unconscious.

characters: luda & meiqi

prompt: she smells like home.

there is no way she could have done this again.. for the third time this week.

meiqi is aware of everything that is happening. at least now, everything is beginning to sink in her thoughts. but... why is this really happening to her anyway?

the other day's escape is easier than this day's, she mumbles to herself as she struggles to untangle limbs of her roommate from her own.

she has figured luda is a tight sleeper, she is quite thankful for having that known. and she isn't that tall either so that should make things faster. but luda's hugging her tight like a koala embracing its favorite tree. any big movement she makes, which is required for her to 'escape,' may actually wake this human-size hugger.

meiqi grumbles as she moves the arm draped over her waist. at least that's easy. now she just has to remove that short leg over her own and she's good to go. but the moment she touches her roommate's leg, luda's autopilot has her throwing her own arm over meiqi. so meiqi is trapped. again.

*

meiqi doesn't tell luda about what happened. luda doesn't ask about it either. it's just one awkward topic to go over during breakfast. besides, what does luda remember anyway? does she remember how meiqi was able to escape from her that dawn? she's a tight sleeper, meiqi reminds herself, she won't remember a thing or two. 'and if luda does, she should be asking about it now since it's the third time it has happened,' she thinks.

the thing is, this is the third time it has happened, considering the two of them have just been roommates for two weeks. this is the third time meiqi wakes up only to find herself on luda's bed.

this occurrence never happened to her before with any of her past roommates. meiqi is blaming the fact that she never really got to sleep properly during those days when it was her earlier hell years in university—she literally had no time for sleep, god forbids sleep for an engineering student like her—so the chances of her being in situation like that is null. she is more confused than she can imagine considering this is happening to her right now... just when she's actually getting some sleep!

*

it troubles meiqi how she has to be very conscious when she's trying to get some night's rest. it makes her feel uneasy thinking that she might end up finding herself sprawled all over luda's bed the next day. meiqi's worry these few days causes dark circles to appear around her eye. but then she should be getting sleep, and not be bothered to stay all night thinking that she might magically be transferred to her roommate's bed again.

meiqi tells herself that if it ever happens the fourth time, she'll talk to luda about it.

it happens the fourth time. but meiqi doesn't tell luda. and it confuses her how it happens the fifth, sixth, and seventh time just in a week.

'oh no—' meiqi whispers to herself. this is the eighth time it has happened. 'ahhh, no way,' she breathes, trying to figure a way out of this maze called luda's embrace.

'...not again.'

'meiqi'

meiqi flinches when she hears the soft voice of her half awake roommate. luda is actually awake and she is not prepared for any explanation, not in an awkward situation of trying to get away from luda's hug.

'it's okay,' luda pats her head weakly. 'i'll let go.'

and luda does. she lifts her hand and shifts to the other side, mumbles few words meiqi cannot understand.

'go back to sleep,' luda says while probably being unaware of what is happening.

the next day, meiqi decides to ask luda about what is actually happening since her roommate seems to know about it anyway. so she braves herself and talks about what happened the night before.

'so-um... you remember... that... i-um, last n-night' well, meiqi has tried her best to word what she wants to say. she has it all in her head, but refuses to cooperate.

'last night? oh,' luda wipes . 'well, i don't remember what exactly happened. but i do remember you being on my bed.'

oh. so luda remembers.

'i know you've been sleeping on my bed.'

oh. so luda knows.

'oh my gosh, why?' meiqi asks luda—no, she asks herself, 'why have i been doing that?'

luda smiles, 'it's funny you don't remember.' she leans back on her seat and starts tapping the table which separates the two of them. 'well... it's probably because you were half asleep that time. you were sleepwalking and sleep talking i guess. you said you wanted to sleep beside me since you couldn't sleep properly that time.'

'i did?!'

luda's grin grows wide until she can't resist hiding her laughter, she ends up chuckling, 'well yes! you said so many things during that time!'

'i did?! like what else? when did this exactly happen-' meiqi is more than confused. she doesn't remember anything about that.

'you said you missed your family, and when you met me here, i reminded you of your home. you also said you felt safe and comfortable at home so you wanted to try if you'll be able to sleep properly when you're beside me.'

'i said those?!'

'while half-asleep, yes!'

'when?!'

'our second night together as roommates'

meiqi can't believe how she ended up saying those without her actually knowing... and remembering. and what makes her wonder more is why luda never reminded her about those earlier. but meiqi settles to keep the reason unknown to her, she'll probably ask some time later. meiqi is more curious of what else she blabbed while she was half asleep.

'oh well, you asked one more thing.'

'that is...?' meiqi prepares herself to hear something else more embarrassing.

'for me to hug you for you to fall asleep,' luda smiles.

#