No Normal Mornings

I feel myself awaken. I'm in a spot I'm not used to waking up at, but my mind is already clear enough to piece together the events of yesterday. The time is most likely 8:59, as per usual. I simply need to roll off the couch and start the day.

At least, that is how the morning should start.

"Hehe…hehehe…"

I can't even arch my neck to get a better look at the weight placed upon my body. From here, I see a blue blob with a white streak that seems to be rather enjoying the dream she finds herself in. At some point during the night, Mira got tired of sleeping on the bed by herself and made her way onto the even more cramped couch. She somehow managed to walk over and climb under the sheets without me noticing.

Her choice of places to lay was also horrible, and that's taking into account that there basically was no alternative place on the couch to sleep except for on top of me. Her head rests right in the centre of my chest. With her ear pressed into my shirt, I'm surprised the loud and frantic beating of my heart hasn't woken her up yet. I can hardly move my arms without shifting the two of us around too much, and don't get me started on moving my legs.

"Ouch…"

Mira may be very light compared to me, but she isn't weightless. Having her entire body weight pressed solely on my chest and stomach for who knows how long has left me feeling sore. I feel an even more jabbing pain as she occasionally changes positions, digging her arms into my muscles as she rolls to lay on her other side. How I managed to keep myself asleep through this is honestly more impressive.

Unsure of where to grab to awaken the sleeping girl, I settled on shaking her shoulder.

"Mira, you have to wake up."

"Mmmm…"

She curls up her body to try and avoid my hand.

"Come on, it's morning already."

"Mhm…"

"Don't you want something to eat?"

"Mhm…"

I'm getting what I assume to be a response, but I don't feel like we're getting anywhere. All of my shaking causes Mira to dig her face into my chest and cover the rest of herself with the blanket. Pins and needles are starting to cause me problems in some parts of my body, so I need her to wake up soon.

"Seriously Mira, I can't do anything until you move…"

"Mhm…"

"Are you awake?"

"Mhm?"

"You're being a sleepyhead."

"No…I'm a rabbit…"

It's no use. My plan to obtain a good night's rest through our physical separation has gloriously backfired on me. Now I'm at the mercy of this fluffy creature while waiting for the flow of blood in my body to completely halt. I wonder if this is how cat owners feel.

I would really love to go back to sleep, but I never have that option once I'm awake. The only thing I can do is be a cushion for however long Mira intends to laze about. What a way to start the dawn of the second day.

* * * * *

Two hours have passed and I feel a shift in the pressure across my body. The exact weight, while unknown, seems to converge upon my stomach. Mira lets out a soft sound as she stretches.

"Huh? Noa? Are you still sleeping?"

I bring down the phone from in front of my face and look at the rather infuriating rabbit, who is now sitting up directly on top of me. She looks down at me with a frown as she swings her hanging legs back and forth.

"The sun woke up a while ago. It's not good to be lazy."

"I don't want to hear that from you!"

"Wah!"

I pull myself out from under her.

The small girl crashes into the cushions and atop my legs at the opposite end of the couch. It would have likely caused me pain as well, but I lost the ability to feel anything in those a while ago. Mira is back on all fours, her ruffled sundress threatening to provide me details of her rear that I don't want to see right now. We really need to sort that problem out soon if she intends to raid my blanket every night.

Unable to walk, I simply lean upright against the back cushion.

"Do you even know what time it is!?"

"Time for lunch?"

"Exactly! We completely lost our morning thanks to you!"

What started with a nice and early morning with the prospect of productivity and progress turned into me losing the feeling of my body as I read novels on my phone. I was thoroughly entertained for sure, but that isn't getting any of my homework done. Was it possible at any point to simply move the rabbit and continue with my day? Perhaps, but that would make me look like the bad guy if she woke up.

I'm starting to get the feeling in my legs back, slowly but surely. For now, I look at the rabbit that seems particularly interested in the movement of the clock hands, hands now showing 11:25.

"How did you even end up sleeping on my stomach?"

"Hm?"

Mira stops rhythmically rocking to the side at the tick of the second hand.

"Weren't we always here?"

"No! You started over there!"

I exaggeratedly point at the messy bed beside us. Mira seems to remember as well and crosses her arms in thought. She grunts as the dots don't appear to be lining up, whatever the dots are she's trying to connect.

"Is there a secret hole between the bed and couch!?"

"Of course there isn't!"

With my body back to normal, I leave the rabbit on the couch and wash up. I have the feeling like I forgot something among the mess.

"Mira, remember to brush your teeth."

I call to the rabbit that currently has her head dug into the pillow case. The sheets have been left all turned around and basically the whole mattress is visible. Whatever she's looking for, she probably won't find it. Granted, her very existence is something that appeared out of nowhere, so a wormhole inside the mattress may very well be next.

"I feel like I'm getting closer to finding the secret hole!"

"You'll sound more convincing when you aren't walking around with a marshmallow head."

This is the perfect opportunity to change clothes as Mira searches the depths of the pillow behind me. By the time I finish and turn around, the pillow has fallen to the floor and Mira's upper body is completely replaced by a white rectangle.

"Smells like Noa."

"I use that thing every night. Also don't say things like that!"

The last thing my heart needs is a cute girl telling me that I smell. Although, calling Mira a girl has always been a bit of a stretch.

The rabbit attempts to walk around with her vision obscured and motions inhibited. A soft cry of distress can be heard beneath the pillowcase when she bumps her knee into the bedframe. She tries to reach down to feel her bruise, but the sack of rabbit flops to the ground with a thud. I simply watch as she squirms around on the carpet before going limp.

"Noa…"

"Give me a break…"

I crouch down beside the bundled mess. You can really tell how small her frame is from here as she seems to have gotten herself turned around several times inside of this pillowcase. I first start by trying to sit her back up, placing my hands somewhere among the white. My hand feels something soft.

"Ahh…"

My hand effectively teleports back and away from the blob. It wasn't just my hand either, my entire body shot several paces away on reflex.

"W-What was that!?"

"I don't know, but it felt weird…"

I don't even want to know what I just placed my hand on. If my assumption is correct, I need to book it to another country and fast if I want a future.

Fortunately, Mira manages to get herself in a sitting position and faces my direction. After a brief hesitation, I crawl back over and free Mira from her self-inflicted prison. She sighs in relief and hops to her feet.

"The journey for the secret hole is long and perilous!"

"My goodness…"

I can only sigh as I begin fixing the sheets that have been strewn about.

Knock knock

Both of us jump as a heavy knock hits the front door.

"Wait…"

My mind is in the midst of grasping some drifting memory as a hearty voice calls to us.

"I demand your immediate surrender! If you refuse, I will turn your city, lands, and empire into flames!"

He said the lines wrong, but that isn't what bothers me the most. It's the legitimate appointment that he has in our kingdom today.

"Crap, I forgot about him…"