Roommate Wanted. No Betrayers.

Chapter 19

Fauna stirred awake, finding herself looking over at a sleeping Mumei, her long hair, normally worn in a high ponytail, now falling all about her face. It was a side of her Fauna had never seen before and a sight that couldn't help but endear her to any observer. Not that she needed more help with that, in the short time she had spent with her new roommate turned partner she had quite repeatedly failed to not be charmed by her constantly. She was astoundingly pretty and unrelentingly earnest.

No wonder Kronii had fallen for her so hard and so fast.

No wonder Fauna felt herself doing the same.

With a tentative hand she reached out and brushed a lock of Mumei's hair behind her ear.

"Mpfh, thank you." Mumei said sleepily, not opening her eyes or stirring at all.

"Good morning." Fauna smiled, "How are you?"

"I regret letting myself be dragged into that drinking game last night..." Mumei mumbled. "I opened my eyes before and felt the whole planet spinning around me."

Fauna chuckled. "Looks like Kronii left us some water and painkillers if you want me to grab you some."

"Yes please." Mumei pulled herself more upright, but kept her eyes tightly shut.

"Not one who can hold your alcohol then?" Fauna asked, stepping out of bed into the mess of the three resident's clothes at its side and pouring a glass of water.

"Not whatever your friends brought evidently." Mumei groaned. "I swear, that Ollie girl must have the strongest liver."

"They're all made of sterner stuff than you'd think." Fauna agreed, bumping the glass into Mumei's waiting hand so she could grab it and placing two white tablets in the other.

"You seem fine though." Mumei said, before sticking the tablets in her mouth and chugging the water.

"I learned to drink a lot of water during a night of partying." Fauna laughed. "I would have gotten you both to drink some the night before if... Well... You know. If we hadn't been preoccupied. "

She felt her face flush a little at just the indirect reference and was glad Mumei still had her eyes tightly shut.

"Oh!" Mumei said brightly. "You mean how you fell asleep as soon as we were done fu-"

Fauna placed a hand over her mouth. "Hey! Not so loud, we still have guests in the house."

"That wasn't a concern for you last night." Mumei mumbled, opening one eye to affect a wink.

Fauna felt her cheeks get hot. "I- I should go check on our guests." She stammered, pulling on a hoodie and shorts.

Mumei laughed. "I'll be in here dying if you need me."

"I'll bear that in mind." Fauna chuckled and stepped out of her room.

Right away she could hear the sound of talking downstairs and walked over to the staircase, seeing the six guests, each dressed in a change of clothes as well as Kronii and, weirdly, Bae sitting in the sitting area.

"Fauna!!!" Ollie cheered, interrupting whatever was being said and waving frantically, as though there was some worry Fauna wouldn't see her across the living room.

"Good morning everyone." Fauna called out as she descended the stairs, "You're all up bright and early."

"Well, it's a long trip back." Reine responded. "Plus Kronii was kind enough to go grab us all coffee from Bae's shop, so that's helped."

"Did she now?" Fauna said, looking over at her girlfriend, who was sitting on the arm of one of the sofas, her hair pushed back with a plain black headband. Her heart beating noticeably in her chest as she spied a love bite she'd given Kronii half-covered by a scarf she wore around her neck.