When Momo blinked awake, groggy and disoriented, the first thing she noticed was the weight of Kido's arm thrown across her waist. Long hair tickled her cheek, and Momo felt her face crease into a grin, an almost-giggle starting at the back of her throat. Something like Kido sleeping over— in her house! in her bed!— sounded like a dream Momo would have, and nothing more. And yet, Momo turned her head to the side and there she was, her girlfriend sleeping peacefully against her shoulder, eyebrows furrowed together in a faint expression of worry.

Kido always worried too much, no matter how much they tried to convince her that they were fine. At this moment, Momo guessed that she was worrying about her brothers, even in her sleep. When Kido had shown up yesterday evening, her face had been a mask of frustration, her teeth gritted so hard that it was difficult to get out her request to stay the night.

Momo didn't know what the boys had done to make Kido so angry she needed a break, but she'd set about trying to make her relax right away. Two movies and a haphazard board game later (Momo had lost the instructions, and they disagreed on most of the rules) and Kido had at least seemed to lose a little of that fury, her shoulders relaxed and a warm chuckle in her throat.

The fragment of worry on Kido's sleeping face was nothing compared to yesterday, and yet Momo wished she could erase it. Maybe Kido was having a bad dream? It seemed unlikely, but if that was the case, Momo had a duty to save her from it.

With that in mind, Momo reached over to poke Kido's cheek.

"Boop!"

"Mrnghh…"

Whether or not Kido's garbled mumble was meant to be words, Momo didn't understand them at all, so she raised her finger again.

"Boop!"

"Mghhh goddamn—" Momo could almost make out words this time, although whatever Kido was trying to say was eclipsed with a sudden yawn that Momo watched with an appreciative grin. She'd seen videos of kittens yawning online. This was much cuter.

Kido cracked one eye open and Momo froze, worried she'd be subject to one of Kido's patented Danchou Glares (tm) that could frighten demons and conquer nations. But Kido just stared up at her, bleary and confused for several seconds before pushing herself to a seated position.

"Kisaragi…? Ah, that's right, I came here…"

She stared around the room, squinting as if she was reorienting herself. Momo didn't know the details, but she expected Kido had stormed out in a rage last night, because she hadn't brought anything like pajamas. Although Momo had offered to lend her some, the shorts had turned out to be far too large around the hips and waist to stay up at all, and so Kido had slept in just a tshirt and underwear. In her bed. Momo was still getting over that part.

Her hair was a rats nest, and Momo reached up to brush tangles from her face with a giggle. Kido blinked at her through messy bangs, still seeming a little bewildered by the unexpected scenery.

"Kisaragi," she said finally, batting Momo's hands away and scraping her hair into a ponytail instead, "your room is a wreck."

This was true. Shintaro had always mocked her for being a pack rat, although Momo preferred to think she liked to be prepared. Strange knickknacks littered every available surface, and a partially mauled stuffed bear peered up at them from halfway beneath the bed. Momo gave an awkward laugh and tried to rearrange her blanket so it covered him at least a little. Perhaps it wasn't yet time to introduce Mr. Bear to the girlfriend.

"It's got personality, don't you think?" she joked, striking a pose, and Kido snorted in what sounded like genuine amusement. Whatever it was, the little smile hovering at the corner of her mouth made Momo's heart warm.

"Maybe I should help you clean," Kido offered, her voice dry.

Momo whined, dropping back against her pillows and folding her hands behind her head. "But Danchou, it's my day off! I just wanna relax. With you." Pushing her luck, she popped a cheesy wink up at Kido, and felt a glow of pride as Kido stifled a laugh behind her hand.

Just then, a knock sounded on Momo's door, and she froze.

She'd told her mother about their visitor, but only that she had a friend over. To the best of her knowledge, Kido had never met her mother, and she didn't know if this was the right time for that. And if it was Shintaro—

Momo adjusted the blankets yet again, this time to conceal Kido's lack of pants. It wasn't time for that conversation either.

"Yeah?" she called, hoping whoever it was would just ask them to quiet down and then go away.

Her mother's voice floated through the door. "Oh, I thought I heard voices. Are you two up?"

Kido meanwhile had caught on to Momo's hasty tugging at the blankets, and had sunk down in bed, tugging the covers up to her chest. She turned her head to look at Momo, their faces so close her breath tickled Momo's cheek. Momo giggled and fidgeted, replying through her laughter. "Yeah, we're awake!"

