Breaking Habit for Happiness

Iyuki woke up slightly, but his only very slightly awake brain felt the warmth of Muika and his free arm reached out to pull her closer to him. His body moved down slightly and buried his face in her neck, nuzzling lightly on the bare skin there. "So...warm...and smells...nice..."

It was a little while longer, but finally Muika started to stir. She felt warm and comfortable and didn't really want to move but it wasn't long after thinking those thoughts that reality set in...

A small noise a surprise escaped her, though she managed to miraculously half-suppress it as she realized the position they where in. Her face was on fire, it hadn't even been a minute yet and already her face was on fire! She remained still though, her grip on his shirt having tightening momentarily in reaction. She was mostly frozen in spot due to being flustered but...

"Morning Mui." Iyuki yawned sleepily as he nuzzled her neck more, his arms wrapping around her a bit tighter. He'd heard her wake up sound and the mostly asleep man cuddled her to him more. It felt so nice to hold her like this, though his awake mind would have some major complaints about his conduct when it woke up.

For now he laughed lightly and held her close, not wanting her to move away.

M-Mui!? So last night he hadn't just fallen asleep in the middle, he'd actually decided on a nickname!? Face on fire...her face was on fire! He'd even cuddled closer...and he'd laughed!? Again, her grip had tightened out of reflex in reaction to his current sleep-filled state.

"I...Iy-Morning...Iyuki..."

"...Is my shirt bothering you? You can take it off Mui." Iyuki mumbled into her neck, not willing to part from the warmth and nice cuddles right now. Slowly the fog on his mind was clearing, but nowhere near fast enough. He yawned again lightly, closing his eyes. "Whatcha want for breakfast?"

His shirt!? Take it...What!?

Just where was all this coming from!? Was he getting revenge for all the embarrassment yesterday!? She'd gotten embarrassed too!

She tried to shake her jumbled mind straight. He was still asleep! Mostly! That was it! He certainly wasn't purposely trying to kill her...Right? If her mind weren't a frizzled mess, she'd almost worry about his own reaction to himself when he finally woke up completely...if just..just accidental touching and piggyback rides made him collapse then what the hell would this cause!?

Breakfast! Right, focus on that...Answer him! Muika tried to thing but honestly her mind could only draw blanks. "Wh...Whatever's g-good."

"Do you not want it? Mm thats okay. I know its comfy and warm, here you can have it." Iyuki smiled goofily as he pulled back from nuzzling her neck. Muika's hands were holding his shirt in a death grip, so he moved his hands around hers to start unbuttoning the thing.

"I can make sweet things for breakfast. I think I'll make something like that..."

A few, unintelligible noises escaped her as Iyuki moved taking her hand and moving it to the buttons. He was going to kill her! She knew it! This was all revenge for yesterday's accidents! D-Did he not realize what he was doing!? Did he want the shirt off that badly!?

She wanted to hide with how red her face was...She had to wake him up somehow before he freaked out...How though!? She averted her eyes, though that action didn't really help her in anyway considering the first place her eyes had gone was their hands.

She would die at this rate! She was seriously going to die!

"Is something wrong?" Muika was making odd noises and that woke Iyuki up the rest of the way. His eyes cleared and quickly took in...the whole situation. His shirt half unbuttoned...her gripping it and looking flustered and terrified... Had she been trying to stop him from...

He was a monster. His eyes widened and he let out a distraught sound as he threw himself from the bed. Turning to the door he started stripping off his clothes. "Excuse me, Lady Okura. I shall...go throw myself into the pond naked. The shame as they drag my body from the pond will hopefully be enough to return your honor and heart to you. Please forgive me."

His voice was utterly calm as the shirt fell to the floor and he started to take off his pants.

"W-W-Wha-!?" She hardly had time to take in his horrified expression before he jumped straight into his freak out and began...removing his clothes!? Jump in the pond..N-Naked!? Just...

She had to move quick. That in mind, with no other thought other than that one, she moved just as Iyuki as moving for his pants. She'd run into him, red face and all, and quickly wrapped her arms around him, locking him in from making any further movement in the pants removal. Her grip was firm even if she felt she'd keel over if a feather were to drop.

"Y-Y-You were the one that said the p-pond was full of diseases! If I-I"m not permitted in it...th-then neither are you! A-And c-cut the formality...Y-You know...That's...That's not a way to address y-your....gi...gi.....gir..." Her brain was overloading at this point, her legs becoming a bit wobbly beneath her. Had her hold on him not been in tact there was no doubt she'd have collapsed on the floor by now.

Iyuki jolted as Muika's body collided with his, stopping his premature pants removal from continuing. His face was red as she pressed against him and he turned his face away.

A stubborn tilt to his chin and tone, the young man held his arms on his pants. "But I caused you undue stress by my reprehensible actions this morning. I was intending those diseases to end this miserable life to pay for my crimes."

"I...I was the-the one that...that...moved closer to y-you though! L-last night..." Sure it was a habit but...she couldn't say she hadn't felt nice waking up...before she'd freaked out over the situation..."W-When I...woke up...before I...got...ah...I thought it w-was...was comfortable...I-I just got embarrassed..."

