There's No Rush

[Lunanana]

Tsuki did dream of something unexplainable. At first she was a koi fish in the pond, swimming in lazy circles, around and around, endlessly, forever, not a worry in the world. Then, she noticed a piece of bait, taking it, only to be pulled out by a fisherman. Once she hit the bucket, she landed on a chess board, standing in the place of the tower piece, looking around only to find other big, gigantic pieces carved out of wood. Before the horse could throw her off of the board, she flinched, ready to run away, her heart beating fast, as her eyes shot open, holding Yoshinori tightly, tighter than necessary. She took a few deep breaths, almost chuckling at the absurdity of the dream, loosening her grip around Yoshinori just enough to not wake him up immediately.

She felt something moving behind her and Tsuki turned her head just enough to see Shinya already placing his cute paws on the curve on her waist, extending his sharp nails, ready to begin kneading. She grimaced, the soft and at the same time sharp pain on her bare skin making her clench her teeth to keep silent and not wake up Yoshinori. Gently, Tsuki wiggled a little, making Shinya stomp to the end of the bed, lick his paws, and lay down in a perfect loaf position.

Today Tsuki decided to sleep in a little, being close to him, being the first thing he saw when he woke up. To spend her time waiting, she counted inanimate objects around the room, noticed that the windows will need to be cleaned soon, and took notice of the little nose and paw prints on the glass, before her eyes trailed back to Yoshinori beside her. She looked at him, softly, not daring to touch him to not disturb his peace. Instead, she just held him close, sharing her warmth, and once those beautiful blue eyes fluttered open, Tsuki leaned in just a little, kissing the tip of his nose.

”Good morning, love.”

[Niro]

Yoshinori slept like a stone: deep, dreamless, undisturbed. The cold, quiet air of the room was a stark contrast to the warmth of the bed, where the steady presence of Tsuki curled beside him served as its own kind of sanctuary. He rarely remembered dreams, and last night had been no different. But the comfort he felt waking up beside her, that was a dream worth holding on to. He opened his eyes, barely conscious, when he felt the gentle pressure of Tsuki’s lips brushing the tip of his nose. He scrunched it in response, playful and boyish even in the haze of sleep, and cracked one eye open to meet her gaze. A sleepy smile tugged at the corner of his lips. His fingers found her cheek, thumb brushing over her skin in a slow, lingering stroke as if to confirm she was truly there.

“Good morning to you, too, beautiful,” he murmured, voice hoarse and thick with sleep, the words more breath than speech. His touch was tender as he brushed an eyelash from her cheek before leaning in to kiss her softly and slowly. He pulled back just far enough to see her face again, the faintest blush painting his cheeks as he chuckled under his breath. There was something about her in the morning with hair tousled, eyes warm, and voice still honey-soft that made him feel like the luckiest man alive. “What time is it?” he asked with a sleepy squint toward the soft light creeping in through the curtains. “Did you dream?” His hand lifted lazily to his mouth as he yawned, his body still halfway tethered to sleep.

Settling back into the pillows for a moment longer, Yoshinori hummed contentedly. The room was still cool, but the shared warmth beneath the blanket made him reluctant to move until his stomach made a quiet protest. “We should get breakfast,” he muttered, his hand patting the blanket like he was trying to gather energy through it. As if summoned by that one sacred word, Shinya’s ears perked up from his perch. The black feline turned with the slow, dramatic flair only cats could muster, his green eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Yoshinori laughed quietly, shaking his head. “I swear he understands every word,” he said, glancing back at Tsuki with a fond smile. “I think there’s a waffle maker tucked in one of the cabinets… Want to try and fire that up?” His eyes lingered on hers for a moment before he shut them again, savoring the feeling of her fingers close and the quiet comfort they had built together. Sleep tugged gently at him from the edges, but he fought it off with a steady breath and the promise of morning rituals shared between two people slowly, beautifully building a life together.

