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The three of them lay there: three lumps of umamusume, barely moving, and not speaking at all. A cane was leaned up against the side of the couch, and the blinds were drawn. Race footage played on the TV in the background, a mix of live competition interspliced with replays of the upcoming competitors. The volume was a low drone, the voices of the commentators audible but completely unintelligible.
As was inevitable in a situation like this, they eventually drifted off into an inadvisable sleep. Inadvisable because Cascade's neck and upper back were draped over the right armrest. Sirius was folded in half, Cascade's knee digging into her spine, legs splayed, one over the back of the couch, the other hanging off the edge. Meanwhile, Miho's bad leg was pinned directly under Sirius' ass, and her right elbow was bent at a sixty degree angle to keep her head raised over the edge of the cushion, the only thing keeping her from sliding off the couch completely.
All-in-all, terrible positions to be lying, let alone sleeping in, and as the afternoon turned to evening, the trio were released from Sandman's clutches. Miho came into awareness first, the normal pain of her leg mixed with the pinpricks of a limb that had fallen asleep at least half an hour before she did. She groaned softly and glanced down at her leg, unabashedly taking the opportunity to ogle the behind it was situated firmly under. Her partners were now also coming out of their slumber, and Miho smirked as an idea came to her, unbidden but by no means unwelcome.
"Oh, Cascade, my poor leg, it's in soooo much pain right now." She drew out the 'o' dramatically, hoping that Cascade would pick up on what she was doing soon, if not right away.
Cascade, still fighting off the tendrils of sleep wrapped around her mind, sluggishly looked up with some concern, about to verbally inquire if her chronically injured partner needed assistance. Miho cut her off at the pass with her next sentence.
"Can you believe this? We grant Sirius the privilege of spending time on the couch with us, and this is how she repays us? By grievously injuring my poor leg!" Miho put on her most offended voice, playing up the shock and disbelief.
The most recent addition to the Symboli Clan blinked owlishly at her partner, sleep-addled mind not connecting how Miho choosing to sleep like a baby bird about to fall out of its nest was in any way Sirius' fault. Luckily, the indignant, strangled honk that Sirius let out instantly clued her in to Miho's game. She joined in, now fully awake.
"No! Say it isn't so! It sounds like your leg was nearly cut off, and it was The Sirius Symboli who did it? I always knew she was a cad at heart, truly a knave with no honor!"
"Oi! Have the puppies forgotten they were the ones who asked— no, insisted I lie down on top of them? I'm not folded up like this because it's comfortable, you fools, I was doing my best to be considerate. Sounds like some unruly umamusume need a reminder—"
Miho burst out laughing mid way through Sirius' rant, unable to contain herself any longer, and Cascade joined in soon after. Sirius went a few words longer, but quickly petered out when she realized she'd been successfully baited. She scoffed and shook her head, grinning as she responded, her tone smug.
"Yeah, yeah, alright, laugh it up while you can, you gremlins. We'll see who's laughing by the end of the night, won't we." Miho, outwardly unaffected as usual, merely continued laughing, though it calmed to a mirthful chuckle. Cascade, on the other hand, clammed up and grew red as she pictured just what her cocky lover was hinting at with her taunt. Sirius stood and began stretching, and Cascade chanced a glance up at her, looking away immediately when Sirius eyes met her own, as though she knew Cascade would be looking.
Miho went quiet, expression neutral, and both Sirius and Cascade broke from their little game to check on her. Miho could feel the weight of their gazes and looked up, suitably chastened by the knowing looks on their faces. She sighed and let her face fall, unable to ignore the discomfort in her leg any longer. Wordlessly, Cascade got up, seeking out their hot electric heating pad. Sirius moved to Miho's side, and helped her sit up, orienting the uma so her legs were across the couch. She placed one of the couch cushions behind Miho's back, then sat beside her, placing Miho's legs atop her lap. She rolled up the pajama pant on Miho's injured leg, and began to gently massage it.
Miho let out another sigh, this time one of relief, and tension began to leave her. The pain started to dull slightly, and they both reached a slight meditative state, enjoying the silence until a crash sounded from the depths of the apartment. Before either of them could react, a shouted "I'm fine! everything's fine!" had them exchanging amused glances, settling back into position happily.
After several minutes, presumably spent cleaning up whatever mess she'd made, Cascade returned with the electric heating pad, a few water bottles and some Umadvil. She plugged in the pad, sat down, held it in her lap while they waited for it to warm up, and then handed the pain-relief to Miho and a bottle of water to both Miho and Sirius. She then grabbed her own bottle, and three cracks rang out as they open their bottles simultaneously. They exchanged glances again, and Miho shook her head.
"That was patently ridiculous. What sort of stupid storybook moment did we just experience?" The other two laughed at her disbelief, and they fell into a comfortable silence once more. The TV continued to play race footage, both foreign and domestic, and even though none of them were watching it, no one moved to turn it off. Instead, they sat content, basking in this strange liminal moment, this time between times. Obligations lay behind them and trials lay ahead, but for now, in this moment, they could just be. They could be whatever it is they are, and so— without questioning it— that's exactly what they did.