Kiana jolted awake, breathing heavily, sweat dripping down her temple. She swallowed hard, chest rising and falling as she panted.
"W-what was that…? Khh—!"
Pain shot through her skull like a lightning strike. She clutched her head, vivid flashes of memory pouring into her mind.
Moments later, she exhaled sharply, sitting up on the soaked bed. Her hair stuck to her neck, her clothes damp.
"Muuu… what did I even dream about to sweat this much? Mei-senpai's gonna scold me when she sees this…" she grumbled, yanking the sheets off the mattress with a pout.
Then her face lit up with a mischievous smile.
"Ah! I know! I'll just make Oberon wash it! Good thinking, me!"
Pleased with her own brilliance, Kiana bolted out of her room, head peeking around every corner like a cat. The living room was empty.
"Hmm?"
She checked the kitchen, the bathroom, even the balcony — still no Oberon.
"Where'd he go?" she muttered, rubbing her chin. Shrugging, she tossed the sheets onto the couch, turned on the TV, and flipped through a few channels before shutting it off again with a groan.
"Ah! Oberon's room!"
She dashed down the hallway and —
BAM!
The door slammed open so hard it nearly tore off its hinges, hanging at an awkward angle.
Oberon, peacefully asleep, leapt out of bed in shock, hitting the floor with a thud.
"Who?!" he barked, whipping his head toward the doorway.
"Oberon, wakey-wakey! It's time to wash my bed sheets!" Kiana cheered, launching herself onto his bed and snuggling into the covers.
Oberon rubbed his face, his patience already fraying. He stood, walked to the broken door, and looked at Kiana with a dark expression.
"Kiana. You broke my door."
Kiana just blinked at him innocently.
"What about it? You can just fix it in no time. Don't be grumpy Oberon — be nice Oberon!"
She flashed him a thumbs-up and buried her face into his pillow.
"It's not about fixing it!" Oberon snapped, veins popping on his forehead. "It's about knocking instead of using that barbaric strength of yours to break into my room!"
"Oh, come on," Kiana said, pouting. "Knocking and opening your door is literally the same! In my defense, it's your fault for locking it!"
"I didn't lock my room," Oberon said flatly, dragging a hand down his face.
Kiana stared at him for a few seconds before sticking out her tongue.
"Teehee~."
His scowl darkened. He pinched the bridge of his nose before sighing.
"…What do you even want, Kiana?"
She held up the bedsheets with a pleading look.
"Oberon, can you wash these? Mei-senpai's gonna kill me if she sees the mess…"
Oberon's gaze trailed to the sheets — specifically, to the dark patch that caught his attention. His expression shifted into something wicked.
"…Did you wet yourself?"
Kiana's entire face turned crimson. She gripped the sheets like her life depended on it and yelled,
"I-I-I DIDN'T WET MYSELF! It's just sweat! I was having a nightmare, okay?! You can't blame me for that!"
Oberon smirked, clearly entertained, as he took the sheets from her hands and headed out.
"Yes, yes, of course. Definitely not bed-wetting. We all believe you."
Kiana's blush deepened to an alarming shade of red. She grabbed a pillow and hurled it at him.
"Quit teasing me, Oberon!"
His laugh echoed as he disappeared down the hallway.
Kiana hugged the pillow to her chest. Oberon's scent filled her nose, and before she realized it, she squeezed it tighter. Her hands wandered slightly before she caught herself, her face burning even hotter.
She punched the pillow once for good measure and stormed out of the room.
---
[Thirty Minutes Later]
The two of them sat at the breakfast table. Or rather — Oberon ate quietly while Kiana devoured her food like she hadn't eaten in days.
"Where's Mei-senpai and Bronya?" Kiana asked through a mouthful of pancake.
"They went shopping," Oberon said calmly, slicing another piece of pancake with practiced elegance. "We were out of food, so Mei took Bronya with her."
He offered the slice to Kiana, who accepted it happily and kept eating.
"Need more pancakes?" he asked, pouring syrup on her plate.
"Yes, please!" Kiana beamed. Syrup dripped from the corner of her mouth, which Oberon wiped with a napkin before sighing.
"Eat slowly. The food isn't going to run away."
Kiana nodded vigorously, cheeks stuffed like a hamster.
"How much can you even fit in that abyss of a stomach?" Oberon muttered, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his lips.
---
When Mei and Bronya returned, Kiana rushed to grab their groceries with ease, greeting them with her usual cheer. Mei and Oberon organized the fridge while Kiana and Bronya dove straight into video games.
When everything was finally put away, they all changed into their school uniforms and headed for St. Freya Academy.
The day passed as usual — Kiana, Oberon, and Mei studied together while Bronya gamed on her console — until a familiar figure appeared.
A girl with long gray hair and red-trimmed glasses approached, her wuxia-style military coat fluttering slightly.
"Good morning, Kiana, Mei, Oberon," Fu Hua greeted coolly.
Mei and Oberon opened their mouths to reply, but Kiana beat them to it.
"The wild Fu Hua has appeared!"
Fu Hua blinked, a metaphorical question mark hovering above her head.
"…It's nice to see you as energetic as ever, Kiana," she said after clearing her throat, massaging her temple with one hand.
"Hehehe! Good morning, Fu Hua!"
"Good morning," Mei and Oberon chimed in as well.
Fu Hua glanced at Oberon.
"Do you mind if I join your study session?"
Oberon gestured for her to sit.
"You don't need my permission to join, Fu Hua. Go ahead."
He shifted slightly to give her space next to Kiana.
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
A/n: my bad, I just don't have a will to write since I'm having a depression (I lost my 18k gems on Honkai Impact; Fate-Defying dragon lord Coralie and only 30 pity remains which I tweak more than I count lmao....) anyway, here is slow-pacing chapter since I still needed to play Honkai Impact plot again for accurate plot, peace 🌌🌌.
Also, please point out my mistake so I can edit it, thank you~~ I still needed to get experimented by my wife, Tachyon 🥀