Pale moonlight flowed through the window, infiltrating through a small gap in the blinds. It flowed down onto the soft covers.
While not substantial, it provided enough light for Rean. It gave the room a nice nighttime ambiance while he sat against the backrest. It let him just bask in the night and the calm quiet that followed it.
He glanced over at the hotel room's clock. 8:28. *Almost time.* His eyes quickly shifted to his ARCUS, resting on an oak nightstand. He reached out to grab the device, trying his best not to shift his body too much. He didn't want to wake up his roommate, after all.
A bushel of brown hair shifted in his lap, accompanied by a soft sigh and murmur. The sight made him smile. Setting his ARCUS closer to his right, he moved his left hand to his aforementioned roommate, nestling it in the soft strands.
He gently ran his hand through Towa's brown locks, straightening any curls with all the grace his Eight Leaves training had instilled in him. Even after months of dating, he still marveled that he was allowed to do this, to see her hair free of any tie. (at least in private). His first year at Thors had gotten him used to the president's ponytail. So seeing her in such a casual state, and being the only one who could see it regularly...
It made him feel like he belonged. It was a different sort of belonging to Class VII, but it was just as important to him. It's what helped get him through his second year after Class VII graduated early and went their separate ways.
It especially helped when he was called to serve in Crossbell by the chancellor. Her NGO work sent her all across Zemuria, but given its central location and status as a commercial hub (even after the annexation), it often brought her back to Crossbell. Their travels overlapped more than expected.
(Less than hoped of course, but Rean could frankly take anything he could get.)
And given his Chevalier work also involved free lodging, it made financial sense for her to bunk with bunk while she stayed in the city.
Purely for frugal reasons of course. That's how they could justify it enough to push past their mutual burning faces after Towa suggested it mid lunch date.
(That excuse lasted all of forty minutes when they discovered the imperial government only booked him a one-bedroom suite.)
By now though, embarrassment gave way to comfort, and then familiarity. The swordsman found it much easier to sleep in the city with a roommate. It brought him back to his field studies at Thors, only with a little more blushing and a lot more cuddling.
It helped assuage his guilt too, at least a little bit.
His ARCUS sprang to life, buzzing against the soft blanket next to him. The sound brought him out of his reminiscence. His purple eyes ran back to the clock. 8:30 exact. Right on time.
He picked up his orbment, flipping it open to see the cause of the buzzing: an incoming call. He could help but smirk. *Probably Machias. He always loved being punctual to these.* Setting the speaking volume lower, he joined in the group call
"...I can't believe he can stand his coffee like that! It's practically all sugar!"
Like everything involving Class VII, the call quickly gets lively once everyone joins in. Even if it wasn't the entire class, that hardly changed anything. The guys of Class VII (minus Jusis, due to a scheduling conflict that had Machias half-gloating and half-insulted) had organized an impromptu group call, separate from the more regular ones with the whole class.
While it couldn't compare to being together in person, Rean treasured these calls all the same. It almost felt like he was back in homeroom, listening in on the bickering between Jusis and Machias, Millium's pure energy, Laura setting a time for training with Gaius...
There were still many key differences now comprise to then.
One of which he felt shifting in his lap. And she made him sit up straight when she felt a small hand reach up and grip his bicep.
Gaius, ever perceptive, noticed the slight shift in Rean's stance (and the faint blush flaring up). Thankfully, he opted not to mention it, simply giving the Ashen Chevalier a suspicious look (or what qualifies as one over voice chat.)
Please Aidios, let her settle down.*
The Goddess was not so kind, tonight. The sleepy woman was not content with merely shifting her place in his lap. No, her groggy, barely awake mind had other plans. Said plan involved slowly clambering further up the boy's body.
Rean sat frozen solid, the faint blush growing not-so-faint by the second. How was someone supposed to react in a situation like this? Even without a video call, he could hardly think of how to gently keep her down. Though, the shock and embarrassment were *probably* messing with his decision-making (replacing it with vague thoughts of "Warm" and "Cute").
How tired WAS she?! There's no way she would ever try something like this fully awake!*
"Uh, Rean?" A concerned Elliot vocalized, his face showing a slight frown over ARCUS. "Everything okay? You've been quiet for a while..."
"Um, er... everything's, well..."
Even after years of honing his skills in dodging other people's worries, a sleepy, touchy Towa was too much for him. His mental folder of excuses and deflections was missing, replaced by visualizations of the sleepy girl just out of sight.
Alas, she didn't stay out of sight for long. The groggy girl enacted the final step of her unintentional master plan to embarrass her boyfriend: pushing herself up into view, nuzzling herself into the crook of his neck with a long, satisfied sigh. Her arms completed the planning wrapping around his chest.
Rean's face looked sunburnt.
Elliot's looked mortified.
Machias' was flabbergasted, jaw hanging open.
And Gaius' looked half surprised and half-amused, his lips betraying a small grin.
The room and call were silent, except for the soft breathing coming from the sleeping brunette (which Rean swears is muuuuch louder now.)
The awkward silence was broken by Elliot. "Is... is that president...?"
Rean sighed, shifting his free hand around onto her back to keep her steady. "Yes..." he admitted.
"And I presume *this* has been going on for a bit?" Gaius asked, his stupid smile only slightly apologetic.
I thought you were a good guy. Gaius. It seems I misjudged you.*
"Y-yeah. We've been... *this* for a few months now." Rean gestured his head towards the former class president.
"You lucky baaaaaaaad friend!" Machias caught himself... in theory. "How could you keep this from us? I would've congratulated you two!"
The statement hung in the air a bit before Rean started chuckling. The laughter broke through the awkwardness, bringing the rest of Class VII into chuckles.
"Yeah, yeah. Sorry for not mentioning this." Rean wanted to rub the back of his neck but settled for just running circles on Towa's back. "I wasn't *hiding* it, per se. It just never came up before. Not like I'd open up a group call with 'Hey! Towa and I are dating! Surprise!'"
More laughter sprang up. "True, true," Gaius responded. "Regardless, I think I speak for the rest of Class VII when I say congrats."
The two classmates from the capital both nodded at that.
"Thanks, guys. I'm sure she'd be glad to hear that."
Proving that Aidios had a sense of humor, it seems then was when the light and voices finally woke Towa from her slumber. A soft moan rang out as she lifted her head, moving a hand to rub her eyes.
She looked around, noticing she was no longer in Rean's lap. "Rean? Why..."
Her interrogation was cut short when she noticed the light from Rean's ARCUS. Turning her head slowly, her eyes widened like a pom in the headlights upon seeing the active group call.
The chat once again burst into laughter at the sight of their calm and supportive class president's face emulating the sun. She squeaked out an embarrassed moan, shoving her face back into Rean's neck to vainly hide her blush.
I am NEVER napping before one of his group calls again! EVER!*