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"U-Uhm..."
"What~?"
Iroha blushed, staring right into Komugi's face just a handspan away from hers. It was bedtime and she was looking forward to a good night's rest, until Komugi insisted that she slept with her owner in her human form instead of her dog form. Only now did Iroha contemplate the idea of sleeping together with her pet; the very thought of it evaporated all urge to sleep. Komugi, meanwhile, smiled from ear to ear.
"I've wanted to sleep with you like this for sooooo long~"
"Why, though...? You already do so sometimes... You don't have to-"
"But I'm a human now! And look at all this space! I knew it would be able to fit both of us."
Iroha looked away. At least Komugi agreed to keep their voice down amid their obvious excitement. They've been peas in a pod since they met and did everything together. Yet, Iroha could've never expected her pet dog to be this chatty and this clingy with her owner as a human. The non-stop hugging had always made her smile, but at that moment, she could only sigh.
"What's wrong?"
"N-Nothing. I'm just not used to sharing the bed with you."
"What do you mean? We've been sleeping together since forever."
"Not like this...! Gosh, is this really what I have been doing for all this time...?"
"Uh-huh, and I'm happy with it!" Komugi giggled, "I love being so close to you."
Iroha shivered. The redness on her cheeks was almost visible in the darkened room. "L-Let's just sleep normally. Like we always do."
Komugi raised an eyebrow. She shrugged and complied, putting her hands in front of her face as her eyes began to close. She twisted and turned slightly in her sleep. The blanket was nowhere near as warm as she remembered. Slowly, she began to scooch closer to her companion. Then she put an arm around them and shuffled even closer. She tried to slip her other arm under them, but every time she tried, Iroha would turn her body, or peel them off her somehow. It was the only hope she had to sleep without suffocating from being grabbed. However, Komugi didn't give up; she had dreamed about this moment, and she was going to get her way.
"Komugi... Stop..."
"No, I don't wanna..."
"Just go to sleep...!"
"I can't~ Not yet~"
Iroha turned back with a groan. She opened her eyes slightly; Komugi was about to hug again. Iroha pushed their hand away, and Komugi slapped back against her defence. What should be a snuggle turned into a struggle between the two sleepy girls.
"Come on, lemme hug!"
"No! I can't sleep if you do!"
"We do it all the time!"
"Turn back into your dog form first!"
"I want to do it properly!"
"Not now, Komugi...!"
"Why...?!
"Just no!"
Iroha covered her mouth, realising she had raised her voice. Almost immediately, footsteps rang from outside. Both girls fell silent. Komugi immediately turned back into a dog and hid under the blanket; Iroha immediately tried to fake snoring, totally awoken by the quarrel. Seconds later, a knock came from outside. "Iroha?" It was the teenager's mom. A brief pause, and then she said, "She must be dreaming. I could've sworn she was talking to somebody..." The voice trailed off.
Once the coast was clear, Komugi breathed a sigh of relief and turned back into a human. Iroha's eyes shot open. "Komugi! We almost got caught!" She scolded in a whisper.
"Yeah," Komugi pouted, "Because you yelled at me! Why did you do that?!"
"Because! Personal space!" Iroha retorted, eyes narrowing from trying to keep her voice hushed. "You're a human now- a young girl like me! We're not supposed to get this close with each other!!"
"Ehhhhh~? I don't understand!"
"I'm not comfortable with this; that's all you need to know!"
Iroha leaned close and gave a stare. Komugi growled, grinding her forehead against Iroha's. After a bit more grumbling and pushing back and forth, they both let out a hmph and faced away from each other. However, it didn't take long for Iroha to frown at how childish the whole ordeal was. Not being able to see her dearest companion before ending the day hurt her more than anything; they were right there beside her, too.
Iroha sighed, rolling over.
"Komugi?"
"Hmph!"
"I'm sorry... I was just embarrassed..."
Komugi’s puffy cheeks deflated. She rolled over too, looking at Iroha with a sniff. She may be a human, but those puppy eyes were still as adorable as ever. "Komugi," Iroha said, "I don't want to tell you this, but-"
"Mm-mm," They shook their head slightly. "I should listen to you, too. So... Humans don't like snuggles?"
"W-Well... Maybe some do," Iroha giggled, "But, sometimes, if it goes too far, it gets really weird. I was worried you might do that since you love hugging me so much. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings..."
"I see... I'm sorry too."
Komugi looked at the pillow under her head, frowning as she held her friend's hand. Then, Iroha reached over and gave them a warm embrace. If Komugi was in her dog form, her tail would've been wagging like crazy. Her face brightened up more than the stars in the night sky outside the window. When they let go, she couldn't resist nuzzling Iroha's hand.
"If you want to hug, we can. Just don't go overboard."
"Really? Oooooooh~ I'll hug you until I completely fall asleep, and I'll turn back into a dog."
"Okay. Remember- Gently, okay?"
"Wan!"
The two first held hands, before they slowly reached over to hug each other. They exchanged pats and light rubs on the back, Komugi in particular sighing in utter relaxation. Iroha giggled, unknowingly giving a slight squeeze herself, which was promptly matched by her friend.
"I love you, Iroha."
"I love you too, Komugi."
Friendship restored, both girls drifted off to dreamland.