A/N: I would like to thank my readers and reviewers for your interest and enthusiasm. I can only hope to continue writing for you guys!
Yuusaku's convocation was two days from now. Aoi had flown from her studies abroad in to attend it. Kusanagi would also attend, and maybe Akira, if his schedule would allow it. They were to arrive tomorrow, so the couple had the day to themselves.
Given that Yuusaku's university town was halfway between Den City and the airport, it was no brainer that Aoi stopped by to visit him whenever she came back for the summer. A company offered a transit between the university town and the airport, eliminating the need to call a taxi. And Akira didn't have to go all the way to the airport to pick her up.
Normally her brother would be here today, but something came up so Kusanagi offered to drive her home. Aoi turned it down; she saw an opportunity to spend more time with Yuusaku. If she were younger, Aoi would have accepted it without question. But living so far away from home had made her more independent, resourceful and adaptable. Somehow, she persuaded Akira to book her a hotel room for a couple of nights.
As usual, Yuusaku was already waiting when Aoi arrived from the airport. After she checked into the hotel and unloaded her luggage, Yuusaku showed Aoi around town, went to local attractions, took her for dinner. By and large, it was not bad at all. But Aoi wanted more.
"Come stay with me!" Aoi dragged Yuusaku by the arm into her hotel room. It was unlikely he'd ever slept somewhere luxurious. And the hotel room was meant for two.
"You sure this is a good idea?" Yuusaku wasn't enthusiastic, but he wasn't resisting either.
"Absolutely. If anyone deserves some star treatment, it's you." Aoi looked at his shabby clothes and decided she's bringing Yuusaku clothes shopping tomorrow.
"Some star treatment, huh?" Yuusaku considered it. He cared little for the spotlight and never liked being called a hero.
"Ask for anything from the hotel. You get one chance free, as a gift from me to you."
"Okay, I'd like an extra blanket."
What a boring request. The extra blanket was already free. Why can't he get something he can't usually have, like exotic food or a thermal bath? "That means you are staying, right?" Aoi tried to hide her disappointment.
"That's right. Let me go get my belongings."
"Bring a change of clothes too. You are using the hotel shower today."
They went to his residence: a block of flats no better than the one Yuusaku once lived in Den City. Aoi waited outside the door while he packed his bag. Yuusaku was done in less than ten minutes. There wasn't much he wanted to take anyway.
The couple returned to the hotel. Yuusaku's blanket was waiting for him. They watched an orchestra perform on TV. Aoi leaned on him while Yuusaku tried to sit upright. Eventually, the evening came to an end. It was time for bed.
"Aoi, before you go to sleep, I have something for you." Yuusaku fished for something in his pocket and handed Aoi a sealed plastic bag. It contained a pair of earplugs, the kind that was worn to sleep.
Not once in her life had Aoi needed earplugs. "You're n-" she began.
"I'm completely serious." Yuusaku interrupted her with a neutral tone. He looked away, as if he couldn't believe what he's saying next. "I once woke up the entire building." He looked at his girlfriend dead in the eye. "True story."
"That's impossible." Aoi knew about his nightmares, but can he really scream that loud? Maybe the building was tiny with thin walls. "How did you do that?"
"I don't know. Apparently, I slept through it all but no one else did." Yuusaku opened the packet. He placed it and the earplugs on her palm. "They are reusable, so you can use them on your return flight later."
"I can sleep just fine without earplugs." And loud noises wasn't exactly the reason people find it difficult to sleep in a flight. The earplugs might help against crying babies, though.
"Maybe you'll sleep even better with them." Aoi didn't respond so Yuusaku moved on. "Try them for one night only. You can throw the earplugs away tomorrow if you don't like them."
This guy could keep pleading with her all night. Aoi was getting sleepy. Why not humour him so both of them can go to sleep sooner? "Alright then." Aoi said as she read the instructions. She rolled the earplugs and inserted them into her ear canals, one-by-one.
"How do I look?" Aoi joked. Her ear canals were blocked but Aoi could "hear" her own voice quite well. The vibrations from her vocal chords can still reach her eardrums through the bones and tissues in her head. It's the reason people don't recognise their own voice in a recording at first.
Yuusaku gave her a thumbs-up. His face softened as he said something to her. Aoi couldn't hear what exactly but his lips seemed to form the word goodnight. He turned around to leave.
"Stay." Aoi reached out and caught his wrist. She had never shared a room with Yuusaku before, and this was an opportunity to share a bed. No way was she giving that up. "Just for one night." She begged.
The young man gestured at the couch sheepishly.
"It'll be okay, Yuusaku. The bed is softer and I won't tell Akira we shared it. Or the room for that matter."
Yuusaku rolled the thought in his head for a moment, then, to Aoi's delight, he settled into bed next to her. With her beautiful face being the last thing he saw that night, Yuusaku held her hand in his and closed his eyes.
Aoi dimmed the lights. His hand was so warm. That was her last thought as she drifted to sleep.