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Rain thumped gently on the roof of the Council's shared living space. Though it was no storm, it was still enough to keep the majority of people under the safety of shelter. Including Kronii, who lay in the cozy bedroom upstairs, illuminated only by lamplight with a book nestled in her hands. She glanced at the clock. 11:45 P.M. Normally, this was the perfect time to get fully engrossed in a story, under the quiet of midnight and the soothing pattering of rain.
Normally, anyways. Tonight, however, she had a distraction.
A warm, feathery distraction.
"Mumei," Kronii sighed, shifting her arm carefully such that she could turn the page without disturbing the aforementioned distraction. "You have the entire bed. You know that, right?"
"Mmh..." The owlgirl, who was currently burrowed into Kronii's side with one leg draped over hers, managed to snuggle even closer, one hand possessively clutching into the Warden's sleepwear. She peeked her head out from the crook of Kronii's neck. "This spot's better. Good, um... feng shui." A sleepy little giggle left her.
"Feng shui is for furniture."
"Yeah, and you're my furniture," Mumei replied, as though it was obvious.
Something about it made Kronii blush though, and she was thankful Mumei had returned to burying her face. Kronii herself tried to return to the book, but it was becoming increasingly difficult with a cute, clingy owl pressing against her side. Each word blended into the next until all that was left was a jumbled mush on the page. With a defeated sigh, she placed the book on the nightstand and wrapped an arm around Mumei.
"You're extra clingy tonight," Kronii noted softly, stroking the owlgirl's hair.
A pleased little trill left her at that. "Mhm. You were in the office all day. Doing your timeline-y things. It was lonely."
That made Kronii pause. It was true, she had spent a lot more time than usual today working on some timeline corrections. The thought of Mumei being left alone for it hadn't even occurred to her. How many hours straight did she leave the poor Guardian all by herself? A pang of guilt pricked at her heart.
"You could have come in any time," Kronii said quietly, carding her fingers through the brown locks of Mumei's hair again.
"I know," she murmured. "You just, y'know. You get that look."
Kronii frowned. "What look?"
"That look when you're, um. Focused. When you've got all that time stuff going on in your head, you kinda space out. I didn't wanna bother you."
"Aw, Mumei, you're never a bother." She pulled back a little to get a better look at the owl. "You're free to come in whenever."
"Hmph." Mumei only burrowed deeper into her neck.
Kronii couldn't help but laugh a little. "Don't get pouty on me now. You could never bother me, Mumei, and I mean that."
"You said that too easily," Mumei mumbled. "S'not true."
"How can I convince you then?"
Mumei paused. For a moment, a silence stretched between the two of them, until she finally poked her head out and stared up at her with those big, golden eyes.
"A kiss?" The question came out timidly, as though a denial might just break her.
But the request made Kronii blush all the same. Something about that shy tone Mumei employed, the way she looked up at her with such endearment yet vulnerability, simply melted her heart. With a gentle hand, she cupped Mumei's cheek, simply stroking the skin with a reverent touch for a moment, watching the way the Guardian's eyes fluttered shut.
Before Kronii leaned in. As their lips met, Mumei let out the softest gasp, but she was quick to melt into the kiss. It was gentle and simple, yet still filled with so much sweetness that Kronii couldn't help but smile into it and wrap her other arm around Mumei's waist. Even as the owlgirl whined shyly into the kiss, she still gripped Kronii’s clothing with both hands, tugging herself up a bit for more leverage.
Despite the gentle beginnings of the kiss, Mumei started pushing further, pressing her lips more insistently to Kronii's. As she tilted her head a bit, their noses bumped together awkwardly, but Mumei only giggled at that. And that awkwardness seemed to fuel Mumei's passion, her hungry lips searching for any way to get closer.
Even if Mumei wanted that closeness, for Kronii, the needy owl was proving to be too much. The Warden tried to shift back, but Mumei was relentless, refusing to let their lips part like she was dependent on it. Until Kronii was out of space to back up, and had to grab at Mumei's shoulders to break away.
"Mumei," she gasped, panting for air. "Relax."
Mumei squirmed impatiently in her grasp. "What?" she whined.
"You've got to let me breathe too, honey."
She blushed and averted her eyes. "...I just like kissing you, s'all."
A little smile found its way onto Kronii's face, and she found herself stroking the owlgirl's cheek with her thumb. "I know. I like kissing you too. But you overdo it sometimes."
A long silence passed as Mumei contemplated that. She idly traced her index finger back and forth along Kronii's collarbone, until a softer blush bloomed on her cheeks.
