A/N: After thinking about it for a bit I realized I was being excessively cautious by rating this story M, so I bumped it down to T where it belongs, and hid the explanation in this chapter. Enjoy!

She definitely wasn't the nurturing type, but when Sayaka fell asleep snuggled against her, Kyoko found herself automatically stroking her hair out of affection. She wished she could get some sleep, but despite her physical exhaustion she was wide awake, and feeling pretty damn good. If she had had friends she would brag to them about getting laid, but there was no one she could talk to like that. Mami, Madoka and Homura…all definitely unsuited for that kind of lewd talk.

Sayaka stirred in her sleep and clung more snugly to Kyoko, drawing the redhead's thoughts back to the moment. She felt an unexpectedly strong surge of affection for the younger girl that made it hard to swallow and had her blinking away tears. Had she really been so alone all this time? How had she not noticed before?

The soft pre-morning glow that filtered in through the window surprised Kyoko. Was it morning already? Had they been up all night? She snickered at the thought.

She didn't really like the dawn. She preferred the city at night, and dawn just signaled that the rest of the boring, irritating world was waking up. Still…it was pretty to watch. A small part of her wanted to wake up Sayaka so they could watch the sun rise together after their first night together, but a much larger part sneered at her sappy sentimentality, so she let the thought pass. Besides, Sayaka was adorable when she was asleep.

The grayish morning light had softened into a magnificent pink and orange spread on the horizon when Sayaka's breath hitched and she stirred. She lifted her head off of Kyoko's chest and blinked blearily as she took in the situation.

"Morning," Kyoko said with a grin. "Sleep well after all that exercise?"

The words brought color to Sayaka's cheeks and she self-consciously pulled some of the bed sheets over her nude body.

"Were you awake all night?" she asked slowly.

Kyoko shrugged. "Couldn't get to sleep. And you're cute when you're sleeping."

Sayaka's blush somehow deepened, but she didn't shrink away from the gibe. With a pointed look at Kyoko's bare chest, she replied, "And you make a nice pillow."

Kyoko grinned and stretched her arms back behind her head, clearly and shamelessly flaunting for all she was worth. Quite the opposite of what Sayaka had been going for. She sighed exasperatedly and laid her head gingerly on Kyoko's shoulder. Kyoko could feel the tension leaving Sayaka as they lay together and she started stroking her hair again, a ghost of a smile on her lips, something sweet and tender, so different from her customary smirk.

The dawn was beautiful, and filled the room with a warm glow that revealed tantalizing hints of their bodies and faces to each other, but it was also destined to ruin the moment. There was no helping it. Morning meant that it was time to get up and do things. Mostly for Sayaka, who had to be at school in a couple of hours.

As Sayaka rushed about the room getting cleaned up and dressed, Kyoko felt a twinge of irritation that just might have been jealousy. She didn't understand why Sayaka didn't just call in sick and spend the day here with her. Her parents were out of town (there's no way they would have done this at her home, otherwise) so there was nothing stopping her. But she knew better than to even suggest it. Sayaka wouldn't be pleased by that idea. So she lay back in bed and felt her mood grow more sour as the time for Sayaka to leave got closer.

Sayaka had one foot out the door when she hesitated and turned to face Kyoko. "Hey, Kyo?"

The pet nickname, the first time she had called her that, earned a raised eyebrow but Kyoko let it pass without comment. "Yeah?"

She shifted from foot to foot, betraying her nervousness, but plunged onward with what she intended to say. "Was this just a fling? Or are we, you know…" She trailed off into a highly uncomfortable silence, unable to meet Kyoko's eyes.

Kyoko considered the question, not quite sure herself. They had been dating for a few months, now, but what did this make them?

The sheet fell to the floor as she slid out of bed and walked towards Sayaka. The girl averted her eyes, cheeks quickly filling with blood, evidently still embarrassed by nudity. Kyoko took hold of her chin and turned her head back to face her. For a moment they stood in silence, both looking for something in the other's eyes.

That feeling of tenderness spread through her chest again, almost overwhelming in its warmth and need to be expressed. She really is cute.

Kyoko closed her eyes and kissed her. She felt Sayaka's arms wrap around her back and she stopped caring about defining this. This short, sweet moment expressed more than words could have.

When they broke apart, Sayaka took a few steps back and smiled at her, and Kyoko felt herself smiling back, that rare smile that showed the gentleness within her that had been buried for years under cynicism and cruelty. But the moment passed, and time wouldn't stand still for them. Sayaka moved indecisively towards the door, and for a brief, hopeful moment Kyoko thought she might stay, but she turned and gathered her school things to leave.

As Sayaka stepped out of her bedroom, Kyoko called, "I'll be here when you get back."

Her lover paused halfway through the door. Kyoko could hear the playful smirk on her face through her words. "Will you be clothed by then?"

Kyoko grinned, the abrupt return to their usual style of wordplay putting her back in her element.

"I make no promises."