[sylvanSpider]

If either of them caught Taka's slip up, they didn't say anything and Taka looked down, “I envy you. Sometimes it doesn't take anything to wake me up. But then, sleeping light has its benefits. Higher chance of survival, for instance.” With access to a bed, however, she didn't know if she'd keep that good habit. Then, the nightmares were a constant, so maybe she wouldn't lose it after all.

The corners of Aren's lips curled upwards ever so slightly and he shook his head, “I'm sure he'll understand, but Tristan, you know all of your letters. You proved that to me earlier when you were reading out loud. You read so fast you could barely keep up with yourself. That's not a sign of someone who can't read; it's a sign that you already know! Unless...Unless Ian can't read? You know I can teach him too...” He sat down on the sofa as Taka moved to sit down on one of the beds.

“A sleepover is something that kids used to do before this world turned to shit,” Taka responded, not bothering the sugar coat the truth. The kid had to be what, ten? Eleven? He was old enough as far as she was concerned. It was likely he'd seen his own fair share of corpses; she knew she certainly had by his age, and what's a little swearing compared to that? “Basically, it's when you'd ask your parents to go to a friend's house and you'd stay up late telling stories, doing each other's hair, and makeovers and stuff like that. I don't know what boys do, but that's what my sister told me she used to do back in the day. Buuuut, you already look sleepy, mister. We should get some sleep.”
> > >
Taka slept fitfully, as the young woman had already come to expect. Expected also was the waking in a cold sweat gasping for air, which she did at some point before the sun's rays leaked between the tattered curtains. Then, a second wave of panic washed over her, unfamiliar silhouettes of unfamiliar furniture, unfamiliar beds with unfamiliar occupants filled her vision and she breathed, the day's past events surfacing in her memory once more and she relaxed, staring at the ceiling until sleep once again closed her eyes.