Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

The spacious room inside of the inn was bathed in darkness akin to the outside sky. It had been snowing the majority of the evening, and if one would travel to the outdoor bath, they’d be greeted by a frigid breeze. Huge piles of snow that could rival the height of a child surrounded the ryokan. While it was a beautiful sight and gave the perfect opportunity to build some snow rabbits, the snow caused it to feel even colder. Even a phoenix could be chilled to the bone out in the brutal winter. Thankfully, the room was toasty and was loaded with tea, which could kick out any cold that clung to one’s body.

About twenty minutes had passed since the pair had said their goodnights and settled into their futons. Rather than wearing regular pajamas, they both wore a white and blue yukata that was given to them for the duration of their stay. Kiara was lying comfortably on her back, phone held up to her face as she browsed through her social media. A tiny bit away was Calli, snuggled under the warm blankets that covered her body. She was also resting on her back and seemed to be sound asleep. She hadn’t stirred in her bed, nor made a single peep. The previous two nights Calli had talked in her sleep, which Kiara found absolutely adorable. She wouldn’t mind if she Calli did it again, and hoped for something cute to escape her lips.

The two had been enjoying their vacation. Sure, there were a few hiccups along the way such as Kiara having a skiing accident that resulted in her crashing into a fence. Then there was the incident with the pair going to the wrong inn. They tried to figure out how to get to the correct one, but they had to so while stuck in the freezing outdoors. The mishaps were a hindrance, but it didn’t ruin the fun the two were having together.

The duo, of course, had stayed in the same room but had separate beds. Kiara had behaved herself when it came to sleeping in the one assigned to her. She was issued a stern warning before the trip that she was not, under any circumstances, allowed to sleep in the same bed as Calli. She abided by the rule, though she’d be lying if she said she hadn’t thought about doing it. She wouldn’t mind a scythe to the stomach if she got to snuggle with her beloved reaper. Even if it was only for a few minutes, she would treasure every second of it.

With every few moments that passed by, Kiara couldn’t stop her eyes from wandering over to the other futon. The two beds barely had any space between them, which prompted Kiara to gaze at Calli more than she did in the previous hotel. It felt like she was being tempted by how close the two were. That, with a small movement of her body, she could snuggle into Calli’s futon and curl into her beloved. She imagined it inside her mind and giggled to herself with a small smile.

She couldn’t make out Calli’s features due to the darkness, but she had a hunch she would have a soft expression. Despite the difficulties getting there and some food issues, they had an extremely chill day. It created many serene smiles and soft laughs from Calli, which was something Kiara loved to see. Due to those fresh memories dancing around her mind, Kiara couldn’t shake the image of Calli sleeping with the same soft smile.

She desperately wanted to see that smile again. She wanted to be up close and admire those lovely features. Even if Calli didn’t wear a gorgeous smile, she wanted her face to be the last thing she saw before she fell asleep. Kiara couldn’t shake those desires from her mind, but she tried her best to redirect her attention to anything else. She closed out of her social media and switched over to see which one of her senpai’s were streaming. She browsed aimlessly for a few minutes, but she couldn’t shake the urge that was poking at her brain.

Even if I pick someone to watch, I’ll just keep thinking about Calli, she thought as she closed her phone and dropped it lightly on the futon. She then raised both her hands to her face as a low sigh escaped her lips.

Kiara shifted onto her right side so she could stare at the sleeping figure close by. Even as she slept, Kiara felt joy stir around her heart. Being around Calli always made her happy, even if they were just in the same room and not conversing. Kiara said she would respect Calli’s wishes, but she couldn’t rid her brain of those thoughts. It was as if Gura was stabbing away at her brain with her trident as she encouraged Kiara to act on her desire. She could even hear the small shark’s voice, telling her to sneak on over and cozy up with Calli in a smug tone.

Either I think about this all night and wait till I pass out, she pondered as she continued to look over at the other futon, Or I sneak over there, look at Calli’s adorable sleeping face, and snuggle with her till she yells at me and tosses me back onto my futon.

She knew very well from past experiences that Calli would be annoyed with the sudden intrusion. She was yelled at for randomly showing up at her office or home, appearing in her bed would result in a far worse reaction. Yet, she wouldn’t hold a grudge against Kiara or degrade her. No matter what Kiara did, Calli would always come back around and let Kiara be by her side. As such, the phoenix decided that, for that night only, she’d sneak into Calli’s futon. She was going to get some sort of punishment for sure, but it’d be fine in the end. She may have gone back on her word, but it wasn’t like she was going to do anything weird to Calli. She wasn’t that bottom left.

