Archive of Our Own ^beta

The home was silent, Kronii yawning as she flicked through the channels on the television, scoffing when it all turned out to be reality tv and film reruns. She sighed as she turned it off, lying across the couch cushions and staring at the ceiling, eyeing the slight stain that was coming through. A stale potato chip poked her back, stuck between the cushions as she tried to get comfortable. Her hair was strewn about the cushions, her clothes comfy and loose, because today was supposed to be her day off. It just happened to be a day off with nobody home and nothing to do.

She sighed, wondering if she should cook food or order out. Ordering out wasn’t an option when Kronii thought about it more, having gone out to eat only a few days prior with Bae and not wanting to spend again. She could make something, but Kronii groaned aloud when she remembered that they were running low on groceries, as it was Fauna’s turn to go shopping but the guardian of nature hadn’t come home yet. Kronii was debating on just eating some bread and fruit when the front door creaked open, Kronii perking up as a ‘hello’ echoed down the hallway in Fauna’s sweet voice.

“Welcome home,” Kronii said, the last vestiges of irritation still hanging on to her tone. Kronii winced after speaking, giving an apologetic glance to Fauna, who placed the bag she was carrying on the kitchen table. “Crap, sorry,”

“It’s alright, sweetie,” Fauna leaned over the back of the couch to give Kronii a peck on the lips, humming when she tasted a faint sweetness. “Did you steal Mumei’s lip gloss again?”

Kronii pouted, crossing her arms over her chest and thumping back down on the couch. “I had nothing to do,” She whined, squirming slightly under Fauna’s amused gaze.

“You resort to stealing when you’re bored?” Fauna asked as she began to put the groceries away. “I’m scared to see what happens when you get caught stealing a car just because you couldn’t wait ten minutes for a taxi.”

“You’d break me out of jail though, right?”

Fauna closed the fridge door, moving over with an eerie look on her face, one that sent shivers down Kronii’s spine. She took the warden of time’s face in her hands, green eyes cold and calculating, Mother Nature’s roaring rapids and flames shining through. “Darling, I would burn down the world for you,”

And the thing that had Kronii reeling was how she believed her, heard this terrifying promise and blushed bright, pressing a kiss to Fauna’s lips because she just wanted to feel her warmth again.

“That’s nice,” She said simply, and Fauna understood because she knew Kronii, knew that was as far as she would go to saying thank you unless she really needed to get her point across.

“I bought you ice cream too,” Fauna murmured against Kronii’s sharp jawline, peach fuzz soft against her lips and her sharp nails running down Kronii’s abdomen, tracing each chiseled muscle. “You want that or do you want me?”

“Is that even a question?” Kronii laughed, flicking on the tv again, settling on some random film that they didn’t care about but leaving it on because they remembered Fauna saying she liked it. “Ice cream,”

Kronii immediately regretted the joke, the raising of the hairs on the back of their neck and the shiver down their spine alerting Kronii to their mistake. They turned around, a weak smile on their lips, stilling when they saw the glare on Fauna’s face.

“I mean!” Kronii backtracked frantically. “You, of course, Fauna, you. Definitely. Yeah,”

Fauna’s face betrayed nothing, Kronii already breaking out in a nervous sweat.

“You can have the ice cream,” She offered. “It’s fine, you can have it if you want it, I don’t want it.”

Fauna still didn’t say anything, instead walking around the couch to be face to face with Kronii without a barrier between them. Kronii was shaking internally, wondering if her other girlfriends were going to come home and find her body buried in the backyard. Fauna took Kronii’s chin between two fingers, tilting her head up to inspect her neck, trailing a thumb down Kronii’s jugular before leaning in to press a kiss to the pale skin.

“You’re cute when you’re scared,” She said with a smile, the energy she was radiating only moments before completely vanishing.

“And you’re terrifying when you’re angry,” Kronii whispered, breath finally managing to even out as the terror faded away slowly as Fauna sat down next to her, smelling sweetly of rain and flowers. Kronii’s hand came up to run through Fauna’s hair, a little gesture of peace that had Fauna letting out a cute noise of surprise.

“I thought you didn’t like this movie?” Fauna mentioned, as the movie switched scenes to what appeared to be a dance.

“Yeah, it's a bit much,” Kronii admitted, fingers lightly scratching Fauna’s scalp, their girlfriend sighing and melting into their side. “I don’t understand a lot of it,”

“Then why are you watching it? Don’t they have that other show you like?” Fauna turned to look at Kronii, a questioning look in her eyes as Kronii’s hand stilled. Fauna reached up, thumbing their cheekbone.

Kronii shrugged, leaning into Fauna’s touch. “Isn’t this your favorite movie though?”

Fauna blinked, before smiling sweetly, like the flowers that bloomed under her care. “Yeah, it is,” She leaned forward to kiss Kronii gently, humming into their mouth as her hand curled around their neck. Kronii reciprocated, hands on Fauna’s hips as they kissed.

“You want me to go grab the ice cream for you?” Fauna was practically sitting in Kronii’s lap by then, pressing into Kronii’s touch like a needy cat, the taste of berries faint on her own lips.

“I thought we went over this,” Kronii smiled, pressing a kiss to Fauna’s forehead. On screen the main characters danced together, the world fading away for them as the orchestra played, having only eyes for each other. “I only want you.”

- - -

“Thanks for coming with me, Kronii,” Sana said, as the car trundled along. It was a cloudy, overcast day; gloomy in every sense of the word. But Sana was radiant, smiling at Kronii as she yelled at another driver for cutting her off, waving at people on the sidewalks and getting awkward glances or waves in return.

“What do you mean, ‘thanks’?” Kronii asked, honking the horn as the car ahead didn’t move when the light turned green, making a rude gesture back when the driver flipped them off. She looked out of the corner of her eye at Sana, face clear of road rage all of a sudden and the usual aloofness that was the mask Ouro Kronii wore. She looked soft, eyes warm as she reached over to take Sana’s hand. “This is a date, it’d be stupid of me to not show up,”

Sana laughed aloud, even when Kronii took her eyes off her partner for a second to give the stink eye to the car next to them.

“Thank you for not being stupid then,” She teased, hand squeezing Kronii’s, as the car pulled began the uphill incline.

“Of course not, do I look like someone dumb enough to not see how beautiful you are?” Kronii’s cheeks were red, the flush spreading to her ears and neck. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the wheel, trees beginning to pull together as they continued on, a lattice that made either side of the road a wilderness.

Kronii was dressed in a simple button up and slacks, white suspenders cutting a sharp line over the black dress shirt, with a jacket thrown over it to finish it all off. Sana, in comparison, was wearing a simple sun dress adorned with flowers, probably stolen from Fauna’s closet that morning. It looked as if a cottagecore lesbian met up with a modern vampire.

“Says the one who looks so handsome today,” Sana snapped one of the suspenders, grinning at how Kronii’s jaw tightened. “My handsome little Kronii,” She crooned, not even looking at the observatory she had so looked forward to when it came into view; Sana only having eyes for Kronii.

“Well of course I look handsome, Bae picked out this outfit.” Kronii searched around for a parking spot, desperately trying not to look in Sana’s direction in order to hide her blush.

“She has good taste,” Sana purred, Kronii only able to hear her dress rustling before Sana pecked her cheek.

