tw for mentions of self harm.

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Love tunnel ?

Sana’s eyes widened. What was Momo playing at? Was this some kind of subliminal message thing? She shook her head. Nah. It must be because she’s tired and the ride is calm.

“Are you okay Sana?” Momo’s voice snapped her out of her thoughts. Oh, she forgot the shocked expression on her own face.

“Ah yes. I was just a little lost in my thoughts.” Sana sighed quietly as she looked back at Momo, this time with a smile.

“What are you thinking about.” The dancer asked.

“Ummm…” She scratched the back of her head. “Exams.” Yeah, exams. It would be too hard to admit that she was really thinking about the very girl she was talking to. Her answer sounded quite weird, not really convincing.

But apparently it was convincing enough for Momo. “Ah, right. Exam period is soon. How are you holding up?”

“Quite well, actually. I try to study as much as I can and as soon as I have free time. It’s a little weird too, I’m usually more stressed during this period. I don’t know why I’m so calm.” She finished with a nervous laugh. Well, maybe she was too occupied with someone who made her feel less worried about herself to think about stress.

“I see.” Momo nodded. “Well, you’re very smart so I can’t possibly think of you failing.” Sana could see the other girl’s soft smile. But that smile wavered for a moment. “Sorry for distracting you from studying though.” And Momo looked away.

Sana quickly replied. “You’re not distracting me! Quite the opposite, actually. Being with you makes me relaxed.” Well, that was not entirely true, but. “I’m happy when I’m with you.” Was it too embarrassing to admit that? Well, it was too late now.

“Ah, that’s great.” And Momo’s bright smile was back again. It was just so beaming it could actually go in a competition against the sun and win. “Because I’m happy when I’m with you too.”

Sana could hear her own heartbeat right now. How could such small things affect her this much? She wanted to scream.

But her heart almost stopped when they finally got in line. There were only straight couples there, and just as her and Momo got there, they were whispering, throwing glances and just generally looking weirdly at them. Well, now she was pretty sure that the public view on same couples didn’t change much.

Not that her and Momo were a couple anyways.

Sana glanced up at the other girl. Momo was looking around, seemingly uneasy too. So she softly squeezed her hand and smiled at her.

“Don’t mind them.” She tried to reassure Momo.

“I don’t care about them. I know what they think.” She scoffed, then turned her head away from Sana. “We’re not even a couple.”

Ouch. Hearing that from Momo felt very different from telling it herself. Sana couldn’t grasp why she felt like this though. She also looked away.

The awkward silence that settled in was also unexplainable.

Thank god their turn came near, and they finally settled in the ride.

“Wow! It’s so soft!” Sana suddenly said, maybe a bit louder than she wanted to, as people looked at her again. Momo did too. But right now, with a small smile.

“You’re right.” Momo hummed, patting the seat that she was sitting on. Well, they were more like large pillow-like things they were sitting on. The ride began soon and Sana hesitantly sat closer and closer to Momo, but she shooed her doubts away as Momo leaned against her, yet again.

Sana shivered though. The water below them accentuated the moderate breeze, so she was feeling cold again. The other girl noticed that and sat up, looking at Sana with a quite worried expression.

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah…Just a little cold,” She replied, rubbing her hands on her arms.

And just as she said that, Momo was already taking off her jacket. She was wearing a crop top, showing off her strong arms and toned abs. Sana swallowed, trying to focus elsewhere. She was already warmed up by the gesture itself, she wouldn’t even need Momo’s jacket now.

“Ah, Momo you don’t need to. You’ll get cold too.”

Momo shook her head as she wrapped her jacket around Sana. “I won’t. Don’t worry.”

Sana raised her brows. “Really?” And Momo just answered with a small nod.

But Sana wasn’t so sure about how true the other girl’s wordless answer was, seeing goosebumps on Momo’s soft skin as soon as she took off her jacket. So regardless what she said, she wrapped her arms around her, and this time she was the one leaning on her.

“I don’t want you to be cold though.” Sana mumbled, and the other girl’s smile was still here.

They stayed like that for a while, wordlessly. They listened to the noises projected by some speakers in the tunnel; birds chirping, water flowing, and the leaves rustling. All this sounded realistic if they closed their eyes.

Momo’s chest rose and fell softly, as Sana saw the girl’s eyes closing for longer than a blink every few seconds.

Sana sat up straight, stirring Momo awake.

“Here. Lean on me.”

“Mmmh. Thank you.” And Momo did as Sana told her, snuggling against the other. Almost naturally, Sana looped her arm around and softly patted her head.

“Do you even sleep?” Sana whispered. She didn’t expect Momo to hear it, but she did.

“Sometimes.” She answered quietly.

And they sat in silence. Except it wasn’t an uncomfortable nor tense silence. Floating around peacefully. Sana slowly started Momo’s soft, dark hair.

Until Sana noticed something.

Momo’s breaths became quicker and less regular as she was looking down. Sana tried to angle her head in a way that she can see what she was looking at. And she noticed that she was looking on her own forearm, her eyes kept on her scars.

Sana’s heart constricted. She didn’t really know how to talk with Momo about the subject. But she didn’t want to avoid it. She knew how uncomfortable and touchy it could be. She’s been there. And she knew how nonchalant some people were about asking it.

“Momo?” She got her voice to be as soft as possible.