So, she quietly removed the blankets and stood up from her futon. She then made two silent steps over to Calli. The reaper, thankfully, was resting on the right side of the futon which created the perfect opening that also seemed to encourage her to come on in. There was enough room for Kiara to quietly lift the sheets and slowly crawl inside. As she settled inside of the futon, she didn’t feel any sudden movements next to her that would signal Calli had awoken. The futon was the same as the one Kiara had just left, but for whatever reason, she found it far more comfortable. It wasn’t as warm, but she’d fix that in no time.

She then slowly began to nudge herself into Calli’s space. Kiara felt the urge to giggle, but she knew she’d be busted the second her voice leaked due to being so close to Calli’s ears. She did, however, grin smugly and laughed cheerfully inside her head as she continued to close in on the reaper. Her heart rate quickened the closer she got, but she didn’t feel herself blush. She’d pat herself on the back if she could for doing such a good job sneaking in without waking up Calli. Once Kiara deemed that she was close enough, she lowered her head so she could get a good look at the woman next to her.

I knew it, she thought merrily as she gazed at Calli’s face. It was difficult to tell, but she was, for sure, seeing a gentle smile on her lips. Her entire face was tranquil, much like how it was during the day. The laughs and silly jokes may have been absent, but she felt the serenity from their time spent together. The type of time she longed for. The smile caused happiness to twirl stronger around Kiara’s heart as the smug grin melted into a tender one.

She could stare at Calli for hours, but she didn’t want to sit up the whole night. They still had another fun-filled day planned ahead of them, so she needed to rest at some point. After fighting the urge to kiss Calli’s forehead, Kiara laid herself down onto the futon. She placed her head on the free pillow next to Calli’s and then snuggled as close as she could into Calli’s side. Kiara felt Calli’s hair intertwining with hers as she gently placed her head underneath Calli’s. She sat still for a few seconds, hoping it wouldn’t cause a sudden response.

Thankfully, it didn’t. Not a single movement nor sound came from the figure next to her. That gave Kiara enough courage to reach out her hand, which was underneath the covers, to search for Calli’s. She found it quickly but settled for resting the back of her hand against Calli’s. While she had gotten away safely with resting their heads together, she wasn’t sure if holding her hand would cause a response. She wanted to enjoy the snuggle time for as long as she could get away with it.

I wish I could sleep next to her more often, she thought as she slowly closed her eyes. The long day had taken a toll on her, and she felt sleep would soon be upon her. Perhaps being next to Calli made it easier to relax, or it was just the fatigue. Either way, she was filled with happiness as it fluttered around inside of her chest. Her brain was no longer being attacked by a trident. Rather, the Gura in her mind gave her a smug smile and a thumbs-up as she said Kiara did a good job.

As Kiara rested comfortably with thoughts filled with Calli, she felt some movement against her body. It wasn’t rough, it was light and oddly soft. She wasn’t sure how long it was since she had flopped herself into the futon, and she didn’t have the energy to open her eyes. She wasn’t sure if Calli had roused from her sleep or was moving slightly as she slept. What she was aware of was the feeling of the hand resting against her moving away. It was sudden, but after a few seconds, she felt the hand gradually taking hold of her own. Their fingers intertwine as another surge of warmth coursed through her body. She giggled inside of her mind as a sleepy smile formed over her face. 

Goodnight Calli, I love you, she thought to herself as she nuzzled her head against Calli’s affectionately. She didn’t know what the morning would bring, but she was confident she would be greeted by a soft smile. 

Chapter Text

Kiara found herself inside a dream. She came to this realization due to her surroundings not resembling the inn she was currently staying at. There were no tatami mats, low tables, or even futons. Rather, the place she saw before her was the inside of a small rustic cottage that felt oddly nostalgic.

It wasn’t the first time she found herself in such a peculiar dream, and she knew it wouldn’t be her last. She occasionally had dreams where she observed a variety of situations, ranging from romantic moments to horrifying deaths. They were always vivid, so much so they could cause her to wake in terror from what she had witnessed. No matter what she had dreamed, she could recount it with ease. It felt so realistic, but she knew it was nothing more than her resting phoenix brain screwing with her. 

