"This place is HUGE!!! Awesome!!" Exusiai hollered as she booked it up the staircase to the floor above.

Texas walked in and stopped dead. Exusiai wasn't overexaggerating. The house was indeed huge. A long coffee table was set up in front of a soft and luxurious couch, decorated with about a dozen throw pillows. A large wall-mounted television was to the left of the couch, an entertainment center stationed underneath it. The main entrance led to the open living room and connected kitchen, which was loaded with the most expensive cooking appliances Texas had ever seen. An island was planted in the center of the kitchen where piles of cook books and magazines were stacked neatly. A wide window above the couch let in the bright sunshine, reaching all the way to the opposite wall, which was a good seven feet away.

Lappland tossed the duffel bag aside and flopped onto the couch face first. "Ugh, finally. Relaxation."

 "Are you sure this is necessary?" Texas asked Red.

 Red shrugged. "The owners of this place leave every time it gets hot. They won't be back for another few weeks. Until them,  mi casa su casa."

 "Where's the food?" Sora immediately ran to the kitchen, bombarding the cupboards and cabinets like a hurricane. 

Texas moved the discarded duffel bag to the side so as not to become a tripping hazard and sat down on the couch. "So, the owners of this home will not return for several weeks?"

 Red handed Sora a bag of chips and shooed her away. "Yep."

 "Where'd you find this place? Let me guess? Homeless.com?" Lappland snickered.

 Red glared at her. "No, smartass. Beagle and Kroos found it a few months ago. We come here when it's hot or when we get hungry. I mostly spend my time in the library. It's pretty nice in there."

 "What about the neighbors? Do they not notice you guys coming in?" Texas asked.

 Red shook her head. "The neighbors are just a bunch of old people. They don't care. Just try not to break anything. I don't wanna have to leave a note." She stretched and turned to head upstairs. "I'm coming up! If anything is broken, I'm gonna be pissed!" They heard frantic, inaudible voices, then the crash of what sounded like glass. Red froze and hung her head. "Damn it."

 Exusiai slowly came to the railing of the stairs with a worried look on her face. "Whatever you just heard...it wasn't my fault."

 Red sighed. "I'll get started on that note."

                                                            ***

Texas had never been so comfortable in her entire life. With permission from Red, she had changed into some of the house's occupant's clothing so her clothes could get washed. She now wore a sweatshirt with shorts and some black fuzzy socks. The pajamas she had back in Rhode Island were okay, but nothing like this. She laid on her back on one of the beds in the upstairs bedrooms and yawned. Sleep tugged at her eyes, her tired body slowly giving in to the cozy bed she chose. The pillows were softer than anything she'd ever felt.  She grabbed one and held it against her chest, closing her eyes. 

Only to open them upon hearing someone snicker. She looked to the door and saw Lappland wearing a tank top and shorts, her messy white hair falling in tangles down her back. Her mischievous smile told Texas that, as usual, she was up to no good. 

 "Do you need something?" Texas asked. She sat up and tossed her legs over the edge of the bed, standing up. 

Lappland shrugged. "Eh. Not really. I was just bored. Oh, by the way, we're taking this with us when we leave tomorrow." She tossed something as Texas, who caught it easily. Texas opened up her hand and saw a small Russian nesting doll. It's paint was smooth and features were easy to make out. It was red with gold and blue accents scattered across it, white flowers painted along the sides.

 "A doll? What for?" Texas asked. She turned it over several times in her hand, running her fingers over the flat and polished surface. This doesn't seem like something Lappland would be interested in. She's into fighting and destruction. This doll was made to make people happy. "I didn't peg you for someone who's into Russian dolls."

 "It's not for me, you big square. It's for you." Lappland retorted with a chuckle. She flopped onto the bed and started getting comfy under the covers.

 "For me?" Texas said quietly. Why would Lappland give me a doll? I've never said anything about liking them. True, they are nice to have and hold meaning, but what is the reason behind her giving this to me out of the blue? What went through her mind when she saw it? Of course, I can't steal it. The owner of this doll might love it to the point where they would be heartbroken if it were to suddenly go missing. Lappland has never spent time thinking of others. Perhaps she's having a change of heart? That I highly doubt.

Lappland stole every blanket in sight and bundled herself up in them. "Yeah. I saw it and thought, you know, Tex would probably like this."

"Lappland, you can't just steal everything you see. This doesn't belong to me nor you, so I'll go put it back." Texas headed to the door but stopped when she heard a loud thud behind her. She whirled around and saw Lappland on the floor, a aggregation of blankets on top of her. 

Texas raised an eyebrow. "Lappland?"

Lappland scrambled to her feet and snatched the doll from Texas's hands. "Don't put it back! I like this thing. "

"Then why would you give it to me?" Texas asked.

"I don't know. I thought you would like it. I'm bored, so let me fiddle with this thing until I inevitably grow bored of it, too." Lappland stuffed the doll into her shirt and started picking up all the blankets. Texas watched in confusion. If Lappland enjoyed the toy, why would she give it to me? Perhaps she wanted me to have it so she wouldn't appear selfish? 

Lappland dove onto the bed with her arms filled with blankets. She crawled into them and patted the spot beside her. Texas stood there, clear confusion on her face. Lappland groaned and patted the bed more harshly. "Tex, I'm telling you to come here."

"Why would you hit the bed instead of actually telling me?" Texas asked.

Lappland sighed. Seriously, this girl. I can't believe she's one of the best in the Logistics. She's practically brain dead when it comes to be ing cool. Lappland reached out and grabbed Texas by the arm, pulling her onto the bed. Texas opened her mouth to argue or protest but whatever she was planning on saying died in her throat. Lappland wrapped her pale white arms around Texas's slim waist, snuggling into her chest.

Texas held her breath, feeling her face heat up. What was happening? Why was Lappland suddenly acting so different? I've never been this close to anyone before. It feels...strange. Strange and wonderful.