“Okaay, that’s enough, here we go, that’s a spot,” Kronii announced, pulling in a little bit messily before hurriedly getting out of the car. Sana chuckled as she watched her flustered girlfriend try to escape.

The observatory was large, housing several exhibits about various planets, constellations, and satellites. Sana chattered away, walking ahead of Kronii while the other followed at a much more moderate pace, smiling as she watched her girlfriend nerd out.

“-And that’s why cold metal fusion is such a problem with satellites and other metallic fixtures in orbit.” Sana looked behind her to see Kronii with the softest look on her face. “Sorry if I’m boring you,” Sana looked back up at the model of the solar system, a slowly moving arrangement of the eight planets.

“No! No you’re not,” Kronii took Sana’s hand, pressing a kiss to her knuckles and grinning. “I think this is really cool,”

“Aww, thanks Kronini,” Sana teased, trying to hide the warmth on her cheeks. “Does this mean we’re going to see the presentation they have in ten minutes?” She pointed at the sign displaying the various times for the show; a guided presentation of the night sky. “It’s going to be an hour long,” Sana sing-songed, tugging Kronii towards the door.

Kronii rolled her eyes but grinned, focusing on Sana’s warm hand. “I’m going to fall asleep, you know,”

Sana did a mock gasp as they took their seats, the room dimming as the projector flickered on, a spray of stars dancing across the ceiling. “You wouldn’t,”

The speaker droned on about the formation of stars, zooming in on various constellations and explaining the cultural significance they had on different groups and religions. Sana was enraptured, eyes sparkling as she ate up every word. Kronii did think that it was an interesting presentation, with a rather beautiful display, but she only had eyes for Sana. She didn’t fall asleep because she was too busy looking at every minute change on Sana’s face, the twitch of her eyebrows and the way her lips curved into a smile. Kronii practically ignored the speaker, only listening to Sana’s little comments and how she would squeeze Kronii’s hand in excitement when the topic changed to one of her favorite things.

“What did you think?” Sana asked when they left, heading to the gift shop on Sana’s insistence.

“I thought it was cool,” Kronii said, trying to sound as flippant as possible. “Pretty, too,”

“Not as pretty as me, right?” Sana struck a pose, winking at Kronii as they inspected a few keychains.

“Definitely not,” Kronii picked up what appeared to be a paired keychain of the Sun and the Earth. “Though I have seen some things,”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Sana nudged Kronii when she didn’t get an answer, Kronii instead chuckling as they put the keychain down, moving towards the incredibly overpriced plushies.

“Hey, Kronii, I’m waiting for an explanation. Hello?” Kronii tried to not make eye contact, making Sana remember the start of their date and beginning to laugh. Kronii picked up a plushy and pretended to throw it at Sana, making them both break down in the gift shop.

“Kronini,” Sana followed as Kronii returned to the paired keychains and grabbed two, moving to the small line at the cash register.

“What?” Kronii asked, chest still heaving from laughter, hair messed up and sticking to her forehead from sweat. She was probably overheating from the suit, Sana figured.

“Did you have fun?” Sana shivered as they exited, night having fallen and the exposed mountaintop making the breeze all the more cold.

“Yeah,” Kronii shrugged off their jacket, putting it over Sana’s shoulders. She accepted it with a smile, nestling into the warmth and inhaling the spicy-sweet scent of Kronii’s cologne.

“That’s nice,” Sana’s breath formed clouds of white in the air as they walked toward the car.

“You’re prettier when you smile,” Kronii said out of the blue, as they got into the car and Sana immediately went to blast the heater.

“Huh?”

“You were asking what’s prettier than you,” Kronii turned to Sana, canines sharp and glinting in the moonlight. “You’re prettier when you smile,”

“Does that even count?” Sana asked, the car beginning to trundle down the mountain road. She pulled the jacket tighter around her shoulders, cursing how long the heater was taking to warm up.

Kronii shrugged. “I think it counts,”

“You’re pretty too,” Sana blinked, sleepiness weighing down her eyelids as she desperately tried not to fall asleep. “My very, very handsome Kronini…” She trailed off, neck crooked at an awkward angle as she drifted off to the radio’s quiet song as they drove down the mountain with the heater on full blast, Sana unable to see the burning blush on Kronii’s face.

- - -

“Kronii,” Mumei poked her head through the bathroom door, watching as Kronii buttoned up their shirt. “Have you seen my hairclips?”

“Bae has them,” Kronii adjusted her shirt cuffs, turning to brush Mumei’s hair out of her eyes, a job that her hair clips usually did. “You gave them to her last night.”

“Oh yeah,” Mumei hummed, nuzzling into Kronii’s touch like a cat. “Can you braid my hair, Kronii?”

Kronii sighed, though a smile was on their face as they grabbed a hair tie and followed as Mumei sat down on the edge of the bed, settling in behind her. “This was your goal all along, wasn’t it?” They ran their fingers through Mumei’s soft hair, separating it into three strands.

“I will never say,” Mumei said mysteriously, leaning into Kronii’s front.

“Hey, hey, I can’t braid your hair if I don’t have space,” Kronii gently pushed Mumei forward, the owl whining at the loss of warmth against her back.

“If I wanted space I would’ve gone to Sana,” Mumei fiddled with her fingers, looking through the open bathroom door and seeing the mirror above the sinks reflect the two of them; Kronii looming behind Mumei as they worked on the braid.

“Sana doesn’t know how to braid hair,” Kronii said haughtily, tugging gently on Mumei’s hair. “Not like I do,”

“You’re just saying that, Sana braids hair just fine,”

“Yeah, yeah,” Kronii finished up the braid, neatly tying it off with the hair tie and getting off the bed, stretching her legs at how they had been bent for the past few minutes.

“Can I brush your hair?” Mumei asked, legs swinging from the bed’s edge. Kronii was about to say that they had already done that earlier before they caught themself, smiling.

“Of course,” They switched places, Kronii sitting in Mumei’s place as the bird rummaged through the drawers looking for a brush.

“Kronii, I can’t remember where I put it,” She sounded a little distressed, the noises coming from the bathroom sounding a little louder as she desperately looked through the cabinets and in the shower.

“Hey Mumei, it’s ok, I used it earlier, it’s in the top right drawer,” Kronii said soothingly, getting up to go and grab it herself.

“Oh,” Mumei stared at the brush with a strange look.

“It’s alright Mumei, you didn’t know where I put it,” Kronii hugged her, hands smoothing out the back of Mumei’s shirt, running over her braid.

“Yeah…”

Mumei didn’t like forgetting, didn’t like the constant threat of having everything that was familiar become strange, the faces of the people she loved hazing over like ghosts. She curled in on herself, into Kronii’s embrace as she tried to anchor herself in the now, tried to engrave every single detail of this moment into her mind.

It was a few weeks later when she decided, looking in a mirror and feeling how her hair tickled the back of her neck and how she constantly had to put it up into a bun to keep it from distracting her, to cut her hair short.

“A bob cut?” Kronii asked, standing in the bathroom with the scissors like Mumei had requested, looking concerned. “Are you sure?”

Mumei nodded, sitting on a chair they had brought in and facing the mirror. She took a deep breath in. “I want to change it up a little, you know?” She smiled weakly. “Plus, if I don’t like it, it’ll grow back,”

“In a while though,” Kronii huffed, fingers measuring the length that Mumei had gestured to. “This looks a little short…”

“Then move it down a little,” Mumei said, beginning to squirm. Kronii lay a calming hand on her shoulder, their smile reflected in the mirror.