She glanced over at Kido, who was blinking owlishly at her, apparently impressed by the effect she'd had on her.

"Well, when you're ready, come down and get something to eat. I have an errand to run at noon, and I want to get the kitchen clean before then."

Momo nodded, opening her mouth to reply, only to shut it very suddenly as Kido nosed against her cheek, snuggling her face into the crook of her neck.

She tried again. "Uh, sure! Will do!" Her voice sounded strange, but only a little; she thought she was doing a good job at keeping it even, considering Kido's fingertips were brushing her knuckles, lacing between her fingers in an almost uncharacteristic display of affection.

Momo swallowed, waiting for another question, but instead heard her mother head back down the hallway. She waited for several seconds before turning over to face Kido.

"Danchou!" she squeaked in admonishment, and Kido raised her eyebrows at her, although her cheeks looked a little pink in embarrassment too. Momo knew that Kido liked to tease, but she'd never have expected her to do something so brazen.

Still, Kido seemed a little apologetic, releasing Momo's hand and backing up to give her space. With a sheepish expression she replied, "Got a little carried away."

Momo made a split second decision.

"You're gonna have to make it up to me," she replied, cheeks puffed up, and Kido glanced over at her, a trace of a smile on her face.

"Am I?" The words sounded cool and disaffected, but Momo could sense the restrained humor behind them.

"Yeah, you are," Momo stated, determined, and because she didn't expect Kido to be able to read her mind, she puckered her lips in a ridiculous fish impression, making goofy kissing noises at Kido until her cool expression broke and she folded up in helpless laughter, grabbing the pillow from beneath them and shoving it into Momo's face.

"Stop it! I'll kiss you, just stop making that face—" Kido gasped between laughs. Momo decided this seemed a fair trade, and instead beamed up at her, waiting.

There was a beat of silence while Kido pulled the pillow away, and Momo noted the blush on Kido's face, even if her expression was suddenly as stoic as she could manage after such a bout of laughter. She set the pillow aside.

Momo had expected just a little kiss, maybe a smooch on the cheek as payment. But Kido locked eyes with her in determination, and suddenly she felt pinned against the headboard, tempted to squirm in embarrassment. How Kido could go from giggly pillow fights to such intense resolve in three seconds, Momo would never understand.

"Er—"

Kido swung a leg over Momo's waist, and her thigh pressed against Momo's hip where her shirt had ridden up a little in the night, and now Momo really did squirm, her face going hot. The corners of Kido's mouth deepened a little, and in mock seriousness she ordered, "Hold still. I'm making it up to you, remember?"

Momo remembered, so she went still as best as she could, doing her utmost to keep a goofy grin of eagerness off her face as Kido leaned down, closing the distance between them to kiss her.

It wasn't much, just a press of lips to lips, and Momo was already opening her mouth to complain when Kido's focus shifted lower, pressing another gentle kiss to the warm curve of Momo's neck. Kido propped herself up with one hand on the mattress, and Momo could have sworn she felt Kido's lips curve into a grin against her skin as she gave an involuntary shiver.

Momo gripped the blankets beneath her, holding her breath as Kido's attention moved down, her lips grazing the skin just above the neckline of Momo's shirt. Any offense of Kido's was beyond paid for by now, but if Kido wasn't done, she was far from complaining.

Another knock at the door. Momo could have cried from frustration.

"Mom wants you to come eat," Shintaro stated flatly from the other side of the door, and Kido's head jerked upwards in shock. Her eyes were wide as dinner plates and Momo would have laughed if she weren't so embarrassed herself.

"Coming!" she managed to reply, grateful no one in her family was curious enough to open the door and see exactly what they were doing.

As the sound of his footsteps faded, Kido climbed off her shakily, going to sit at the edge of her bed.

"Weirder than my mom walking in on us?" Momo teased, and Kido nodded.

"We've got to get locks on the doors at the base, at least…" Kido murmured, rubbing her chin, and Momo had to laugh. It seemed like a short term solution, but she didn't mind. As long as Kido wasn't so scarred for life, maybe they could continue later.

Momo kicked the covers off her legs, vaulting over the clutter next to her bed and onto a clear patch of floor. "Let's get food!" she announced, holding a hand out for Kido, and after a second, Kido took it.

"Sounds good to me," she responded with a little smile, and Momo was gratified to see no trace of worry in her face at all.