This Thing A Quiet Madness Made

Chapter 50

       The prodding sun leaked quietly through the gap between the curtains. With a drowsy groan, Naoko pressed her cheek further into the comfort of her pillow as a stray beam wandered much too close to her eye. She shifted, wiggling a bit in an attempt to get away from the intrusive light.

"Stop fucking moving," a grumble came from behind her, faintly muffled, as she felt the bed shift.

Summoning the energy to lift her head a bit, she half-glanced over her shoulder, and after just a moment, plunked back down, a short breath leaving her lips.

"I'm such a stereotype..." she sighed quietly.

"What was that?"

"Nothing."

"Didn't sound like nothing."

"That's not my problem."

"Oh yea?"

She felt tiny kisses trailing across her back, the arms around her waist tightening. "Mhm."

The unfamiliar room lit warmly under the morning sun- or maybe it was afternoon now; she couldn't much tell either way. The pleasant tingle of the cotton sheets against her skin was undeniable, and the warmth pressed against her back even more so.

"'Suki?"

"Hm?"

"Just checking if you were still awake. Thought you fell asleep for a second."

"Got something to say?"

"Not really." Her index finger trailed slow patterns over his forearm, and his warm breath fanned across her back.

"When do you leave?" he asked, palm laid idly against her hip.

"Early tomorrow."

That weighty melancholy from last night tugged at her chest once more.

She didn't like this quiet.

She turned around and shifted to lay eye-level with him. "We should talk about this."

Lovely red eyes opened to gaze back at her. "So talk."

"Is it over after I leave?"

"Do you want it to be?"

"No. Do you?"

"Then it won't be."

"But how's that going to work?"

"We'll find a way." His vague reassurance didn't seem to be enough for her, however, and upon noticing her lips downturn ever so slightly, Bakugo tsked, tucking an unruly strand of hair behind her ear. "We both have vacation days, there's holidays and whatever, and it's not like phones don't exist."

"Yea, but..." she started without any words to follow, eyes cast to the side.

"I know, I know. You'll miss me."

Her gaze snapped back up at his mocking tone, and in a second, she knew she had fallen right into his trap of making her feel better. "I never said that!"

"Sure you didn't."

"Hey! Don't make fun of me!"

"Why shouldn't I?"

"Well you said you love me last night!"

"I did not!"

"You did!"