“It’s alright, Mumei,” They leaned down, sweeping Mumei’s long hair to the side to kiss her neck. “You don’t have to explain. Plus,” They grinned into the mirror, their face next to Mumei’s. “I get easier access to your neck now,”

“You sound like a vampire,” Mumei complained, but she still smiled at Kronii’s anticts, appreciating the attempt to lift her spirits.

Kronii and Mumei took a breath in unison, Mumei shooting Kronii a weird look. “Why are you concerned, your hair isn’t being cut,”

“Well, if I mess up I don’t want you to kill me,” Kronii carefully measured out the length of hair before beginning to cut.

“I wouldn’t kill you,” Mumei rolled her eyes, trying to stay as still as possible even when strands of hair landed on her neck or went into her shirt. “I’d get Bae to,”

“What??” Kronii asked, stopping. “How??”

Mumei grinned, tilting her head to either side to inspect Kronii’s work. “They owe me,” She said smugly, before sneezing and almost getting stabbed in the head by the pair of scissors.

“Be careful!” Kronii scolded, but she still waited for Mumei to settle, kissing her gently before getting back to work.

Bit by bit, Mumei’s hair evened out into a short bob, just above her shoulders. She grinned as she fluffed it up, practically preening like a bird.

“I’m surprised,” Mumei said finally, looking up at Kronii. “You did good!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Kronii laughed, before gently pushing Mumei out of the chair and leaning down to grab the clippers from the bag they were stored in under the sink. “It’s your turn now,”

“Oh,” Mumei accepted the offered clippers, awkwardly standing there with stray hairs tickling her back as Kronii settled in the chair, grabbing a hair tie to pull their hair up into a ponytail. With her hair lifted up it revealed her undercut that she had gotten in the beginning of the year, now grown out.

“Can you buzz it for me?” They asked, Mumei gulping as she turned on the clippers.

“Yeah, uh,” Mumei nervously reached out, buzzing blades about to touch Kronii’s scalp before they stopped her.

“You have to put the guards on!”

Mumei blinked as Kronii took the clipper from her hands, turning it off and rooting through the bag again. “Huh?”

“It’s what lets you choose the length of your cut,” Kronii explained, putting on the guard labeled two and handing it back to Mumei. “There we go, now you can start,”

It was slow going, Mumei moving as carefully as possible so she wouldn’t cut Kronii, though they explained that was a tricky thing to do. It was quite satisfying though, and Mumei found herself a little bit sad by the time she finished.

Kronii ran her hand over her new impromptu haircut. “You did good!” Mumei reached out and rubbed Kronii’s scalp, grinning at the feeling of the short hairs on her fingers.

“Oh I forgot about this,” She laughed, as Kronii stood, letting their hair down.

“Sooo, who’s cleaning up the mess?” Kronii gestured at the tangle locks of hair on the floor, a mix of Mumei’s brown and Kronii’s black.

Mumei smiled, already slinking out the door. “You were last in the chair!”

Kronii stared as Mumei shut the bathroom door on them, leaving them with the mess they supposed was now theirs to clean up. Kronii groaned as they went to grab the broom, but still grinned when she saw Mumei showing off her haircut to Fauna.

- - -

They were going out and Kronii had nothing to wear, the majority of her button ups either dry or being washed, and all that remained were either too small for her broad shoulders, or had tears that Kronii had been meaning to fix. She groaned as she realized she might have to go through her girlfriend’s drawers, resigned to a fate of walking around in tight clothes for a few hours.

But they stopped dead when they found a large pink sweater, buried under everything. Kronii pulled it out and held it up to her shoulders, sighing when it appeared to fit.

“It is cold, anyways,” They grumbled, pulling it on over a shirt.

Kronii was glad for it when they left the house, hands stuffed in her jean pockets as she walked to the diner they were all meeting at. People stared at the sight of such a gruff looking person wearing a pastel pink sweater, but they quickly stopped staring when Kronii glared at them. The door to the diner jingled as she walked through, looking around before seeing Gura waving.

They weaved through the tables, sliding into the booth opposite Calli and Gura.

“Hey,” Kronii offered when the two didn’t say hello, too busy staring at her sweater.

“Hey dude,” Calli grinned, fingers tapping on the table next to her half-empty coffee mug. “Nice sweater,”

Kronii rolled her eyes, Gura snickering. “It was all I had, ok?”

Gura raised her hands in a placating gesture. “Didn’t say anything, did I?” The shark still laughed, tail wagging and rattling the table slightly. “Though it’s the same color as Calli’s hair,”

Kronii looked down, then at Calli’s hair, before making a surprised noise. “Well what do you know, it does,”

Calli chuckled, taking a sip of her drink. “I see you touched up your undercut,”

“Yeah, Mumei did it for me,” Kronii said, running a hand over the buzzed hair.

“Oh really? Kiara does my undercut, usually,”

Gura leaned in as if she were telling a secret. “It’s ‘cause she doesn’t want to pay someone for it,”

Calli punched her shoulder gently, but they were still laughing at the joke. “Says the one who asks Ame to bring back sweets from her office,”

Gura pouted, but her sharp teeth still gleamed in her smile. “And?”

Kronii chuckled, before letting out an ‘oof’ as a familiar form practically jumped on her, Gura and Calli snickering at Bae’s antics.

“You’re wearing it!” Bae said foregoing a greeting and grinning with sharp teeth not unlike Gura’s.

Kronii gasped, pointing an accusing finger at the rat as they slid into the seat next to her. “I knew you were the one who gave it to me,”

Bae shrugged, snagging a bite of Kronii’s cake and dodging the flick on the forehead. “You look good in it though,”

“I know,” Kronii said stoically, but their cheeks still burned as Calli and Gura were still roaring with laughter at the whole conversation.

“I mean, you do,” Gura said, when she finally calmed down, leaning in and snagging the piece of cake off of Calli’s offered fork.

“Gee, thanks, hold the applause,” Kronii still smiled, leaning back and preening at the praise. She did fill out the sweater nicely, broad shoulders straining the pink fabric and biceps clearly defined under the soft cotton.

“So, where are Kiara and Ina?” Bae asked, after the waiter came over and they were finally able to order their meals.

“They’re going on a double date with Sana and Fauna, I think,” Calli answered, pulling their hair up into a ponytail. “Ame’s working,”

“Mumei’s napping at home,” Bae said, pulling out her phone. “I just tucked her in a few minutes ago,”

“You have pictures?” Kronii asked, leaning over to catch a glimpse of Bae’s home screen; a picture of all five of them, before Bae pushed her away.

“I asked, don’t worry,” They scrolled through their photo album before pulling up a few pictures of Mumei curled on the couch, drooling slightly with her short hair all a mess.

“Send those to me?” Kronii asked, smiling at the sight of Mumei sprawled on her back, half hanging off the couch with her blanket on her face.

“You’re a cruel mistress, Kronini,” Bae said, shaking their head even though they still messaged the pictures over.

“What does that even mean?” Kronii furrowed her brow as she shot a confused look at a smug Bae.

“This is funnier than the time Kiara caught Ame eating her chicken tenders,” Gura laughed, taking a bite of her fish.

“They were yelling for a whole hour,” Calli slathered ketchup on her burger, immune to the despairing look Bae shot them.

