Lap Pillow
Yuki sat in the bath, staring at her rubber ducky as it bobbed on the ripples.
/What’s happening?/
Her bad dreams had never been this frequent, or this vivid. They began to mirror reality so closely.
/We sat in the park. But, I never said I love you to her. And she never left./
She pushed the duck back and forth with her pointer finger.
/When I called I thought she was trying to abandon me. But, she showed up at my door afraid./
She blushed as she remembered the scene after opening her door.
“I love, you.”
She drew her knees in to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She would have liked to cry but no more tears could fall. She still felt the fear of Rika abandoning her.
“Why am I like this.”
Rika approached the door and gently knocked. She spoke carefully so her voice wouldn’t crack or shake.
Yuki suddenly heard Rika’s voice call to her.
“Yes?”
Rika took a deep breath, speaking softly again.
“I have some clean clothes for you, where should I put them?”
Yuki was about to invite her to put them in the bathroom, but realized she didn’t have a towel next to her and began blushing.
“Uh, J-just leave them there!”
Rika paused for a moment.
“Here on the ground? I can bring them in, or would putting them on the bed be ok?”
Yuki was drawing a map of her apartment in her head, trying to figure out the least awkward way to get her clothes on.
“The bed is fine!”
“Can I take your dirty clothes and put them in the wash?”
Yuki hesitated before answering.
Ok the first the other end of the door, Rika was stifled a laugh.
/She’s too embarrassed./
“I can just leave them to you, I’ll be on the couch. See you in a moment.”
Yuki stood up, wrapping a towel around herself. She opened the bathroom door a crack.
“I’m leaving the bathroom. Just.”
Rika was flipping through an old magazine.
“Just?”
“Promise, you won’t look.”
Rika made an OK sign with her hand.
“I promise I won’t look.”
Yuki tiptoed over to her bed and began changing.
Rika had no intention of showing her face for now, her cheeks were red from crying.
/I don’t want to make Yuki worry, she had enough already./
She had remade her bed and turned on some laps while she had been in the bath.
She heard Yuki approach the couch and sit next to her.
“Thanks.”
Rika tried to put on a braver face than she felt like having, looking sideways at Yuki.
“There’s nothing to thank me for.”
She smiled gently and began looking at the magazine again.
Yuki’s hand suddenly touched her cheek.
“Have you been crying?”
Rika kept her brave face.
“No, it’s nothing.”
“Tsundere. Don’t tell me you were cutting onions at 4:00.”
Rika held Yuki’s hand to her cheek.
“I’m sorry, I just don’t want to trouble you more than I have.”
Yuki tilted her head to a side, and smiled faintly.
“I’m pretty sure you’re the one who ran here and cleaned up my apartment.”
“It’s just, you were so afraid I had abandoned you. All because I couldn’t just say how I feel.”
“Kind of like now?”
Rika frowned.
“I-“
“You, did nothing wrong.”
Rika looked at Yuki.
“Then, why were you so scared I wouldn’t want to talk to you anymore?”
Yuki took a deep breath before speaking.
“I get these bad dreams sometimes, they’re very realistic, and are always about something I am scared of happening.”
“What happened in this dream?”
Yuki rubbed the back of her neck nervously.
“It sounds silly now...”
Rika looked into her eyes.
“It’s not silly. What happened?”
“We were on the park bench again. Except, this time I said what I should have then. After I did, you got up and left without saying a word.”
“What did you say to me in the dream?”
Yuki blushed.
“I love you.”
Tears began streaming down Rika’s face again as she wrapped her arms around Yuki.
“I should have told you sooner.”
Yuki smiled and stroked her golden hair.
“I sort of already knew.”
“I’m troubling you and you can’t sleep well because of me.”
Yuki continued to comfort her.
“They’re just dreams.”
“You shouldn’t have to wake from them wondering if they’re true.”
“...”
Rika looked up at Yuki’s face as she lay in her arms.
Yuki was smiling down at her.
“I know now they aren’t.”
Rika saw the tears as they ran over the dark circles that underlined Yuki’s eyes.
She slowly sat up.
“You look so tired.”
Yuki tried to stifle a yawn.
“It’s nothing caffeine can’t handle. It’s almost morning anyways.”
“You won’t last long without good sleep. Rest your head.”
She patted her lap.
“Even if you have another bad dream, I’ll be right here.”
Yuki saw out her window that the sun was rising.
“But, work.”
“It’s a sick day, for both of us.”
“Who do we call in to?”
Rika smiled.
“Me.”
Yuki laid down and put her head on Rika’s lap.
“Perks of dating your boss, right?”
Rika tucked Yuki’s hair bind her ear.
“That sounds so bad, and I’m not your boss.”
“At least senpai noticed me.”
“Wow, we are just a string of tropes, aren’t we.”
“I don’t mind.”
Yuki turned so she was facing up to see Rika.
“Do you?”
“Not at all. I’m, glad you’re back.”
Yuki smiled.
“Then one more request.”
“Ok.”
She turned on her side again.
“Please pat my head as I fall asleep.”
Rika began patting her head softly.
“How’s that?”
“Perfect.”
Rika suddenly remembered her talk with Yuki.
“Would you like to go to an amusement park this weekend?”
Yuki didn’t hesitate to answer.
“I’d love to.”
For once in quite a while, Yuki remembered falling asleep.
