[NON-CANON] Copper and Crimson - Live Asleep

-THE FOLLOWING IS NON-CANON...OR IS IT?-

“Hey, come on…It’s almost three, you’re not seriously gonna warm the bed all day, are ya…?” Yes, yes she was. Wendy had every intention of sleeping basically forever, as she did just about any time she lay down with the intention to sleep for more than a couple of hours. Or just long enough to kill somebody.

She didn’t say any of that, of course. She ignored the fingers tugging on her cheek, ignored the broken eggshells and alarm clocks trailing idly after her. She was taking the day off, dammit. Well, technically they were taking it off together, but that meant relaxing, and relaxing meant sleeping.

“I’ll dump you right out of these blankets.” A lightly manicured nail poked at her cheek some more, and she mumbled out a protest, or what would pass for a protest if ‘impossible’ was at all a sensible argument. But it seemed to solve the problem all the same.

For about a minute. Then, she found herself on the floor, facedown and blanketless.

“Motherfucker,” she hissed. “I landed right on my tits. Goddammit, fuck shit fuck what the fuck.” The American pushed herself onto her knees and scowled at the green-haired girl, who had already begun busying herself with making the bed.

“Well, you said ya wanted to spend the day together…” Midori mumbled, avoiding her gaze. “I tried to get y’up a while ago, but the, um, the bed started starin’ at me.”

“…Yeah. It’s fine. Kiss ‘em better later and we’re even.” It wasn’t much of a joke, and she didn’t exactly laugh, but it was enough to make Midori smile again, and that was good enough. She dragged herself to her feet and stretched, running her fingers through wavy, copper-colored hair. …It was a lot neater since Midori had moved in. Brushed a lot more. Washed a lot better. It was actually kind of soft, something she’d forgotten about. …Then she scratched her butt.

For every bit lazy and disheveled Wendy was, of course, Midori was the consummate homemaker. She’d been up for hours now, even after sleeping in, and she looked halfway ready to go out on a date. Wendy caught her eyes lingering down Midori’s shirt – just a little too visible as she straightened the bed.

‘Life is pretty good,’ Midori jiggled. Wendy agreed.

---

A few minutes later, the green-haired girl – closer to a young woman, really – fussed over breakfast. Well, brunch. After brunch. …Breakfast for Wendy, lunch for her, on days like this. But she didn’t really mind that – it was sort of cute to watch the normally-confident American girl stagger into the kitchen after her shower, then -

“Mmm. Sorry.” – then mumble an apology in her ear, with her head resting on her shoulder and her arms around her. Midori blushed hotly and forced out a small laugh. If she stood still enough – and she could, there was nowhere else she needed to be while she tended to the eggs and grilled cheese – then she’d hear Wendy’s breathing even out again, and they could stay like this for...um, a while, anyway.

Her legs usually started getting stiff before too long, though. So instead, just for today, she shifted rather sharply from one leg to the other, and she enjoyed her sort of girlfriend’s tighter squeeze, as though she needed to hold on.

“It’s fine,” Midori murmured out at length. …She was still a little mad, but…Sensei only acted this cute on days like this, really. It was the only time she had time to, or at least, the only time Midori got to watch. “We can stay up late instead. You, um…What’d ya wanna do tonight? And don’t say nothing…! …Iunno.”

“Iunn…Quit it.” The brown-haired girl snorted and nipped her lover’s ear, then pulled away. “Fine. Uhh. You wanna…grab a couple of shitty movies, or something?”

“You DO pay attention.” Midori chirped out a little laugh, leaning back into Wendy’s arms even after she ‘escaped’.

“Hey. I’m a shitty girlfriend, doesn’t mean I don’t try. …Y…you’re…y’know.” Wendy’s voice grew low and hesitant, and Midori forced back a smile as she looked hard at her.

“I don’t knooow…what aaam I?”

“… …”

“Shensheiiii…~ What aaam I, Shensei…?” With a smooth, practiced movement, she set her spatula aside and turned, slipping her arms around Wendy’s neck. Gentle, sparkling crimson eyes met…mostly eyelids, with a tinge of copper that was desperately trying not to look.

“…w…worth it…Okay? You happy?” Wendy’s cheeks burned red, and Midori pressed her soft, pouty lips to one of them.

“Yup. I’m happy.”  She didn’t pull away – she wouldn’t, she refused to. They’d already missed out on hours of this, darn it. The eggs could wait – no. No, even better, Wendy was reaching around to tend to them for her.

…Hee. She was really too easy sometimes. Midori closed her eyes and nuzzled into the American’s neck, taking in the subtle scent of cherry blossom shampoo, and…and the subtler, wilder scent she always carried with her. Different from her old boyfriend, different from anyone at the Tenth, and different from Sempai…It made her feel a little excited and a little afraid at the same time.

“…Are you gonna finish these? Because this is hard.” The gentle rumble of Wendy’s voice reached her ears, and she shook her head. There was a chuckle that almost disguised itself as an exasperated sigh, and the two of them turned to the side a bit.

---

The evening came too soon, and it bled into night even sooner. They’d barely left each other for a second, and that was how Midori wanted it. No, that was how they both wanted it – it was just that only Midori would admit it in a million years. She could tell by the way Wendy looked at her when she got back from using the bathroom, and the awkward way she’d follow her and then just stand around while she poked around for a snack. But…Well, she was no better, so who was she to judge?

It wasn’t clear to her when Wendy fell asleep again. Somewhere between The Room and Fear of Clowns. Pangs of guilt rippled through Midori as she tried to stir her awake, with mixed results. …She really only slept like this, Midori had found. Only when she had someone close. Only when she had someone she felt safe with. It took up the better parts of their days together, and the bags around her eyes and the tired way she carried herself never seemed to get any better.

As Wendy lay with her head in Midori’s lap, splayed out over the couch and breathing softly, there was a certain contentedness in the air. It wasn’t the perfect relationship Midori had always dreamed of, but…

But Sensei…but Wendy…she was strong, and she was brave. She never believed it, but she was a hero, at least in Midori’s eyes, and a sweetheart in her own dumb, awkward ways. They were a lot alike.

“…M’dori…you still up…?” The brown-haired girl mumbled into her thigh, and she gently stroked her hair in response.

“… …Love you.” …And…it was hard to mind it when Wendy got like this, if only because of that. The only time she let her guard down enough to say what she meant.

“…I love you too,” she whispered, her fingers tracing the American’s cheek just long enough to feel her soft smile. A smile only Midori got to see, and even then, only once in a great while. A smile just for her.

Midori had gotten her wish – she really, truly was loved.