Toshiko Sato woke up to the soft beeping of an alarm clock. She rested a hand on her temple and the other on her stomach as she rose from under the thick comforter. She knew she shouldn't have drunk so much the night before. She reached over and turned off the alarm, emptying the room of its soft but bothersome sound. In the silence, Toshiko rubbed her face with both hands and sighed. It was too bright to go back to sleep but too early to get up. She leaned back against the headboard and stared at the lump in the comforter beside her.
It was inevitable that it would happen again. Everyone had been so happy. She had been so happy. Life and drama and work had been pulling them all in their separate ways, slowly but surely. The days of group partying were becoming a rarity but last night, it was like nothing had changed. Last night had been almost nostalgic. Except for its ending.
Toshiko rubbed the lump with a gentle hand. Hesitantly she let it disappear under the covers. Her thin fingers ruffled the dark strands of Owen's hair before insecurity gripped her and Toshiko let her hand fall to the mattress. She pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face into them. Each time she fell into Owen's bed, she felt like a part of her was being given away to this selfish man. The first time had been a dream but the consequences had been devastating. The confidence Toshiko had gained during their night of pleasure had been shattered the very next morning when they could barely acknowledge the other's existence, let alone the act they had committed. But it didn't seem to stop them from playing the fool time and time again.
Owen shifted under the comforter. A tuff of hair peaked out before he pulled the blankets tighter around his head and disappeared once again.
"Your alarm went off," Toshiko spoke, turning to Owen's hidden form. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes with the palm of her hand as she watched him. Owen shifted again then turned under the comforter. She felt his warm open palm against her shin then her knee. His familiar and firm grip grasped to her thigh and gently pulled her toward him. She let him pull her back onto the mattress and under the thick comforter.
Owen's face was so close to hers. His eyes were still half hooded with sleepy lids.
"Just fifteen more minutes," he whispered. His dark pupils were so calm and gentle in their sleepy haze.
"I am on call," Toshiko whispered. Owen turned on his side and pressed his bare skin flush against hers.
"Hm…" he muttered into her hair then rested his arm over her hip, holding Toshiko in a loose embrace.
"Owen?"
"Hm?" Toshiko turned around and buried her face into Owen's chest. She took a deep breath of his scent before resting her head against his shoulder.
"Nothing…go back to sleep."
"Hm…"
Toshiko slowly eased back into sleep where she dreamt of a man with a cocky grin and gentle kisses. His hands were warm against her hip and back. When the alarm went off again, Toshiko was alone and the bed had already grown cold where Owen had slept. Toshiko pulled the thick blankets around her shoulders as she was once again left alone in Owen Harper's cold bed.