Chapter 10: The Morning After
Once Takumi reached his apartment, Misaki allowed Takumi to carry her inside because she didn't have any shoes on. Even so, her face was flushed.
But once they reached inside, Misaki struggled to escape his hold and demanded that she be permitted to walk since they were inside.
Takumi ignored her wriggling and carried her all the way to her room and laid her down on his bed. He then tucked her in with an extra blanket and told Misaki to get some rest.
"What about you?" Misaki asked. "You need to rest too."
"I can't possibly rest without assurance that you'll be here resting" Takumi replied.
Misaki understood what he was implying and to Takumi's surprise, she relented. "Fine. You can rest here with me. But only resting, no cuddling" Misaki informed with a straight face.
Takumi smiled down at his adorable sweetheart and took her up on her offer.
Tired from the events that had passed; the two fell asleep quite quickly. They slept for the rest of the day and even longer.
When Misaki woke up, she saw Takumi next to her, asleep, and thought, He must be really tired since he usually wakes up before me.
Careful not to wake him, she gently eased herself from his arms and replaced her presence with a pillow.
Misaki went to her bathroom and almost screamed when she saw her own reflection. Her skin was paler than usual and her hair was dried weirdly from the seawater. She quickly stripped off all her clothes and got into the shower.
Feeling clean and refreshed, Misaki exited the shower, borrowed some clothes set aside for her by Takumi, and went downstairs to calm her growling stomach.
Finding nothing prepared to eat, Misaki thought she'd make some simple pancakes even though it was already noon.
She grabbed a pan, a spatula, flour, water, eggs, and a bunch of other things she thought she might need to make pancakes.
On her fifth attempt at a pancake, the kitchen was a mess. Her four burnt pancakes sat on the counter, surrounded by flour spilled everywhere and she was pretty sure that there was an egg on the ceiling.
Misaki was busy trying to figure out what exactly she did wrong and failed to notice Takumi sneaking up on her.
Misaki let out a yelp as Takumi slipped his arms behind her waist and rested his head on her shoulder.
Takumi had woken up to Misaki gone from his side and had been worried that he lost her for good, feeling the same as he had when he saw her fall yesterday. He only let out the breath he was holding when he entered his kitchen and saw his cute Misaki trying to cook. He thought she looked so enticing, wearing his clothes that were too large on her.
"Are you trying to cook?" Takumi questioned, because seeing the state of his kitchen, he honestly wasn't sure.
"Sort of" Misaki meekly answered.
"Sort of?" Takumi asked.
"Well, it's just not coming out the way I want it to" Misaki revealed as she pointed at the stack of burnt pancakes.
Takumi laughed, not at her pancakes, but at how cute she looked when she tried so hard to make them.
Misaki misinterpreted Takumi's laugh and pouted as she crossed her arms.
Takumi noticing this, just brought her closer to him and turned her around so she was facing him.
"Here, let me cook for you my princess" Takumi said with a bow.
Misaki blushed so hard she resembled a tomato. Flustered, she was unable to think of a witty retort to Takumi's embarrassing display.
Takumi led her to a chair to sit down on and headed back to the kitchen.
After another five minutes, Takumi returned with a lavish breakfast for them to eat.
Takumi, however, returned to the kitchen for a last plate and set it before his seat. It was Misaki's fifth pancake, the only one not totally burned.
"What are you doing, you idiot! That's not edible" Misaki exclaimed.
"But it's Misaki's cooking. I'll eat anything you make" Takumi simply replied.
Unable to think of a way to stop him from eating the pancake, she slumped in her seat and mumbled, "What if you get sick from eating it"
"Is my Misaki worried about me?" Takumi asked.
"Of course I am, you idiot" Misaki told him with a flustered face.
They may have continued on with their lovey-dovey conversation if the phone had not rang.
Takumi picked it up and had a brief conversation with them before returning to Misaki.
"Who was it?" inquired a curious Misaki.
"It was your mother, she wanted to know if you were safe with me" responded Takumi.
Misaki didn't want her mother to be freaked out over her being hospitalized and turned eto Takumi, prepared to ask another question.
Takumi being the alien that he was, was able to presume what she wanted to ask and said, "I told her that we came to my place for a change of clothes and ended up staying longer than expected. I didn't tell her about you being hospitalized" Takumi's face turned downcast at the last part of the statement and felt comforted when Misaki reached over to hold his hand.
Together, holding their hands, they ate the rest of their breakfast, with some more praising from Takumi as to how Misaki's pancake wasn't entirely tasteless.