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“What’s that?”
Initially, Senti has trouble figuring out whether her wife is meaning to query about the massive fluffy plushie tucked under her arm, or the strawberry smoothie delicately gripped in her other hand.
Then she realizes that there could only be one thing that has caught Hua’s attention. Still, it’d be nice to have a little harmless fun. Thus she swirls the plastic takeaway cup in her hand and eyes it dramatically.
“Oh, this? A smoothie.”
Senti raises her drink in a toast and takes a long slurp, earning an exasperated chuckle from Hua. In the time it takes for her to slurp and swallow, Hua has already crossed the length of the house, taken the plushie from her, set it to one side and wrapped her arms around her.
“Welcome back.”
“Aw, it’s just been two hours.”
She searches for the straw with her lips to take another drink, but Hua gently takes the smoothie from her, places it on the shoerack and wipes the errant strawberry-pink stain from her lips with a thumb.
Ah, how weak she is against Hua when she does this sort of thing. Senti can barely restrain the little content whimper that threatens to leak from between her lips like the fruity aroma of her drink. Then she is in even more trouble when Hua leans in and lifts her chin with two delicate fingers.
“I’d rather you be tasting something else.”
“Your lips, or your lipstick?”
“Would I be lying if I said ‘lipstick’?”
“Yeah, probably.”
So Hua chuckles again, closing the distance and kissing her wife tenderly on the lips. They hold it there for a couple of seconds, then Senti disengages and pulls away. She is a little more focused on the plushie, the new thing that she just got hold of.
“So, are you going to tell me how you got that?”
“Mmm. In a minute.”
Senti mumbles as she fishes in the large paper bag that she had set down, emerging with a lightweight leather jacket. It is quite the striking piece of apparel, with an inner neon pink lining and complete with gold buttons, flashy sigils and a silver chain.
“Got my coat mended at the battlesuit designer.”
“Surely I could have helped you with that?”
“Nah.”
Senti peers past her wife at the open laptop, thin stack of documents, pens and half-drunk mug of tea.
“Didn’t want to bother you and your work. But as I was saying…”
The former Herrscher slings the jacket over her shoulder and retrieves the plushie from where it had been resting on the little folding stool that the couple always keep by the shoerack. It is truly quite a large thing, with Senti just being able to wrap her arms around it with her hands touching.
“I got the tailors to make a Piyo plushie for us.”
“A Piyo plushie?”
“Yeah, that’s...what it is.”
As she speaks, Senti cradles the oversized stuffed toy in her arms, running her hands along the smooth fuzzy coat, tugging lightly at the fluffy red “head feathers” and squeezing gently. A little flutter comes to Hua’s heart as she watches her wife play with the plushie, then reaches out for it.
“May I?”
“Yeah.”
Senti passes the fluffy thing over to her wife, then removes her shoes and moves past her in the direction of the living room. She patiently watches Hua turn the plushie over in her hands, guessing that perhaps old memories of halcyon days on Mount Taixuan are stirring up in her head.
“Why did you get this? I suppose it is adorable, but…”
“Um, as a substitute, I guess? When either of us aren’t around, the other can hug it for comfort.”
Hua turns to Senti, still cradling the plushie in her arms and with a wry smile on her face.
“Why not get plushies of us, then?”
Senti matches the smile with a sly smirk of her own, moving in close and taking the Piyo plushie away from Hua. She squeezes it a few times, nuzzles her face in the fuzzy coat, then places it aside and wraps her arms around the taller woman.
Well—taller by just a margin—but it is still something that Senti likes to take note of. Taller than her…the perfect height to give forehead kisses, the perfect height to be able to rest her head in the crook of her neck, the perfect height to feel sheltered and protected…
Senti shakes herself out of her reverie as she feels Hua’s lips gently touch her forehead, then her cheek. She gives a little contented sigh, nuzzling against Hua for a few moments before pulling away and turning away.
“Do I look like a narcissist to you?”
“From time to time, dear.”
Senti laughs and casts one more glance back; Hua has already picked up the Piyo plushie and is hugging it, rubbing her face in its fuzzy coat. She smiles and heads on her way – this was definitely a good investment.
Or – on second thought – perhaps it wasn’t such a good investment after all, Senti notes with some discontent. It has been several days since she brought the stuffed toy home, and several days since cuddles with her wife have been getting decidedly less in amount.
She is lying in bed, trying her best to focus on the distractions of social media and news – hoping that perhaps she’ll be able to forget the troubles on hand.
Ah, no good. Senti sets down her phone, considers rolling over to
She lies with her back to Hua, shooting little accusatory glances her way; glances that aren’t even registered, perhaps not even seen.
And why, some may ask, does Hua not catch her wife staring at her?
“Mmm…should we go back to Mt. Taixuan sometime soon?”
“Hmph. The Piyos can take care of themselves.”
“I know. It’s just that…can’t help but think of them.”
“Yeah, it’s not like you’re literally cuddling something that looks a hundred percent like ‘em.”
Aha. That got her attention. Senti silently celebrates her little victory, and yet a small measure of guilt bleeds into her consciousness as Hua finally turns to face her, the Piyo plushie momentarily forgotten and lying to one side.