[Lunanana]

The kiss was welcomed with a soft response, not quite letting him go so easily. When he pulled back, she managed to steal a few short ones, as if telling she was waiting, and how happy she was to meet him again in the land of the living. She kept laying there, a soft, dreamy smile on her lips and that specific lovestruck gaze, reserved only for him. There was nothing more attractive and empowering than another being your anchor, entirely obsessed and loving. She could only hope he thought the same. Because she was. His words didn’t even register at first, she blinked, looking around as if there was a clock somewhere nearby. ”Oh, it’s… Um, I think we slept in a little.” Tsuki said, her head slowly leaning back into the pillow, gaze returning to him. ”I did… It was some nonsense,” she added with a soft morning laugh, her voice carrying the weight of dreams still lingering on her tongue. ”Something about being a koi fish, then I think there was a knight on a horse that tried to… Well, before the sword connected I woke up and squeezed you. Got scared that I’d wake you for a second.” She caught her bottom lip between her teeth, hand slowly finding its way to his cheek with reverent touch. ”Not sure if I’m not dreaming now, though.” A small smile followed. Teasing one.

And just like that he was ready to get out of bed. Tsuki closed her eyes for just a moment longer. All the hopes for a slow, cuddly morning slipping away. But he was right – food, morning rituals, and maybe the Academy? Tsuki made a note to ask him later. Shinya came back to demand his rightful breakfast and she couldn’t help the chuckle again. Nodding, Tsuki extended her hand slowly to their cat, receiving a stinky face in return. No food – no love, it seemed. With a sigh, she was on top of him in a blink. ”And here’s to hoping I got to cuddle with you for… Longer.” Slowly leaning in, she placed a kiss on his forehead, a soft, loving one, lingering for just a moment more, before she was out of bed. Stopping by the doorframe, Tsuki rested her hand on it, turning her head to look at him through her shoulder. ”I love you. Never change.”

With the idea of waffles for breakfast, she made her way to the bathroom, finding her toothbrush, and beginning the rhythmic morning ritual, (im)patiently waiting for Yoshinori to appear behind her.

[Niro]

Yoshinori heard Shinya padding off into the kitchen before he even saw the cat darting off, light paws tapping purposefully toward the promise of breakfast. He smiled when Tsuki leaned in and kissed his forehead, fighting the urge to pull her right back into the cocoon of blankets. The way she lingered, the softness in her voice, made it all the more tempting to wrap his arms around her and pretend the world outside their bedroom didn’t exist. His fingers brushed along hers as long as he could hold onto the moment, watching her silhouette pause at the bathroom door. “We could stay here,” he murmured with a grin, voice thick with sleep and mischief, “Give me a reason to do some laundry later…”

Her reply made him grin, and it bloomed into a bright, contented smile as she disappeared into the bathroom. He sat up with a stretch, blankets falling away as morning light pooled in through the window. “I don’t plan on it, love. I love you too,” he called out after her, voice firm with sincerity despite the sleep still clinging to it. Yoshinori moved around the room with a kind of lazy efficiency; making the bed, fluffing the pillows, and scratching absently at his side as he yawned. He grabbed a pair of worn-in sweatpants from the back of his desk chair and tugged them on, nearly stumbling as he hopped into them, and made his way into the bathroom with a smile still tugging at the corner of his lips.

The sight of her in front of the mirror, brushing her teeth with that quiet, focused grace, made his heart warm. He slid in behind her, wrapping his arms gently around her waist, his chin briefly resting on her shoulder before reaching for his own toothbrush and toothpaste. One quick squirt, and he was brushing too moving in rhythm with her, side by side like they'd done it a thousand times before. Their eyes met in the mirror, and he arched a brow playfully, the mischievous glint in his gaze unmistakable. Without missing a beat, he popped a rice-sized dot of toothpaste onto his finger and gently dabbed it onto her nose with a wink.

He didn’t say a word, just kept brushing, lips curved into a boyish smirk as if daring her to retaliate.

[Lunanana]

She moved the toothbrush slowly, his words echoing in her mind, before she felt her body relax in response of his hands around her, her gaze softening, even if she didn’t (couldn’t) say anything at the moment. It was in these small gestured when her heart fluttered, those loving, cozy moments, that she felt most alive. But… Her mind still circled back. Give me a reason to do some laundry later…, Give me a reason to do some laundry later…, Give me a reason to do some laundry later…... Wait.

