Rhea shifted slightly, her forehead pressing into Ling's shoulder. Her voice came out softer now, stripped of all the sharp edges from before.
"I didn't sleep the whole night," she muttered. "My head's hurting… I'm really sleepy."
Ling blinked, then let out a short laugh—tired, unguarded, almost surprised by it. "Me too," she admitted. "I think I stared at the ceiling so long it started staring back."
Rhea lifted her face just enough to look at her. For the first time that day, there was something light in her eyes. "So we're both idiots?"
Ling smirked faintly. "Clearly."
Rhea laughed—and that laugh mattered. It wasn't forced or defensive. It slipped out warm and shaky, like relief finally finding a way through.
Ling laughed too, the sound low and real, vibrating through her chest. For a moment, it felt like the tension of the last few hours cracked open and let air in.
Ling reached to the side and pulled a lever beneath the couch. There was a soft mechanical hum, then a smooth shift as the couch unfolded, expanding outward into a wide, cushioned bed—far larger than it looked.
Rhea blinked. "Since when does this exist?"
Ling shrugged casually, though there was fondness in her eyes. "Private room perks. I never thought I'd actually use it for sleeping."
Rhea eyed the setup, then looked back at Ling. "Liar."
Ling grabbed the blanket from the back of the couch and shook it open. "Come here," she said, voice gentler now. "We can miss classes today."
Rhea hesitated. Just a second. Old habits, old fears.
"What about attendance?" she asked quietly.
Ling met her gaze, serious again but calm. "For once? I don't care. You didn't sleep. I didn't sleep. Nothing productive is happening in a lecture like that."
Rhea studied her face, then nodded. "Okay."
Ling lay back first, stretching out, one arm already opening in invitation. Rhea didn't need to be told twice. She curled into Ling's arms, fitting against her chest like she'd done it a thousand times before. Ling pulled the blanket over them both, tucking it securely around Rhea's shoulders.
Rhea sighed—the kind of sigh that comes when your body finally believes it's safe.
Ling's hand moved slowly, absentmindedly, drawing small circles on Rhea's arm. Not possessive. Not demanding. Just there.
"Ling?" Rhea murmured, eyes already half-closed.
"Hm?"
"Thank you… for not letting go earlier."
Ling didn't answer right away. She pressed a quiet kiss into Rhea's hair instead. "Sleep," she said softly. "We'll argue again later. We always do."
Rhea smiled against her chest. "Yeah… but not right now."
"Not right now," Ling agreed.
Within minutes, Rhea's breathing evened out, her grip loosening as sleep finally took her. Ling stayed awake a little longer, staring at the ceiling, holding her just a bit tighter—as if memorizing the weight, the warmth, the reality of her.
Then, finally, Ling closed her eyes too.
Classes continued without them.
The world moved on.
And for a few stolen hours, neither of them cared.
A soft vibration broke the quiet.
Rhea stirred first, brows knitting as the sound registered. Her phone buzzed again on the side table. She groaned lightly, eyes barely opening, then reached for it.
The screen read Roin.
She hesitated—just a second—then answered.
"Hello?"
Ling felt Rhea shift and immediately woke, eyes opening, senses sharpening even before the voice on the other end became clear.
Roin sounded controlled, casual. "It's evening. We're heading home. Where are you?"
Rhea blinked, sitting up slowly, hair falling into her face. She glanced at the dim light in the room, realization hitting her all at once. "What— already?" She rubbed her forehead. "Wait… I'll be coming."
"You sure?" Roin asked. "You didn't answer all day."
"I said I'll come," Rhea replied, a little sharper now. "I'll be there."
She disconnected before he could say anything else.
The moment the call ended, Ling sat up fully, eyes on Rhea. "It's evening?"
Rhea nodded, sighing. "We slept too long."
Ling stared at her for a beat, then without warning hooked an arm around Rhea's waist and pulled her straight back down onto the couch-bed, burying her face into Rhea's shoulder.
"No," Ling muttered. "I need more sleep."
Rhea let out a surprised laugh despite herself. "Ling—we can't."
Ling tightened her hold, legs tangling with Rhea's deliberately, voice muffled but stubborn. "Five more hours."
"You're ridiculous," Rhea said, trying—and failing—to push her away properly. "Roin is literally waiting."
At that, Ling lifted her head slowly, eyes dark but tired. "Exactly why I need more sleep."
Rhea sighed, fingers automatically slipping into Ling's hair. "You can't just avoid everything."
Ling's grip loosened just a little. "I'm not avoiding," she said quietly. "I'm borrowing time."
Rhea looked at her, really looked—tired eyes, guarded expression, the faint crease between Ling's brows that only showed when she was overwhelmed.
"We can't stay," Rhea said more gently. "Not today."
Ling searched her face, then finally exhaled and rolled onto her back, one arm still draped over Rhea like a claim she wasn't ready to release.
"Fine," she said. "But I'm walking you out."
Rhea smiled faintly. "Of course you are."
She sat up, stretching, wincing slightly. "My head still hurts."
Ling immediately sat up too, hand coming to Rhea's temple. "You didn't drink water."
"You didn't either," Rhea pointed out.
Ling huffed. "Irrelevant."
She stood, grabbed a bottle from the mini fridge, and handed it to Rhea without another word. Rhea took it, watching her with that familiar mix of affection and helpless fondness.
"You know," Rhea said softly while drinking, "normal people don't skip a whole day like this."
Ling glanced back at her. "Good thing I've never claimed to be normal."
Rhea laughed under her breath.
They began gathering their things slowly—no rush, no panic. Just the quiet weight of knowing reality was waiting outside the door.