The Making of an All Nighter

Aya’s wrist flicked and danced as she dragged her pencil across the toothy page of her sketchpad. Her neck and inner ear tingled, as each moment of sketching provided a pleasant textural feedback. She smiled and scribbled aimlessly as the red hues from the setting sun filtered through the 2nd floor classroom’s panel windowing. It was 6th period creative writing, and the class instructor, Professor Fu, had declared today’s class free study.

“Work on whatever you need to, kay? Or don’t. Either’s fine with me. So long as your paper’s all get turned in tomorrow, we’ll be chill.” Aya drifted back to Professor Fu’s words as she continued to make marks in her sketchpad. She felt her mind begin to drift, and fatigue began to settle in from a lack of sleep. Aya let out a deep sigh and put her pencil down to give her arm a rest. Her body went limp as she slouched in her chair, taking a moment to look around the class. Some students were already packing up, while others had their things ready and were eagerly awaiting either the bell, or Fu’s blessing to leave.

Aya picked up her phone and looked down at the time: 15:49. Just a bit longer until the final bell would ring, and Aya could go back to the green dorm room for the evening to unwind for a bit before maybe doing some homework, or so she thought.

Bzzzt!

Startled, Aya reached over and picked up her phone. Her messenger app was lit up with a new notification.

Alzena: Hey cutie~

Alzena: Been missing you :3

Aya smiled and felt her heart flutter as she typed away at her phone.

Ika-Chan: miss you too Yae!

Ika-Chan: Long day?

Aya added a sticker of a sleeping octopus, in her final reply. She clicked send and waited a moment.

Alzena: Mmhm. Can’t seem to focus

Alzena: Couldn’t stop thinking of the other night with you… .///.

Her pulse raced. She tapped her fingers on her phone case, hesitating in her reply.

Ika-Chan: Miss me that bad, huh?

Ika-Chan: :blushing-jellyfish:

Ika-Chan: It felt nice… .///. <3

Not even a second after Aya hit send, three dots appeared on the screen, indicating that Yae was already typing a response. Aya looked over her shoulder; more people in the room were packing their things. A few students had begun to stand up and stretch. The room was abound with murmuring and the shuffling of books and backpacks.

“Children please,” Fu said as she rolled over to the center of the class with her chair and stood up. “Humor me guys. Sit down and wait until the bell rings. Kay? Groovy,” she said as she plopped back down in her desk chair. She kicked off with her foot, and her chair rolled over from the center of the class back behind her desk, crashing into a filing cabinet lightly. Aya chuckled before looking down at her phone.

Alzena: Hehe, you were so gentle and soft, Aya~ My arms don’t feel quite right anymore without you in them.

Alzena: If you had the time this evening, I thought it would be nice if you came by my room again. Or, perhaps I could come visit you in yours? Please don’t feel pressured! I just really wanna give you a hug~ <3 ^///^

They’re so cute…Even while trying to get it. Aya thought to herself. Her cheeks were glowing a soft pink hue as she thought over Yae’s offer. Truthfully, Aya was both exhausted from yet another late night tagging session downtown. Consequently, she had started to fall behind on her school work. Aya had originally planned to go straight back to the green dorm tonight, check up on her friends there, take a 3 hour nap until around 22:30 or so, then pull an all nighter and finish everything in one go.

Aya’s schedule up till this point had become somewhat of a mess. Some nights Aya craved the crisp midnight air. She’d go out and sketch on the concrete alleyways downtown, and find new walls to tag. Other nights, Aya would fall straight to sleep, only to wake up just before class. Over time, she’d formed an unusual polyphasic sleep schedule where she slept for short bursts of 2-3 hours during her off hours, while taking every available second of freetime during the day to nap. She slept on desks, under tables, and even scoped out several unassigned labs.

Yae…They’re so cuddly and warm. Aya thought to herself. Her mind wandered to a heated memory from two days prior with Yae. Her skin tingled at the thought of their curious hands feeling her soft thighs and chest. Aya could practically hear Yae’s soft moans and grunts. She imagined them so clearly, infact, that she reflexively looked up to make sure nobody else in the room could somehow overhear. Aya turned back to her phone and began typing back.

Ika-Chan: Heh~ securing the bag, huh?

Ika-Chan: … <3

Once more, the three bouncing dots immediately followed after Aya had sent her reply.

“Steamy conversation, eh?”

Aya’s gaze immediately shot up from her phone, and there sitting on her desk was Professor Fu. Aya stumbled back in her chair and fumbled with her phone; it flew out of her hands into the air. Fu immediately snatched it and gave Aya a smug grin.

“I wasn’t interrupting anything was I?” Fu chuckled to herself. “Oh to be young again,” She said, handing Aya back her phone. Aya took it and meekly held it to her chest, face down. “Listen, for real now. Came by to let’cha know that I gotta get your grades in by tomorrow afternoon,” Fu said, shifting to a matter-of-fact tone.
Aya nodded quickly. Her face was painted red.