“Then they made out for two,” Gura snickered, Bae joining in.

Kronii rolled her eyes, catching Calli’s gaze and pointedly looking in the other two’s direction. ”Can you believe them?”, her expression said, Calli managing to hold in a laugh before shaking her head.

“We can see you, you know,” Bae mock glared at Kronii, before darting in and almost snagging a bite out of Kronii’s sandwich.

“You have your own!”

Bae cackled, having managed to steal one of Kronii’s fries while they were distracted. “I desire chaos, darling,” They leaned forward, suddenly nose to nose with Kronii with an alluring grin on their face. “And I shall have it,”

“Really, in front of my salad?” Calli deadpanned, Gura almost choking on her food with laughter.

“Gura is sitting on your lap right now,” Bae pointed out, gesturing with another stolen fry.

“She’s really comfy!” Gura demonstrated by wiggling her butt, Calli’s face burning bright red.

“You’re even worse than us,” Kronii said, grabbing Bae’s hand when they tried to get another fry.

“But what if she’s right, Kronii?”

Kronii blinked at Bae, looking confused. “Eh?”

Bae smirked, already beginning to slide out of the booth. “If Calli’s lap is really that comfy, I need to go check. Only the best for this rat!”

Kronii’s face darkened, gently grabbing Bae’s wrist and pulling them onto their own lap.

“You have a perfectly fine one right here,” They growled out.

Bae hummed, tugging her own plate over for easier access. “This one is quite nice, I must admit.”

“Want to switch?” Gura offered.

Calli and Kronii spoke in unison, hands on their respective partner’s hips. “No.”

- - -

It was late, the sun already long gone and the traffic outside their home beginning to lessen, thankfully. Fauna yawned, huddled up against Bae as the fifth movie of their binging session began.

“I think I might head out,” She said sleepily, almost interrupted by another yawn.

“Aww, ok,” Bae pouted but still paused the movie and pressed a kiss to her cheek, Mumei leaning over Kronii’s sleeping form to press a kiss to Fauna’s other cheek.

“Sleep well,” Mumei said in her sweet voice, hand thumbing at Fauna’s collarbone, feeling the warmth and life thrum through her skin.

“Go to bed soon, ok?” Fauna got up and stretched, Kronii shifting and almost falling into Bae if it weren’t for Mumei snagging her waist. Miraculously, they did not wake up.

“Ok, mom,” Bae said, rolling her eyes goodnaturedly.

“Uh huh,” Fauna still pressed a kiss to their forehead, before slowly walking out of the living room, hearing the sounds of the movie resume behind her.

Warmth still clung to her form from Kronii and Bae cuddling her, but it was quickly dissipating in the cold hallway. Fauna hurried to their bedroom, slowing as she reached the door and opening it silently, knowing that Sana had left first and could be asleep. But Sana was still awake, looking up from her book at the sound of the door opening, sitting propped up and reading with the lamp’s dim light.

“So you were the second,” Sana said solemnly, closing her book on her thumb to save her place.

“I thought you had gone to sleep,” Fauna whispered, moving to the adjoined bathroom to brush her teeth, wincing as she stepped on the cold tile floor.

Sana shrugged, Fauna able to see her from the mirror as she started brushing her teeth.

“Movie was a bit loud, so I started reading the book Mumei got me,” She lifted it, but Fauna was unable to read the cover because of how the mirror distorted the words.

“It’s called ‘On the Moon’,” Sana explained at Fauna’s confused expression. “It’s all about the moon, basically,”

Fauna hummed through a mouthful of minty toothpaste, spitting it out and rinsing before turning off the bathroom light.

“That’s cool,” She said, shucking off her shirt and pants in one fluid motion, hearing Sana’s ‘eep’ and smirking, Sana unable to see her face. Fauna rummaged through her clothes, and ended up grabbing some simple flannel pants and one of Sana’s faded Nasa shirts, the material loose and soft on her as she padded over to the bed.

Sana was still blushing as she settled in next to her, cuddling into her side.

“Is that my shirt?” Sana poked Fauna’s shoulder, laughing at the glare she received.

“Yeah, it’s comfy,” Fauna pulled the covers back up, yawning as she rested her head on Sana’s shoulder.

“Can I read a bit with you?” Fauna asked as Sana opened up her book again.

“Of course,” Sana said, pressing a kiss to Fauna’s forehead and cuddling a bit closer.

“When did ‘Mei get this for you?” Fauna mumbled, trying to not get any of Sana’s hair in her mouth.

Sana hummed, turning the page when Fauna tapped the corner of the book. “A few months ago,”

Fauna frowned sleepily. “It took you that long to get to reading it?”

It was clear that in her sleepy haze Fauna didn’t fully see how worn the pages were, dogeared with a few stains that smelled of coffee and pasta. It was clearly a well loved book, Sana having read it many times before. She had settled in to read it again when she couldn’t sleep until Fauna came in.

Sana instead watched as Fauna’s eyes slowly began to flutter closed, her breath evening out and her head falling off Sana’s shoulder. When Sana was sure she was asleep, she turned off the lamp again, closing the book quietly and setting it on the bedroom table. She got out of bed as quietly as she could, looking up as the bedroom door creaked open once more.

Bae and Mumei entered the room while Sana was preparing for bed herself, the two of them practically carrying a dead on their feet Kronii. The three of them managed to get Kronii to brush her teeth and change, all of them piling onto the bed and saying their goodnights. Sana requested on sleeping next to Fauna on the edge this time, cuddling into her and wrapping an arm around her, falling asleep with the scent of the forest.

- - -

Mumei looked out the window with a frown on her face, still carrying the bag of food Fauna had prepared for their picnic. Her outfit was damp, the overalls she was wearing now cold and heavy on her small form. She sighed again, breathing out on the window pane and tracing out a sad face, watching as it faded away.

“Mumei,” Fauna called from the living room, Mumei turning and padding over.

Fauna was sitting on the couch, settled in the dress she was going to wear for their outing and with a blanket wrapped around herself. She grinned, eyes crinkling at the edges as she gestured for Mumei to sit next to her, a bowl of popcorn already sitting on the coffee table.

“What’s this?” Mumei asked, setting the bag down next to the bowl and slumping on the couch cushions. Her hair was a little damp as well, having gone outside to see for herself it was truly raining.

“Isn’t it obvious?” Fauna’s smile melted a little of Mumei’s sadness, the kirin leaning into Mumei’s side. “We’re going to have a date.”

Mumei blinked in confusion before a slow smile spread over her own face as she picked up what Fauna was putting down. She stood abruptly, Fauna staring as she watched Mumei run to their bedroom. She was gone for a few minutes before she returned, wearing a loose button up and shorts, carrying a folded up pair of pajamas for Fauna to change into.

“I’ll pick out the movies while you change?” Mumei put the clothes in Fauna’s arms before moving to the closet, pulling out a few extra blankets and pillows.

Fauna nodded, standing and moving to the bedroom, but she stopped in the hallway to watch Mumei work. She was so focused, brow furrowed in concentration as she fluffed up the pillows, layering the blankets, unpacking the bag and setting the sandwiches out along with the drinks. Mumei looked up when she felt Fauna’s stare, blinking curiously when she saw Fauna just staring at her with the kindest look in her eyes.

“What’re you looking at?” She asked, standing up from where she was hunched over inspecting their extensive dvd collection.

