When is the night over? Is it the start of sunrise or the end of sunset? Is it when you finally go to sleep, or simply when you realize that you have to?
My nights have been ending the same for a few weeks now. The air conditioner's low grumble is the only noise, the moon's light shining through the window just out of the reach of my eyelids, the scent of crisp clean bed sheets that I may or may not have had to wash twice before I felt comfortable on them (of course, because I knew he never changed his sheets. Boys.), and his warm arm wrapped tightly over my hip and holding me against his body. I still haven't been able to shake the feeling that I absolutely had to stay awake, in case the morning came and separated us-- but it never did. I still haven't been able to fully absorb the fact that this is my home now, with Sora.
The first night, I had tried sleeping in a different room, for Mikoto's comfort and out of my own curiosity. That same night, I rose out of bed at two in the morning and found my way to Sora's room, where I laid down and accepted that I couldn't be comfortable anywhere else. I remember expecting it all to be a dream, and not being able to slow my heart as I closed my eyes, my body settling into the space beside Sora. I woke up pleasantly surprised.
Every night since has been easier, because while I do sit up some nights and try to convince myself there's no reason to be scared, I can always reach out and touch him or lay my head on his chest to listen to his heart beat to know that I am actually there, and I am where I belong.
My night is over when I'm beside him, wrapped in his arms and feeling his breath hit the back of my neck. My night is over when I realize nothing is going to change.
~-~-~-~-~-~-~
I woke up a little scared, there was no arm around me, and the sounds of the air conditioner did not fill my ears. As I launched from the bed, I came upon the realization that Sora had just simply gotten up and shut off the air conditioner. A glance at the clock informed me that it was 9 am, a time I'm usually up for, considering Sora usually wants breakfast by this hour.
"Everything alright in there? I heard a crash." Sora pokes his head through the door, and I look from him to the pile of blankets on the floor. "Fall out of bed, again?" He gives me a toothy grin and I finally feel my heart settle, and take a deep breath whilst reaching my arms out in a stretch.
"Sorry, just got a little nervous when I didn't feel you in bed beside me." I gather the dropped linens and toss them back on the bed. "You making breakfast, or should I come down?" Sora gets a confident smirk and crosses his arms.
"I got it all taken care of, convinced Mikoto to make french toast." I pause from making the bed in fear, and look up to Sora with wide eyes.
"You... let her go near a stove?"
"Yeah, so what?" He yawns "As long as I get out of cooking, it's fine by me." I let out a loud groan and bolt down the stairs, my world moving in slow motion as I watch my younger sister go to pout 2 cups of milk directly in a skillet.
"Mikoto! What the hell are you doing?" I hustle over and whisk the measuring cup away from her grasp.
"What does it look like? I'm making french toast." I glance into the skillet, where a piece of bread with an egg on top rests, there also seemed to be powdered sugar resting over the top. I let out a sigh and bring the skillet to the trash can, dumping out the piece of ruined bread. "Hey!" Mikoto shouts, and I pull a bowl from the top cabinet.
"You make french toast by mixing the ingredients, and soaking the bread in it." I pour the milk into the bowl and retrieve a new egg, cracking it into the bowl and adding a teaspoon of vanilla and a teaspoon of cinnamon. "You dip the bread, flip it, then place it on the skillet. The powdered sugar doesn't go on until the very end, like, when it's on someone's plate." Mikoto lets out a sigh.
