Lily Light (Shachi x Reader x Penguin)

⁕Wake-up✨Kiss⁕

Silence welcomes you. You awake from an empty dream.

When did you fall asleep? Since when do you allow yourself to relax like this?

How unmannerly and careless of you. Not very feminine of you.

Shame on you! Shame!

Your insides hurt, your heart throbs painfully, while your body remains paralyzed. You tremble.

You can't open your eyes. You bury your trembling fingers in the soft blanket that hums softly. Wait. It... hums?

The same blanket puts a paw around you. Bepo. Did you cuddle in his fur at night? Oh, no! You bothered him, took away his sleeping space and-

His short claws lightly stroke your back, in soothing movements. The bear itself still seems to be deeply asleep, acting instinctively, caress you.

It helps, if only slightly. It calms you.

With a gentle smile on your lips, your eyelids open. You stay in his bear hug, taking in the surroundings with weary glances. The campfire has long since burned down, it still smells of burnt wood and coal.

The four of you lie together; Chi and Peng sitting side by side against Bepo's back, you against his belly. The mink has been your nightly source of warmth in the otherwise cold cave.

There is something familiar about the warm act. Like family.

The realization makes you flinch. Clumsily, you lean away from the animal blanket, looking between the three sleeping faces. Each of them looks different, each seems peaceful.

A pretty picture.

How dare you count yourself among them?

You're only a temporary guest. Not even an invited guest. You are only tolerated, not accepted.

Again, you feel so foolish to hope for more. Every moment with them is so precious to you... yet you can't enjoy it. What hinders you?

Sighing softly, you reach into your wild hair, taking Peng's jewelry and taming your hair-strands a bit. You must look awful.

What happened to your 'perfect beauty' you have to present?

"Good morning, Miss Beautiful!" O-Chi beams at you.

Did he hear you? Did you wake him? Doesn't he mind how messed up you look?

Sleepily rubbing his eyes, he peeks out from behind Bepo's back, and smiles warmly at you.

You fight your lips apart, trying to return his smile. "Morning, Chi-" you quickly put a hand over your mouth. You addressed him by his nickname. Were you allowed to do that?

Such an intimate gesture... it awakens a spark of life in his sunny eyes.

"Say that again."

You hesitate. "M-Morning."

"Not that!" He chuckles softly.

Propping his elbows on Bepo, his chin on his hand, he looks at you with an expectant look.

Slowly, very slowly, your lips part. What you then bring out in a shy whisper makes his typical smile fall.

And you say it;