After a sleepless night and an early morning trip to a bookstore, I stood before Augusta. My eyes had bags under them. Every movement made my body ache. I felt like I could collapse into a deep slumber at any moment. And my lover...

  ...was completely refreshed. Augusta looked like she had an absolutely incredible rest. That at least brought some joy to my sleep-deprived mind.

  "Dante, are you alright?" she asked.

  I really am a horrible boyfriend. I should be the one checking in on Augusta, not the other way around. I'm relying too much on her, putting too much on my girlfriend.

  "I'm fine. Just didn't get any sleep last night," I answered.

  Augusta opened her mouth to speak. I interrupted her, my next words coming out fast.

  "But what about you, Augusta? Did you have any nightmares?"

  "No," she shook her head. "I never slept better."

  My girlfriend pointed a finger at Millia, who was drinking something at a table.

  "Thank you for pointing me to Millia, Dante. She helped a lot," Augusta said.

  "So, she slept over with you?" I questioned.

  If that was the case, I'm glad that was enough.

  "No," Augusta shook her head. "Millia gave me a small net that I put over my bed. She said it would catch all my nightmares."

  My girlfriend put her arm down and turned her full attention back to me.

  "The net was pitch black this morning, but Millia showed me how to clean it."

  Of fucking course Millia, who went out of her way to get magical artifacts, would have a dreamcatcher. On the one hand, I was happy that Augusta was okay and Millia was able to help her. On the other, I stayed awake all night worrying over someone who was completely fine. And she was perfectly fine without me, too. I wasn't able to help her in the end.

  "Dante, why do you look mad?" Augusta asked.

  "I'm just too tired to think clearly," I answered. "And really happy that today is a free day."

  I was more angry at myself than anyone else.

  "I'm also happy about that. You're not in any condition to go to class," Augusta agreed.

  A sigh escaped my mouth.

  "The worst part is that one night of bad sleep carries over several days," I shook my head. "I'll be tired like this for a while."

  Behind Augusta's stoic expression were the faintest hints of sympathy in her eyes.

  "I know," she said. "I had to stay awake for 12 days once. By the end of it, I was seeing imaginary pink gremlins."

  Now, I felt horrible for even bringing up my sleepless night to Augusta. It shouldn't be possible for her to stay awake that long. Just how was she forced to stay up? Did her parents do it? Was magic used? I was too exhausted to think about it too much.

  Then, I felt Augusta's hand on mine.

  "Let me help you, Dante," she ordered...was this an order, or did my restless mind interpret it wrong?

  I shook my head.

  "You don't have to worry about me, Augusta. I can handle this," I said.

  And I hadn't done enough for my girlfriend yet. She was giving too much to me without getting anything in return. That's unhealthy. It's horribly wrong.

  "Dante, I want you to be rested," Augusta stated. "I won't be happy if you're tired because of me."

  "Don't blame yourself for this," I said.

  I'm the only one who should blame myself for anything.

  "I won't," she promised. "I'll fix it instead. After all.."

  Augusta put her hands in mine.

  "...how can we do fun stuff together if you're worn out? Can you keep up with me in sparring if you're this tired? Can we talk as lovers if you can't think clearly?"

  Dammit! How was I supposed to refuse her when she said things like that? And putting her hands in mine was just unfair!

  "Alright, fine," I sighed.

  I wondered if I was refusing help more than I normally would? And if I was, was it because I was tired? Or did Augusta's insistence tick me off or something? I dunno.

  Speaking of my girlfriend, she turned around and leaned forward.

  "Get on my back, Dante," Augusta said.

  "I'm not riding you, Augusta," I replied.

  "Alright, then, I'll..."

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Before she could finish her sentence, I groaned and slapped my forehead. I was already a terrible boyfriend. What right did I have to refuse Augusta her pleasure?

  "Never mind. It's fine. I'll get on your back," I said.

  "Are you sure?" Augusta asked.

  "Yes, I'm sure," I sighed.

  Stepping forward, I climbed onto my girlfriend's back. I did my best to not touch her anywhere inappropriate or damage her fancy clothes. For her part, Augusta reached back and grabbed my legs to help stabilize me. Then, I wrapped my arms around her shoulders.

  "Hold on tight," Augusta advised.

  I did as such. Then, my girlfriend leaped into the air. Wind rushed past me. I felt my heart skip a beat as the ground got smaller below us. Augusta's feet landed on the roof of a building. A shiver went through my body.

  "Are you alright, Dante?" she questioned.

  "I'm fine, Augusta. Why are we on the roof?"

  "I thought you wouldn't want to be embarrassed. You're being carried by your lover."

  At that moment, I was too sleepy to make any sort of gesture about this.

  "It's not my problem if everyone else is jealous that I'm dating a woman who can pick up a car," I said.

  "No one's jealous," Augusta replied. "And what's a car?"

  "I'll tell you when you get older. Or something."

  Picking up on how fatigued I was, Augusta kept moving. She didn't jump down onto the streets. Instead, my girlfriend kept leaping from rooftop to rooftop. I wondered if she was actually the one embarrassed for having to take care of her pathetic boyfriend? Or if she thought I was lying about not being flustered?

  Knowing Augusta and me, it was probably the latter.

  Eventually, Augusta moved to the ground and started running as fast as a horse. I knew she could go faster, but she was in a rush back then. It felt surreal, feeling the wind blowing through my hair when I was riding on my girlfriend's back. I felt like I was in a parody of a superhero story.

  When Augusta stopped, I noticed that we were in a forest. In particular, we were in a familiar-looking clearing with some insects flying around. My sleep deprivation got in the way of my thinking. I wasn't able to fully recall where we were.

  Augusta put me down.