Her eyes slowly widened, a blush blooming across her features. Has she understood this correctly? Was Yoshino-... Was he? Her eyes darted to him in quiet panic, then back at herself in the mirror, eyebrows knitting slightly. She didn’t have much time to think about it or dwell on it, as he was now by her side, both of them doing something so simply human. She smiled with her eyes at his arched brow, the goofier side of him always catching her in the best way possible. Before she could lean in to wash her mouth, Tsuki stilled mid-lean, raising her head to see toothpaste on her nose in the mirror. Eyes narrowed, slowly sliding to Yoshinori’s reflection.

Tsuki washed her mouth, whisking the water in her cheeks, her eyes still narrow, still staring at Yoshinori as she did so. Once she was clean, she slowly straightened her back, cleaning off the toothpaste from her nose with her finger, resting her hands on the sink. ”There are two things you forgot, Yoshinori Tei.” Tsuki’s eyes now focused on her, darting to the light switch behind her back. ”One, I have a neat little thing called the Byakuugan,” Slowly, she moved to the bathroom door, closing them with a soft click. The second click was the light in the room, surrounding them in complete darkness now. ”and two,” Tsuki was behind him now, her voice lower, clearly trying to imitate danger, which she held practically none of. Not to him. ”...Ilikeyoutoomuchtoactuallydosomethingevil, I’m sorry.” Her arms wrapped around his waist, kisses lining the side of his neck as Tsuki tiptoed to reach it, sealing in the moment with a tight hug. Not enough to suffocate but enough to show how excited she actually was for today.

Once they finished up in the bathroom, lights on and all, Tsuki gently took his hand, leading him to the kitchen while walking backwards. ”Waffles sound great,” She said, and began taking out sugar from one of the cabinets. ”I was thinking maybe after breakfast we could make our way to the Academy?”

[Niro]

Yoshinori giggled around the toothbrush in his mouth, shoulders bouncing with amusement as Tsuki froze mid-rinse, eyes wide with the dawning realization of what he'd just done. A dollop of toothpaste sat boldly on the tip of her nose, and he could practically hear the gears turning in her mind. That frozen, disbelieving stare through the mirror was the only warning he got before he burst into laughter, muffled and sputtering, scrambling to spit before he choked on the foamy mess building up in his mouth. Then came the full name. Uh-oh. A shiver ran down his spine the moment she reached back to flick the bathroom light off and lock the door with that slow, deliberate click. Darkness wrapped around them like a playful threat one that only grew sharper as he remembered: she didn’t need light to see. Not with those eyes.

“Now hold on a minute, wait a minute,” he started, but a mischievous giggle betrayed him in the dark. He barely managed to cap the toothpaste and wipe his mouth before she was on him, arms sliding snugly around his waist from behind, pulling him back with an affection that was both playful and possessive. He froze like a deer in the headlights for all of two seconds… then broke into helpless laughter as she launched her attack: a barrage of warm, ticklish kisses to the side of his neck, followed by a bear hug so tight he had to lean against the counter to stay upright.

“Alright, alright! Truce, truce!” he laughed, twisting just enough to reach for the hand towel. Once the tickle war died down, he wiped the counter clean and tossed the towel into the hamper with a lazy arc, still chuckling to himself. He turned toward her fully, his eyes softening when she slid her fingers through his. They walked together in sync, their steps natural, fingers laced like they always belonged that way. Yoshinori gave her hand a gentle squeeze as they entered the kitchen, the familiar scent of coffee beans and cast iron filling the space. There was something incredibly grounding about mornings like this; casual, simple, full of teasing and domestic joy.

“Academy sounds like a good idea,” he said thoughtfully as he reached up to pull down the old cast iron waffle maker from the top shelf. It was heavier than he remembered, black and well-used, but it had always made waffles worthy of a festival stand. “We might even run into one of our old instructors if we’re lucky. Wonder if that loud taijutsu guy’s still around?” He smirked, voice tinged with nostalgic affection as he placed the waffle maker on the counter with a metallic clunk.

He shifted to the fridge next, grabbing eggs, milk, and butter. His hands working from habit, mind already halfway through breakfast prep. But his gaze flicked to Tsuki as he leaned against the counter and cracked an egg into a bowl. “Thinking about looking into that Fuuton scroll we talked about?” he asked casually, though his tone was tinged with a quiet curiosity.