Divine Madness [Free!] [2]

🌸 Chapter 10 🌸

The first thing that Heisuke got aware of when she woke up the following morning were the limbs wrapped around her. She yawned slightly, reaching to rub her eyes as she glanced around. Haruka was still asleep, his arm draped over her and cocooning her to his chest and his legs tangled up with hers. Her head wasn't on the pillow now – instead she had been sleeping on Haruka's other arm.

Heisuke moved her head up to gaze at Haruka's face and almost chuckled out loud when she saw how innocent he looked whilst he slept. In fact, it reminded her of his younger self, and it amused her how he still slept with his lips slightly parted. But at least he didn't stick his thumb up there now.

It seemed to be early in the morning, and Heisuke could see the light, spring sunlight streaming in through the glass doors overlooking the veranda and garden. She realised they hadn't closed the shoji that led to the engawa. She could see Makkou sleeping in his doghouse in the garden.

When she looked back at Haruka, Heisuke noted that he was stirring awake and she smiled slightly when Haruka's blue eyes fluttered open and focused onto her face when he found her awake, too.

"Good morning, Haru-Kun," Heisuke said quietly, unable to stop smiling at him at all. "How are you feeling now? You don't feel sick, do you?"

But Haruka remained silent as he stared back at her. Heisuke blinked at him in wonder.

And then, suddenly, Haruka curled the arm under her to push her closer to himself and wrapped his other arm around her shoulders, setting his chin over her head. Heisuke lowered her breathing to not tickle his neck and blushed as he locked a leg around her waist. For a moment, it was quiet.

"Good morning," Haruka muttered. "Hei-Chan..." Heisuke smiled to herself and wrapped her arm around his waist lightly. "I feel fine... when did you get up?"

"Just now," Heisuke replied lightly. "A few minutes before you did... I slept on your arm, Haru-Kun... it doesn't hurt, does it?" She felt Haruka shake his head no.

"No," Haruka mumbled. "Do you want to get up, Hei-Chan?" Heisuke shook her head no quietly. "Stay here then, like this..." She bit her lower lip and nodded.

"Yes..." Heisuke breathed and felt Haruka nuzzle his head against her hair, and she wondered what he was feeling. She was pretty sure that he was still sick – he didn't usually seek such affection.

But Heisuke didn't mind it at all. She liked being next to Haruka, and she felt like they had passed another boundry beneath them. Of course, there were barely any left between them as they had been friends for such a long time, and Heisuke felt like she was closer to Haruka than to Makoto.

Maybe it was due to the fact that Haruka had been the first one to extend his hand of friendship and comfort her, even though it looked awkward back then, but it meant a lot to Heisuke at that age.

Not to mention, Haruka had a way with her. He was always really nice to her and seemingly understood her better than anyone else she knew. At times, he understood her better than herself.

Above all – Haruka was the one person who treated her like a human being and not some doll.

All her life, Heisuke had seen people be fascinated by her appearance – spellbound – and excessive comment on it as well as always refer to her by it. She did like her pink hair and turquoise eyes, but she didn't like it when it became her defining feature. She wanted to be known as an actual person.

It was something that Heisuke still didn't understand, but she hoped that it would improve as time went on so people would stop treating her like some sort of porcelain doll that must be obtained.