Twicelight

Chapter - 14

Third person's pov:

The muted light of yet another cloudy day eventually woke Sana up. She lay with her arm across her eyes, groggy and dazed. Something, a dream trying to be remembered, struggled to break into her consciousness. She moaned and rolled on her side, hoping more sleep would come. And then the previous day flooded back into her awareness.

"Oh!" Sana sat up so fast it made her head spin.

"Your hair looks like a haystack... but I like it." Tzuyu's unruffled voice came from the rocking chair in the corner.

"Tzuyu-yah! You stayed!" Sana rejoiced, and thoughtlessly threw herself across the room and into his lap. In the instant that her thoughts caught up with her actions, she froze, shocked by her own uncontrolled enthusiasm. She stared up at him, afraid that she had crossed the wrong line.

But he laughed.

"Of course," Tzuyu answered, startled, but seeming pleased by her reaction. His hands rubbed her back.

Sana laid her head cautiously against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his skin.

"I was sure it was a dream."

"You're not that creative," Tzuyu scoffed.

"Appa!" Sana remembered, thoughtlessly jumping up again and heading to the door.

"He left an hour ago - after reattaching your battery cables, I might add. I have to admit I was disappointed. Is that really all it would take to stop you, if you were determined to go?"

Sana deliberated where she stood, wanting to return to him badly, but afraid she might have morning breath.

"You're not usually this confused in the morning," Tzuyu noted. He held his arms open for her to return. A nearly irresistible invitation.

"I need another human minute," Sana admitted.

"I'll wait."

Sana skipped to the bathroom, her emotions unrecognizable. She didn't know herself, inside or out. The face in the mirror was practically a stranger - eyes too bright, hectic spots of red across her cheekbones. After she brushed her teeth, she worked to straighten out the tangled chaos that was her hair. She splashed her face with cold water, and tried to breathe normally, with no noticeable success. She half-ran back to her room. It seemed like a miracle that he was there, his arms still waiting for her. He reached out to her, and her heart thumped unsteadily.

"Welcome back," Tzuyu murmured, taking her into his arms. He rocked her for a while in silence, until she noticed that his clothes were changed, his hair smooth.

"You left?" Sana accused, touching the collar of his fresh shirt.

"I could hardly leave in the clothes I came in - what would the neighbors think?"

Sana pouted.

"You were very deeply asleep; I didn't miss anything." His eyes gleamed.

"The talking came earlier."
Sana groaned. "What did you hear?"

Tzuyu's brown eyes grew very soft. "You said you loved me."

"You knew that already," Sana reminded him, ducking her head.

"It was nice to hear, just the same."

She hid her face against his shoulder.

"I love you," Sana whispered.

"You are my life now," Tzuyu answered simply.

There was nothing more to say for the moment. Tzuyu rocked them back and forth as he room grew lighter.