The scent of something warm woke Nephis from her sleep.
Her silver eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the dim morning light filtering through the curtains.
She remained still for a moment, letting herself wake up naturally.
Then, she noticed the empty space beside her.
Her brows furrowed slightly.
Her teddy bear was missing.
Pushing herself up, she caught the faint sound of movement coming from outside the bedroom.
With quiet steps, she made her way toward the kitchen.
There, she found him.
Sunny stood at the stove, his back to her, dressed in nothing but loose sweatpants. His bare upper body was still marked with sweat from his earlier training.
The muscles in his back flexed slightly as he moved, focused entirely on the task before him.
Nephis leaned against the doorway, watching silently as he plated the food.
"Didn't take you for a morning cook," she finally said.
Sunny turned his head slightly, smirking when he saw her. "Didn't take you for a sleepyhead."
She stepped closer, peering over his shoulder. "What are you making?"
"Something simple." He lifted a plate. "Eggs, toast, some fruit."
Her gaze flickered to the counter, where two plates were set. One for him. One for her.
Something about that made warmth stir in her chest.
She slid into a seat at the counter as he brought the food over. As he set hers down, she spoke again.
"I saw you training."
Sunny glanced at her before taking a bite of his toast. "Yeah?"
"You're getting better."
Sunny snorted. "Was I that bad before?"
Nephis smirked faintly. "No. But you're still improving."
They ate in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Eventually, Nephis set her fork down and tilted her head at him.
"Do you want to go to the mall?"
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "The mall?"
"Yes."
He narrowed his eyes suspiciously. "Why?"
"Because you can't go around wearing black all the time."
He blinked. Then, he scoffed. "Excuse me?"
"You need more variety."
"I have variety," he argued. "I own different shades of black."
Nephis just stared at him.
He crossed his arms. "I refuse to believe this is happening."
She simply raised an eyebrow, as if daring him to challenge her.
After a long pause, Sunny exhaled through his nose and dragged a hand down his face. "…Fine."
Nephis nodded approvingly. "Good."
Sunny muttered something under his breath before finishing the last of his toast.
He cast her a side glance, feigning annoyance, but deep down… he didn't mind.
Not if it was with her.
******
Sunny adjusted his shirt before glancing at himself in the mirror.
He wore the same.
Black on Black on Black.
What did you expect?
Satisfied, he ran a hand through his hair and stepped out of the room, only to pause as he caught sight of Nephis still getting dressed.
She stood by the full-length mirror, inspecting her reflection. A white blouse, sleek and slightly loose, tucked into high-waisted black jeans that accentuated her long legs.
Sunny swallowed.
Nephis turned to him. "Does this look good?"
His flaw gripped him instantly, forcing an answer.
"It looks heavenly on you."
He blinked, realizing what he had just said.
Nephis smiled, a faint, knowing expression crossing her lips. "Thanks."
Sunny looked away, clearing his throat. "Yeah. Whatever. Let's go."
The mall was crowded as ever, kids screaming and whatnot.
Sunny shoved his hands into his pockets, keeping a neutral expression as they walked.
Or rather, as Nephis walked and he followed.
At some point, she grabbed his hand, fingers slipping between his own.
Sunny raised an eyebrow. "Excited?"
Nephis glanced at him with a small smile. "A little."
A little was an understatement.
She was dragging him from store to store, stopping at displays, pointing things out, leading him through sections like a child exploring something new and fascinating.
It was so out of place compared to the usual Nephis.
He huffed, pretending to be annoyed, but deep down, something about it was… nice.
Eventually, they reached a clothing store.
Nephis stopped abruptly, scanning the racks with interest.
Sunny frowned. "You need new clothes?"
She turned to him. "Not for me."
It took a second to click. "Wait. No."
Too late.
Nephis was already grabbing clothes off the racks, piling them into his arms before he could protest. "Come on," she said, nodding toward the fitting rooms.
Sunny sighed, knowing there was no way out of this.
With an accepted expression, he made his way inside.
Inside the changing room, Sunny held up the first item.
That one wasn't too bad.
But then he looked at the rest of the pile.
"…What the hell is this stuff?"
From outside, he heard Nephis chuckle.
"You'll see."
He sighed and started trying things on.
The first few were decent: stylish shirts with obnoxious name brands that he couldn't comprehend, fitted jackets that were sometimes too big for him, dark jeans that actually looked good.
He stepped out each time, and Nephis would tilt her head, studying him before nodding in approval.
Then came the... unique outfits.
Sunny stared at himself in the mirror, exasperated. "Nephis."
Another laugh. "Come on. Let me see."
Gritting his teeth, he stepped out, revealing the horrendous patterned shirt she had snuck into the pile.
Nephis barely held back a snort. "That one's nice."
Sunny deadpanned. "I look like I lost a bet."
She actually laughed this time, a soft, genuine sound that made him pause.
He sighed dramatically. "I'm never trusting you again."
Nephis smirked. "Sure you won't."
As much as he wanted to argue, he found himself smiling just a little.