“Nothing,” Fauna said, before winking and resuming the walk to their room. “You look good in Kronii’s shirt!” She threw over her shoulder, snickering.

When Fauna came back, the living room looked incredible; the sandwiches were laid out nicely and so was Mumei, lying on her side atop the couch cushions with a flirty grin on her face.

“Come around here often?” Mumei tried to sit up, but almost slipped on one of the many blankets strewn over the soft couch surface. She face planted into the couch cushion with a yelp Fauna staring for a moment before breaking down laughing.

“Are you alright?” Fauna gasped for air as she stepped forward, checking to see if Mumei was ok.

“I’m all good,” Mumei laughed, blushing in embarrassment. She took Fauna’s hand, kissing the back of it gently. “Your seat, madame,” She said in a deep voice, gesturing to the couch.

“Why thank you,” Fauna sat down, watching Mumei flounder in her oversized clothing, fumbling with the television remote as the film started.

Mumei leaned against Fauna, the bowl of popcorn shared between them, bites taken out of their sandwiches every so often. When the first film finished, Fauna chose the second film, a nature documentary on the ocean. Mumei clung to her arm when the narrator talked about the unknown depths of the sea and how dark and cold it was there, the images of the deep sea life slightly unsettling to look at.

“Why are you scared, Mumei?” Fauna asked, rubbing her owl’s head comfortingly. “Gura lived there at some point and she’s fine,”

“But can you breathe underwater?” Mumei retorted, but calmed down a little, still holding onto Fauna.

Mumei yawned, eyes fluttering shut as Fauna set up another film. She was on the brink of sleep, but still tried her best to remain awake. Fauna sat back down next to her, having put on a black and white film and nestling into Mumei’s side. The owl rested her head on Fauna’s shoulder, neck bent at an uncomfortable angle.

“Are you tired Mumei?” Fauna asked in concern. “That’s not good for your neck if you fall asleep like that,”

Mumei smiled weakly, sitting up straight to stretch and roll her neck. “It’s alright, I’ll just stay awake,”

She did, managing to hold on for another hour before passing out, Fauna laughing softly as she saw Mumei’s sleeping face, shifting them slightly so Fauna’s head was propped up on a pillow. The movie continued playing on in the background as Mumei lay on Fauna’s chest, snoring lightly, the warm weight leading to the Fauna falling asleep within seconds from tiredness.

Kronii and Bae crept in an hour later, giggling before they shushed each other, hearing the sounds of a movie being played. The living room was lit, but when the two tiptoed in all they saw was Fauna and Mumei sleeping on the couch, Mumei nestled so close to Fauna that it seemed as if they were one.

- - -

The car was idling, various honks blaring out as Bae tapping the dashboard incessantly even as Fauna gave them the side eye. It continued on for a few minutes, their car rolling forward every so often but not enough to really make a difference.

“Can you please stop?” Fauna said finally, sighing in irritation. The groceries in the back of the car were thawing, and traffic was so bad that they had been sitting here wasting gas for more than half an hour.

“I’m sorry,” Bae sighed, and Fauna blinked at how easily they had dropped it. She shot a glance out of the corner of her eye again, watching as Bae gloomily leaned against the window and tried to stare over the cars to see the buildings surrounding the road.

“You okay?”

“Mhmm,” Bae looked forward as the car moved for a couple of paces before stopping, a smile blooming on her face before falling away as she looked out the window again.

Fauna hummed, looking at Bae in suspicion before making up her mind. When there was space to roll forward again, Fauna swerved right into a shopping mall, Bae yelping at the sudden movement.

“Wha’s going on?” They asked, sounding like they were close to falling asleep as Fauna maneuvered through the parking lot. She pulled into a gas station, shutting off the car and unbuckling her seat belt to fully turn towards Bae.

“Ok, what do you want?” Fauna waited patiently for Bae’s brain to boot up.

“Want what?”

Fauna smiled, pushing at Bae’s arm gently. “We’re doing a junk food run, obviously,”

Bae nodded slowly. “Yes. Obviously,”

Fauna rolled her eyes. “Just tell me what you want,”

“I’ll take pocky if they have them,” Bae said slowly, staring off into space as she thought, counting out on her fingers. “Uhh, some oreos, and a few goldfish,”

Fauna snickered, typing something on her phone. “You have the taste palate of a child,”

“You said junk food!” Bae slumped in her seat, staring sullenly at the bug stained windshield.

“I’m sorry,” Fauna tried, Bae simply turning away and ‘hmphing’.

“I love you,”

“Cheap tricks,” Bae grumbled, but still gave Fauna a peck before she slid out of the car.

“Wait!” Fauna turned, Bae rolling down the window. “What am I supposed to do while you're gone?” They asked.

“It’s only ten minutes, babe,” Fauna smiled, looking at the time on her phone as she got out of the car. “Just do what do you usually do when I'm gone,”

“I wait for you to come back,” Bae said simply.

“Oh,” A flower bloomed in Fauna’s hair, the kirin leaning through the window to give Bae another chaste kiss. “That’s sweet,”

“The sweetest rat for you,” Bae grinned, Fauna waving as she walked into the gas station. “Don’t forget my Oreos!”

It was two minutes before Bae broke, squirming out of the car seat and locking it behind her, sprinting into the gas station and frantically looking for Fauna. She found her in the sweets aisle, looking between the different oreo flavors.

“Why are you here?” Fauna asked, standing up from where she was inspecting the lower boxes.

“I missed you,” Bae shuffled in place, looking at the dirty floor.

“Aww,” Fauna teased, turning back to the display and grabbing a regular oreo bag. “My needy little Bae-by,”

“I hate you,” Bae grumbled, but she clung to Fauna’s side, following her around the store.

“What did Sana say she wanted?” Fauna asked, Bae pulling out her phone to check.

Bae sighed. “All she said was, “My girlfriends. Sad emoji. Crying emoji. Clown emoji. Sad emoji again. Then,”

“I get it,” Fauna laughed, tapping her hip. “My phone’s been buzzing nonstop.”

“They miss us,” Bae murmured, grabbing a slushy cup and filling it up with a cherry and coke swirl, Fauna grimacing slightly at the flavor combo.

“I miss them,” Fauna looked sad for a moment, as she grabbed a klondike bar out of the freezer, the plastic bag she had grabbed out of the car starting to look especially heavy.

“But when we come back with gifts…” Bae waved the large slushy cup they were holding around, an infectious grin on their face.

“Kronii won’t kill us,” Fauna said solemnly, Bae laughing as they made their way to the cash register.

“Exactly,” The rat winked as they started scanning their items. “It’s for the good of the two of us.”

They managed to get everything settled, Bae sipping at her slushy while Fauna stole occasional sips as she drove, wincing at the brain freezes she got at times from overindulging.

“Thanks,” Bae said after a bit, when the street they lived on was in sight.

“For what?” Fauna asked, pulling into the driveway and turning off the car. With the engine silent, the car felt emptier, but still full with the two of them.

“Thanks for cheering me up, I needed it,” Bae gulped down her slushy so she wouldn’t have to say anything more, a bright blush on her face.

“Anytime Bae-by,” Fauna grinned, as their front door flew open and Kronii, Sana, and Mumei rushed out. “Anytime,”

- - -

Mumei sighed, lying on their huge bed and staring at the ceiling. This was a position she had seen Kronii in a lot, so she decided to try it out for herself. Mumei didn’t know why they did it though, and honestly it was kind of boring so she amused herself with finding shapes and faces in the white paint, blowing at the dust visible in sunbeams.