Inside of the dreams, her body was always incorporeal and unable to interact with anything in the area. It was as if she was sitting inside a theater where she was the only one in attendance. The entirety of the stage was bathed in a soft light, and if she could feel it against her skin, she knew it would be gentle.

The walls of the cottage were beige, with some minor paint peeling. There were a few scenic paintings scattered about the walls. One was a field of flowers, while another one was a fishing boat on a lake. The ceiling was made up of sturdy dark wood planks. The right side of the area had a simple-looking brown couch. A fluffy black-and-brown Maine Coon kitten was curled up on it, laying on top of some orange blankets. In front of the couch was a small wooden table with a closed sketchbook and two pencils resting on top. In the right-hand corner was an end table with a wooden radio on top of a doily. 

A little bit away were two bookshelves resting against a wall, with a pair of windows on both sides. The contents of the bookshelves contained a variety of knickknacks and art supplies scattered about. In particular, on the left shelf, there were two black and white photographs side by side in wooden frames. Both contained the same pair of women. For the picture on the right, the two were in front of a lake, and off in the distance was a small docked boat. While for the one on the left, they were sitting on a picnic blanket with a modest spread before them. In both photos, one was smiling brightly as if she was trying to compete with the sun for who could shine the brightest. While the other one had a smaller smile, but her eyes glistened softly as she gazed over to her companion. 

The kitchen was nestled into a small corner on the top left side of the structure. The counters were made out of oak, while the refrigerator and stove were a dull white. It was far from modern, but it still had its own quaint charm. Despite being asleep, Kiara could have sworn she could smell the aroma of a sweet breakfast wafting around the place. Below the kitchen was the dining area, which consisted of a small wooden table with two matching chairs. The table had a cute grey tablecloth with cats, some sleeping, others playing, printed onto it. French toast was resting on a large plate with a floral design in the center of the table. A woman with orange mixed with teal-colored hair was sitting at the table, a smaller plate underneath her. A matching glass filled with orange juice was sitting next to it. It was impossible for the phoenix to not recognize the being at the table unless she could somehow forget what she looked like. The dream Kiara at the table was wearing a simple white summer dress, her hair styled into braided pigtails. She wasn’t alone at the table.

“So, how does it taste?” asked the dream version of Kiara to the being sitting across from her. Dream Kiara was resting her left elbow on the table, her chin nuzzled in the palm of her hand as she eyed up the person sitting across from her. Her nails were painted a light purple.

“Better than the other things you usually cook,” spoke the woman after she had finished the piece of food. It happened to be Calli, of course. She was dressed in what looked like a long strapless black nightgown, and her hair was a tad messy. 

“Hey!” squealed dream Kiara as she pulled away from her hand, “Okay, some of my food could come out better, but that doesn’t mean I’m that bad of a cook!”

Dream Calli gave her a soft giggle as she brought up another piece of the French toast to her lips. She happily ate the food, while ignoring the glares and small complaints that the dream Kiara was directing at her. 

“I know I know,” she finally replied after she finished the second piece. A soft, and somewhat playful, expression took over her features, “I’m just teasing you; I enjoy your cooking a lot. It’s much better than mine. Learning about human food has been harder than I expected.”

“Give yourself some credit Calli. You did fine the other day; you didn’t even burn a single thing! We both have room to improve. Granted, you will never be able to beat my masterful French toast!”

“I’d like to keep it that way,” responded Calli before she gleefully started to nibble away at another piece.

“Ohhh?” cooed Kiara as a smug grin took hold of her features, “Why’s that, huh?”

Calli’s cheeks tinted a light pink as she finished her third piece. Calli then turned her head sideways as she reached out for a fourth, and ate it while Kiara continued to stare intently at her. After that piece, Calli took in a small breath and returned her attention to the haughty Kiara. The blush was still intact as Calli stood up from her chair. She then started to slowly lean over the table, and her left hand found Kiara’s cheek. 

“I uhh, I can…” spoke Calli as she inched closer to Kiara’s face. The blush on her cheeks deepened as her eyes started to dart around nervously. They went to the right, and then to the left as if she was too embarrassed to make direct eye contact.

“You can what, Calli? Come on now, no need to be so shy with me!” teased Kiara, the smug look still glued to her features. A small blush was on her face as well, but she seemed more interested in teasing Calli than focusing on how close their faces were.

“I can taste your...love...in them,” spoke Calli in a barely audible voice after a moment of silence between them.

