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Teto and her clone are in the same bed together, with her back to her, she tries to sleep. Though after a little while with her eyes shut, it becomes clear she won't be falling asleep anytime soon. She decides to turn over to ask if the other is still awake, which she doubts, but instead finds the other her wide awake, staring at her for what has probably been a while now, with an unclear expression (made even un-clearer in the dark) and not exactly meeting her eyes.
Why the two of them share a bed built for one you may ask? Well both of them are the same person. Ever since the other Teto appeared, it's been unclear which Teto is the "original" between the two. They could argue all day about who the original is, who is ever so slightly more similar to the single Teto they had once been, but there'd be no point. They also realized that they obviously can't do things as one if there's two of them, like sleep in the single person bed that they both own. The thing was, what gives the right for one to make the other sleep on the couch or the floor? They're both the same person after all, neither of them deserve more or less than the other. Which is also how one of them ended up being called Teto and the other being called Kasane, it was simply the fairest thing they could do, neither of them are the "other" or "second" Teto.
So hat's how they ended up sharing a bed together. It's not like either of them minded anyway.
They've been separate beings for a little while now, it often makes Teto think about how the more they're separate people, the more they become their own individual and she hasn't been sure how she feels about this. Teto likes Kasane a lot, very, very much actually. The fact they're that the same person makes her feel things she's never felt about another person before. The problem being that the more they're their own person with different experiences, interactions, feelings and thoughts from eachother, the more she feels disconnected from Kasane. This also slowly makes her less sure her feelings could possibly be reciprocated.
These complicated thoughts make her zone out, which make her end up staring at Kasane across from her longer and longer. Her chain of thought is broken the moment Kasane finally breaks eye contact and looks to the side with an even harder-to-make-out facial expression.
"I can't sleep." Teto suddenly decides to say.
"Neither can I." Kasane responds, smiling at her.
They stay silent for a little while, as Teto collects her thoughts. When she thinks she's done, she finally speaks.
"Do you-... ever worry" she swallows, "that the less we are, y'know-, eachother, the less we'll be able to understand one another?"
Kasane nods, "I guess, I mean I think about it a lot but, I don't think I worry as much as you" she pauses, considering how to phrase what she's about to say next, "maybe I'm more- optimistic? i-if that's the right word, about it. I suppose I think more about the fact that it just means we'll have to get to know eachother and how- exciting that sounds. I mean, meeting new people is always fun, isn't it?"
To Teto, Kasane basically implied that Teto was a more pessimistic version of herself. So, instead of acknowledging most of what Kasane said, Teto voices her own thoughts about the assumption she just made.
"When we become different people, doesn't that mean one of us will be more likeable than the other?" she says, the bitterness in her voice becoming more apparent as she speaks, "doesn't that mean that one of us will end up being... better?"
Kasane continues staring at her as she speaks, staying silent as she thinks over Teto's words, this momentary silence giving Teto the chance to realize that she literally just proved her own point about Teto being the more pessimistic one of the two.
"Hmm, well when you think about it, nothing is really objective though, is it? If it's a matter of how many people in the world will think one thing and how many will think the opposite, it doesn't really matter, because what matters is the opinion of those around you."
It seems as though Kasane's attempt in sounding comforting was in vain, as Teto ended up seeing it as though she was just dismissing her with philosophical bullshit and reinforcing the assumption that Kasane indeed believed Teto was indeed being pessimistic. Kasane, unable to understand this nor even make out Teto's somewhat sour expression in the dark, continued.
"I mean haven't we been two separate beings ever since the other materialized? I bet there's a lot of things different about us now, infact, we can get to know eachother right now." Kasane smiles as she goes on, ironically continuing to prove the point that she was the more optimistic one.
Teto seizes the opportunity to change to topic and stop spiralling over things that clearly didn't matter to Kasane (or to probably anyone but her really) and replies in confusion and a hint of sarcasm, "Well then, what's different between us?"
"I'm sure our opinions and personalities have differed over time, so Teto-" Kasane hesitates and looks away, "what do you like?"
Teto replies, with the sarcasm in her voice getting more obvious, "Well I mean I like Norway" and after a pause, "and baguettes. I'm sure the same goes for you."
Kasane continues smiling in response, somewhat oblivious to Teto's tone, "Of course, I also like all of those things too. In that case, what about what we think of other people?"
"Well I think the only opinions we could have that are probably different is what we think of ourselves- well, eachother, I mean."
Kasane, seemingly getting flustered, tries to change the topic, "Ah, I mean surely since y'know- we've spent time with the others separately, it means that we probably have different opinions about other people."
"Do y-you... like anyone?" Teto suddenly blurts out.
