Awake... uuuugh! Am I awake already?

I tightened my eyelids as my mind stirred.

I refuse to wake up on my own. I'm going to sleep until someone drags me from this bed—

Ahhh! What was that!?

Something in my bed was wriggling wildly next to me. My eyes shot open wide.

A curly mess of red hair filled my vision.

Oh. It's just Rias.

I was in a curled position, lying on my left side. My sister was sprawled out next to me, squirming against a pillow.

I gently swept her invasive strands of hair away from my face and closed my eyes. Just as I was falling back to sleep—I was jarred back awake.

A new sensation from behind caused my body to shudder. Something was intertwining itself around my legs. I was unable to twist around to see who—or what—was behind me, so I slowly craned my neck around. Just within my periphery, an arm lazily moved its way up my side, coming to rest across my chest.

A small hand clenched tightly to my shirt, coming dangerously close to grabbing more than just cloth...

A soft mumbly voice came from the same side as the arm.

"Mmmm… Is it morning already, Airis?"

After freeing my legs I slowly twisted around, as to not disturb Rias, and found myself face to face with another mess of red hair. Hailey’s cherry-red hair, to be precise.

Okay, what!? What in the name of the Celestials is happening??

Hailey looked at me sleepily, her eyes barely cracked open.

"Whaaa…?" she mumbled.

The events of last night drifted into thought, and although they were a bit hazy, I definitely remembered Hailey walking me back to my tent… And staying, apparently, as I couldn’t recall her leaving.

Hailey snuggled her face into my neck and wrapped her arm back around me. Her leg coiled its way around my own.

Out of my control, a weak ‘eep’ escaped my lips. My face was hot and my chest felt like it would burst at any minute.

"Mmm… Go back to sleep, it's too early…"

Hailey and I were close when we attended the Academy together. We had shared a dormitory room, and I used to convince her to stay up until absurd hours of the night with me. We’d study until we were so exhausted that eventually we’d end up falling asleep together, just like this.

What I never told anyone though, was that I just wanted her to sleep in the same bed as me because I had a major crush on her… A decade later and it still looks like nothings changed.

Another flash of last nights events stirred in my mind. Realization flooded in.

Hailey had walked me back to my tent. Before heading back to her own, she gave me a hug. But I didn’t want to let her go… And…

Oh Celestials...

I asked her to stay the night with me, like we used to.

Rias tossed over in her sleep and now had her head pressed up against my back, trapping me in place. Exhausted and facing new levels of drama if I tried to escape, I chose to close my eyes and try to get back to sleep.

Get ahold of yourself, Airis.

I was woken up by a finger repeatedly poking my face. I cracked one eye open.

Julius was staring down at me. His eyes drifted to my right, then my left, then returned to me. I wasn’t sure what kind of look was on his face... Ah—no, I had it. This was concentrated confusion, but with a hint of smugness.

A brand new original Julius expression.

"Not one word. I will kill you." I whispered sharply up to him.

"I have… just so many questions."

Hailey shifted in bed, "Mmmmm—oh, hey Julius." She turned her body back towards mine and buried her face against my back, "Five more minutes..."

"Why didn’t you tell me?" Julius asked.

"Tell you what?" I hissed.

"That you two were a thing."

I felt my face flush with heat, "We aren’t—I don’t—She’s—” I stammered, unable to come up with anything cohesive, “C-Can we not have this conversation right now!?"

Julius started to speak but broke off and turned around. I heard someone stepping into our tent. Mitchell came into view, his face was pale.

"Julius, Commander Airis, have you seen Hailey? I checked her tent this morning but she was…" His voice trembled slightly with panic, but it slowly drifted off as he looked from Julius, to me, to Hailey. He stood there silently as he tried to comprehend the scene.

"Good morning, Luke. As it turns out, I have seen Hailey." Julius grabbed him by the shoulders and led him back out of the tent, "Come on, let's go grab some breakfast."

I’m not going to catch a break with this at all.

Luke’s entrance had woken up Hailey. She started laughing hysterically, which in turn, woke up my sister.

Rias rubbed her eyes and let out a yawn. She stared blankly at the wriggling mass of blankets that was Hailey having a giggle fit underneath.

"Hmm… Hailey?" Rias mumbled, barely audible, as she looked at me, "Did she sleep in our bed last night? What is so funny?"

I refused to answer. My embarrassment level had reached a new peak. I reached for a sheet to hide my own self under, but Hailey had managed to hog them all.

Hailey was now having trouble catching her breath in the midst of her laugh attack, "It’s just that—he was probably so worried! And then he comes in here… ahaha!"

Her laughter renewed its ferocity and she was left unable to form coherent words. Rias continued to stare blankly at me, waiting for an explanation.

I covered my bright-red face with both hands and refused to give her an answer.

“Sis, are you okay?”

I shook my head and slowly crept out of bed, intent to track down my clothes.

After Hailey had calmed down, she stuck her face out of the tent and got a guard to grab her two fresh uniforms.

She held out one of the uniforms, complete with a Commander’s insignia, for me to take. As I took it, our eyes met.

"H-hey, about last night, and this morning, I…" my eyes darted around the room

She leaned in close and her eyes sparkled, "Yeeeah?"

You can’t tell her. You can’t tell her. You can’t tell her. Don’t say anything stupid, Airis.

My heart was racing again.

“I-I, umm… wanted to say thank you, for the wine.”

"Anytime!"

Once we had finished getting changed, she grabbed onto Rias and I, dragging us from the tent.

We ended up at the command tent, where Julius, Mitchell, and Hanna were already eating. I sat down a few chairs away from Julius.

I am not getting baited into any of his nonsense this morning.

Rias and Hailey sat on either side of me.

Great, from the bed to the breakfast table.

Mitchell shifted uncomfortably in his seat as he shoveled food into his mouth.

Hanna and Hailey left together after breakfast to get status updates from all the camp’s sectional leaders. Which left Mitchell, Rias, Julius, and I to figure out where we could be helpful. Rias was the first one to offer up a genuinely good idea to begin our day

"I’ve been tinkering with a new invention for the last few days with Dori’s help. I asked her to pair an action class Sonic enchantment and a combat class Aether enchantment to enhance some small handheld runes. If you channel a small amount of magick to it, it will let you connect to any of the other runes over a far distance. In theory, you can talk into it and it will transfer your voice on the other end. She should have them done, would you mind going with me to see her?"

"Magic runes that allow you to speak over long distances? Sounds like some artificer fiction to me, Rias. But of course I’ll go with you." I gave Julius a wave, "Byeee. You boys are on your own this morning."

And we left before they could protest.