She was falling asleep soon enough, the bed incredibly comfortable and a late night before pulling her eyelids down until Mumei heard footsteps in the hallway. The bedroom door creaked open, Sana peeking her head in.

“What’re you doin’ Mei?” She asked, wandering in and sitting on the bed.

Mumei shrugged, rolling on her side to look at Sana. “Dunno,” She fingered the creases in the bedspread; light blue, Kronii had picked them out for the week.

Sana hummed, lying down as well so that she was facing the owl, her hand reaching out to gently take Mumei’s. Sana’s hands were quite large, fingers long and dextrous, while Mumei’s were small with shorter fingers. Sana pressed her hand palm to palm with Mumei’s, a crease forming between her brow as she inspected the size difference with a serious gaze. Mumei smiled as she watched Sana lean down to inspect the lines on her palm, knowing how Sana got sometimes and simply going with the flow.

She lay there watching Sana, feeling joy warm her heart and considering this to be a much better time consuming activity than staring at the ceiling. Sana finally stopped her inspections, pulling back with a huff but still holding Mumei’s hand. Now it was the owl’s turn, Mumei circling Sana’s wrist with two fingers and taking her pulse, feeling how Sana’s heartbeet picked up at her touch. It made her grin, had Mumei leaning forward and pressing a kiss to the inside of Sana’s wrist.

“Another?” Sana puckered up her lips, making kissy noises as Mumei looked back up, now absentmindedly tracing Sana’s knuckles with her thumb.

“That’s what you want me to be doing, I bet,” Mumei accused, plafully pushing at Sana’s shoulder.

“I’ve been told kissing me is a perfectly enjoyable passtime, I have been rated five stars,” Sana grinned, poking Mumei’s forehead in retaliation.

“I don’t trust the customer,” Mumei raised an eyebrow. “I’d like to meet them,”

“Fauna isn’t here right now,”

Mumei rolled her eyes, cuddling into Sana a bit. “Is that why you’re bothering me?”

“I’m bothering you?” Sana asked, probably aiming for a flighty tone but hurt leaked through all the same.

“No, you’re not,” Mumei inhaled, Sana’s scent of baking bread and cinnamon always a comforting one to the owl. “I enjoy talking to you,”

“Oh,” Sana softened, her tense shoulders easing as Mumei wrapped her arms around her waist, nuzzling into her neck. “Glad to hear it,”

“Can I have a kiss?” Mumei asked, voice slightly muffled.

“I thought you didn’t want one,”

Mumei whined, pulling away to look Sana in the eyes, taking her face in her hands. “Please?”

“Mmm,” Sana tapped her chin. “Nah,”

“Please?”

“Why?”

“Because I want one?” Mumei squirmed up the bed so her face was level with Sana’s. “Didn’t you want one too?”

“That was in the past,” Sana said, adopting a mournful look. “I have moved past such things,”

“If you move on from things that quickly, I’m scared of what’ll happen when you leave,” Mumei chuckled, but the joke fell flat.

“Why would I leave?” Sana smoothed Mumei’s hair back, tucking it behind the owl’s ear.

“I dunno,” Mumei curled in on herself slightly, making her body even smaller somehow. “Just, a thought I guess,”

“Well, that’s a horrible thought,” Sana declared. “No more thinking for you,”

“I don’t think there’s much thinking going on anyway,” Mumei giggled. “But alright,”

Sana smiled, pressing her forehead against Mumei’s and bringing her close. “Perfect, that’s you,”

Mumei blinked rapidly, blushing. “Huh?”

Sana chuckled, eyes half lidded as she ran her fingers through Mumei’s hair tenderly. “You’re amazing, Nanashi Mumei,” Sana kissed her then, Mumei sighing a little as she did and having to pull away to breathe. “I am glad to have met you,”

“I’m glad to have met you too, Tsukumo Sana,” Mumei smiled. “Now kiss me again?”

“As you command,” Sana breathed out. And she did.

- - -

“Bae, did you even check to see if we had everything?” Sana walked around the kitchen, counting all the ingredients set out and referencing the online recipe as she did. Bae sat on the counter, legs dangling as she watched Sana work.

“Of course I did, I had to buy it all!” Bae pouted, sliding off the counter to grab Sana’s wrist, pulling her close so she could look her in the eyes. “Do you not trust me?”

Sana gently pushed them away, having counted everything on their list and so poured the yeast into the warm water. “I don’t, but I do trust Fauna and she was with you,”

“Favoritism,” Bae grumbled, mixing the dry ingredients together.

“What was that?” Sana turned from where she was setting up the oven, her hands on her hips with a raised eyebrow.

“Nothing!” Bae grinned at her until she looked away, letting out a silent sigh of relief before resuming the task.

It went by quickly, the dough fully mixed together and put in the bowl to rise, Sana pulling out her phone to check something over again.

“Sana, is your name really just NASA spelled differently?” Bae wondered, now sitting upside down in one of the kitchen chairs.

“I’m not answering that,” Sana looked at the bowl of dough, shaking her head when it hadn’t risen to the required height and resumed pacing around the kitchen.

“Okay,” Bae looked around the kitchen, wiping off a stray bit of flour on the countertop. Sana seemed distant today, impatiently looking at her phone and at the bowl.

When the dough had finally risen to its proper height, Sana had Bae knead it, the rat rolling it a little sloppily but it got the job done. The dough went into a pan then into the heated oven, Sana slumping into a kitchen chair and wiping off a bit of flour that got on her cheek.

“Why are you so worried?” Bae asked, sitting opposite her, immediately sliding down the chair until she could rest her chin on the table’s surface.

“I just want it to come out nice, you know?” Sana shrugged helplessly, tapping the tabletop.

“Just chill, Sana!” Bae grinned, sliding a pepper shaker over and winking at Sana’s confused stare. “If it comes out nice, it comes out nice. You put it together well, now it’s in the oven’s hands,”

“Somehow, that made sense,” Sana blinked, putting her chin in her hands as she watched Bae fiddle with the salt shaker. “I can’t believe it came from you,”

“I got it from one of those inspirational quote sites,” Bae poured some salt into her palm, licking it and making a face. “You know, the ones with the sentence that makes no sense with a background image of a sunset?”

“Oh yeah, those,” Sana nodded, finally having stopped tapping.

“What’re you going to do with the bread anyways?” Bae wiped the salt off, pouring some pepper into her hand and trying that as Sana stared with the indescribable look of one who was forced to see someone else do something stupid.

“Eat it, obviously,” Sana looked at the oven timer, grimacing at the ten minute display.

“How cottagecore of ya,” Bae got up, moving to the other side of the table to sit in Sana’s lap, looking up at the taller with a smile. “You going to bake me bread now?”

“What, like it’s my job?”

Bae threaded her fingers through Sana’s hair, fingering the silkyness of the strands and smelling the faintest scent of Kronii’s shampoo waft from it. “No, I was just wondering if this was now a thing,”

“Oh,” Bae felt Sana’s tenseness fade slightly, the body underneath her losing some tension.

“Are you alright?” Bae asked seriously, hand cupping the side of Sana’s face so she would look at her.

