebrows furrowed in worry.
Did I wake her up? Oh nononono. Chisato was about to open her mouth in response but Takina closed her eyes again and dropped her forehead onto her shoulders again. Aaaaaaaaa. I have to get up, Takina-saaaan.
When Takina seemed like she didn’t have any intentions of letting her go, Chisato decided to just resign herself to getting scolded by Takina when they wake up together later. Uuuugh… Chisato tearfully closed her eyes and curled her pillowed arm to touch Takina’s head and gently stroke her hair. She started remembering those half opened eyes, the cute expresssion, and those pretty lips… Aaaaaaaa. Bad! Bad thoughts!
Without a mistake, Takina’s phone alarm rings once, and Chisato got scolded for oversleeping.
The same situation continued. As the days passed by, Chisato has deviated a few ways to escape the adorable clingy cat. Replacing her spot with a pillow, holding her hand that clings to her shirt for a while and then placing it over the same pillow. It has worked for quite some time, but that didn’t stop her from watching Takina sleep before she has to get up, which has also led to plenty of mistakes that she couldn’t help herself from.
Kissing her on the forehead, or the nose, or… the lips, for good morning… Hugging her tightly at night for comfort… Takina always slept through mostly everything, even through an ambulance passing by the nearby road. Chisato was confident enough that maybe she wouldn’t realize these things, and why Chisato was always awake earlier than her even on days she shouldn’t be.
Then, one day…
“Chisato, maybe we should buy two beds.” Takina wiped the dining table as she looked at the living room TV.
“Fweh?” Chisato turned away from the dishes that she was washing. One of the plates slipped off her hand but she swiftly caught it before it hit the floor. “Wh- Why?” …Did she figure it out after all?
“I just thought that your bed might be small for two people after all.” Takina finished cleaning the dining table and headed towards Chisato to wash the cloth in her hand and help her with drying the dishes.
“I thought it was plenty fine for at least you and me. It’s not like I was having trouble sleeping, but ah… Are you having troubles sleeping?” Chisato handed Takina a plate and continued on washing the rest.
Takina focused on the plates. “…It’s not that. I feel that I may actually be sleeping so much better now than I did before.”
Chisato’s face lit up as her eyes sparkled. “Then we don’t need separa–“
Takina turned to her. “I was worried of what would happen if we were to stop living together.”
Chisato frowned immediately. “Ehhhhh? You want to stop living together?”
Takina looked worried as Chisato poutedly washed the last plate, like a dog who wasn’t given head pats, or treats. “Ah, I did not mean it like that.” She took the plate from Chisato’s hand, quickly dried it and placed it in the dish rack. “Let’s talk about this properly.”
“Okaaaaay.” Chisato dejectedly followed Takina to the living room as they sat side by side on the couch.
“We don’t know when or where the DA would send us if they needed us.” Takina placed her hands on top of her thighs. “…So I thought that I should stop relying on you for better sleep.”
“Eh?” Chisato turned to face Takina. “What do you mean?”
Takina blushed as she tried to avoid Chisato’s gaze. “D- Don’t you know about it?”
Chisato only blinked and shook her head.
“I didn’t know myself either, so I started to ask people, or search on the net.” Takina gripped on her own skirt, then flattened it, before patting it. “…They said that you sleep better when you sleep next to someone you love because you’re happy.”
“He, heeehhh. I see.” Chisato returned a dry response.
“Do you not believe it?” Takina turned to her with a pout. “Because I…”
“No, no. I agree! It was the same for me too.”
“I- I see. Then you understand what I am meaning to say.” Takina nodded in satisfaction.
“No, I don’t. I want to continue sleeping next to you, Takina.” Chisato smiled at her. “If what you say happens, then I’ll deal with the insomnia until I can go back to sleeping by your side.”
Her passionate response surprised Takina. Although it was an answer she expected from her, the serious expression that accompanied it made her heart skip a beat.
“O- Of course, if, you know, you don’t have problems sleeping with me…” Chisato suddenly worried. “D- Do I snore? Do I kick or punch people?”
Takina blinked then laughed. “You don’t do any of those, Chisato. If any… I probably do have some.”
“Eh, ehhhh? What did I do? I’ll try to fix it.” Chisato frowned her full attention at Takina’s words.
Takina stared at her for a long time before turning away with a blush. “………” She opened her mouth to say something but it was far too inaudible for anyone to hear.
“Eh? Could you please say that again?”
“…Why do you only k- kiss me when I’m sleeping?”
