Sleeptalker

There were very few moments in Hoshino's life when she considered herself motivated.

"Hah!"

This was one of those moments.

Hoshino swung her broom in broad but practiced strokes. All those years of sweeping empty classrooms prepared her for this. The movements were ingrained into the fiber of her being, letting her weave from room to room in a dance driven solely by muscle memory. Her long, pink hair trailed behind her like a shooting star. The cobbles of dust that dared to invade her precious home were soon annihilated and left nary a trace.

Wipe, wipe, wipe.

Shing!

The sound of success! The tv screen showed her the shining reflection of her living room. She was super glad they agreed to buy a more traditional television instead of a smart one; it suited her old-fashioned aesthetics just fine.

"Spotless." Hoshino hummed, putting her hands on her hips. There was no better feeling in the world than standing in a clean room while wearing an insanely cute maid outfit. She stretched in celebration of a job well done. This is so much fun!

"Next is…"

Her face soured. Ah, yes. She had to do the laundry, too. One might wonder why dirty clothes always seemed to pile up so quickly. The laundry basket was as tall as she was, and she tipped left and right, nearly stumbling, as she carried it over to the washing machine.

Technology had always been the bane for old timers like her, what with all the blinking buttons and flashing lights. It felt so excessive and decadent. She wished she didn't have to, but on this one occasion, she was willing to cooperate.

…if it cooperated back, anyway. Thankfully, she had her shotgun loaded, and Kivotos was lax when it came to insurance frauds.

Beep!

"Gah?!"

Did she do it?

The machine rumbled. Before long, the thick swathe of clothes Hoshino had dumped into it spun in majestic circles. She did it!

She even remembered to set apart the whites from non-whites this time. Nothing could stop her now!

A savory aroma wafted through the air. Hoshino clapped. Oh!

Her legs melted like butter as she floated towards the kitchen. The smell came from one of the pots on the stove. Hoshino popped the lid off as a cloud of steam gently warmed her face. Bits of white fish stirred in the orange sauce, bubbling together in a mouth-watering stew alongside scrumptious dark green vegetables.

She poked the fish with her chopsticks. It broke apart easily, indicating it was done. Her fish curry was ready.

"Delicious~"

Not too sweet, not too spicy; definitely irresistible. Hoshino couldn't wait to have a bite.

But she can't have curry without rice. Right on cue, the rice cooker flipped up showing the rice was done as well. Absolutely spectacular.

Hoshino looked towards the clock. A quarter to six. Perfect. She had just enough time to freshen herself up. Grabbing a towel, she hurried over to take a shower. She had left the bath running while she did. Hoshino dipped her hand into it to check the temperature. "Bath is ready, too~"

As much as she wanted to, she couldn't relax yet. Hoshino turned off the hot water and skipped out of the bathroom in a towel. Normally, she would be done for the day and sleep after eating dinner.

Not today.

Donning fresh clothes, Hoshino sat in the hallway next to her front door. She gazed expectantly, trying her best to push all thoughts of sleepiness out of her mind.

This was her moment. Any minute now, he would pass through those doors and come home to dust-free rooms and clean laundry. He would come home to a warm meal and an even warmer bath, all prepared by her.

Any minute now, he would come home to her.

She fidgeted. Where is he? That's weird…

Hoshino was about to stand up when she heard the rustling of the doorknob. The man she had waited the entire day for entered. Her voice seemed to crack as she shouted to greet him. "Welcome home, Sen—"

No, that didn't feel right. He was, and will forever be, their Sensei. A teacher to his students. A leader and a figure to look up to.

But for her, and only her, he was so much more. Hoshino smiled brightly.

"Welcome home, Darling!"

Her husband reciprocated the smile with his own. He spread his arms wide as she dove into him in an embrace.

I'm home, he whispered. Hoshino giggled. She had always loved those words.

Now, how did it go again?

"Would you like dinner? A bath? Or… me~?"

—

"N-no~ You can't pick me...~ I'm still too young~ Heehee~"

Sensei closed his eyes. He pretended to have heard nothing. For all his foresight, he once again regretted not investing in earplugs. Not that he hasn't tried. He always seemed to lose them for some reason.

The sleepy old man on his couch drooled slovenly. Hoshino held one of his shirts hostage, hugging it close to her as a makeshift blanket while bathing it in saliva. Sensei made a note to get it cleaned ASAP, lest a curious student stumbled upon it. He guessed Hoshino had snuck in his office for a nap but then got too comfortable.

It was not an unwelcome visit. Sensei liked seeing her, and the way she let her guard down around him spoke volumes of the trust they shared.

Her halo was absent. That was all he needed to know.

Hoshino squirmed. "Sensei…~"

He draped a proper blanket over her. It was getting quite chilly. Christmas was right around the corner, and it wouldn't sit well for a young girl like her to miss the festivities because of a cold.

"Ahh.. not there… Sensei~"

…

He could wake her up a bit later. Let her enjoy her dream for now. His patience was still as sturdy as oak— though, to his credit, he realized he probably shouldn't put those two words together.

—

Fishes have been shown to experience rapid-eye movement (REM) while sleeping. This means they are fully capable of dreams, much like humans do.

Hoshino being a lovely wife. That is all.

Speaking of dreams, I needed a break after writing my other fic. Look forward to it. Or not.