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Asuka Shikinami Langley lay in bed with her back against the wall and an old novel in her lap. The brim of her cat-eared cap had been pulled low, obstructing her already limited vision and shutting out most of the world. It was after dinner aboard the Wunder, and Asuka was starting to nod off. What language was this book again? She thought. English or German? She was having trouble discerning. Squinting at a particularly difficult word, she jumped slightly when she heard a knock at the door. "W-who is it?" She let out.
"Kyuu. May I come in?" A soft voice answered from behind the door. "Yeah, come on in!" Asuka said as she dog-eared the page and set the book on the nightstand. Kyuu seemed a little nervous as she entered and shut the door. She held her hands behind her back and looked around timidly. "What's up, Kyuu?" Asuka probed.
"I have a question for you."
"What do you want to ask?" Asuka tilted her head to the side a little and smiled. She motioned for Kyuu to sit down next to her, and she came. "I was reading earlier," Kyuu starts, absent-mindedly dragging her index finger over Asuka's knuckles and glancing at Asuka's own book now on the nightstand, "and it mentioned two people doing something together-" oh dear Gott, please no, Asuka thought, don't make me give Kyuu the talk- "called cuddling? What is that?"
Asuka let out the breath she didn't know she had been holding in, and chuckled. "Do you want me to show you or do you want me to tell you?" She said with a smile. "Show?" Kyuu replies, a slight blush appearing on her cheeks. "Lay down," Asuka says, and Kyuu follows suit, laying down to face Asuka in the small bed. "Closer!" She whispers, and the two wiggle closer. Asuka wraps her arms around Kyuu's waist, nudges a knee between Kyuu's legs, and melts a little into the bed. "Relax," Asuka tells Kyuu. "Get comfortable. This is cuddling." Kyuu scoots closer to Asuka and rests her forehead on the other's collarbone, her chin just above Asuka's breasts. Kyuu could feel Asuka's body heat and heartbeat, and let her hands rest on Asuka's shoulder and back. I like this, Kyuu decided. I don't want to let go. I will not let go. She let out a little sigh.
After the two settled into their comfortable embrace, Asuka broke the silence. "What do you think of cuddling?" She asked as one hand made its way up to brush silky short blue hair. Kyuu looked up at her with bleary, heavy lidded eyes. She was almost passed out, perhaps would already be asleep if Asuka hadn't spoken up. "It's wonderful. I don't want to move from this bed." Asuka smiled and left a soft kiss on Kyuu's head. "Stay as long as you like," Asuka whispered as she continued stroking Kyuu's hair.
Just as Asuka's mind began to doze off again, the door to her cabin slammed open. "Princess, have you see my hairbr- ooooh having a sleepover? Without meee? That's no fair!! Is there room for one more?" Mari squealed, forgetting all about her reason for visiting and practically jumping to Asuka's side of the bed. Asuka grumbled as Kyuu shifted slightly to see the ruckus Mari was making. Before either of them could tell Mari to leave, she was already lifting up the blankets and crawling under, into the now very cramped twin bed.
Asuka fumed. It wasn't abnormal for Mari to want to cuddle- just the opposite. Mari loved to cuddle. And Asuka usually gave in to her clingy whims, just because Mari nodded off quickly and didn't talk in her sleep. But right now? Another Impact would have better timing than Mari Makinami Illustrious. Gott forbid, four-eyes, Asuka thought. Can't you tell a private moment between two people when you see it? Kyuu had somewhat settled back into Asuka's embrace, a little rigid from the discomfort of the bed being cramped and the awkwardness of Mari's presence.
"I have an idea," Asuka whispered to Kyuu. "What was that, princess? I couldnt hear you!" Mari whined from the other side of the bed. "I didn't say anything, four eyes, so shut up and sleep!" Asuka barked back. The three of them settled into bed.
Until, Asuka slowly began to unhook her leg from between Kyuu's. She rolled over to face Mari. She held her knee as close as she could to her stomach, then released it backwards, kicking Mari square in the stomach and launching her off the bed, blanket in tow. She hit the floor with an oof, and shrieked, "Ow, princess! What was that for?!"
"You KNOW what that was for, idiot! Now get out of here!" Mari sat in a heap on the floor, rubbing her head. She laughed, picked up the blanket and made her way to the door.
"Give me back my blanket!"
"But it smells like you, princess! How am I supposed to sleep if I can't sleep with you or your scent?"
"I don't- oh?" With the absence of the blanket, Kyuu had cuddled closer to Asuka. She let out a happy little hum. "-give a fuck! Leave me and Kyuu alone for the rest of the night! Go! Now!" Mari tossed the blanket backwards over her shoulder as she left, leaving it to pile up at the end of the bed.
Asuka grabbed it with her foot and tugged it forward, then pulled it back over the pair.
"Now, where were we?" she muttered and held Kyuu a little closer. She looked down at Kyuu, whose eyes had already shut. "Ah. That part. Gute nacht, Kyuu." And with that, Asuka joined Kyuu in slumber.