DISCLAIMER: Noein belongs to Kazuki Akane.

~ Sleepy Morning ~

"Uchida-chan. Uchida-chan, wake up."

She'd been ignoring the alarm clock for several minutes now. Her husband's voice was harder to ignore, even if it came in a sleepy murmur against the back of her neck.

"Let me sleep," she whined. Getting up meant leaving the warmth and comfort of the bed and her husband's embrace. Staying here seemed like a much better plan.

"Uchida-chan, you're going to be late for work."

And that was the thing that finally managed to break through the sleep-haze and reach the rational part of her mind. His arm fell away from her waist as she scrambled upright. She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, but paused as she was about to get up, looking back over her shoulder at him.

"Why do you keep calling me that? It's not even my name anymore."

"I know," he replied with a sleepy smile, as he reached out to rub his thumb over the silver band she wore on her left ring finger. "But you'll always be 'Uchida-chan' to me."

~end~