That marginal guilt is only intensified as Hua reaches for her, widens her eyes slightly, then withdraws. It is almost as if the former Herrscher can see the cogs in her brain turning, the thoughts aligning in her head.
Then her wife’s expression turns downcast, sorrowful – an expression that Senti is very weak against – and she gives a small sigh.
“What…what’s wrong with you?”
“Hmm?”
“You’ve been so…so…”
Hua trails off, unable to find the right words. Moody might be putting it a bit too lightly – she has caught glimpses of the grumpy stares that Senti has been shooting her way these past few days. Hostile would be too harsh – after all, there’s no one that Senti loves more than her, and figuring out what is causing these snarky, biting remarks would certainly help.
Hua sighs, reaching out for Senti only for the former Herrscher to shut her eyes, give an almost-dramatic scoff and roll away from her. Now Hua is hurt, withdrawing her hand and letting it fall limply on the vacant sheets.
“I don’t know. But you’re not usually like this.”
“Yeah. It’s almost as if all your attention is focused elsewhere; not even a little for me.”
“I…I see.”
Hua casts her gaze back to the abandoned Piyo plushie, and then back to Senti’s turned back. Only now does she put two and two together, inching her way across the sheets and gingerly placing one gentle hand on her wife’s shoulder.
“Um…I’m sorry.”
“Sorry for what?”
Senti’s voice comes muffled by the pillow currently held tight in her arms, but Hua can detect the slightest hint of a smile amidst everything. A little shot of relief makes her sigh, and then without hesitation she moves in and wraps her arms tightly around her wife.
And as soon as Hua makes contact, Senti abruptly turns in place, leans forward and plants a kiss on her jaw. Taking advantage of her wife’s surprise, she pushes against her, burying her face against her collar, latching on with arm and leg and refusing to let go.
Hua recovers quickly, gently patting Senti’s shoulder in a bid to make her disengage her grip. She is having none of that, however, rubbing her face against Hua’s neck and letting a small string of quiet chuckles tickle her skin.
Hua finally understands, raising one free hand to affectionately stroke the top of her wife’s head, then parts her bangs and presses her lips to her forehead.
“Alright. I’ll devote more attention to you. But if you, uh, could see this coming, why’d you buy the plush in the first place?”
Senti doesn’t raise her head off Hua’s collar, only gazing upwards with an expression that the ex-MANTIS can best describe as “curious, mixed with adorable adoration”. Too cute, too cute, she reminds herself as she reaches out to playfully cup Senti’s cheeks in her hands.
Senti hums contentedly at her wife’s touch, then takes one of Hua’s hands and touches her lips to the knuckles.
“I guess…no reason? Just wanted to get something cute for you.”
Hua smiles. Aha, an opportunity.
“But why the need when I’ve already got the world’s cutest woman here with me?”
“I—you—hey—”
Caught completely off-guard, Senti splutters and stammers and struggles to even think of something witty as an intense blush tints her entire face scarlet, reddening her ears to their tips. All the while Hua just smiles softly and enjoys the adorable sight.
Then Senti reaches over, grabbing the Piyo plushie and pressing it to her face in a bid to hide her intensely blushing features. From within, slightly muffled, her voice comes all flustered and a touch annoyed.
“Th-that’s cheating!”
Hua inclines her head slightly, then leans forward, presses a kiss to the plushie’s forehead, releases Senti and rolling away. That rewards her with yet another outburst, Senti tossing the plushie away and drumming her fists on Hua’s back even as she lets loose a delighted laugh.
In the midst of it all Hua is able to reach for the bedside lamp, switching it off and plunging the bedroom into darkness.
“Goodnight, dear.”
“You…you…!”
For the next several minutes, Senti pulls at Hua’s shoulders and arms, vainly trying to make her turn around. But Hua is too strong to relent, and Senti eventually gives up, huffily wrapping her arms around Hua’s waist, burying her face against her nape and scoffing in annoyance.
“Watch out. I’ll be sure to get back at you for that.”
“Sure, sure.”
A few minutes of silence follow before Senti shakes Hua abruptly.
“Hey. Hey!”
Near to the point of sleep, Hua blinks rapidly as Senti drums her fists once again on her back.
“Nhh? Dear?”
“Can’t you see that I’m sad? Why aren’t you comforting me?”
Hua briefly shuts her eyes in exasperation, then finally rolls over and lets Senti latch onto her, even raising her legs to lock around her waist to prevent her from moving.
“Sometimes, you still act like a kid, you know?”
“It’s not acting like a kid. It’s called…um, demanding the attention I deserve!”
“Whatever you say, dear.”
Hua yawns tiredly and presses one last goodnight kiss to her wife’s forehead, then tucks her head under her chin and soothingly strokes the back of her head.
“Goodnight, dear. For real this time.”
“Mm…”
She seems to have drifted off astoundingly quickly. Must be all her antics, Hua guesses, as she buries her nose in her wife’s hair, brushes her lips against the top of her head, and falls asleep soon after.
Once again, the night is quiet and peaceful.