Momo shifted position as she woke up to darkness. She yawned and blinked a few times, letting her eyes adjust to the dim light. It was early morning and she reached behind her head to shut off the small beeps of her alarm. Yawning again, she pushed down the desire to go back to sleep and turned to the side to wake up Sana. The brunette had come over the night before saying that they should have a sleepover before she left for overseas to visit her extended family. Sana woke up with some reluctance, trying to huddle back under the covers. Smiling, Momo continued to nudge the other girl until she sat up. Stretching, Sana groaned then padded over to change out of her pyjamas.

Momo watched as Sana struggled with her jeans before getting up herself and walked over to her stove. She started cooking breakfast and soon the buttery smell of scrambled eggs filled the apartment. The smell seemed to have a waking effect on Sana as she left the bathroom still brushing her teeth to watch Momo cooking. She finished brushing her teeth then hurried over to sit at the table as Momo placed a steaming plate in front of her. She ate eagerly and Momo smiled amused as she devoured the plate. Abandoning her own plate, Momo reached over to wipe Sana’s mouth when she finished and waited at the door as Sana grabbed her suitcase and put on her shoes.

‘I’ll miss you.’

Sana looked up from tying her shoes and grinned. “Are you sure? I’ll only be gone for a week and I think you’ll have other things to busy yourself with,” she said. Momo frowned at the cryptic response. “Is there something I’m missing?” she asked but Sana’s lips were sealed tight and she didn’t say anything further. She smiled mischievously and wrapped her arms around Momo before waving and dashing down the stairs where her parents were waiting in their car outside. Momo shook her head as she watched her friend leave before closing the door and walking back into her apartment.

She finished off her breakfast then twiddled her thumbs as she decided what to do next. It was the first day of the holidays and all the things she’d wanted to do during the semester had up and vanished. With Sana gone, the apartment felt much emptier and sleep didn’t seem as appealing as it did when she had just woken up. She crawled over to her futon and began to wrap it up when there was a knock on the door. Wondering who it might be, her eyebrows shot up when she answered it to Mina standing outside pulling a suitcase behind her. Mina held up a hand in greeting and Momo made way for her to enter the apartment. “Are you going on a trip with your family as well?” she asked as Mina took off her shoes.

‘Not exactly.’

Mina reached into her back pocket and pulled out two slips of paper. She waved them in the air as she spoke. “You know how you owe me a favour?” she said as Momo grimaced. She’d forgotten about the lost bet. “Well,” Mina continued, “for my favour, will you come on a trip with me?” She handed one of the pieces of paper and Momo looked it over, recognising it as a plane ticket. Lost for words, she blinked in shock before managing a reply.

‘A trip?’

Mina nodded eagerly. She wheeled her suitcase around and sat on it as she waited for Momo’s reaction. Taking a deep breath at the unexpected surprise, she read over the ticket and saw that Mina was serious. It was for a flight that was set to depart for Japan in only a few hours. “Okinawa?” she asked as Mina nodded again.

‘I’ve been craving some sunshine lately.’

‘But it’s nearly winter. Isn’t it typhoon season soon?’

Mina shook her head, confident. “I’ve already checked the forecast and weather for the next week and it should clear skies and calm for the duration,” she said. Momo took in the information and stood there as her brain processed it. She’d thought about Mina’s favour once or twice when she’d been studying but accompanying her on a trip had not been something that came up. She stared at Mina, wondering what to say. Mina’s smile faded as they faced each other, her face clouding with concern.

‘As expected, it’s too sudden isn’t it?’

Mina sighed heavily, stuffing the ticket back into her pocket.

‘I should’ve known that this was too much.’

Finding her voice, Momo hurriedly shook her head. “It’s not that,” she said. “It’s just that I have a fear of airplanes.” Mina’s mouth dropped at Momo’s confession. Seeing Mina’s expression, Momo started laughing as the other girl’s face fell in disappointment. “I’m just joking. I’d love to go,” she said and grinned as Mina brightened up. “I’ve never been on a trip overseas before though. What should I pack?” Mina jumped up and for the next hour, instructed Momo on the things that she should bring. When she was packed and ready, they travelled to the airport driven by Mina’s chauffeur.

It was a long drive, slowed by the midday traffic and as they walked through the airport entrance, Momo stopped to stare in interest at the large crowds. People were rushing around everywhere, carrying suitcases and luggage bags of every shape and size. Lines s their way as passengers queued up to check their tickets and carry weight. Mina dragged Momo along, muttering that they would be late if she didn’t hurry. Momo let herself be pulled, trusting that Mina knew where to go. Mina led them towards a fancier-looking part of the airport where the crowd lessened until there were only a few men and women dressed in suits and similar fashion walking around.

Looking around at the quiet hallways, Momo frowned, thinking about the amount of people she had seen on arrival at the airport. It didn’t seem right that there were so few people in this part of the airport and she raised her concern with Mina. She might have been new to airports but she knew that there were normally more people than she saw.

‘Uh Mina? How are we flying to Okinawa?’

Mina turned as she handed her passport to the attendant.

