Work Text:
-Maru-
“Yoba, this paper for my statistics class is something else,” Maru complained, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes just to get a break from her laptop. She had been staring at the screen for the past two hours, and this was just tonight! She had been working on the paper for weeks, and while she had the majority of it completed, there was still a long way to go.
“Maybe you should take a little breather, Maru.” Maru opened her eyes and leaned her head back over her chair. She saw an upside-down version of Penny, who was currently sitting on Maru’s dorm bed reading a book with a title she couldn’t quite make out at this angle.
Maru sighed. “You’re probably right.” She straightened back up and looked at the screen for a few moments before groaning. Taking her glasses off, she pinched the bridge of her nose with her free hand. “But I still have to put together the appendices and draw the conclusions in the discussion portion.” She placed her glass back. “I’ve got the abstract, the method, and the results covered, so that’s a relief, but still.”
She heard her girlfriend close her book and move to stand behind her chair. She felt her hands on her shoulders and felt Penny lean down and move her head next to hers, also looking at the words on the laptop. There were a few moments of silence as Penny, presumably, read the paper, and Maru sat there, looking but not really absorbing what was there.
“Well, from what you’ve told me, the discussion is just extrapolating from the results and explaining what they mean, and the appendices are just organizing the tables and graphs that you already have, right?” Penny bonked her head into Maru’s affectionately. “Your research paper’s not due for a few more days. So you can afford to take the rest of the night off in my opinion. It’ll be better to get a fresh start on it tomorrow.”
Maru smiled. “A future teacher telling me to stop my schoolwork? How scandalous.”
Penny laughed. “Everyone needs a break sometimes. A teacher who just demands from their students without giving them time to relax isn’t a good teacher in the grand scheme of things.”
“True.” Maru quickly saved her work and shut her laptop lid closed before turning to look at the other woman. “What did you have in mind?”
Penny smiled, giving Maru a peck on the cheek. “I was thinking we could snuggle up on the bed and read. I’m in the middle of a good story, and you have that science-fiction novel that you’ve been wanting to make time for, right?”
Maru stood up and stretched, feeling her joints pop. “That sounds great!” She opened her desk drawer and took out the book, noticing the spine of it was as stiff as hers was. She hadn’t even cracked it open yet since she’d been so busy with her work.
Penny took her free hand and led her girlfriend to the bed, sitting down and patting the spot next to her.
Maru settled in, leaning back against the pillows situated in front of the headboard. Their shoulders touched from their close proximity, and Maru could feel Penny’s body heat through her shirt.
The two read side-by-side for a while, neither saying anything. Maru appreciated the quiet. Their friend group tended to be on the rowdy side, and college seemed like just another excuse to throw wild parties. Maru loved her friends, of course, but sometimes, she wanted to be able to just exist without having her ears being bombarded by techno music. Penny was a calm individual, and Maru needed that in her life.
After a bit, Maru felt the pressure on her shoulder grow heavier. She turned to see that Penny had fallen asleep, her book in her lap. Maru smiled.
Gently taking Penny’s book, she closed it and placed it along with hers on the bedside table. Her digital clock showed that it was just past midnight. No wonder Penny had passed out. Her girlfriend’s classes tended to be earlier in the day to prepare her and her fellow classmates for school schedules, so it was not uncommon for Penny to be up before the sun was.
Turning back to Penny, Maru moved her arm around her shoulders, adjusting their positions to make sleeping more comfortable.
She gave her a kiss on the crown of her head. Placing her glasses on the bedside table as well, Maru took one last look at Penny, thinking that even the blurry version of her girlfriend was absolutely adorable.
“Sweet dreams, Penny,” Maru whispered as she turned off her bedroom lamp.