“Eh? Ah. Oh… Ohhhh… Ohhahahaha… Guh.” Chisato moved her hands in different directions as her face flushed red at being caught. She knew that eventually, maybe, she knew… “I thought that–“
“I wouldn’t be interested in those things?” Takina leered at her, cheeks still red. “Haaaah. I want, to do those things with you too. Why won’t you do them when I’m awake?”
“Eh–“
“…Coward.”
“Gwaughh…” Chisato touched her chest as she feel forward as if being hit by an arrow. “I…”
“Incompetent.”
“Gwoorrghhh. Why you hurt me like this, Takina-sama…”
“You were the one who said to ‘leave it to Chisato-onee-san’ when we started dating.” Takina giggled. “To think that you would start behaving this away after all I did to give you chances.”
“Wha? Huh? Huuuuuuh?” Chisato blinked. “…Being clingy to me while we sleep was… that?”
“…Yes. I suppose, it had a good effect on me. I like sleeping with you, Chisato.” Takina gave her a bright smile. “I… appreciate what you do when you try not to wake me up. I do have consciousness most of the time.”
“Ahhhhhhhhh!” Chisato held onto her head with both hands. “I- I knew that!”
Takina blinked and leaned her head to one side. “Then… why?”
“…I thought that if I started I wouldn’t………” Chisato started whispering the end of her sentence as she turned away with a blush.
“You wouldn’t…?”
“I wouldn’t stop!!! Ah! Geez! You’re cute! You are so cute, you’re bad for my heart!” Chisato moved forward as she grabbed Takina’s shoulders. “…I love you so much, I want to do many things…”
Takina blushed as she stared at Chisato, whose face followed suit into turning red.
“Wh- Why are you blushing too!?”
“D- Did I not say it already!? I want to do those things with you too!” Takina glared at her.
“Eh- Ah… Right.” Chisato blinked so fast and suddenly pulled Takina into hug.
“Chisato?” Takina wrapped her arms around Chisato’s body.
“…Can I kiss you?”
“Y- Yes…”
They both parted from the hug and faced each other on the couch.
Chisato looked into Takina’s deep purple eyes. She swallowed first as she slowly moved closer, and closer. Stopping every few spaces, as if unsure if it was really okay. When Takina closed her eyes as Chisato was nearer, she went in for the kiss as their lips touched fully.
It wasn’t like one of those short kisses Chisato gave Takina when she was sleeping. Their lips stayed still, connected and unmoving for a while. Chisato parted slightly soon after and Takina opened her eyes for a moment, only to see those amber eyes glint under the lights, and suddenly warm lips were touching her own lips in a bitey kiss.
Chisato angled her head to kiss her, sucking, biting those lips right in front of her. Takina tried her best to receive the rain of kisses as her grip onto Chisato’s shirt tightened on each kiss. When she noticed that Chisato didn’t have an intention to stop kissing, Takina touched Chisato’s face with her hand, with her other on her shoulder as she gently pushed her away.
Takina panted as she touched Chisato’s cheek. It baffled her how Chisato wasn’t even catching her breathe, and she only stared at her passionately with those bright red eyes hungry for more.
“…Let’s stop for today.” Takina panted as she rested her forehead onto Chisato’s jaw.
“Eh? Ah. O- Okay.” The gesture seemed to have woken Chisato up from her reverie, finally noticing how she had pushed Takina down on the couch. “S- So–“
Takina looked up at her and covered Chisato’s mouth with a finger. “You don’t need to apologize.”
“Erghmmm… Okay.” Takina found the dejected puppy expression cute, but that wasn’t what she wanted to put on her face today.
“…Next time, wake me up.” Takina smiled at her.
“…I can kiss you mornings too?”
“Yes.”
“Any time?”
“…In the right time and place.”
“…Now?”
“Um… I think I’d like to take a bath.”
“Can we go together?”
“No.”
“Eeeehhhhhhh????? Takinaaaa.”
“No.”
“Guuuuuhhhh.”
Takina laughed.
“Wh- Why are you laughing!?”
“Nothing.”
“Whaaaaat? Tell me~”
“Haha. Pfft. It’s nothing.”
She always knew that Chisato took serious things seriously, and what she found adorable was her way of always asking for consent in everything. Takina loved Chisato’s way of showing her love.
“Ahhhh~ Tell me~”
“It was nothing. Ahaha~”
“Takinaaaaaa~~~”
And she swore that she’ll do her best to return it back to her.
“It’s nothing, Chisato.”
“It’s never nothing when you find something funny!”
“I’m laughing because I’m happy, you know?”
“Eh? Hmm?? Hmmmmm??”
(END/ Bad With Mornings (?))