The statement resulted in a barrage of happy giggles from Kiara before she leaned her face into Calli’s. Kiara closed the distance between their lips, locking them into a sweet kiss. It lasted only a few seconds before Kiara broke the contact which resulted in her giggling some more with a bright smile. Calli, on the other hand, didn’t seem assumed by Kiara’s antics. Rather than speaking, she pouted before she leaned in for another, more passionate kiss.

That time, it was Calli who decided to pull away first. She then started to rub Kiara’s cheek gently, while giving her a sweet smile. Kiara responded by nuzzling her face against Calli’s hand with some giggles, much like a cat would do while being given pets. The sleeping phoenix noticed that she could somehow feel the sensation of Calli’s fingers lightly grazing her cheek. They were a tad cold, but she could distinctly feel the palm of Calli’s hand resting on her own face. The more she noticed the feeling that tickled her cheek, the dimmer the lights became on the scene before her. Slowly, the lights were fading out on performance as the two proclaimed their love for each other. Just one was more hyper about it than the other. 

Once the curtains had fallen over the stage, everything before her had turned into darkness. It was at that moment Kiara realized she could still feel the light sensation of fingers against her cheek. She could feel the comfy covers over her body, and how her head was nuzzled into a soft pillow. She became very aware that she was still curled up on her side inside of the futon, and the only person that could possibly be touching her face was Calli.

“…why am I even doing this?” spoke Calli in a low voice as she sighed. Despite her question, she continued to gently run her fingers across Kiara’s cheek.

That’s what I’d like to know Calli, thought Kiara as she did her best to keep her eyes shut. If she opened them, that would be the end of whatever affection Calli wanted to share with her supposedly sleeping form. Sure, dream Calli was being adorable, but that couldn’t compete with the real thing. 

Calli’s hand then started to make its way across Kiara’s cheek over to her lips. The sensation sent a shiver up Kiara’s spine as she pleaded with herself to not blush or to make a peep. Calli then ran a finger slowly across her bottom lip. Once it made its way to the end of Kiara’s lip, Calli slowly traced it to the other end. She then added a second finger, as she gradually moved them over Kiara’s lips.

Oh my God! Calli?! Why are you so fascinated by my lips?! Why can’t you be this interested in them when I’m awake and trying to kiss you?!

Kiara felt herself grow warm by the attention Calli was giving her. She figured the reaper hadn’t noticed the change in body temperature, or she was too distracted to even notice. Her brain exploded into a catastrophic mess as she tried to figure out just why Calli was touching her face. She was thoroughly enjoying the act, as it filled her gut with joy. With every gentle movement from Calli’s fingers, her heart fluttered.

Calli, you can’t be drunk yet, so I can’t blame the alcohol! Can having a hangover make you do strange things? Wait…she barely drank last night! So uhhh…does she think she’s dreaming? Or maybe I was dreaming inside of the first dream and this is just another dream?! Her fingers though, they feel too real to just be a dream. I couldn’t feel anything earlier.  Wait, maybe-

Kiara’s erratic thoughts were interrupted when the hand that was so daintily caressing her lips pulled away. She then heard Calli emit another sigh before she spoke, “What am I thinking? This stupid bird…why does she…why do I? Guh, dammit.”

Why do you what?! Say it Calli! I need to know! thought Kiara as her brain continued to churn at a haphazardly fast pace. Part of her wanted to leap upward and shake the information out of Calliope. Another part of her wanted to stay put in hopes of hearing something juicy that Calli would never openly confess.

Kiara suddenly felt Calli stir in her half of the futon as the blankets ruffled. Then silence returned to the room. Kiara laid there as her brain continued to chug along with thoughts of Calli. She was too distracted by Calli’s odd behavior; she couldn’t be bothered with thinking over the vivid dream. Kiara waited for what she guessed was ten minutes before she decided to open her eyes. She assumed that Calli had gone back to sleep, or she had gotten up quietly and gone elsewhere in the room.

What Kiara didn’t consider was Calli resting next to her fully awake, with such a serene look on her face. A gentle smile was formed on her face, along with a small blush that grazed her cheeks. Kiara felt herself blush instantly as she realized Calli was staring directly at her with those beautiful eyes she loved so much. Calli’s face didn’t stay like that for long, unfortunately, as she too realized that magenta eyes were suddenly peering back at her.

Calli dropped her gaze and stammered, “What are you doing awake?!”

“I uhh,” replied Kiara as she continued to stare at the suddenly flustered face of her companion, “I just am?”

