—
Morning
The first thing I felt that morning wasn't sunlight, or the chirping of birds outside.
It was a finger.
Poke. Poke. Poke.
"…nnn…" I groaned and rolled over, pulling the blanket over my head.
"Like, wow. That's seriously all you've got?" a voice chirped right by my ear. "For real, you're so bad at mornings, Deeno-kun."
Of course it was her. Who else would it be?
Slowly, very slowly, I peeled the blanket away from my face, squinting against the light. And there she was—Nonoa. Sitting cross-legged beside me on the bed, hair all messy from sleep, oversized T-shirt slipping off one shoulder, and a mischievous grin plastered on her face.
"…Why are you awake this early?" I croaked, voice still half-dead.
She poked my cheek again. "Like, duh, because someone's gotta bully you awake. You'd prob sleep until next week if I didn't."
"…That's fine. I accept that future."
"Yeah, nope. Denied." She leaned closer, smile growing wider. "C'mon, wake up already. You've got a cute girlfriend in your bed, and you're seriously choosing sleep? Like, what's wrong with you?"
"…You're loud," I muttered, trying to bury myself deeper into the pillow.
"Loud? Excuse me, this is called motivational energy. For real, you should be thanking me."
"Motivational energy doesn't usually involve stabbing someone's cheek with a finger."
"Like, oh my gosh, don't be so dramatic." She giggled, then suddenly flopped sideways, lying down next to me. Her hair brushed against my face, carrying the faint scent of shampoo. "See? This is nice too. Better?"
"…Better," I admitted, closing my eyes again. "Much better."
"…Wait, no way. You're actually going back to sleep?!"
"Mmhm."
She sat up instantly, smacking the pillow right beside my head. "Like, nuh-uh! I didn't stay over just to watch you hibernate!"
"…I appreciate your sacrifice."
"Not funny!" she puffed her cheeks, glaring at me. "Do you even realize how rare this is? My parents actually let me crash here, and you're wasting it!"
I cracked one eye open at her. "…You were snoring last night."
Her face turned red immediately. "I—like, I did NOT!"
"You did. Small snores. Very soft. Kind of cute."
She grabbed the pillow and whacked me in the stomach with it. "Like, shut up! Why would you even say that?!"
"Ow. Evidence doesn't lie."
"You're sooo dead." She raised the pillow again like a weapon, eyes sparkling with mischief.
"…If you hit me again, I'll just fall asleep mid-battle. You'll be fighting yourself."
She blinked, then grinned. "Like, bet."
And just like that, a full-on pillow war broke out in my room. Feathers weren't flying or anything—thank god—but every time I tried to cover myself with the blanket, she yanked it away. Every time I rolled away, she rolled with me, blocking any escape route.
Finally, after what felt like ten minutes of relentless assault, I surrendered, hands raised. "…Alright, alright. You win. I'm awake."
She plopped down on the bed, triumphant smile lighting up her face. "Like, obviously. Nobody beats me at pillow combat."
"…That's a very specific skill."
"Uh, hello? It's important! You never know when you'll need it."
"Yeah. Super vital. Society would collapse without your talent."
"You're totally mocking me right now."
I coughed. "…Only a little."
Her glare softened, and then she laughed—bright and unrestrained. She leaned back against the headboard, hair spilling around her shoulders. "For real though… I like mornings like this. It's fun."
"…Even if I act like a zombie?"
"Like, especially then. You're so easy to tease when you're half-dead. It's, like, free entertainment."
"…That's cruel."
"Cruel? Pfft. Nah, it's called being a good girlfriend. Gotta keep you on your toes, y'know?"
I groaned, but couldn't help the small smile tugging at my lips. "…Yeah, yeah."
For a while, we just sat there. The sunlight crept in through the curtains, painting the room gold. She hummed some random tune, kicking her feet lightly against the mattress. And for once, I didn't mind being awake.
Of course, she noticed.
"See? I told you mornings are better with me around."
"…I never argued that."
"You totally did! Your whole, like, 'I'm a bear, let me hibernate' thing? That was basically an argument."
"…Fair point."
She grinned and leaned closer again, eyes sparkling with victory. "So admit it. You like having me here."
"…I like having you here."
"Louder."
"…I like having you here."
"Like, way louder."
I sighed, resigned. "…I like having you here."
Her laughter filled the room again, warm and light. "See? That wasn't so hard."
I rolled my eyes but didn't argue this time. Because honestly, she was right.