After a night filled with and fueled by a bit of a heated disagreement, Makoto Naegi and Kyoko Kirigiri had decided to sleep in separate areas of their shared apartment. The disagreement had started because the both of them had brought emotions from work with them to their home. Even though the world was slowly recovering, there were still small pockets of Despair that had to be dealt with. Kyoko, who was the interim leader of Future Foundation's 14th Division, had decided on a conservative pace, while Makoto, who was in effect a subordinate to Kyoko, disagreed and brought that argument home.

While Kyoko didn't get much sleep, she was the type of person who typically didn't need much sleep. What sleep she did get was fitful and broken, since she had decided to sleep on the couch in the living room. When she finally woke up for good and decided to get up from the couch, she realized that she couldn't. There was a weight on her that wasn't there when she'd laid down earlier in the night.

Kyoko, still half-asleep, didn't reason out what the extra weight was.. until it shifted and muttered quietly. In spite of herself she couldn't help but smirk at the fact that, at some point before she woke up in the early morning, Makoto had come out of their bedroom to lay close to her. She then remembered that since they'd moved in together, he had a harder time sleeping alone than she did once they both got used to sleeping next to each other.

Moving her right hand slowly to Makoto's shoulder, she gently shook him to wake him up. "Huh?" was the question that he'd very sleepily asked.

She quietly replied, "It's time for a certain sleepy-head to at least move a little so I can get up to make us both some coffee."

Makoto's green eyes opened immediately, then he exclaimed, "Kyoko, no.. wait, just a moment? Please?"

Kyoko shifted so that she was sitting up, then replied, "Since you asked nicely, I'll wait."

When Makoto looked up to face Kyoko, she saw that his eyes showed that he got about as much sleep as she did.. which turned out to not be very much. She looked to him a little more sympathetically, as they'd both had a horrible night with hardly any sleep.

"Look.. I know that I shouldn't have pushed so hard at work, and I also know that I shouldn't have brought those emotions to our home. Our safe haven. Kyoko.. I'm really sorry," Makoto stated with a sad look in his eyes.

Kyoko nodded, then replied, "By the same token, I know that I shouldn't have insisted that my way was better or more viable than your suggestion. I didn't feel that your suggestion was in any way out of line because.. that's how you think, and I know you so well."

They both smiled as she continued. "I also shouldn't have been stubborn enough to allow something to continue at home that really should have stayed at work. So, Makoto.. please keep suggesting things to me. You know that I trust you, and your judgment.. and.. I'm also really sorry, too."

Makoto shifted his position up to be face-to-face with Kyoko. As he pulled her close to him, he gave her a soft kiss on her lips. After breaking the short kiss, he then said, "I couldn't sleep very well without being close to you."

With her patented smirk, Kyoko replied, "You obviously wouldn't have joined me here on the couch had you slept any better." As she spoke, she gently wrapped her arms around his waist to pull him even closer. She then returned his soft smooch. After breaking the kiss, she stated, "There's only so much emotion that I can show as your superior, but you know how I feel about you. How I've always felt about you."

Makoto nodded, moving to snuggle against her. "I know. Work is work, and home is home. I'll remember that. I also know how you feel about me. I know you well enough that you wouldn't have agreed to move in with me if you didn't feel anything more than friendship towards me."

Kyoko softly replied, "I was actually about to suggest that we move in together before you did."

Makoto lifted his head so that he could meet Kyoko's gaze and those purple eyes of hers that he adored. "Wh.. what!? Seriously?"

Kyoko nodded. "Yes, seriously. Makoto.. almost dying gave me so much more clarity about many things, but most importantly it brought me the clarity that I never want to be apart from you. Not now, not ever again."

Makoto, stunned, replied, "But.. you would have.. "

His words were interrupted by her ungloved right index finger on his lips. "Makoto, I didn't die.. but I would have, to keep you safe and alive. You did the same thing for me, too, as I recall."

He didn't realize it then, not until much later, but she was right. He, too, would have given his life to protect her and to keep her safe and alive. To him, it was unspoken proof of their strong bond to each other and their very strong feelings towards each other. He moved to snuggle against her once more as he said, "I did do that very thing, then you came to help me out of that dark pit. I think it was then that I realized how I felt about you."

She nodded, pulling him close to her. "I realized it then, too, but I didn't want to say anything because I wanted to be sure. I am sure, now. Makoto, let's promise that we won't argue with each other again. I don't... " Her thought trailed off.

He asked, "You don't what?"

She swallowed, then replied with emotions that she didn't let just anyone see. "I don't want to fight with you. I don't want to hurt you. But most of all, I hate not sleeping next to you. I.. I love you too much to be alone again."

He nuzzled against her, moving his head to where he could look up to see her face. His green eyes now showed tenderness towards the love of his life. "I'm so lucky to have someone like you. Not only in my life, but being there to share it, too. Kyoko.. I love you, too. I always have."

Their two faces met, and they kissed once more, this time longer and a bit more passionately. After breaking the kiss a few moments later, and with an impish grin on her face, Kyoko asked, "Now.. about that coffee?"

They both laughed as Makoto helped Kyoko from the couch, the prior issue now fully resolved so that they could face their day with as much hope as they could muster.

Just another Naegiri fluff piece that popped into my brain. I wanted it to be a food-centric piece but that kind of didn't happen the way I intended. I think this one turned out better. But, that's just my opinion. :)