Room 504, Sunday Early Early Morning

[intraspective]

Ordinarily, the whole process of waking up and getting ready for the day was a very peaceful one. They had their whole routine down: who took a shower first (Zack did, because Ino took longer), who made the bed (Ino did, while Zack was in the shower), who grabbed the tea (mostly for Ino, but Zack was the one that got it while she was in the shower), and so on until, as was another part of their usual routine, they tracked down the podcast of last night's radio and turned it on.

Ino, in shorts and a tank top (pink), was sitting with her feet dangling off the edge of her bed, brushing her hair, and a cup of tea sitting just to the side on the floor. Zack, still without a shirt at this time of the day, was doing a few squats to stretch out after sleeping.

(It was an absurdly domestic scene.)

Ordinarily the radio was cause for amusement, or they didn't pay much attention to it because they were busy talking through it about various silly or not-so-silly things. Today, though, was one of the days where they actually managed to listen to it.

… And it didn't take a genius to tell, when it was over, that Ino's mood had gone from 'peaceful and cheerful in a sleepy way' to '...sigh'.

She kept up with brushing her hair, though. That much stayed the same.

[For Zack, yo.]

Comments

[puppy_fair]

"Honestly," Zack replied, "I'd be worried if there wasn't a bit of squeaking. We're still figuring it out, right?"

Like... whatever this was, for one. Things fitting seemed closer than comfortable, but beyond that, they still didn't have a label for their relationship.

[intraspective]

'Happy' was a pretty good one. 'Close' was another good one.

"And we're still best friends," she said, kissing him again. "No matter what else. So... if we just remember that... it has to work out, right?"

[puppy_fair]

"Of course."

They were probably going to have to get up and face the rest of the day, eventually. But right now?

Nope. Not any time close to right now. Not when they were busy being happy and close.

[intraspective]

"Sorry for freaking out," she murmured, snuggling against him. Ino couldn't promise it wouldn't happen again; that was too close to a lie--she knew herself.

[puppy_fair]

And Zack shrugged. She'd apologized enough already, and he'd already accepted it. Now it was kind of like beating a dead horse. But in a loving sort of way, he supposed. He smiled and snuggled some more.

"I'll be more careful to talk things like that over with you in the future," he offered. "Even if I don't think you'll be interested. Just so you know I'm not overlooking you out of spite."

[intraspective]

She chewed her lip.

"I just... I don't want it to seem like I've got you on a leash."

Even if he was a puppy.

[puppy_fair]

Kinky.

"I can be thoughtful without being chained down," Zack noted, shrugging a little and smiling some more. "Asking what you think about something or letting you know what I'm doing isn't the same as asking you for permission, not really. But it'll probably save us more of..."

Well, whatever that had been.

[intraspective]

"More of my freaking out?" She sighed and closed her eyes. "We can try, at least."

A pause.

"And I really do want to see that rocket, just so you know."

[puppy_fair]

"So, then our next trip to Gaia will be to Rocket Town. I'll find out when the launch is supposed to be, if you like."

... That could only end in tears.

[intraspective]

That would really only end in tears.

"Mmmm," she mulled that over, absently kissing him. What? He was there, she could kiss him. "I want to see it first? Without a lot of people. For a launch there'd be loads, right?"

[puppy_fair]

"All sorts," Zack confirmed, nuzzling back into that kiss. Hiiii, kissing. "It isn't a big town, really. I think you can see the platform from outside of town, even. So it'll be hard to miss, whenever we do go."

[intraspective]

Kissing and he was half naked and she was in shorts and a tank top.

Clearly she had too much clothing on. Ino smiled and twisted so she could return that kiss with a little more interest. "I'll want to see everything," she informed him. "I always do."

Right now, though, her arms were going to snake up around his neck.