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It’s 6 AM, and Mumei lies awake in an unfamiliar bed, the pillows just a little too flat and the sheets a little too crisp for her liking. She wasn’t used to having hours of uninterrupted sleep without Animal there to disturb her, but her body had woken her up at an ungodly hour anyway.
Mumei sighs and turns to her side, her eyes settling on Kronii’s sleeping form in the bed across from her. Yesterday was like a dream. Council had just celebrated their 6 month anniversary and the best gift she could have received was being able to meet half of them in person. To say she was emotional upon their first meeting was an understatement – she practically body checked both Kronii and Fauna in a running embrace at the hotel lobby, tears streaming down her face and snot practically dripping out of her nose. It was a little embarrassing looking back at it now. But now she was here, in the flesh, sharing the same room as her genmates who spent the past half year with her.
Kronii was exhausted after the off collab last night and promptly passed out on the nearest bed. Fauna giggled at that, and kindly offered the other bed to Mumei. She vehemently refused, but Fauna simply pulled out the pull-out bed from the couch and slept, earning a huff from Mumei that she had lost the argument so easily. And now she was here, lying awake at 6 in the morning as her eyes adjusted to the darkness to see Kronii sleeping soundly.
Mumei had always thought Kronii was beautiful – her sharp features and piercing sapphire eyes enough to cause anyone to stare – but now, with her face softened by sleep, Mumei found another side of her to love. Kronii is curled on her side – the other half of the bed practically untouched – her bangs messily fanned over her face and her calm breathing causing her body to rise and fall slowly. There was a magnetism that drew Mumei closer. She had finally hugged Kronii with a tear-stained face, sat next to her with their shoulders brushing, and she just wanted more.
Mumei carefully slides off her bed and tiptoes over, making sure her steps are light as a feather so as not to disturb the peaceful silence. She stands over Kronii, and reaches out hesitantly. Her fingers delicately brush Kronii’s bangs out of her face and tuck them to the side, eyes softening as Kronii lightly stirs. Mumei’s fingertips trace along Kronii’s forehead, down her jawline to her chin. She’s barely touching her, but the quiet intimacy makes her fingertips burn. Kronii murmurs in her sleep and turns her head towards Mumei’s fingertips, subconsciously chasing after her touch.
Kronii’s brow furrows and her eyes slowly flutter open. Mumei thinks that Kronii’s eyes are just as piercing now – half-lidded in the dark moments before sunrise – as they are when she finds Kronii staring at her from time to time. In her hazy state, Kronii recognizes the blur in front of her to be Mumei and a lazy smile forms as she turns her face deeper into Mumei’s touch.
“Good morning.”
Kronii’s voice is deep and husky, an unmistakable fondness lacing her words that only Mumei would hear. It’s still Kronii, but there’s something more pleasing about hearing her voice unfiltered by a microphone and headphones – and something more intimate about hearing the first words spoken for the day being directed at her.
“Good morning, Kronii.”
Mumei sits on the edge of the bed beside Kronii as she caresses her cheek with her thumb. Kronii gently takes Mumei’s hand and plays with her fingertips, almost as if she were memorizing every detail before they would once again part ways.
“You’re not tired? It’s-“
Kronii slowly rolls over to look at the hotel alarm clock.
“6 AM. Ugh, I should not be awake.”
Mumei lets out an airy giggle, the one that was reserved for Kronii. Kronii smiles at that.
“Then go back to sleep. I didn’t mean to wake you, I just couldn’t go back to sleep myself.”
Kronii holds Mumei’s gaze for a beat, sapphire eyes staring into warm chocolate ones. She pats the side of the bed next to her, gesturing for Mumei to join her. Her voice is small and shy when she asks, another side of Kronii that Mumei has come to witness and love.
“Sleep with me?”
She says it innocently. Mumei doesn’t expect anything else from her, but her face still heats up and she wonders if Kronii can hear her heart practically jumping out of her chest.
Mumei nods and silently climbs into bed next to Kronii, curled next to her but not touching. Kronii hesitates, then brings her arm around Mumei and pulls her closer, Mumei’s face fitting into the crook of Kronii’s neck almost too perfectly.
“…Is this ok?”
Mumei nods, Kronii’s bangs tickling her skin. She feels Kronii’s heartbeat against her, racing just as quickly as her own, but she finds comfort in that. She places her arm around Kronii’s waist and snuggles a little closer, savoring this moment for as long as it would last. She hears Kronii’s breathing begin to even out and she tilts her head up to find Kronii sleeping soundly once more.
Mumei smiles and whispers, “I’m so glad I met you. Happy 6 months, I love you.”
She closes her eyes and places her head against Kronii’s chest, letting her heartbeat bring her back to sleep. The room around her begins to fade, but she swears she hears a soft whisper from Kronii before her consciousness slips away.
“I love you too.”