“Think you can get it to me by then?” Fu tilted her head and raised her eyebrows.

“Sure, no problem,” Aya said as she lightly twirled and tugged on a strand of her hair.

“Nice.” Fu hopped off the desk and walked to the front of the class, flashing Aya a peace sign without even looking back.

Aya sat in stunned silence for a moment while half the class eyed her like a wrecked vehicle that was blocking traffic. Aya pretended to shuffle through her backpack, her face burning and her eyes glued down to it for dear life. After a few moments she looked up and confirmed that nobody was looking her way anymore.

Ugh. I’m screwed if I don’t pull another all nighter. Aya thought to herself. Her heart ached at the thought of having to reply to Yae with a rejection. She sighed and took out her phone.

Alzena: Only if you’re comfortable with it~

Alzena: I wanna play with my little squid again…Maybe try some things with you~

Alzena: Like I said, no pressure <3

Aya’s heart once more was sent racing. She rubbed her thighs together and rapidly tapped her drawing pencil to the table. Sitting in the seat closest to her, Yui looked over at Aya, and happened to meet her gaze with a sympathetic smile. It was as if Yui’s eyes were asking: “Everything alright?” Aya forced a smile back and gave her a thumbs up. Yui nodded and smiled awkwardly, before turning and pretending to notice something near the door.

Aya sighed quietly and took her phone out, struggling to type a reply.

Ika-Chan: I really want to, but don’t think I can. ;///; Sorry Yae.

The bell rang, and loud clamoring and shuffling could be heard throughout the whole class. Everyone pushed in their seats and darted for the door.

“Have a chill afternoon. Don’t forget your paper’s due tomorrow!” Fu called out to the class as they mostly ignored her and left. After a few short moments the room was far quieter. Aya stood up and buried her face in her hands.
Ughhh… this blows Aya thought to herself. Feeling both exasperated and physically exhausted, she audibly groaned and rubbed her eyes.

This night’s gonna suck. I need a friggin drink. Aya stood up, gathered her things, and headed for the door.

“Stay fresh, Aya.”

Aya turned around and met Fu’s gaze. She grinned and made a playful finger gun gesture. Aya forced a smile, pushed open the door, and walked out of the classroom.

—

Cicadas in a nearby bush hummed nostalgic afternoon tunes. The sun had made its way further down the horizon, and the heat of the day could be felt slowly dissipating into the sparkling indigo void above. The first lights of the evening began to flicker on, making a small circle around Aya and the vending machine she faced. She pulled out her phone and scrolled her way to her wallet app. She scanned the machine, and the LCD lit up to indicate that she had one credit remaining and 3 minutes to make a selection. Aya reached over to tap the ‘energy drink’ selection when suddenly-

“Ah-Aya…”

Aya glanced over, forgetting her drink selection and felt her heart skip a beat.

“Yae…” Aya trailed off. She took a brief moment to study their appearance, and realized that they were also in their school uniform, which probably meant they also had just gotten out for the day.

“What twist of fate brought us together this fine evening?” they said with a chuckle, taking a few steps forward and closing the distance between the two. Yae brushed a strand of their wispy pink hair behind their ear as they faced her.

Yae wore a white dress shirt, and opted for the feminine school option today, which included a tan skirt, white knee-high socks, and dress shoes. Yae kept their dress shirt tucked into their skirt, and the top 3 buttons of their uniform left undone for a ‘low-cut’ effect. Dangling just below their chiseled collarbone was a silver feather necklace on a black leather string.

“Nice seeing you too, Yae.” Aya smiled warmly, looking down as she felt her face grow a bit warm. Her eyes noticeably lingered on Yae’s legs. They were smooth, and their socks accented their shape nicely. “Heh…dangerously cute, ya know?”

“Who? Me?” Yae smirked. “I’m just myself is all.”

“You’re thirsty is what you are.” Aya smirked back and stuck her tongue out at them.

“Perhaps.” They smiled. The setting sun behind them brightly outlined their profile. Aya couldn’t put her finger on it, but something beyond their feminine attire was bringing out their softer side. They were gentle, and their words tickled her at a soothing cadence today.

“About to pull an all nighter, I see.” They gestured to the selection her hand had just been hovering over. The timer on the screen read 2:29, and continued to tick down.

“Yeah. Fu’s gonna kill me this time if I don’t make a miracle happen.” Aya sighed and slouched over. “Friggin exhausted, dude.”

“Ah- I see. Makes sense. I was quite worried that I’d perhaps said something off-putting,” They said with a pause. Their slender fingers began to fidget with their silver feather necklace. “Did I go too far, Aya?”

Aya waved her hands and blushed brightly. “No, no-don’t be silly, Yae. I love you.”

