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Even the scratchy blankets of a rundown hotel will feel like heaven after a long day. Trapping the comfortable warmth left from the baths underneath them and soothing tired muscles with it. On the last night of summer camp team Spica all felt the intense training catch up to them, as they practically fell into bed upon entering their shared room. Even Gold Ship, who groaned about the others being boring and how they should pull an all-nighter playing cards and goofing around, fell unconscious midsentence as soon as she stepped on one of the futons, landing in such a way as to block half the other beds. Vodka and Scarlet kicked her out of the way in unison. Their combined force sending their teammate crashing into the wooden wall. One of the boards loosened from the impact and fell straight across Gold Ship's face. The girl in question didn't react to any of this whatsoever, peacefully continuing her slumber. Scarlet pulled on the light switch, once, twice, and everyone was silent.
Despite her exhaustion, Teio had trouble falling asleep. It wasn’t because of the ‘moonlight’ (light from the ritzy hotel next door, as they had discovered) shining in through the open window. Nor was it because of the sound of the ceiling fan whirring in its bearing (it didn't do much to cool the room — half of its paddles already had snapped off — but the switch was broken, so what can you do?). The comfortable breeze coming in through the window cooling the stuffy air inside and carrying the scent of the ocean would have helped her, if the thing that kept her awake was physical. No, what kept her up was the excitement for the last day of summer camp. The feeling of not wanting it to end too big to let her drift off. Maybe Gold Ship’s ludicrous suggestion stemmed from a similar sentiment?
Teio whispered to her right-
“McQueen, you still up?”
-receiving an affirmative hum in return.
“Can you-”
A stir from the other side of the room stopped her. Not wanting to disturb the others, she fished around underneath her pillow to pull out her phone. The bright screen flashbanging her when she unlocked it, to the amusement of McQueen beside her.
After switching the brightness all the way down Teio opened the notes app and wrote what she wanted to say earlier, before handing it over to McQueen.
‘can you believe we'll be back home by this time tomorrow? it's been weeks’
McQueen typed in response for a bit, then returned the phone.
‘Are you already missing it?’
‘staying together with everyone like this, being able to just focus on running.
its nice. plus ive always liked the beach’
Teio waited as the other girl's fingertips tapped away on her phone again, deleting and re-writing her reply several times before returning it with the ghost of a smile on her lips.
‘Maybe you can convince Gold Ship to sabotage the car?’
‘i dont wanna stay in this room that bad!’
Teio showed McQueen the screen along with putting on the most weary expression. McQueen's smile properly reached the corners of her mouth now. Teio continued writing.
‘at the academy we see everyone a lot for training right? but here its mornings nights meals and breaks. you get to know people differently like that’
‘I can see what you mean. It's that you can't hide yourself away that way right?’
Teio took a while to respond. McQueen leaned over, curious what had her dear rival so stumped all of a sudden. She caught a glimpse of a line she couldn't help but find charming after the past year. It tugged further on her smile and she had to turn into Teio's pillow to stifle her reaction. Teio looked at her quizzically, unaware of the sentiment that had caught the other girl's attention. McQueen simply gestured for her to continue typing while she watched, leaning her head near Teio's.
‘yeah! the little quirks and joys and problems you gotta share it with everyone, no hiding allowed!
so when we re home lets get everyone together for a big sleepover. i dont wanna wait around til next summer camp’
Teio lifted her hand to give the phone over, but McQueen instead whispered her reply into Teio's ear.
“I would like that.”
-
By next morning Gold Ship had rolled over in her sleep, halfway laying over Vodka and even reaching Scarlet with her limbs. The two once again united to forcibly eject their teammate from their beds, in the process waking up Suzuka, Spe and their new teammate Kitasan.
One corner of the shared room stayed blissfully in dreamland, still laying close just like when they had drifted off, phone forgotten somewhere between them.