“Mh,” Sana shrugged, hand taking Bae’s own and squeezing it lightly. “Just stressed for no reason,”

“Huh,” Bae leaned back a little, almost falling off Sana’s lap.

The timer on the oven beeped, Bae getting off Sana so she could go and get it, putting on oven mitts to pull the pan out.

“It looks really good!” Bae stared over Sana’s shoulder, smiling at their finished product.

“It does actually,” Sana poked it with a toothpick, when it came out clean she gave a small fist pump. “Alright!”

“But does it taste good?” Bae reached out with a fork before Sana slapped their hand away.

“Let me cut you a slice first,”

Bae raised their hands up, shaking their head with a chuckle. “Alright, alright, bread enthusiast,”

Sana rolled her eyes, grabbing a knife and cutting a slice, putting it on a plate and handing it to Bae. “It’s not my fault you’re a barbarian,”

Bae took a bite of the fluffy bread slice, making a high pitched noise and wincing.

“It’s that bad?” Sana said despairingly, glaring at the innocent bread loaf that lay cooling on the counter.

“No, no,” Bae gasped for air, quickly grabbing a cup and filling it with water, downing it in a few gulps. “It was just hot, really hot,” They eyed the piece of bread that lay on the plate with a bite taken out of it. “It’s really good, don’t worry,”

“Oh thank god,” Sana breathed out, picking up and blowing on it to cool it, before taking a bite. “It does taste good,” She said through a mouthful.

Bae grinned, punching Sana’s shoulder gently. “Told you so. Will you bake bread for me now?” They made a pleading face as Sana scoffed.

“This question again?” Sana pushed Bae’s face away in retaliation with a small grin.

“I can’t ask my wife to make bread for me?”

Sana spluttered, cheeks warming as Bae chuckled at her reaction. “Wife?,”

“Yeah!” Bae leaned on Sana, kissing her cheek. “I wanna call you my wife,”

“Shut up,” Sana grumbled, pushing Bae away again and turning away, but she was grinning and Bae knew it.

- - -

The club was loud, Mumei sticking to Bae as they weaved through the crowd. The rat was wearing a dapper suit; a maroon coat over a simple gray button up they had probably stolen from Kronii’s closet, paired with gray slacks. Mumei had been sitting on the couch when Bae had walked in with the outfit and a smile, asking if she wanted to go out. They sat down together at the bar, Bae ordering for the two of them.

“This place is nice,” Mumei said, looking around. She smoothed out her skirt, thanking Bae as she took her drink and sipped at it.

“It is,” Bae reached out, carefully untying Mumei’s messy tie and fixing it with a smile. “Did you ask Sana to do it?”

“Yeah,” Mumei said sheepishly, watching as Bae’s deft fingers easily looped the tie around and ended it with a neat knot.

“You want to go dance?” Bae asked, taking Mumei’s hand once they noticed that her drink was finished and she once again was having the faint verneer of discomfort crawl over her face.

“Sure,” Mumei let herself be dragged along to the dance floor, smiling at Bae’s wide grin.

“Ok, so my hand goes on your waist,” Bae did so, moving Mumei’s hand to their shoulder as they gripped the other.

“Bae, this is a waltz,”

“And?” Bae smiled as they started doing a simple number, totally out of place with the EDM music they played here.

“Nevermind,” Mumei giggled, leaning in to rest her head on Bae’s shoulder as they swayed together.

“Feeling better?” Bae asked, a few other people in the room staring at the duo.

“Yeah,” Mumei hummed, breathing in and frowning. “Did you steal Kronii’s cologne?”

Bae was silent. “Maybe,”

Mumei sighed, a smile on her face as she smoothed out Bae’s collar, dipping them in a smooth movement that had them clutching for her neck. “You took their shirt and their cologne?”

“I asked!” Bae protested as they twirled Mumei, watching as her hair floated around her shoulders at the motion.

“Uh huh,”

“I take you out and I’m treated like this?” Bae grumbled, as the song shifted to something much more fitting for a waltz.

“Thank you for taking me out, Baelz,” Mumei said sweetly, pecking their cheek.

“Oh, uh,” They cleared their throat, looking up at the ceiling and blinking rapidly at the flashing lights. “Yeah, of course,”

Suddenly, Mumei bumped into another couple, stumbling a little. “Oh, sorry,”

“Watch where you’re going,” The other person said rudely, taking their partner and moving away quickly.

Mumei shrunk in on herself, Bae snarling and holding her close, eyes flashing with energy as the lights in the room flickered, the music replaced by harsh static. People shrieked as glasses shattered in hands, lights turning a ghostly red as the shadows in the room swirled as if they were deep, dark water.

“Bae, Bae,” Mumei cradled Bae’s face in her hands. “Are you alright?”

Bae blinked, the red glow fading as she focused on Mumei. “Oh, yeah,” She looked around as if in a haze, realizing the damage. “Was this me?” Bae asked.

“It’s alright,” Mumei soothed when they started looking guilty, ears folding flat against their head. “Do you want to go?” Bae nodded, letting herself be led outside.

It was pouring, a few other people having the same idea as them but heading back inside once they realized the extremity of the weather. Mumei smiled at Bae, gripping their wrist as they tugged them into the downpour. It helped; the cool raindrops on Bae’s face helping knock her out of the daze she was in.

“Come on!” Mumei held onto Bae as she ran along the sidewalk, ducking under dripping awnings and yelling happily as she tried to dodge raindrops and failed miserably.

Bae followed, grinning as they watched their vision of a girlfriend dance in the rain.

“Do you just want to go grab something?” Bae yelled as they ran, trying to be heard over car honks and the rain.

“Yeah, sure!” Mumei was soaked when they managed to find refuge under a bus stop, Bae pulling out her phone to search up local places.

“How do you feel about pizza?” Bae asked, looking up to see Mumei looking at them with a tender gaze.

“I love you,” She said softly, hair dripping as she brought Bae into a hug.

“I love you too,” Bae patted her back, grinning even though the front of her shirt, which was damp beforehand, became wet.

“Yes to the pizza, by the way,” Mumei said, moving away but still holding Bae close.

“Alright, my love,” Bae gestured in the direction the map showed. “Let’s be on our way,”

“This is a much better date than I expected it to be,” Mumei said as they walked along, the rain slowing slightly.

“Are you saying my taste in clubs is horrible?” Bae asked.

“Yes,” Mumei looked them in the eyes before giggling. “It was alright,”

“Oh thank god, I felt so guilty right then,”

“Uh huh,” Mumei held Bae’s hand, even though her fingers were freezing.

“Oh, I forgot,” Bae shrugged off her coat, handing it to Mumei.

“I’m fine,” Mumei waved it off, bumping her shoulder against Bae’s.

“But aren’t you cold?” Bae asked.

“I’m with you,” Mumei grinned. “I’ll be fine,”

Bae raised an eyebrow but still took it back, the two of them walking into the restauraunt soaking wet. Mumei ended up with a cold the next day.

“I told you so,” Bae said as she spoonfed her soup, holding a cool hand against her forhead.

“Worth it,” Mumei grinned.

- - -

“Has Bae not come back yet?” Fauna called to where Kronii and Mumei were messing around in the living room.

“No,” Kronii pushed Mumei away when she tried to tackle them, suddenly pulling on a responsible act. “I’ll go check on the door if she needs help,”

“I can do that!” Mumei piped up, trying to press kisses to Kronii’s face in apology while the other scoffed and pushed her away.