‘Hmm? Didn’t I say? I must have forgotten to mention it. We’re taking my father’s private jet.’

Momo blinked at her, realising why there were so few people. “I thought that all rich people owning private jets was only in stories,” she said, handing her own passport over to be stamped. Mina blushed and shook her head.

‘I don’t think that’s true. Most people don’t own a private jet but my dad’s an exception since he’s always flying overseas for business.’

Nodding at the explanation, Momo followed Mina through the boarding bridge and told herself that this was normal for someone of Mina’s status. They took their seats and as they waited, Momo took the chance to look around. The cabin was luxurious, furnished with a fine wood and four seats that faced each other. An aisle separated the seats, covered with a soft carpet. An attendant walked up to them with a tray of refreshments and set it on the tables between the seats. Momo watched as he walked back to another part of the plane behind them and wondered how big the interior really was. A sudden rumble shook the plane and she started in surprise. She looked around for a seatbelt and buckled it immediately. She turned to Mina with a question.

‘Are we taking off?’

Mina nodded, looking completely fine.

‘Since it’s not a commercial flight, we don’t have to leave at the designated time. We can fly whenever there’s a safe berth.’

Momo didn’t reply, only tightening her seatbelt and forcing herself not to look outside. She felt a touch on her arm and turned as Mina took her hand in hers. “Are you alright?” she asked, looking concerned. “You seem nervous. Are you sure you weren’t lying about having a fear of airplanes?” Momo shrugged awkwardly and concentrated on breathing. ‘’I’ve never really flown before and I heard most accidents happen during take-off,” she said softly. Mina smiled at her reassuringly and gave her hand a squeeze.

‘It’ll be alright. My dad’s flown in this plane nearly a thousand times and he’s never once had anything close to an accident.’

Momo nodded, still a bit unsure. There was always a first for anything to happen and she was only convinced slightly. She took a deep breath and moved to clutch her seatbelt with both hands when she remembered that Mina was still holding her hand. She thought about pulling her hand back but realised she didn’t want to. She felt more comfortable with a reminder that Mina was beside her and her presence reassured her that she would be fine. She gripped Mina’s hand more tightly and reminded herself that if Mina wasn’t worrying, why should she?

~

Mina tapped her foot impatiently as she waited for the customs clerk to check her through the gate. He scrutinised her with an as he studied her travel documents before finally approving her passport and letting her through, wishing her a good holiday in a bored monotone. Wondering what kind of person grew up wanting to work in an airport, she walked towards the waiting area where Momo was seated. She sat comfortably, without any of the nervousness and anxiety that had shaken her on take-off and landing. She looked better now that they were on the ground and as she looked up and smiled at Mina’s approach, Mina let her excitement for the trip replace her guilt at making Momo fly.

‘You ready to go?’

Momo nodded and jumped up, putting the brochure she’d picked up back in the display rack. She wheeled her suitcase behind her and followed Mina outside to the taxi rank. She said nothing as they took a taxi to their hotel, busy taking in the street view. When they arrived at the hotel, a bellhop appeared beside the taxi to help carry their luggage. They walked up to the front desk and Mina pulled out her receipt for their rooms. She handed it to the receptionist and glanced out of the corner of her eye to Momo staring with open at the large interior of the hotel lobby. “You’re blocking the way,” she whispered, pulling Momo towards her to make way for a pregnant couple. She made to say something else when she heard the receptionist calling for her.

‘Um excuse me miss, but I’m afraid there’s been a bit of a mix up.’

Mina frowned as she faced the lady on the other side of the desk. “What do you mean ‘mix up’?” she asked.

‘The system is telling me that you’ve been booked into a master suite instead of the two bedroom suite that is listed on your receipt.’

‘So what’s the matter? Can’t you just book us in again?’

The receptionist made an apologetic face as she tried to explain.

‘We’re actually full booked out right now. There are no other available rooms.’

‘Well then tell the other room that there’s been a mistake when they check in and give us the proper room.’

‘Actually the other room just checked in.’

Mina followed the receptionist’s hand to the side where she was pointing at the pregnant couple that Momo had blocked before. She clenched her teeth in annoyance, thinking about calling for the manager to somehow fix the problem when she felt Momo tugging on her sleeve. “It’s alright,” Momo said. “It’s obvious they need the separate rooms and it’s not like we haven’t slept on the same bed before.” Then seeing that Mina was about to protest, Momo smiled and raised an eyebrow.

‘Unless of course you’re against us sharing a bed?’

Mina shook her head hurriedly. “No, of course not,” she said, rethinking the room mix up. “That’s right,” the receptionist chipped in. “Couples sleep in the same bed all the time, there’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Mina glared at the receptionist who promptly stopped speaking and sighed as she agreed to be booked into the master suite. They followed a porter to their new room and found that their luggage had already been taken up. Unpacking, Mina turned as Momo walked out onto the balcony, letting a gust of cold air rush into the room. Momo held her arms out and let the wind buffet her, making her hair fly around her face. She stood with a smile on her face until the cold seemed too much to bear as she stepped back inside the room and closed the door, the curtains flapping out before settling.

