Work Text:
"The more that you say,
The less I know.
Wherever you stray,
I follow."
- Willow, Taylor Swift
"Komugi."
Silence filled the dimly lit room as the woman's snickering came to a halt. They'd only decided to go to bed about twenty minutes ago, after finally finishing up their last round of Gungi for the night. Meruem wasn't one to rest much, he had no need to since it didn't hinder him. But the recent change of Komugi allowing him to lay beside her at night had wavered him, something deep inside him urging him to continue to join her in bed every night since. It pleased him to do so. However, this laughing issue had been pestering him. He had no idea why she could not stop it tonight. He didn't understand what she was finding so humorous, nothing was happening around them nor had he said anything to provoke such a reaction from her.
"Sorry Lord Meruem," she tried to say seriously but there was evidence of a giggle in there. "It's just so difficult tha' not laugh when it's so quiet, ya know?"
The former king glanced quizzically at the woman beside him. "No, I don't. What is so humorous about the quiet?"
"Oh, well," she mused for a moment. Her unseeing eyes were open, and she hummed in thought, thinking of the words to say. "S' hard to explain, it's just a feeling you get!"
"How do you achieve this feeling? There has to be some form of action happening to provoke a reaction like this from you."
"Not really, sometimes ya just have to let it out. I remember this one time when I was just a little girl that my big brother couldn't stop laughing at bedtime and I couldn't help but laugh with him!"
She smiled at the fond memory, before grimacing slightly. "Well, we did get in trouble from mother and father not long after but tha' isn't important!"
"Trouble?" Meruem questioned, one eyebrow raising in concern. "For what reason would you deserve scolding for that? Laughter is a sign of enjoyment, is it not?"
"It is..." Komugi nervously began. "I didn't always understand why my parents reacted the way they did."
Meruem wanted to take the topic at hand further, but he could sense her hesitation to continue. Her eyebrows were knitted together anxiously, and her thumbs fiddled together. He knew she was probably worried about bringing the mood down. She'd told him stories before, stories of what things had been like for her back at her old home. He had never been more bewildered to hear the many excuses she seemed to make for those people. He had also not expected her to break out into tears every time the topic was brought up, something even she didn't understand. She had said she loved her family, and wasn't sure why they made her sad. The sense of guilt from upsetting her would eat away at him, although she had reassured him he was not the cause of her tears during those moments. However he still felt a sense of responsibility for mentioning them to begin with. He had only hoped to know her some more, to learn about how she became the intelligent and triumph player he knew today.
Silence filled the room again, and he had dreaded that he may have upset her. Until she laughed again.
"Well anyway, sometimes you just have these funny little jitters and you need to let them out! It's hard to contain 'em when it's quiet!"
Meruem thought for a moment, his mind piecing together a reply. "I don't find logic in that. Tell me, Komugi, and honestly. Were you perhaps laughing at me?"
Komugi sat up immediately, her small hands waving around feverishly in defensive. "Of course not! I wasn't laughing at you, Lord Meruem! Never!"
Meruem grinned, before reaching his larger hand out to wrap around one of hers. "I know that. And drop the honorific."
"You haven't beat me at Gungi yet..." she pointed out shyly, and sunk back down into the bed beside him. "That was the deal!"
"I know that."
"You know everything, Lord Meruem." She laughed again, but quieter and more full of sincerity.
Meruem hummed in agreement, albeit knowing it wasn't true, before closing his eyes. He was too focused on his hand that remained intertwined with hers to care that he had repeated what he had said just moments beforehand. He could feel the warmth radiating from her form, and a sense of calmness rushed through his body, and after a moment his brain began to slowly switch off, making him lose track of time and coherent thoughts. He assumed he must've been falling asleep, his grip on Komugi's hand loosening slightly from his muscles relaxing. He wasn't sure how long he'd been laying there for, but he assumed it had at least been long enough for him to drift off.
That was, until he heard a small giggle again, pulling him from his moment of rest.
Groaning irritably, Meruem looked to Komugi again. He knew she couldn't see him, but she had definitely heard the annoyance in his tone.
Komugi's cheeks were bright red, reminding him of the tomatoes he would use for the meals he made her. "I'm sorry, I can't stop!"
She laughed a little harder now, the sounds coming more from her belly and louder than the snickering from before. He stared at her blankly for a few moments, before he sighed and let out his own breathy laugh. "Why is it that I seem to want to sleep more than you?"
"I'm sorry, I'll calm down now," she said softly as her laughter slowed down.
Meruem grinned at her obedience, not because of any bad intentions, but because he knew she was being genuine. She did try when he asked things of her, but he admired that she also knew how to follow her own rules. Perhaps he had been frustrated some time ago, but nowadays he felt nothing but admiration and what he could only describe as warm and light. He couldn't put words to the second feeling, he was still learning. He had no doubt he will eventually figure it out, but for now it was enough to just feel it. She was special to him, that's all that mattered.
Things finally went quiet, Komugi's laughter finally dying down. Shifting slightly, Meruem uncoiled his tail beside himself and used it to reach the bedroom door, closing it to cut off the dim shine from the kitchen light they usually kept on.
"Did you feel it too?" She asked into the darkness, her hand still clutching his, something she was more acutely aware of now that it was silent and tension filled the air.
"Feel...what exactly?" Meruem questioned for what felt like the hundredth time tonight. Normally he would find annoyance in repetitiveness, but for her...it was just different. He had grown to find it quite endearing.
"You laughed," she spoke with a smile so bright and full of happiness. He noticed it. Of course he noticed it. "So you were full of jitters too?"
Meruem mused at her. "The only jitters I had is the only laying beside me. I found your actions humorous."
She hummed again, a little melody that meant she had acknowledged his response. She finally closed her eyes and yawned sleepily. Things became quiet again, her smaller body shifting to get comfortable in her bed that they shared. He wasn't thinking much when he moved to help tuck the blankets around her tighter, his tail sneakily moving to pull her closer. He didn't know if he was out of line, but the way she allowed him to pull her in was enough for him to gently hold her against him, his arms wrapping softly around her waist, careful not to frighten her. She curled in closer, her body relaxing softly. He assumed she must've been too tired to protest, and tell him she didn't deserve this nice treatment. She didn't deserve his gentle touch.
But that wasn't true. No, she'd been made to believe she didn't deserve that. She hadn't known the feeling of being held properly. Not that he knew exactly how to do it, but he had confidence he would excel in it the more he studied it and observed her reactions to the things he did. Sometimes she made him do things without even asking, he just felt compelled to do it. It was so foreign to him, something unknown. It wasn't unpleasant, however, it was quite the opposite. These moments where he acted irrationally and she didn't disapprove caused a swirl of emotions within him like a tidepool that he couldn't understand, but it only motivated him to learn more.
"Goodnight, Lord Meruem," she mumbled out tiredly.
"Yes. Goodnight." He repeated back to her, a lot less full of expression. But she understood his words were full of care, even if his tone didn't seem like it. It had taken her a while to get used to his rough surface, but it didn't change how she felt towards him. He made her feel safe, and loved. That was a big one for her. Most things were big for her. Even his small gestures were enough to make her flustered and antsy.
Tonight she would allow herself to indulge, feeling run down from her bursts of laughter earlier. Shuffling in closer, she allowed herself to be held. She was going to rest well tonight.