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Maki Zenin pushed open the door to their inn room, her tired muscles already aching for rest after a long day of exorcising curses. She glanced around, taking in the simple layout—one window, a small desk, and... one bed. Just one.
She exhaled sharply, her jaw clenching. Of course, this would happen. Nothing ever went smoothly when she was with Nobara Kugisaki.
"You've got to be kidding me," Nobara groaned as she stepped in behind Maki, dropping her bag with a heavy thud. "One bed? What kind of inn are we staying in?"
Maki sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "I didn't know it’d be like this. Do you want me to sleep on the floor?"
Nobara shot her a look, hands on her hips, eyes narrowing. "What? No. You think I’m going to let you act all noble and sleep on the floor just because you're too proud to share a bed?"
Maki turned to face her, arms crossed over her chest. "It’s not pride. It’s practicality."
Nobara let out a loud, exaggerated laugh. "Oh, give me a break. It's one night. We’ll just sleep. It’s not like we’re teenagers freaking out over sharing a bed." She smirked, adding, "Unless you're nervous?"
Maki narrowed her eyes, knowing full well Nobara was baiting her. But still, a part of her couldn't let that last comment slide. "Nervous? About what?"
"About being this close to me all night," Nobara teased, crossing her arms and stepping closer with a smug grin on her face.
Maki’s eyes didn’t waver, though she felt the faintest flush creeping up her neck. Nobara had a way of making even the simplest situations feel tense—charged, almost. She was always so fiery, so full of life and intensity. Normally, Maki enjoyed that about her. But here, in this small room, with only one bed between them, it felt... different.
"I'm not nervous," Maki said, her voice firm. "Just don’t hog the blankets."
Nobara rolled her eyes but couldn’t hide her smile as she flopped onto the bed. "I’ll keep it fair. Now, come on. I'm exhausted."
With a heavy sigh, Maki resigned herself to the situation. She removed her glasses and set them on the nightstand before climbing in beside Nobara. The bed was smaller than she would have liked, forcing their shoulders to brush against each other as they lay side by side.
For a while, neither of them spoke. The only sound was the faint wind outside the window and the distant noise of the inn settling down for the night. Maki stared up at the ceiling, trying to will herself into sleep, but the warmth of Nobara beside her made that nearly impossible. Their proximity, the rise and fall of Nobara’s breath—everything felt too close, too intimate.
"You know," Nobara said softly, breaking the silence, "you’re not as tough as you act."
Maki turned her head slightly, her eyes narrowing in the darkness. "What’s that supposed to mean?"
"I mean, you put up walls. You try to act all stoic and distant, but I see through it." Nobara shifted, propping herself up on one elbow to look down at Maki. "You don’t fool me."
Maki’s pulse quickened, but she kept her expression neutral. "You don’t know what you’re talking about."
"Oh, I do," Nobara said, her voice lighter now, teasing but not cruel. "You care, Maki. You care about everyone, even if you pretend not to. And, honestly, it’s kind of nice."
Maki let out a breath, feeling the weight of those words settle over her. She hated how easily Nobara could read her, how she seemed to see things in Maki that no one else did. She hated it, and yet... she didn’t. It was both frustrating and comforting, all at once.
"I’m not pretending," Maki finally muttered, her voice quieter than she intended.
Nobara laughed softly, her breath warm against Maki’s skin as she leaned in just a little closer. "Sure, sure. Whatever helps you sleep at night."
For a long moment, they just looked at each other, the space between them filled with something unspoken—something that Maki wasn’t ready to acknowledge, but that lingered there nonetheless. There was no malice in Nobara’s words, no teasing smirk this time. Just a softness that Maki wasn’t used to seeing from her.
After what felt like an eternity, Nobara laid back down, but this time she didn’t move away. Their arms were still touching, and neither of them made an effort to pull apart. It wasn’t uncomfortable, though. It felt... strangely right.
Maki closed her eyes, her body relaxing into the bed for the first time. Maybe Nobara was right. Maybe she did care more than she let on. And maybe, just maybe, that wasn’t such a bad thing.
"Good night, Maki," Nobara murmured, her voice soft now, free of its usual bite.
Maki smiled faintly, her eyes still closed as she allowed herself to drift toward sleep. "Good night, Nobara."
And, for the first time in a long while, Maki felt at peace