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It was 1:43 am.
Qiu stirred awake because of a random noise, but all their fatigue fades as they sit up and notice it was oddly bright at this time. They couldn't directly see Roxy's house, but she was probably staying up again to study. Their exam week starts tomorrow; it was to be expected. However, it's more concerning how Qiu isn't even surprised anymore.
"Roxanne..." They mumble, realizing it was serious and impulsively decide to check up on her. Hurrying downstairs, they comb their hair with their fingers. They were in their pajamas, but had their outside shoes on; it wasn't a usual look for Qiu.
They walk to Roxy's porch, knocking on the door. Qiu hears loud footsteps, it was definitely Roxanne rushing to get the door. She opens it for them, and offers Qiu a tired smile.
"I must be dead." She says, and Qiu raises an eyebrow. "Why would you say that?"
They question her words, and she smirks; even with how tired she is, Roxy never fails to think of something to say.
"Because there's an angel standing in front of me right now."
They look away, cheeks slightly reddening. However—they recover quickly and smirk again—still refusing to meet Roxanne's eyes.
"I'm no angel, Roxanne. I can't blame you if you're mistaking me for one though." Qiu shrugs, chuckling softly.
Roxy offers them her most genuine smile and opens the door wider for them, giving leeway for them to enter her house before closing it as they enter.
"Studying again, huh?" Qiu raises their eyebrow, crossing their arms sternly. Roxy knew that stance, she was going to get an earful from them. Even if Qiu is cold towards others, their doting nature never left them, especially towards the friend they hold the most affection for.
She exhales deeply, nodding as if she'd been scolded. Qiu quickly hooks their arm around Roxy's elbow, pulling her upstairs.
"You can do what you want, Rox... but you have to at least let me know if you need help." Qiu pouts, and she feels even more upset as they enter her room. "I'm sorry."
Qiu starts feeling even guiltier at her apology. "Don't say that. Have you eaten dinner yet?" They ask, and Roxy shakes her head, making Qiu's eyes widen. Gently, they prompt her to sit down in front of her study desk.
"Rest for now, please. I'll make you something." Qiu replies softly, giving her an appreciative smile to let her know that her hard work won't go unnoticed.
She can't help but smile back at the thoughtful gesture, and decides to face her study desk instead of Qiu once they leave. She places her elbows on the table, pressing her hands into her face.
"Damn it..." Roxy mutters under her breath, why does Qiu always have to be there during her worst moments? She felt embarrassed.
The sound of the door opening wakes her up from her daydreaming, and she beams at the smell. "Oh my God, Qiu! You're the best!" Roxy smiles brightly, letting them set the plate of stir fry noodles on her table. Excitedly, she grabs their shoulders and shakes them. Her fatigue seemingly fades because of this little action.
"Thank you, thank you, thank you! These are my favorite!" She grins even wider, and pulls them into an unexpected hug, squeezing them tightly.
"Woah, Roxanne. You're killing me here." Qiu meant it, whether they meant "killing" in the sense that they're not used to the sudden shower of affection, or the overly-tight embrace she gave them, they were melting internally, pretending to cool on the outside. "Yeah, it's no problem." They reply sweetly, hugging her back with equivalent fervor.
"Not like you'd mind dying if it were in my arms." Roxy teases them, grinning impishly.
"You're funny. It's not like I'd mind dying either way." Qiu retorts, and Roxy pushes them away, before approaching them to flick their forehead. "Ouch! What was that for?"
"I'd mind if you die." She says, pulling their ear. "I find it hard to believe what you're saying when you're trying to kill me right now." They pout, and Roxy laughs before patting their head.
"Be careful, Qiu. I am not gentle at all." Roxanne warns, jokingly making claw hands and they both laugh, basking in each other's company for now.
"Haha, Roxanne. Go eat your noodles now before they get cold." They say, and she rolls her eyes but she sits down anyways.
Noticing that Qiu doesn't have a seat, she gets off her chair and pulls it back for them. "You can sit here instead, I can stand. It's the least I can do for the noodles."
"I expected you to ask me to sit on your lap again." They raise an eyebrow, but sit proudly. Roxy laughs but doesn't protest.
"You were waiting for it?" She teases, and Qiu just smirks, not saying a word.
Roxy lets them off the hook, and the night passes by quickly.
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With how sweet the two were last night, most people would expect they'd be cuddling by now. However, the two are a mess on the bed. Qiu is nearly falling off the bed, covered with the blanket. While Roxanne is literally freezing to death, facing Qiu, but instead of her arm being around them, it's on their face.
"Huh... what time is it?" Roxy wakes up, and giggles at their silly sleeping positions as she removes her hand from Qiu's face. She brushes their hair away from their face, and Qiu can't help but smile in their sleep; it was adorable.
"I slept well..." She mutters, grinning widely after remembering what happened last night.
6:50 am.
It was 6:50 am.
"Fuck! We're gonna be late." Roxanne exclaims, snapping out of her daydream, shaking Qiu to wake them up.
"Rox, what's this about?" They mumble groggily, rubbing their eyes before realizing the time.
"We're gonna get an earful." Qiu groans, before hurrying downstairs with Roxy. The two try getting ready quickly after Roxanne drops Qiu off on their porch.
However, it was to no avail. They still ended up being the center of the class's attention after arriving a few minutes late to homeroom.
Despite actually receiving an earful, Roxy did well on her tests for the day. They talk about exams while walking home side by side, like the usual. Why wouldn't they be together? Qiu and Roxanne are were a team of two, bringing the best out of each other.
"It was a breeze." She grins, looking at her best friend with hearts in her eyes. Qiu is glad that their friend did well, even if they knew they can't say the same for themselves. "I'm glad your efforts paid off." They reply softly, and Roxy wraps her arm around them.
Qiu reaches out to hold the wrist of the arm Roxy used to wrap around them, bringing the two closer.
"You know, I couldn't have done it without you, Toffee."