Yae’s cheeks glowed a soft pink. They winked and leaned forward. “Love huh? I don’t believe I’ve heard you use that one yet.”

Aya buried her face in her hands, and shook her head. “Agh. Shut UP, man. Was tryin’ to be chill about it.”

“Hehe, you’re the one that said it, little squid,” They teased. This time they were the one sticking their tongue out at her. “Well, you’d better make your selection. Time’s running out and you have a long, loveless evening ahead.”

“Ah, dude, don’t remind me.” Aya sighed deeply and glanced over at the drink display. It read 1:15. “Maybe I don’t wanna pick anymore.”

“Oh?” Yae put a finger to their lips. “Why’s that, Aya?”

“I’m tired and just wanna nap in your bed.” Aya rubbed her eyes and yawned. She rested her head against Yae’s chest, and nuzzled into it, savoring their warmth and enveloping themselves in their scent.

“Oh, I know…” Yae put their hand on Aya’s head and ruffled her hair. As they ran their fingers through her fluffy green hair, and scratched her head rhythmically. Warm goosebumps of pleasure ran the length of her body from head to toe, and she nuzzled deeply into their chest. They continued to scratch her head, and suddenly the height difference between them seemed to only get wider. Up close, Yae positively dwarfed Aya, standing well over 30 centimeters taller than her.

“Now I wanna choose something even less,” Aya said, speaking straight into Yae’s chest in a muffled tone. Yae wrapped their arms around her and continued scratching her head. The other free hand gently rubbed behind her ear.

“If I choose for you, Aya, will you promise me something?” Yae spoke in a soft, but serious tone.

“Sure, anything.” Aya said as she remained still, collapsed in their arms, savoring their doting touch.

“Promise to trust me, okay?”
“...That it?”

“Mhm,” Yae looked down into her eyes and gave a single nod.

“‘Sure. Yeah… I can do that, Yae.” Aya smiled up at them, searching their eyes, but they betrayed none of the feelings hiding deep within their words. Ironically, in deciding to arbitrarily trust them, it created more mystery behind their words, where previously there was little to no distrust.

“It’s a deal then,” Yae said with a smile from ear to ear. They picked Aya up from around the waist and swung her around in full circle before lightly tossing her up and catching her in their arms by her back and the bends of her legs.

“Yo!! Ahh!” Aya squealed in Yae’s arms, playfully flailing like a newborn kitten. Aya giggled and the two locked eyes. The space between their lips began to close.
“Mind if I kiss you?” Yae softly asked. Aya nodded.
“Yeah…”
The sunset had reached the horizon, and the final light of the day was blinding. Warmth settled in between the two, and as they parted lips, the evening sky marked the occasion with a blanket of brilliant shimmering stars.
“Is that?...”

Yae nodded. “What’s your wish, Aya?”

“I..” Aya’s words stuck to her throat. A powerful wave from a deep ocean current was rapidly making its way to the quiet shore. Silence hung between the two. The wave grew in size, and the white noise of ocean spray filled Aya’s mind. Yae gave an encouraging smile, and Aya’s eyes sparkled with the brilliant magenta hues, made more intense by the last light of the setting sun.

“I love you, Yae. Promise me. Promise that you’ll stay by my side forever.” Aya shook. A teardrop fell from her cheek, and the warmth of her face made the mist gathering near her eyes turn to ocean salt.

Yae gave a single nod and a smile. “As I said.” They paused and looked to the evergreen evening sky. “I want you to trust me.”

Aya wiped her tears and leaned into Yae. The two enjoyed a moment of warmth together, basking in the moment. After a few moments that seemed like eternity, Aya felt as if she were about to drift asleep in Yae’s arms.

“It’s getting late, little squid.” They slowly put her back on the ground, and Aya felt the discomfort of gravity settling in on her feet.

“Oh, I forgot to ask: What’s yours?”

“Hm? Come again, Aya?”

“Your wish, dude. You never mentioned it.”

“Ah right. Well it’s…” They paused for a moment to think, before a realization struck them, and their eyes began to grow wide
“Uh..? Your wish is…?” Aya looked up at them and tilted their head.

“...That’d you’d make up your mind and pick a drink.”

“A-AH!” Aya fumbled over to the machine. She stumbled in a hurry and slapped one of the selections with just a few seconds left to spare. “Crap…”

The machine made a mechanical whirl, followed by a loud clunking sound from behind the dispenser door. Aya and Yae both stared at the dispenser in unison for a brief moment before looking at each other.

“So, what’d you pick?”
“Dunno. I kinda wiped out and hit something randomly.”
“Well don’t keep me in suspense, Aya. Let’s see what fate’s delivered you.”
“Heh, sure dude.” Aya reached down and pulled out her drink of the evening.

“So? What is it?”
“It’s…” Aya paused for a moment, looking at it blankly. For some inexplicable reason, she let out a soft chuckle.

“Strawberry Milk.”