Calli sighed as she returned her gaze back to Kiara, “…that’s just my luck.”

“What?”

“Nothing.”

Kiara intensified her glare. She felt the desire to tease Calli relentlessly about what she had been doing earlier. Kiara could have prodded her for answers as to why, and what those mumbled words meant. She could even recite word for word what Calli had said. Instead, Kiara took in every single detail of the embarrassed face of her beloved. A small pout had taken hold of Calli’s mouth, but she didn’t look angry. Rather, those gorgeous eyes of hers looked somewhat vulnerable. As if she didn’t know what she wanted at that moment.

“Calli,” began Kiara in a soft tone as she reached her free arm over to Calli and pushed away some of her bangs to make a small opening. An idea had quickly sprung into her mind. If she didn’t act on it at that moment, she doubted she’d be able to do it later. 

“What are you doing?” asked Calli in a lighter tone, her eyes shaking all over to avoid looking directly at Kiara’s face. The blush seemed to increase, which caused Kiara to giggle to herself mentally. Calli always looked adorable when she got flustered. Kiara was being forward for a change, but she didn’t feel any embarrassment.

Kiara proceeded to lean into Calli’s face and brought her lips to the reaper’s forehead. Kiara allowed her lips to linger for only five seconds or so before she pulled her body back and placed her head back onto her pillow. She settled her attention onto Calli’s eyes, but it was hard to ignore the small smile that found its way onto Calli’s face. Now if she realized it or not was another question in of itself.

“I am so happy you’re the first thing I get to see today after waking up.”

Calli finally settled on looking directly into Kiara’s eyes. That though only lasted about three seconds before she forced her body upwards, twisted it forward, and left only her back facing Kiara. Calli then brought a hand to her forehead, and Kiara could have sworn she felt immense heat emanating from her.

“What was that for?! You stupid bird! That was uncalled for!” replied Calli. She was loud but lacked any vitriol in her words.

Kiara let out some happy giggles before she pulled herself up from the futon. She scooted herself behind Calli, and folded her legs underneath her. Kiara then leaned her head onto Calli’s shoulder as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. She felt Calli stiffen at the sudden contact but eased into the embrace after a few seconds.

“I just told you. Seeing you first thing in the morning is just a great feeling! I was so happy you let me sleep with you last night. Oh! And hold your hand too! It was so sweet of you Calli!” Kiara explained cheerfully.

“You must have dreamt the hand-holding part,” retorted Calli with a huff, but yet again she didn’t sound annoyed.

“Nope, I had a completely different, but very lovely dream. The handholding was real, just like you staring fondly at me. Your eyes are always so pretty.”

“Guh, shush you! Your boy just happened to be looking in your direction, I wasn’t staring at you.”

Despite the rebuttal, Calli raised her right hand and placed it over the hands wrapped around her belly. She was bound to complain, but no matter what she said, her actions didn’t match her words. While Kiara would prefer some more affection in terms of word choice, she appreciated that Calli didn’t shoo her off. She had noticed that no matter how harsh the words, Calli would return some form of affection. Sure, in public or around their friends, it was rare to get an affectionate reaction. When it was just the two of them, that was when Calli was more receptive. It was rather ironic. Calli’s words and her actions had trouble lining up when it came to Kiara and the variety of affection she threw around on a regular basis. 

“Whatever you say Calli,” replied Kiara in a playful tone before she quickly gave Calli’s cheek a few kisses.

“Stop that you stupid bird!” complained Calli as she lightly bonked the back of her head into Kiara’s forehead.

It didn’t hurt in the slightest, and it gave Kiara a somewhat naughty idea of kissing the back of Calli’s neck. All she had to do was push away Calli’s long pink hair and go about her devious plan. While she was bold enough to go for the forehead earlier, she couldn’t will herself to go for Calli’s neck. It was too embarrassing for Kiara to do, and she was sure Calli would have enough of her antics if she tried it. They were on vacation, and she didn’t feel like dying to a scythe during the middle of it.

Calli then pulled her head forward as a low sigh escaped her. At that point, the reaper could have easily pulled away from the phoenix and abandoned the futon and Kiara’s affection. Instead, she stayed put, her hand still gently holding onto Kiara’s. Internally, Kiara was giggling at their banter and was loving every second their bodies were entwined.

“You know what would be good right now?” spoke Kiara in a soft voice.

“You dying and forgetting what happened here this morning?” retorted Calli in a deadpan tone.