She sat on the bed beside Mina, watching as she unpacked. Mina eyed Momo as she took out her pyjamas and towel, wondering why the blonde wasn’t unpacking as well. She froze a second later as Momo leaned her head on her shoulder. She slowed her movements and turned her head as Momo closed her eyes and continued to just sit there. Wondering if she should say something, she fidgeted with a loose thread on her towel before thinking that it might become awkward if she didn’t.

‘Hey Momo? Did you want to have some dinner before we go to bed?’

Momo took a deep breath and opened her eyes as she answered. “Some dinner would be nice,” she said. Mina nodded and walked over to the kitchen counter phone to order room service. She returned to an empty bedroom as sounds of water told her that Momo was taking a shower. She finished unpacking her things and rubbed her chest as she reminded herself that it was just her and Momo for the next few days. She rearranged a few of the pillows on the king sized bed and waited for either Momo to finish showering or their food to arrive. It seemed that the hotel was trying to make up for their mistake as a knock sounded on the door a minute later.

‘Here you go. We would like to once again apologise for any inconvenience and remind you that room service is available at all hours.’

Mina nodded as the hotel maid bowed and strode down the hallway towards the elevator. She sniffed experimentally at the trolley laden with food and her stomach rumbled in response. She pushed it towards the bedroom thinking that it might be more comfortable to eat there. “Was that room service?” Momo called as Mina entered the room. She nodded and set the trolley beside the small coffee table in the middle of the carpet. Momo joined her on the floor, watching with interest as she placed down two hot bowls of ramen and a platter of sushi onto the wooden surface.

‘I thought something hot would be nice since the nights get cold here. Dig in.’

Momo picked up her chopsticks and started eating. Mina followed suit and the room became silent save for the sound of chopsticks clattering together and slurping of noodles as they filled their stomachs. Mina finished eating first and lay back to ease her stomach before looking at the time and stood up to take a shower. When she was done, Momo had already cleaned the table and stacked the dishes neatly onto the trolley for the housekeeping to collect in the morning. She was sitting on the edge of the bed with her head nodding but perked up when Mina exited the bathroom.

“Should we sleep?” Mina suggested, seeing how sleepy Momo looked. Momo murmured a reply that was too soft to hear but she crawled under the covers. Mina made sure her hair was dry before switching off the light and slipped into the bed beside Momo. Yawning, Mina thought about the activities she had planned for tomorrow before closing her eyes to sleep. However, as she lay there sleep eluded her and she spent some time fidgeting restlessly before she conceded that she wasn’t going to fall asleep.

She opened her eyes, her vision already adjusted to the darkness. She shivered once and rubbed her arms as goose bumps appeared along her skin. Huddling into herself, she froze as she heard a sneeze. Turning slightly, she craned her neck to look behind her. “Momo?” she whispered. “Are you still awake?” There was no reply until the silence was broken by a soft yes. “Are you cold too?” she asked, turning her body around. “No,” Momo replied quickly and Mina racked her brain for something to say when there was another sneeze. Mina frowned and stared at Momo through the darkness, thinking she had misheard. Momo coughed and Mina suppressed a laugh. “Fine, maybe I’m a little cold,” Momo said, clearly embarrassed.

Mina grinned, glad that Momo couldn’t see her face in the dark. “You know,” she said, “It might be warmer if we cuddle.” A second passed before she realised what she’d said and she immediately regretted voicing the suggestion. She stared at Momo, panicked, trying to think of some way to turn what she’d said into a joke but her brain was slow to recover. Before she could think of anything else to do, Momo replied with a quiet okay. She blinked in surprised as Momo shifted closer and drew the blanket more tightly over them. She wrapped an arm around Mina and moved her head closer, tucking it under Mina’s chin. Mina held her hand up hesitantly then thinking that Momo had done the same, draped her arm over the other girl’s waist. She turned her cheek, pressing it against the top of Momo’s head. Warmed by Momo’s body heat, she felt much more comfortable and this time when she closed her eyes, she felt her body relax as it succumbed to sleep.

~

Mina woke up with a sigh, having slept amazing well. She smiled as she opened her eyes to bright sunshine broadcasting the new day. She breathed in deeply, stopping when she smelt something sweet. Her eyes widened as she realised she was looking the back of Momo’s head, the sweet smell from Momo’s shampoo. They had shifted positions in their sleep and instead of facing her, she was now spooning Momo. She wriggled uncomfortably, unsettled by Momo’s unexpected closeness. Her arms were wrapped around Momo into a hug and she swallowed with difficulty, feeling Momo’s back press against her chest as she breathed.

She hesitated for a moment, wondering if it was alright to be in that position. Her feelings for Momo clouded her judgement and she couldn’t decide whether the way they were sleeping was normal for two friends or if it was overly familiar. After some more hesitation, she decided that since Momo was still asleep, it was alright. She pressed her face to Momo’s back, hugging her more tightly until a seagull’s cry reminded her that the time for sleep was past. She let herself enjoy the position she was in with Momo for a few more seconds before disentangling herself, wishing that she didn’t have to. She walked over to the hotel phone to order breakfast t