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“Ahhhh~” Yu yawned, despite her best efforts to hold it back. She fought back the urge to rub her eyes, remaining focused on the barely lit road ahead of her. Urrrg… I’m starting to think Ayumu was right… This wasn’t my best idea.
Speaking of Ayumu, Yu slowed the car down a little and looked to the backseat, where she saw Ayumu fast asleep with a pale pink and white blanket draped over her. The sight of her girlfriend peacefully sleeping the night away helped push away her growing exhaustion.
Hehe, good I was worried I might have woken her up. Managing to withhold her yawn this time, Yu turned her attention back to the road and pushed the car a little faster. She worked hard today so she’s earned this.
Over the past couple of weeks, Ayumu had been preparing for a work event in Shizuoka where she would be showing off some of the outfits and accessories she had made. It was a small event, small enough that Ayumu told Yu she didn’t need to come with her since Yu herself had Class the following morning. Naturally, she wasn’t going to accept that, it might have been small but it was still the first one Ayumu had been allowed to take part in, so she was determined to be there no matter what.
The plan was they’d drive there in the morning, allowing them to drive home without worrying about the trains. Which, in theory, would have given Yu plenty of time to get some rest before class. Unfortunately, it went on longer than they had expected. Now it was just past midnight, they still had at least an hour drive left and… Exhaustion was starting to catch up to her.
Yu stifled another yawn, small tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. The gentle bobbing and bumps from the road, the total silence and even the heating trying to stave off the early winter chill, all came together, heightening her exhaustion. She knew it was a risk to keep going but she had no choice… At least that’s what she thought until she spotted a large, empty lay-by just up ahead. Shaking her head, she pushed on and pulled in, feeling a wave of relief wash over her as the car came to a stop.
I’m glad this was here… I’m not sure how much longer I could have kept going. Yu thought, finally giving in to her urge to rub the sleep from her eyes.
She turned around and carefully readjusted the blanket over Ayumu. While she was back there, she dug into the bag on the seat next to Ayumu, quietly taking out a can of iced coffee. It wasn’t her favourite but right now she needed all the energy she could get.
It'll be fine… Yu stepped out of the car, the brisk air already helping to rouse her. “I’ll just wait here for a bit, get some fresh air and then I’ll finish the trip!” Yu declared, slapping her cheek, the sharp stinging sensation helping to keep her mind focused.
She cracked the can open, taking a long sip from the bitter drink as she walked around the area, hoping a small bit of exercise would help. The lay-by wasn’t too big, so after doing a couple of small loops around, she made her way over to a fence at the far end. With little else to do, her eyes drifted towards the sky.
“Woah…” Yu muttered, her eyes sparkling with awe.
They were so far from any town that the sky above was a sea of stars. It left her so stunned, she nearly dropped her drink. She was so captivated, she didn’t notice someone sneaking up behind her until she felt a familiar warmth wrap around her arm.
“It’s really pretty, isn’t it?” Yu whispered, subconsciously leaning against Ayumu.
“Mhmm.” Ayumu sleepily hummed, her grip on Yu’s arm tightening. Yu glanced down at Ayumu, who was still clearly trying to wake up. It was so cute she had to resist the squeal. Which became all the harder when Ayumu looked up at her, her eyes wide with a gentle worry. “Is everything okay?” Ayumu asked.
Yu smiled and closed her eyes, Ayumu’s presence threatening to undo everything she had done to wake up but… She had no desire to try and escape. “Yeah.” She whispered, “I was… just starting to get a little tired so I needed a little break.”
“Mooou,” Even with her eyes closed, she knew Ayumu’s cheeks had puffed up into a pout. “Yu… I told you to wake me up if you start to get tired.” Ayumu rested her head on Yu’s shoulder. “I would have taken over.”
Yu opened her eyes and looked away from Ayumu, “I-I didn’t need to… I’m still okay to-”
“That’s no excuse. You… You still should have woken me up.” Ayumu sternly stated, she reached over with her free arm and gently poked Yu’s cheek. “I would have kept you company.”
“I couldn’t do that… You looked so peaceful and with how hard you’ve been working, you deserved a-”
Yu was cut off by a soft pair of lips pressing against hers. She was momentarily taken aback but quickly found herself melting into it. It only lasted a couple of seconds but it was enough to shock her entire body back into being fully awake.
“A-Ayumu?”
Ayumu smiled, clearly pleased with herself as she settled back into their previous position. “You need to be a little more selfish. I know you wanted to.” The faint pink on her cheeks darkened into a burning red. “Hehe, you can’t hide anything from me~”
Yu sighed and accepted her defeat. Yu wrapped her arm around Ayumu, pulling her close using their shared body heat to stave off the growing chill in the air. And so they waited, enjoying being the only two people around for… Miles.
Hmm… This is really nice… I wonder if we could try and do this properly sometime… Yu shook her head. It could be fun to do after graduation… Maybe I’ll mention it when we get home. “Ayumu.”
“Hmm?” Ayumu hummed, her eyes looking down at Yu.
“We should… Probably get moving soon. We’ve been here a while.”
“Moou… Okay.” Ayumu childishly whined. Yu tried to pull away but Ayumu’s grip held firm and a mischievous glint appeared in Ayumu’s eyes. She reached over to Yu’s jacket pocket and took out their car keys. “You can take a rest this time,” Ayumu said, playfully sticking out her tongue.
Yu rolled her eyes, having no energy or desire to push back. “Hehe, fiiine.” She leaned in, leaving a chaste kiss on Ayumu’s cheek. “Let’s go.”
Ayumu said nothing. She simply paid back the kiss with her own before they returned to the car and their journey home. Their brief but much-needed rest, coming to an end.