How to Make Friends, By Heidi

[Belle]

The morning light came armed with righteous vengeance, mace in hand, and pounded at the slatted windows of darkened hotel rooms across the city. It raged and rattled its bright warcry, taking the peace of many. One window, however, remained stubbornly shuttered. Slowly dawning on the fact that the occupants were having none of it, the sun reluctantly skulked higher into the air to continue its heavenly duties.

Faint movements inside the room, the groggy half-stirring of creatures equally reluctant to get on with the day. Their shadows outlined, shapes thrown into stark relief by the square cut of light that shone from around the blinds.

Belle woke. Head pounded. Fumbling, she reached out blindly, feeling her way to the bedside table, then from there half-dragging herself free from the covers, slinking to the bathroom. On reflex she reached for the light switch, regretting it a fraction of a second later as artificial light stabbed her eye sockets. She lifted her arm to cover her eyes, slapping her hand at the switch until the bulbs died.

There was a glass by the sink, overturned. Picking it up, Belle stuck it under the sink's faucet and filled it. Gulped cold water, closing her eyes. Emptying the glass, faint cough, before filling it again, downing another half, before making her way back out. She lifted the sheet, sliding her legs inside before cocooning herself back into the warmth.

The soft spring of the mattress caused the lump next to her to groan. Heidi stirred, turning over, but seemed as unwilling as Belle to leave the confines for now. And why not, really? It wasn't as if they had jobs to get to, and the dojo would still be there when Belle wanted it.

The last night was hazy, indistinct and confusing the later it went. The last clear memory she had was of them dancing, their lips close together, the thudding pound of heavy beats thumping through their feet and into their chests. Kissing. Taste of gum.

After that she wasn't sure, but given the fact that she was, one, naked, and two, sharing a bed, she could make a few educated guesses.

She really had to find a better way of relieving stress, she thought to herself as eyes closed again, setting the half-empty glass of water on the bedside table. Then again … Heidi didn't seem like the kind of person that would mind.

~+~+~+~

Somewhere in the extended morning nap Heidi had woken up enough to toss her arm across Belle's stomach, claiming real estate on her chest and making her an impromptu pillow.

Putting a finger between Heidi's brows, Belle pushed, nudging the blonde off of her. Heidi let out a protesting groan, but eventually relented, rolling over.

Belle sat up, stretching her arms over her head and arching her back with a yawn. She rolled forward onto hands and knees, reaching out for discarded clothing to at least make herself merely indecent instead of naked.

Feeling of fingers on her made her pause, followed by a sharp yelp as the digits pinched. “Hey!” she hissed, then winced as her own voice rang in her ears. She swung her head around to the offending assailant.

Heidi grinned sleepily, her hand giving a rub to the spot where she'd pinched. She was gloriously unconcerned with her state of undress. The cover of the bed hid only one leg, like a particularly negligent sarong, with the rest of Heidi just hanging out. “I'm hungry,” she stated.

“I can't believe you can even think about food right now,” Belle groaned. But even as she said it, her stomach gave a rumble. She gave the rubbing hand a swat on the wrist, her cheeks reddening before she returned to her search. “Ugh. Where are my panties?”

“Over there,” Heidi offered, hooking one arm over her head and pointing with both index fingers towards a curiously adorned table lamp across the room. “We played horseshoes!” she answered Belle's confused look.

“We did?” Belle mumbled, rubbing her face, feeling the heat rising still. “Honestly, I don't … really remember very much.”

“Lightweight,” Heidi teased.

“Zip it,” Belle grunted, crawling over Heidi and sliding off the bed to go and retrieve her discarded garment. “Come on – let's get some breakfast.”

The hotel didn't offer room service, but that didn't stop Heidi from asking. Repeatedly. As if her continued insistence could reshape reality to what she wanted. And … Well, as a Prime, perhaps that wasn't so out of the realm of possibility. But Prime or not, the food remained steadfastly stationary, and it was up to them to hunt it down. They followed their noses to a communal dining area – finding dry sausage and hour-old pancakes awaiting them. Giving the cooked foods the side-eye, Belle sighed and opted to drain some cereal out of a supplied box of Ninj-O's instead, drowning the oats and colorful shuriken and kunai shaped marshmallows in milk and finding a seat in the darkest corner she could manage.

Heidi wasn't as picky. When she joined her, her plate was stacked with eggs, pancakes, sausage, bacon – and topped with marshmallow shapes.

Belle was aghast. What monster, she thought, picked out the marshmallows? That just meant the next person would get a bowl of all cereal!

Heidi stuck out her tongue at Belle's disapproving look, and tucked in. Silently, Belle did the same.

“You're going to go to that karate class today, right?” Heidi asked around a mouthful of pancake.

“It's not a karate class, it's a dojo. I think,” Belle mumbled. “But yeah. That's-... urf-... that's the plan...” She squinted and shielded her eyes as the glare from the sun momentarily shone off the hall's opening and closing door. “I'm gonna go by myself, I think.”

Heidi's pigtails drooped. “What?” she whined. “But why?”

Belle felt guilty as Heidi's amber eyes appeared to shimmer. “It's just ... the guy seemed pretty serious, and you're … Well ...” She trailed off.

Heidi's brows narrowed, then relaxed. She swallowed her mouthful of pancake. “Okay,” she hummed. “I wanted to see more of the city, anyway! We only got to see at a bit of it last night.”

Belle sighed in relief. “Just try not to get into any more fights with random strangers, okay?”

“No promises!”