Disclaimer: Do not own series. (sigh)

A/N: I was doing those 50 themes/1 sentences things – ‘cause I rather do those over oneshots or multi-chapt-ed fics. But while doing the ‘Midnight’ theme – the sentence grew too long, or was it the idea? Oh well. By the way, I’m only up to episode 13 (please blame the Aussie friendly Internet monthly download limit :) ), uh…and this was just random. So don’t bug me about its randomness (and shortness) to me, you can bug me if you see typos and grammatical errors though. :D Oh, and ignore the Japanese title if those kinds of things irritates you, I just don't want to put 'Silent night' in there, I'm not going to remind myself that Christmas is still quite far.

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They had bid their goodnights, one energetic and the other half-mumbled. They had slipped under their blankets, moved around the bed for a while to get a comfortable spot, and silence would eat its way and they would sleep. Only tonight, there was too much of it. It made the see-saw tip to its imbalanced end. The ‘it’ being silence.

Subaru blinked for the umpteen time toward the plain ceiling, and subconsciously felt her ears move as she concentrated on that sense. “Tia?”

Silence.

“Tia?”

Silence.

“You’re too quiet to be asleep.”

“Are you implying that I snore?”

The reply was hasty, Subaru noticed and she paused before replying, “I think that you think that I imply that makes you think I imply that you snore.”

Tiana could hear the formation of an impish smile above her. “I don’t have time to play mind games, Subaru.” A rustle of the sheets. “It’s midnight.”

“I could hear you being anxious, Tia, that’s rare.”

A sigh. “First you say that I’m too quiet, now you say I’m so anxious you can hear me,” she raised her voice several decibels higher. “Make up your mind.”

“Huhum, so you are anxious.”

Tiana’s tsuntsun brain didn’t have anything to say for that, more like she couldn’t. This was the part where she blushed, and hid her face under a cover.

And she ashamedly did just that.

“I hope you can still hear me under that blanket, Tia,” Subaru remarked. She was rewarded by a sharp kick under her, and mentally thanked the wooden separators that got in the way. That efficiently crossed out any act of rubbing future sore bottoms.

For now.

“You’re thinking about that incident during training aren’t you,” Subaru continued, both knew it wasn’t a question, but Tiana pretended she didn’t - after a very give-away gasp.

“…What are you talking about?”

“It’s kinda hard not to notice someone groping you - ”

Tiana’s head popped up to Subaru’s horizontal level, making the latter jerk away in surprise. “I wasn’t groping you!”

The youngest of the two blinked. “Copped a feel then?”

The oldest glowered.

Spine warning her to stop joking or else it’ll be broken, Subaru waved her hand in an apologetic manner. “I’m sorry. I meant…well, I meant…”

“You’re not helping one bit, you know that?”

Subaru’s head fell, her two forefingers poking each other under a gold fish-like mouth. “I-I know, and I’m sorry, but well…well…” Giving up, she took a deep breath and stopped the finger poking before continuing, “…accidents like that are bound to happen, I mean, you’re forgiven straight away after it happens, cause it just happens and it’s common and…” Another breather, and this time her head bounced up, face determined, “You don’t need to feel awkward about it, Tia.”

Resisting her cheeks’ urge to warm, Tiana broke the eye contact, “You don’t need to tell me that!” In a huff, she ducked her head down and laid back on her now messy bed. “You didn’t make a big deal out of it, so I thought…”

“That I was secretly angry or something?” Subaru chirpily inquired, she herself laying back on her bed as well. “You know I’m not like that, Tia.”

“…I know.”

Quietness.

There was another rustle from the bottom bunk, “Had Caro told you that Elio accidentally had his hands on her chest when they first met?”

A giggle, “She had, lucky boy isn’t he? Didn’t get a slap.”

Tiana ignored the ‘lucky’ comment, “They would make a cute couple, ne.”

This time, the top bunk gave a few rustles, and a blue-haired head popped out from its side. “I never knew that you’re a matchmaker, Tia!” She then gave an enormous expression of being absolutely astounded.

The orange head furrowed her brows at her, “You are this close,” she held up a forefinger and thumb that were a centimetre apart, “In getting the chance to fly out of our room window.”

Subaru gave a nervous laugh, “Forgive me,” and slid her head back in – in case Tiana had any last minute thoughts of targeting it with one of her kicks.

“…It’s nice that the two have someone by their side,” Tiana whispered.

Subaru blinked, “Un…” And she had thought she had gotten used to her partner’s usual mood swings. But she had enough common sense to not comment about it for the moment.

“I know I’m a big girl now so it’s quite inappropriate for me to envy them but…” Her voice went several decibels lower, and Subaru had to strain her ears again to hear, “I miss being young like them,” a pause, and she could just imagine her partner shaking her head in frustration, “What am I’m rambling about, goodnight Subaru.”

Peacefulness.

Tensing her leg muscles, Subaru did a light flip forward, flexed herself to the side, hands holding on, darted her head below and gave a peck of her, quite dry lips she noted in dismay, on Tiana’s forehead. “Goodnight,” she whispered before straining her arms to pull herself up.

Silence ate its way again. And they slept soundly.