Iba woke up to light crème sheets and the smell of coffee, the sunlight just barely breaking through the heavy curtains. Her perception of the world was fuzzy as she pulled the comforter back up to her eyes, wanting to keep out the morning and the work that was to be done.
The door to the bedroom slid open and a mostly naked Yomo stepped through holding two very mismatched mugs of steaming hot coffee. The fact that he only bore his under-clothing was reminder enough of Iba's own naked state underneath the covers of her bed.
"You awake?" The male ghoul set down one mug and moved the comforter so as to get under them with her, then handed the one mug to Iba before sipping from his own.
"Barely," she stared up at him, even sitting next to each other, there was an evident height difference. "I thought you would have left by now."
To this there was no response, it may have been how he was when he was younger, but he had no idea how to explain how he was changing for the better. Instead he sipped his coffee and looked around the room at the muddy purple walls, there were movie posters, a dresser, bookcase, desk and lots of makeup in front of a full-length mirror. To be honest, it looked a lot like a teenager's room; but it still felt like they were teenagers to him.
"I have to go to work soon," Iba finished off her coffee, shocking Yomo, he had just made that batch and it should have been scalding her insides, and then remembered her bad habit. "Quit staring."
"I wasn't." He looked into his mug; slipping back into his mind to the first time he caught her smoking.
It was three days after Iba's 18th birthday and Yomo was walking over to take Iba out for a little while. When he arrived at her house, he saw her standing in the snow, in back of her grandmother's apartment, holding that little stick of chemicals, just before putting it into her mouth, lighting it and signing her death sentence.
"What the fuck are you doing!" He had never spoken to her like that before and the fact that his emotions were getting the better of him in this situation, made his chest ache.
"What do you think I'm doing?" She stared at him blankly, it was like she knew it was wrong, but was denying it because she didn't give a damn. In fact, he was certain that was what she was doing. "I'm having a break from that madwoman." She shrugged off the callus words and took another long puff.
As he stepped closer he could see she was completely relaxed and smell the pungent tang of tobacco and the intermixed poisons. Yomo slapped the cigarette from her hands as she started to protest and go after it, he stomped it out, preventing her from going any farther.
"You didn't have to do that…"
"Oh didn't I?" He glared at her and grabbed her wrist as she reached for the pack of cigarettes and lighter. She looked up at him in shock, his grip only tightening.
"Let. Go. Of. Me." Trying to escape his grasp, she twisted her wrist until there was an audible snap and the skin began to puff and turn a red-ish purple.
"Why?" Before he could be answered, Iba's eyes shifted to the door, Nana, watching them from inside. She was a wise woman, but her one flaw was the she thought people would work things out if they truly loved each other.
"Next time, just ask." She stared at her hand, but the effect was the same.
"Really? It looked to me like you were staring." The sound of her voice brought him back out of the memory. It was like waking up in a cold sweat, because she was right there in his mind, and next to him in bed. "Anyways, I have work in about an hour so, if you don't mind."
She pulled herself from underneath the covers, and walked to her dresser, pulling out underwear, a t-shirt, and a full-length skirt.
"Can you just stand there for a bit?" he was bashful saying it, but even though he had seen her just last night, it had been so long since before then.
"Perv." However, when she set the clothes down on the edge of the bed, she stood back up and stared at them, not minding the cold air touching her bare skin. "Okay, you've had your fun."
Nearly and hour later, the two were dressed and standing in front of Iba's apartment door.
As Yomo turned to leave Iba caught his arm, "Hey, you were pretty damn good last night."