“Both of you go!” Sana yelled, walking out of the kitchen waving a soup stained ladle. “Unless you want to meet the mean end of this.”

Both Kronii and Mumei yelped, scampering out the door like a couple of noisy kids, noisy kids that were her girlfriends Sana shook her head as she went back into the kitchen to help Fauna.

“Bae back yet?” Fauna asked, checking the meat in the oven.

“Not yet,” Sana stirred the soup, spooning a bit of it and holding it out for Fauna to have a taste.

“It’s good!” Fauna’s eyes lit up, licking her lips and kissing Sana on the cheek. “Nice job,”

“Thanks!” Sana grinned, flicking the ladle around flippantly and almost got soup all over the table.

“I shouldn’t have said anything,” Fauna groaned as Sana scurried to clean up the flecks.

“But without your praise, how can I go on?” Sana pouted, leaning against the counter.

“You’ll be fine,”

“Says you,” Sana watched as Fauna took the roast out, placing it on the counter to cool as she busied herself with the salad.

“You can take a break,” Sana took Fauna’s hand, the kirin finally looking her in the eyes as sweat dripped down her forehead.

“But Bae still hasn’t brought the bread yet-”

“I can take care of it,” Sana soothed, pulling a chair out and helping Fauna sit down, handing her a glass of water with a kind smile. “Just take a breather,”

Fauna sighed, sipping slowly as she watched Sana take over. “Alright,” She sounded vaguely irritated at the loss of her domain, but still gazed at Sana with appreciative eyes.

“I’m home!” Bae shouted, stumbling through the front door laden with bags. “Kronini and ‘Mei are gettin’ the rest!”

Sana waved a hand through the kitchen doorway to acknowledge them, Kronii and Mumei walking through the door a few seconds after.

“I got the drinks, I got your bread for you Fauna,” Bae took out every item they had named and placed it on the already crowded table, Mumei putting the drinks in the fridge to cool as Sana grabbed the bread to apply the garlic butter. Kronii dragged Sana back to the living room once she was done, Mumei following along.

“Guess what Fauna,” Bae winked, pulling out a large covered platter. “I brought cake,”

Fauna smiled, standing up from her chair and taking the cake, managing to find a place for it in the already packed fridge. “You didn’t need to buy dessert,” She said softly, leaning down to kiss Bae.

“Well,” Bae said with a grin. “I can’t depend on your kisses to be my sweets tonight,”

Fauna laughed, rubbing the tip of one of Bae’s velvety ears. “You flirt,”

“We can hear you!” Sana yelled from the other room. “You two are being gross,”

“You made out with Mumei yesterday, shaddup!” Bae yelled back, before turning to Fauna and smiling. “Do you want to go be gross in front of them?”

“I would love to,”

Bae ended up sitting next to Fauna as they ate because of it, Kronii on the opposite side of the table as Mumei sat diagonal to her, the farthest away. She was chattering away with Sana about the bread she and Bae had baked, the result now sitting sliced on the table with a little garlic butter on it. Bae frowned into her soup.

“You going to keep on making eyes at Mumei or are you going to do something?” Kronii tapped her spoon against the side of Bae’s bowl when they didn’t answer, the rat jumping slightly and turning to them.

“Huh?”

Kronii rolled their eyes goodnaturedly, reaching out with a thumb to wipe away a fleck of soup from Bae’s mouth. “You going to go kiss Mumei or what?”

Bae gaped for a moment before making a determined face. “Do you know what?” They stood abruptly, the others looking up at them. “I will!”

“You will what?” Mumei asked as Bae walked over, their determined expression weakening as they reached Mumei.

Mumei stared up at Bae, looking confused as Bae put a hand on the table to prop themselves up as they leaned down.

“Can, can I kiss you?” They asked, suddenly bashful and looking away.. Mumei grinned, nodding and threading her fingers into Bae’s ponytail to turn them back towards her before kissing them gently.

Kronii whooped, standing and moving to sit in Bae’s seat. “Took you long enough.”

Bae sat next to Mumei for the rest of dinner, Fauna leaning into Kronii’s side as she reached her third glass of wine.

“Ok, that’s enough,” Sana took the bottle and glasses away, handing Fauna a glass of water as she started cleaning up.

“Let me help you,” Kronii said as Mumei and Bae led a tipsy Fauna to the living room and settling her on the couch.

“Thanks,” Sana pecked Kronii on the lips, the time warden stuttering with a lovesick grin on their face as Sana laughed.

“Movie or Monopoly?” Fauna asked once all of them were in the living room; Kronii sitting on the armchair as Sana, Fauna, Mumei, and Bae all sat on the cramped couch.

“I’m too stuffed to beat up Kronii when she cheats,” Bae said, standing as Mumei sleepily directed them to sit on Kronii’s lap so they could all fit on the couch.

“I don’t cheat!” Kronii groaned as Bae plopped down on their lap, cuddling into their side as Mumei rested her head on their shoulder.

“You don’t cheat when we can see,” Sana went to pop a film disc in, seeing that Monopoly was out of the question.

“Just get good then,” Mumei told Kronii sleepily, to an outraged gasp from them.

“The disrespect in this household,” They said shaking their head glumly, Bae patting Kronii’s cheek and kissing them.

“I respect you,” Bae said, nuzzling into Kronii’s neck as her tail flicked happily.

“Thanks, but it doesn’t mean much,” Kronii sighed as Bae crossed her arms.

Their retort wasn’t able to be heard as the opening theme for the film blared out, Sana apologizing as she turned the volume down. They were halfway through a second film when Mumei started flirting with Fauna shamelessly, tiredness putting her in an almost drunk state.

“You’re so pretty, Fauna,” Mumei mumbled, kissing Fauna’s neck as the kirin’s cheeks ignited, the owl trying to climb into Fauna’s lap as Bae held her back.

“I know I’m about space and all that, but I want kisses too,” Sana pouted, leaning into Fauna’s side to get closer to Mumei.

“Did you miss us, Sanana?” Bae teased as Mumei hummed and leaned even farther over, hand on Fauna’s thigh as she kissed Sana, mouthing down her neck.

“Ok, that’s enough,” Kronii pulled Mumei away from where she was nibbling at Sana’s collarbone. “Time for bed,”

Mumei whined at the loss of kisses, but hummed happily when Sana picked her up, kissing at her exposed neck as Sana carried her to their room. Fauna and Kronii followed as Bae neatened up the couch a little before joining them, entering their room to the sight of Mumei poking Sana’s cheeks as she tried to get Mumei to brush her teeth.

They piled onto the bed, Fauna spooning Kronii as Bae and Mumei sandwiched Sana between them. Mumei was out like a light, snoring as she glomped onto Sana’s side, Bae being not much better as she lay splayed out on her back, one hand atop Sana’s chest holding Mumei’s and the other holding Kronii.

“Are you still awake?” Fauna said softly, Kronii shifting and murmuring an acknowledgment. The others were fast asleep, the two of them the only ones still up.

“Today was nice,” Fauna cuddled in a little closer, breathing in Kronii’s scent as she nosed the nape of their neck.

“It was,” Kronii said gruffly, thankful that they were facing away so Fauna couldn’t see their flushed face.

“Good night, Kronii,”

Kronii rolled over so she was facing Fauna, pressing a kiss to her forehead and holding her close.

“Good night,”

And sleep took them.