“No way! I would hate that! I don’t want to forget you staring so sweetly at me! I want to remember that adorable scene forever,” complained Kiara as a small pout took control of her lips.

“Guh…then what?”

“French toast.”

That comment resulted in Calli lightly bonking her head into Kiara’s forehead again. Rather than pulling her head away like earlier, Calli repositioned her head so she could lean back and lay her head against Kiara’s. She seemed content with leaving their heads nuzzled together for the time being.

“We’re at a ryokan, remember? We went through this already. They won’t have any French toast,” explained Calli with another small sigh.

“I know, but I dreamt about it so it’s making me crave for some right now. We were sitting together at a cute kitchen table with a cat-themed dining cloth in some cottage. I made you breakfast, and you liked it so much! Oh, and then you gave me a kiss and you said you liked it so much because you could taste my love in them!”

“Yeah, no,” retorted Calli in an oddly soft tone, “That will only ever happen in your dreams. I wouldn’t mind you cooking for me, but the rest, never going to happen Kusotori.”

“How about after we get back, I sleepover at your place and I make breakfast for you? I’ll pamper my wife with some yummy food. Oh, and then after breakfast, we could go on another spa date?” asked Kiara as she rubbed her head playfully against Calli’s.

Silence suddenly overtook the two, and the grip on Kiara’s hand tightened. Kiara stopped her nuzzling but kept her head against Calli’s. Kiara could tell her eyes had lost the sparkle they had earlier, and she seemed to be lost in her thoughts. She then began to wonder what Calli was thinking. Part of her wanted to ask what was wrong but decided to wait and see what Calli’s response would be. Sometimes she had to be pushy to get an answer out of Calli, but something in her gut told her to hold off.

“I’d like that, Kiara,” replied Calli in a soft voice as she briefly nuzzled her head against Kiara’s.

“Great! I’ll get even more time to spend with you!”

They stayed like that for about another ten minutes. Kiara decided not to ask why Calli grew silent and enjoyed the contact. The conversation had died down, but the two were enjoying each other’s company. Kiara in particular enjoyed the physical contact, but that wasn’t anything out of the ordinary for her. The two had spent a lot of time together during their holiday, but being able to snuggle together was different. They could talk and talk for hours. Kiara always savored it, even if it felt like at times, she was doing all the talking. Being able to hold the person she loved the most against her body though, that made her heart flutter with a different joy. A much rarer, much warmer sensation, but it was an extremely precious joy she longed for.

Suddenly, Kiara felt the body against her pulling away. The happy smile that had taken over her features had turned into a small frown as she whined at Calli for escaping her grasp. Calli pulled herself out of the bed and walked to the foot of the futon before she turned around so she could face Kiara.

“Come on Calli. Ten more minutes? I’m missing you already,” moaned Kiara as she dramatically waved her arms. While she was hamming it up, it wasn’t a lie that she wanted more time snuggled together.

“We could stay like that all day, but we still have more important plans for today, remember? Ones that require far less snuggling and more walking.”

Kiara dropped her head with defeat, knowing that they had many things still planned during their trip. It would all be a lot of fun, but she wanted to be selfish and snuggle with Calli some more. She couldn’t help but blame her dream for ramping up her desire for love and affection. She was thankful that she was gifted with so much in a short amount of time, but it didn’t stop her heart from desiring more.

Kiara then heard footsteps coming toward her. Once the steps had subsided, a hand had been extended to her from her side of the futon. She looked up and was greeted with a soft smile and a faint blush on Calli’s face. 

“By the way, Kiara,” spoke Calli as she tried her best to keep eye contact, “Good morning. Let’s have another fun day, okay?”

Kiara’s frown quickly turned into a smile as a couple of giggles escaped her lips. While she would miss the physical contact, being with Calli would result in other ways that would make her heart race. She reached out her hand to Calli’s and grasped it tightly as she got out of the futon.

Once she was on her feet, she twirled around and leaned forward so she could give Calli a big hug. Kiara placed her head into Calli’s neck and nuzzled the area affectionately as she did before. That caused Calli to grumble, of course, but she still wrapped her arms around Kiara’s back. Kiara wouldn’t be able to snuggle anymore in the futon, but she could get away with a few more minutes during their hug. If she was really lucky, she could squeeze in a few more snuggle minutes during the rest of the day.

“Good morning to you too Calli!” declared Kiara happily as she continued to nuzzle her head against Calli’s affectionately. She would never grow bored of hugging her beloved.