A/N: Absolute shout out to Prags for planting this idea in my head, and also for listening to me rant about it incessantly, and giving me some AMAZING ideas of her own. She's on here (/DMGThings - idk how to tag pls); make sure to go read her work because her Mishbir+Abhimaan fic is actually the loml (and for people who love DMG, she's got SOO much good stuff there, too!)
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When Abhira blinked her eyes open, it was still dark outside—so it made no sense that Armaan's alarm was blaring horrifically. She smushed her face back into his chest, his skin warm against her cheek, mumbling something incoherent about switching the damn thing off.
Blessedly, he did.
And that would have been just fine if he didn't gently pull himself away from her, lifting the blanket to step out and letting all the cool air in. Torn from her favourite pillow and now colder than she'd like, Abhira resigned herself to the idea of not going back to sleep. Blearily reaching over to the nightstand, she grabbed her phone, squinting at it to read the time.
5:35 AM.
What the hell?
Confused, she tumbled out of bed and into the bathroom, where Armaan stood before the sink, brushing his teeth. Walking up behind him, she rested her head between his shoulder blades, arm wrapped around his torso, as she began to doze slightly again. Other than the minuscule flinch when her cold hands pressed against his bare stomach, he made no indication of surprise, continuing his morning routine as though he had expected her to show up like this.
Which, when given their usual mornings, was about par for the course.
Still, she made a soft sound of protest when he eventually tried to remove himself from her grip, settling back down only when he huffed and gave in, standing still while she caught a few more winks of 'sleep'.
Finally, she mumbled, "Khadoosmaan. Why are you up this early? Even the Sun is asleep."
He spun around, drawing her closer to rest his cheek on her head.
"It's the first day of school, my silly girl," he said, excitement clear even though he was whispering.
To Abhira, though, things still didn't make any sense.
"Armaan. Jaan. Did you hit your head last night or something? I've been in school for almost two whole semesters now."
"Not everything is about you," he said, and almost immediately disproved his point by kissing the tip of her nose, slowly starting to unwind the braid she'd tied her hair into before sleeping. "It's my first day at school. You'll see me every day for a week, Mrs Armaan Poddar. How does it feel being married to a 'distinguished' member of the visiting faculty?"
"Mm-hmm. Mr Abhira Sharma, I'd find you a lot more distinguished if you didn't still have toothpaste on your chin," she said, rubbing at the aforementioned spot slightly with her thumb, cleaning it off, smiling to herself at the soft, familiar sting of his stubble against the pad of her thumb.
They stayed that way for a minute, swaying slightly, both still caught in the last few tendrils of sleep. Just as Abhira was about to close the distance between the two, though, Armaan snapped back.
Baffled more than she was offended, Abhira looked at her husband like he'd grown a second head. When had Armaan not been one to pounce upon whatever little moments of intimacy he could? Especially ones where they were basking in that syrupy in-between haze of being awake but still not quite so.