  "Do you remember this?" she asked.

  "I might," I answered.

  "It's where you comforted me when I was in tears," Augusta said.

  Oh, it was here.

  "How was me riding you?" I questioned. "Was it as good as you hoped?"

  "That's difficult to say. We're both wearing clothes. And I wasn't thinking about pleasure. This was the most efficient way to get here," she replied. "But thank you, Dante. If you were uncomfortable, I won't do it again."

  I wasn't uncomfortable, but I changed the subject.

  "How are you going to help me not be tired?"

  Augusta sat down, folding her legs. She pointed to her thighs.

  "Sleep and use my lap as a pillow," my girlfriend suggested.

  I looked at her thighs for a moment. Dead silence overcame the clearing.

  "Is this another fetish of yours?" I asked.

  "No," Augusta shook her head. "I thought it would help you sleep."

  Narrowing my eyes, I turned my gaze to her face.

  "Let me guess...Millia helped you think of this?"

  "She did. Millia said that you'd probably be awake all night worrying," Augusta said. "She said that a lap pillow would help you sleep."

  If I were a different sort of man, I might internally thank Millia. But I did not appreciate this, even if the lap pillow looked nice.

  Okay, I was tempted. But I wouldn't take advantage of my girlfriend. Even if she wanted me to.

  "Just what was Millia trying to pull here?" I sighed and shook my head. "I don't need to use your thighs as a pillow, Augusta. I'll just lie down on a rock or tree root."

  I started looking around when I heard Augusta speaking.

  "Then, lean on my shoulder."

  That...would not be inappropriate. I sat down next to Augusta and was about to bend towards her when I stopped.

  "Dante, is something wrong?" Augusta asked.

  "Give me one moment," I answered.

  Reaching into my clothes, I pulled out a book. It was titled: On The History of Calavon. I handed it to Augusta.

  "If you get bored while I'm sleeping, read this," I suggested. "But you might know its contents already. I'd read it myself if I wasn't too tired."

  She took it.

  "Thank you, Dante," Augusta said.

  There was the slightest of smiles on her stoic face. The mere sight of it warmed my heart. I leaned in and kissed my girlfriend on her cheek.

  "What did I ever do to deserve you?" I said.

  While I tried to give her a warm smile, it was weak.

  "I should be the one asking that," Augusta answered. "Now, please rest, Dante."

  Listening to Augusta, I leaned into her shoulder. It was soft. My eyelids grew heavy. I felt my whole body relax, and I cuddled closer to the woman of my dreams.

  "Hey, Augusta," I mumbled.

  "Yes, Dante?" she questioned.

  I closed my eyes and felt Augusta's fingers stroking my head. A sense of calmness flowed through me. Reaching my hand, I felt Augusta's long hair. It was so smooth that I could hardly believe it.

  "Augusta, I can't wait to spar with you tomorrow," I said.

  At this point, I was so exhausted that I was just saying whatever came to mind.

  "I am looking forward to it too, Dante," she replied.

  Chuckles escaped my mouth.

  "How many boys do you think wish they had a tomboy kuudere waifu like you?" I asked. "I bet it's a lot. I'd call you a Calamity Princess too, but I don't think any of those are kuudere, even if the fire powers fit."

  "I don't know what those words mean, Dante," Augusta answered. "You're almost mumbling in your sleep."

  Nuzzling closer to my love, I sighed.

  "Please just listen for a moment, Augusta. What I'm trying to say is that I'm not embarrassed about being with you. I'm happy and proud of you every single day."

  "You're not embarrassed that I'm stronger than you?" Augusta asked.

  I shook my head.

  "Augusta, I love how strong you are. And you're the one who said I'd catch up with you sooner or later," I answered.

  "And you're not embarrassed that I'm too affectionate?" she questioned.

  Augusta of all people was worried about being too affectionate? Just how starved of attention was she? I'd have to more than make up for the love Augusta's parents deprived her of.

  "I'm really happy when you're caressing me. I love your headpats. And I wouldn't say you're too affectionate at all."

  I felt Augusta lean into me.

  "Dante, are you embarrassed that I'm not emotional enough?" my lover wondered.

  "I'm fine with a calm girl. I like kuudere," I said.

  That's when, despite my tiredness, I realized something.

  "Augusta, we're both pretty insecure, aren't we?"

  "Yes. I'm just better at hiding it," Augusta stated. "And that isn't a good thing."

  I heard a sigh escape my girlfriend's mouth.

  "I'm not very expressive, Dante. You probably haven't even figured out half of what I'm feeling. I bet you feel horrible since you're only learning some of my insecurities now. And it's my fault," she said.

  Wrapping my arms around Augusta, I pulled her close. I held her in a tight embrace.

  "It's fine, Augusta. I'm glad you're not expecting me to be a mind reader," I assured her. "You'll tell me what you're feeling when you're ready. And I'll talk to you about it then. I'll probably talk to you about my insecurities on those terms."

  At this point, Augusta and I were leaning into each other.

  "Wouldn't it be better if we just talked about them sooner?" she wondered.

  "Yes, it would. But we're teenagers. Our brains are still developing. Just talking about our problems like reasonable adults isn't easy for us. It isn't even easy for most adults," I pointed out.

  "Most adults aren't reasonable," Augusta replied.

  "And teenagers are even less. We can take our time with this, Augusta. Don't feel any pressure to open up before you're ready. And if it becomes necessary to talk about something, we can."

  I felt Augusta's arms wrap around me.

  "Dante, I promise that I will protect you. But be careful. I am not the strongest person in the world. I'm not even in the top ten strongest in Calavon."

  "Okay, Augusta, I'll be careful," I promised, cuddling closer to her.

  And together, we fell asleep like that.

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