It took a lot of pushing, but she managed to glance up at him even if he was turned away...

"B-B....Besides...if...if those diseases g-got you I...I'd be s-sad..."

"...I see. I would never make you sad..." Iyuki let go of his pants, stopping his attempt to pull them down and destroy his health with the dirty pond and possibly drown. It would hurt her... she had wanted what his sleepy mind had been doing? It was too foggy in his head even now to think clearly...

"Can I turn around? I'd like to see your face Muika." She had...wanted... that sort of cuddling. She had been the one to start it. It took his brain a few seconds to fully comprehend that, and when he did his face flushed badly.

Now he'd have to make up for his overreaction... he had a small idea.

"Mm..Mhmm." She gave a small sound when he'd asked if could turn around, trying to get across the point that he could. Her grip slacked some when he'd given up his pond disease quest, trusting he wouldn't jump back into his freak out now that it was seemingly over with.

Iyuki turned slowly in her arms, his face still red as he realized he could only repay her one way. His hands shook as he gently hugged her, his head resting on the top of her head. His voice was low and rough, mostly from being tired and still waking up. "I'm sorry Muika. I don't want you to go through such worry. Please forgive me?"

She managed to return his embrace, and when she thought about it...was this is first actual embrace she was returning? He'd...hugged her before but...Thinking about that, her grip became more sure, losing any timidness behind it. "It's fine...Really."

"I'll make you something delicious for breakfast to make up for this too." Iyuki's smile widened as he felt her hug him back. This... was a first! He wanted to make a big deal of it, but instead just nuzzled the top of her head softly.

It was then he realized he was still topless. She was pressed right against his naked chest. Oh. Oh no. His face turned red and he froze slightly, unsure of what he should do... If he panicked she might realize too what was happening.

"Mm..." She gave a nod against him, a twinge of embarrassment running through her as they hugged, her face tinting red again at the nuzzling. Eventually, she loosened her hold in case he wanted to pull away...he did say he needed to make breakfast after all.

That...tickled. Iyuki stifled a laugh as she pulled away, letting her go and lifting his head back up. He quickly tried to locate his shirt, which was luckily right at his feet. Slipping it on and buttoning it up with quick movements, he looked around the cabin to think about what he could make... and laughed as he realized something.

"...Today is special so we should have some of the cake from work. I'll make some tea to go with it, does that sound fine Muika?"

"Y-yeah, sounds good." She replied, finally sliding down the sit on the floor once Iyuki had had let go; her legs proving to be untrustworthy since the 'stop Iyuki from disrobing' incident...

Her hoodie was half off, the top of it having slid off her shoulders awhile ago while it otherwise remained a little under half zipped. For now, it wasn't something she really noticed, instead focusing on trying to compose herself and stop acting like an idiot!

Muika slid to the floor and Iyuki frowned slightly as he looked down, wondering if... he should.... not look down again. Never again.

His face flushed as he pushed aside those images and thoughts, he needed to focus on cake. Cake and tea. Cake and tea. Cake and tea. Not skin... He let out a small groan as he bent down to the small fridge, pulling out two of the smaller cakes after he had set water on to boil. He stared at those cakes on the counter, contemplating his life for a good few minutes.

Muika glanced over at him when he'd groaned. Was something wrong? She tilted her head slightly as he moved the cakes to the counter; his apparent frustration distracting her from her own embarrassment for a moment...though if she'd realized she'd have likely just returned to that embarrassed state she'd been trying so hard to get over.

"Something the matter?" She asked him.

Did his legs still hurt from all the walking yesterday? Which reminded her...she still needed to make the whole bathhouse trip up to him. She'd...Muika felt her face redden again...Like she'd figured when she was there...She couldn't just go with the simple cheek kiss, it seemed too simple now...considering everything...

"..." Dare he admit his henious thoughts? Dare he speak of them? Would it be wrong to hold them to his heart like cherished memories? Iyuki gulped and shook his head. It was better to pretend and not say a damned thing. Nothing at all.

He gathered the cups and a spoon for sweeteners, rifling through his collection of teas... "What would you prefer to drink this morning Muika?"

Suddenly pulled from her mental freak out, she gave a small sound of surprise as she went to try to answer his question. "Ah, A-anything's fine. Whatever's good."

Why did she have to freak out so much over this!? They'd kissed before so what was the big deal!? It was simple...not too simple but it would work. Nothing to freak out over! "I...Iyuki can...can you come here a second...?"

Iyuki nodded as he set out the tea he felt best today. Muika never really picked, though he had started pruning down the types he got as he figured out which she preferred or didn't prefer by minute signs she gave off. The water would still need a bit to heat up, and he hmmed as she called him over. "Of course. What is it you need?"

He moved over to her, still on the floor and...still not moved her clothing... so he had to look away as he crouched down to her level more so. "Is there something you need me for? Are you having trouble standing? Is something bothering you?"