In her head, there was seemingly no better time to ask this. It's not like this sort of topic is going to come up that frequently between them so she might as well take her chance. The question makes Kasane have to process what she just said, though Teto mistakes it as though Kasane doesn't get what she means.
So Teto unnecessarily elaborates.
"Like as in..." she blushes a bit before continuing, "like-like anyone?"
She feels childish and almost stupid for phrasing it that way (and for even asking in the first place) why would she like anyone romantically only now, in the short period of time they've both existed, if neither have them have ever had crushes before? It's not like anything has changed, other than one of them unexpectedly appearing out of no where of course.
"I-..." Kasane replies in shock, the words getting stuck in her throat. She swallows as though to bring them back down to her lungs and try push them out again, "do..." she continues, face turning a shade not unlike her hair, a colour so vibrant it can be seen even in the unlit room.
They both become silent, simultaneously, having to process this entire situation it seems. Soon after though, Teto says something.
"T-Then... that's a relief," it's not though, because it means she likes someone other than her, but there's really nothing else she can say (other than confess her love but that would get her, evidently, rejected).
"I like someone too... I- think.." she continues.
There's another short silence between them but Teto cant bear it to last as long as the one before, so she says something before she can consider whether to say it.
"So- neither of us have experience with this whole um- romance thing, and y-y'know, liking people and stuff, right?"
"I-" Kasane hesitates, "I suppose not..."
That's right! Teto can steer this whole interaction into an excuse for them to spend time and do romantic things with one another.
"So that means we can y-y'know, help eachother out right?! and it would be like, okay and stuff- since we're the same person, y'know? its like practising in the mirror!" her face becoming a similar shade to Kasane's as she continues on rambling, the point of them being the same person being used even though they had both just talked about them being two different people.
"O-o-of c-course! I don't mind a-at all really! W-What do you.. um... suggest we do to- uh-... practise?" she replies, getting more fidgety as she goes on.
Teto's immediate thought was, of course, kissing. Now that she's thinking about it, wasn't Kasane looking at her lips before this whole conversation started? No, surely not, I mean she likes someone else so why even try to be delusional enough to think that? Teto thinks as she mentally reprimands herself.
Though, couldn't she be atleast a little selfish and try have them end up kiss? It's not like she was going to end up with Kasane anyway and, it's not even technically selfish when you think about it, since Kasane was the one who said she didn't mind.
Their conversation had gone long into the night and all rational sense had basically vanished from Teto by that point. Not sleeping makes you do stupid things sometimes and it was clear she was about to do something even stupider than just blurting out her thoughts like she was before.
"Have you..." the sleep deprivation making Teto's speech slow enough for her even slower, tired brain to finally catch up, making her pause and reconsider what she was about to do. It clearly didn't take much consideration though, I mean, she had already come this far and its not like she'd get another chance like this anytime soon, right? "...ever kissed anyone before?"
It was a very dumb question, of course she hadn't. When would she even get the chance to do that in the short time that both of them have existed at once? It was clear she was just trying to get Kasane to confirm it out loud.
"E-eh!? ah- well, no... W-What are you suggesting?"
Another dumb question, it was, infact, very obvious what Teto was suggesting. It was clear she was just trying to get Teto to confirm it out loud.
"We can y'know..." Teto begins, looking off to the side, unable to handle looking at right into Kasane's while she said this, "...p-practise it t-together? Like kissing- and that sorta stuff! Obviously as long as you don't- uh- mind, of course! W-we don't have to o-or anything!"
"I-I mean I don't mind as long as you don't..." Kasane responds as she trails off.
It takes Teto a moment to decide what she wants to do now that she has her crush's consent. She shifts around nervously before speaking, "Well then if you don't uh... m-mind-" she stutters nervously as she gently cups Kasane's cheek with her hand.
"I-Is this okay?" she asks earnestly, her anticipation barely contained.
Kasane nods slightly, not wanting to shake Teto's hand off her face. They both simultaneously try and shift themselves towards one another, their movements ending up awkward and stiff out of nervousness. It ends up with them a little too close for comfort and neither of them knowing who should go first. Teto decides to tilt her head up and to the side, as to not smash their faces together, and goes in. Her lips make contact with Kasane's briefly, before she quickly lets go.
Teto tries to read what expression she's making, its not very distinct nor visible in the dark room, though atleast its not anger or disgust it seems. It looks like shock more than anything.
This time though, Kasane initiates the kiss, pressing harder and going much longer than Teto's initial (probably pathetic) attempt. Kasane continues, the longer she goes, the more she makes their first kiss seem like barely anything. She finally lets go, seemingly only because she, unsurprisingly, ended up out of breath.
They both pause for a long time, staring at eachother in awe.
"How was that?" Kasane finally asks, waiting in nervous anticipation for her response.
"I-I think you'll do just fine when the time comes."