Lamp light cast a soft yellow glow over the room, catching on the pages of Honoka's book. She flipped the page with thin fingers, eyes lazily following the lines of text. There were only a few chapters left until the end, but as the night hurried by, her chances of finishing the story dwindled. Lips parting in a languid yawn, Honoka shifted her gaze to the little clock that sat beside her bed. The glowing numbers let her know it was already far past midnight, nearing one in the morning.
Noticing Honoka's tired expression, the way her eyes fell half-lidded, Yuta closed his own book with a soft snap. He had been reading with her all evening, enjoying her quiet company, but he knew she'd push herself to stay awake until he said something. Honoka was quite the night owl and would stay awake until the early hours of the morning if she had the choice.
"It's getting late," Yuta said gently, hating to break the calm, quiet atmosphere in the room. Standing from where he had been lounging on her bed, he stretched his arms up over his head. "I should let you get some sleep," he added, collecting his book and phone, along with anything else he may have left scattered in her room. Crossing the room, Yuta was about to show himself out, familiar with Honoka's apartment, probably more so than he should be, when a hand caught his sleeve, tugging him back. He turned to find Honoka had dropped her novel, pages splayed out on the blanket, and reached out to catch him. Pretty eyes swam with a sort of hopeful vulnerability, so different from her normally sharp, appraising gaze.
"Why don't you stay?" Honoka asked, careful to keep her voice easy and light. Watching Yuta's expression shift from surprise to confusion, she gingerly released his sleeve, rocking back. "I want someone to sleep with," she admitted quietly, fingers falling to fiddle with a loose thread on her skirt. A bit of her nervousness, fear of being rejected, slipped into her eyes, still fixed cautiously on Yuta.
The way his face flushed pink and his eyes widened at her words made her lips curl up into a soft grin, setting her fears at ease. Despite his somewhat arrogant and cool facade, Yuta was still quite innocent and way too nice. That certainly hadn't changed since high school, though he had grown up a bit. "Just to sleep," Honoka clarified, giving a playful roll of her eyes at whatever he might have been imagining.
Calming some, Yuta returned her gentle smile, the pink fading from his cheeks. "I would have brought something else to sleep in if you would have let me know ahead of time," he teased, seeing as he was left wearing his jeans and top from the day.
After a beat, Honoka was crawling up and off her bed, crossing the room to dig through her drawers and look for something more comfortable that might fit him. Yuta was quite a bit taller than her, though he had a pretty slim frame, so she figured she could find something workable. Honoka managed to pull out some university hoodie that had been given to her on a tour, about three sizes to big. Along with that, she hunted down a pair of sweatpants that had never fit her right, dragging down by her feet. She held the clothes out to Yuta, offering them up.
"They might be a little short, but you're welcome to try," Honoka said, a grin on her face at the thought of Yuta wearing her clothes. She had borrowed a jacket or a shirt from him on occasion and they had always been long and baggy, but comfortable. Him fitting into her clothes, though, was an entirely different picture.
Chuckling, Yuta thanked her and headed to the bathroom to change, Honoka slipping into her own pajamas. When he came back, Honoka was actually surprised by how good of a fit her clothes were. While the sweats came just a little short of his ankles, the hoodie was a pretty decent fit, the sleeves actually coming all the way down his arms.
Finishing up getting ready for the night, Honoka sat down on her bed, slipping off her glasses and setting them beside her clock. Yuta came to sit beside her, watching with a warm smile as she pulled the band from her hair and let the braid come loose, brunette waves falling over her shoulders. Crawling under the covers, Honoka scooted over next to the wall, making room for Yuta in the small bed. More hesitantly that she had, he slipped in beside her after clicking off the lamp.
Taking in a deep breath, he let her scent overwhelm him, the soft vanilla of her shampoo clinging to the pillows. Admittedly, the thought of staying the night with her, sleeping in her bed, had set his nerves on edge. Now though, with Honoka curling into his side, so warm and comfortable, he wondered why he had ever been reluctant. Still, one question stayed in the front his mind through the haze of drowsiness.
"Why did you want me to stay?" Yuta questioned quietly, breath warm and soft against her skin. Though they had been dating for a little while and he spent a lot of time with her, Honoka did still like some alone time on occasion. She'd said she needed the quiet to think and recharge.
Eyes falling closed, Honoka took in a slow breath before letting it out in contented sigh. "It's cold and lonely without you," she breathed gently, voice filled with genuine, raw affection. Settling in, Honoka nestled in closer, warmth radiating from Yuta's skin. "I'm glad you're here," she whispered, words heavy on her tongue.
Warmth swelling in his chest, Yuta pressed a soft kiss to the top of he head, draping an arm over her waist. He pulled her close to his chest, savoring the way she relaxed in his embrace, comfortable and content. "Goodnight, Honoka," he murmured into her hair, voice thick with drowsiness.
"Goodnight," she replied gently, breathing already starting to slow and even out. It wasn't long before the lull of sleep started to pull her in, feeling more safe and more relaxed than she had in a long time, Yuta's arm still wrapped protectively around her middle. He filled her dreams, his kindness, his earnestness, his adoration, and she wouldn't have it any other way.