"You mean that?" Mumei asked timidly.
"Mean what?"
"That you like kissing me."
Kronii blinked. "Of course I do. Why would I have done it if I didn't want to?"
"I dunno. Maybe, um..." With a bit of nervousness creeping in, her hand began fiddling with the fabric of Kronii's sleepwear. "Sometimes people do things that they don't want to."
"Do you think I would do something I don't want to?"
Mumei couldn't help the giggle that left her. "Maybe for me you would."
"No. Well, maybe." She sighed. "Look, my point is; I enjoy cuddling with you. I enjoy your affection. And I especially enjoy kissing you."
That last statement caused a giddy laugh to bubble up from Mumei, who hid her face away in the timekeeper's neck once more as she fell into a fit of giggles. Kronii herself just shook her head with a fond smile and wrapped her arms around the squirming owl. And for a moment, Kronii just let Mumei sort out her little fit, running her hands up and down Mumei's back until the giggling subsided.
"You're just... so sweet," the owl murmured, nuzzling Kronii's neck a bit. "So, so sweet."
"Mhm. And you're cute."
That alone nearly caused her to break into a giggle fit all over again, perhaps only quelled by the soothing motion of Kronii's hands on her back.
"Alright, can I read now?" Kronii gave her a gentle pat.
"Nn... another kiss first."
A breath of a laugh left Kronii. "Awfully needy tonight, huh?"
But Mumei just hummed and nuzzled her a bit.
"Okay, fine," Kronii said. "But just one more."
She trilled softly. Then Kronii was tilting Mumei's face up away from her neck, admiring her for just a moment before pressing their lips together.
This kiss was softer than the last, filled with a certain sleepiness that was beginning to settle in. But Mumei seemed content with it all the same, another little trill building in her chest. And when Kronii broke away, the owlgirl was left with a dazed, lovesick expression plastered on her face. She looked utterly and completely captivated.
"Happy?" Kronii asked.
Mumei gave a slow blink. "Y-Yeah," she stammered out. "Very."
"Okay. Now I'm reading."
Though a grumble left her, she seemed content enough to just cuddle back up with the Warden, her face once again finding its way back to her favorite spot in Kronii's neck.
"Kronii?" she murmured, after a bit.
"Hmm?"
In lieu of responding, she just sighed softly—then placed a gentle kiss on her lover's pulse point. Even if it made Kronii's heart flutter a bit, she said nothing of it, letting the owl have her way while she herself read her book. And have her way the owl did, little kisses dotting Kronii's neck, then her collarbone, before the kisses turned into affectionate licks.
The licks were a bit much, and Kronii shivered. "Mumei..."
But no response came back as Mumei continued lapping at the timekeeper's skin. She seemed almost entranced.
"Mumei." Still nothing. "Okay, hey, that's enough."
"Whaaat?" she whined, giving another kittenish lick. "Just wanna love on you."
"You're going to leave a mark."
Finally, the owlgirl relented, just so she could peek up at Kronii with a pout. "You said you liked my affection."
"Not the bitey kind."
"I'm not biting! Only licking." As if to prove her point, she returned to her affectionate assault, leaning up a bit to lap at the underside of Kronii's jaw this time. "Just being sweet."
The ticklish sensation had Kronii squirming. "You're being a little too sweet."
"Mm-mm. No such thing."
"Yes such thing. Now c'mon, that's enough."
Mumei sighed dramatically. "You're no fun." But she seemed content enough anyways to finally settle down, snuggling a bit closer into the Warden's side.
And for a while, it was quiet again. Mumei occasionally shifted, sometimes pushing her leg a bit closer to get in between Kronii's, or fidgeting a bit with the collar of her shirt. Even the occasional featherlight kiss pressed to her skin. But slowly, the owl's body grew lax, lulled into drowsiness by the warmth of her lover and the gentle pattering of rain.
"Kronii...?"
"Yes?" Kronii replied, turning a page.
"Mmmm... I, um..." An embarrassed little huff left her.
But Kronii just smiled, one hand abandoning the book for a moment to pet the owlgirl's hair. "I know. I love you too."
Mumei blushed, then whined. "Noo, that's not what I was gonna say..."
"Oh? What were you gonna say, then?"
A pause. Another huff. Then another whine. "I... ugh. I love you." Then she hid her face away, as though she could hide from the embarrassment.
Kronii just chucked fondly. "There it is. I love you too, honey."
Mumei grumbled a bit, wriggling a little closer to get comfortable. "G'night," she murmured.
"Night, Mumei."
But she was already asleep.