Without any further interruptions, Yayoi Natural and Mr. C.B. lay inside the tent after finishing their simple dinner of reheated canned food.
Though...
"It's so cramped…"
"It wouldn't be cramped if we shared one sleeping bag."
"Absolutely not!"
Because the tent was intended for one person, adding a second meant squeezing into an extremely tight space. Luckily, Natural was small, leaving just enough room to move—but it was still undeniably crowded.
After their brief exchange, Mr. C.B. shifted positions, lying flat on her back.
Staring at the ceiling of the tent, she wanted to say something, but wasn't sure what.
Then, as the quiet grew deeper, a soft voice broke the silence.
"C.B.?"
"Yes?"
Natural's voice held uncertainty. After a short pause, she spoke again. "I was just thinking…"
"Mm?"
"You and Maruzensky…you've both treated me really well." Natural turned her head slightly as she said this.
Their gazes met for a moment, then both quickly looked away again.
Another silence followed, eventually broken by Mr. C.B.
"Natural?"
"Hm?"
"When you said earlier today that what you found here wasn't important…that wasn't true, was it?"
Natural hesitated, unsure how to respond now that she'd been caught out.
But after careful thought, she finally admitted softly, "Yeah. It was a lie."
"So, what you found does matter to you, doesn't it?"
"…Yes."
"Then why say it wasn't important?"
"Because I couldn't remember exactly what it was," Natural confessed. "So, I figured it must not be important."
Their quiet back-and-forth continued for several more minutes until the rhythm finally broke again.
"Do you think those lost memories are important?" Mr. C.B. asked gently.
"Maybe they were," Natural said softly. She turned inside her sleeping bag, facing C.B. directly. They stared at each other quietly.
Then Natural added, "But perhaps… there's no need to get them back."
She rolled onto her back again, ending the conversation there.
Mr. C.B. wasn't sure what to say next. Watching Natural silently lying next to her, she took her time before speaking again.
"Natural?"
"Yes?"
"I think there might be a way to help you remember." Mr. C.B. carefully continued, "Do you know Agnes Tachyon?"
"…Yes, I do."
"She might be able to help," Mr. C.B. said quietly. "Her methods can be dangerous, but if anyone could help you, it'd probably be her."
"Is that so…" Natural's reply wasn't enthusiastic. Her eyes flickered as she seemed to weigh what to do or how to respond.
To Natural, perhaps those memories mattered—yet perhaps they didn't. They were important because of what once happened, because of that lingering mark she'd found. But in the face of everything she had experienced since, maybe they had lost some significance.
"Why go to such lengths for me?" Natural asked suddenly, turning her eyes back to Mr. C.B.
"You already know why."
The answer didn't need to be spoken. It had already been clear in Natural's mind. Their eyes met again, lingering silently for a moment.
Then Mr. C.B. softly whispered, "Natural?"
"Yes?"
"I like you."
"I know… or rather, I had a feeling."
Seeing Natural respond so calmly, Mr. C.B. paused carefully, then finished the thought Natural had left unspoken. "But you can't give me an answer yet, right?"
Natural stayed quiet, and Mr. C.B. smiled gently. "It's fine. I'll wait."
Natural turned to look at her again. Their gazes held briefly before Natural quietly looked away first.
Seeing this, Mr. C.B. unzipped her sleeping bag, moved closer, and gently wrapped her arms around Natural—sleeping bag and all.
Natural's ears perked up sharply, then slowly relaxed. She understood why C.B. was holding her.
"If you sleep like this, you'll catch a cold," Natural murmured softly.
"A cold's no big deal," Mr. C.B. whispered, burying her face gently into Natural's hair. Warm breath lightly brushed against Natural's neck.
"C.B.?"
"Don't talk…"
With that, Mr. C.B. freed one hand, carefully unzipped Natural's sleeping bag a bit, and gently tugged the fabric aside. She moved slightly, then pressed her lips softly against Natural's shoulder—
"Agh!"
Natural gasped quietly in pain. Mr. C.B. had bitten down softly—but enough to leave a clear mark.
Only after tasting a faint hint of iron did she finally release her.
"This is my mark."
"You didn't have to bite hard enough to break skin! And why biting?"
Without responding immediately, Mr. C.B. fumbled around the tent briefly, pulled out a pen, and waved it teasingly in front of Natural's face. "If you'd prefer, I could always tally my marks on your skin instead."
"…Just bite me then."
Seeing Natural reluctantly accept reality, Mr. C.B. tightened her embrace slightly. "Natural?"
"What?"
"Did it hurt a lot?"
"No. Also, are you a cat? Stop licking me!"
Ignoring Natural's halfhearted protests, Mr. C.B. gently continued to lick the spot she had bitten.
"Seriously, stop it…"
"Fine, have it your way," Mr. C.B. chuckled quietly. Then Natural murmured softly into the darkness, "Another Christmas, huh…"
"Yeah."
---
T/N: EEEE SHES MARKING HERRRRRR AAAAAA
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