Usually, the first thing Ryuunosuke thought about when he woke up was his work schedule for the day. This was typically followed by what he or his housemate Sorata could make for breakfast. Wondering if said housemate had managed to smuggle another cat into their apartment while Ryuunosuke was asleep often passed his mind too.

Sometimes he thought about a certain someone before any of that, those times typically being when that someone was curled up contentedly next to him, one or both of her arms linked through his, rather than across several seas away in England.

Rita stirred next to him as he sat up in bed, carefully trying to disentangle himself without waking her up. Unfortunately, as she was clinging onto him with a vice-like grip, this was no easy feat. Over the years, he had become very aware of – and used to – Rita's tendency to do this, especially when asleep (Sorata had attested to this too)… although, the more he thought about it… well, it wasn't like she made a habit of missing an opportunity to hold onto him when awake either.

Realizing that he was going to have to wake her to get up successfully, Ryuunosuke tentatively shook her shoulder a few times. He felt a stab of guilt. Having just arrived the previous day, Rita was still jet-lagged and drained from the flight. But she was used to his standard morning routine, and liked to add her own segment of wrapping around him firmly to sneak in a few extra minutes of being next to him in bed to it, after which she'd release him to go and do his work and sleep for another hour or too.

"What are you doing?" Rita asked sleepily, shifting to rest her head on the arm that he had just freed. Blinking up at him, eyes heavy with sleep and hair spread out messily on the pillow, she linked their arms together again with a yawn.

Holding her gaze, Ryuunosuke wondered at much he missed this sight when she wasn't there. A few moments of thoughts in that direction were enough to leave him embarrassed enough to pointedly look away.

"Getting ready to start work. I need my arm back."

"Already?" The slight whine in her voice told him what would come next.

Sure enough, Rita's arms were around him in an instant, pulling him decidedly back to the centre of the bed.

"Hey–"

Ryuunosuke made a feeble attempt to get up again, but Rita's arms hooked firmly around his waist made it impossible for him to do anything but helplessly flop back onto the bed next to her.

"Rita," he huffed, turning his head to get a look at her even as he could feel her burying her face against his back. "You know I have work to do."

"Mmmmph."

"Rita," he said again, louder and firmer, his tone lacking the bite it once would have had.

"Sorata was right about how early you wake up." A yawn interrupted Rita's words as she released him briefly to stretch her arms before pulling him in close again. It was a testament to the way they'd come together though the years that he didn't take the opportunity to slide away. "I told him how proud I am that you're so organized, but it's a bit much…"

"Oof– an early start is how I prioritize my ti-i-i-ime–"

Rita nuzzled his back persistently and mumbled something about how a delayed schedule couldn't hurt once in a while...

"Kanda!" It was time for a change in tactics. Trying to sit up again, Ryuunosuke raised his voice in an attempt to appeal to his housemate next door to come and save him. "Kanda, come and help me."

"I'm still asleep." Even through the wall, the irritation in his friend's unconvincing response rang clear. "Not everyone wants to wake up at six in the morning every goddamn weekend to do work you could start at any point in the day. But, you know, when I live with people who repeatedly insist on waking up at that time, and loudly complaining about it..."

Both of them called out apologies, Rita trying to stifle her giggles. She was trying to cover her smile too, but a sideways glance told Ryuunosuke how much she appreciated Sorata talking like she was a semi-permanent resident of the house rather than a regular guest. He'd been doing it more and more recently.

"Alright, I'll let you go and do your work now." Sorata's words seemed to have put Rita in a good enough mood to give up her persistence earlier than usual. Her grip relaxed, and she leaned in to press a kiss to the side of his waist where his shirt had ridden up before she withdrew.

"Actually…" Ryuunosuke mumbled, feeling a yawn coming on. "I was actually just thinking that a few minutes won't hurt my schedule too much..."

He turned back to see Rita, wide-eyed and optimistic, and decided this was definitely worth it..

"..so, five minutes, just this once."

"How about fifteen?"

"Ten."

"Twelve?"

"Eight and a half," Ryuunosuke said firmly, rolling over again to reach out to his desk and grab his phone and set a timer.

With that done, he slid back down in the bed and turned back to settle comfortably once again.

"Sorry I make such a fuss about it," Rita slipped her arms around him again, mumbling the words guiltily against his chest. "I'm happy if you want to, as long as you really do want to, I don't mean to wear you down about it…"

"Sssh." Ryuunosuke closed his eyes. His voice was soft as he pressed his forehead against hers. "I'm prioritizing."