All nighter.
Mapi had made a promise.
“I won’t stay up late, Princesa.”
She had said it with a lazy grin, sprawled across the couch, the remote already in her hand, the new Netflix series queued up on the screen. Ingrid had given her a long, knowing look before rolling her eyes and pressing a kiss to her forehead.
“Don’t make me drag you to bed,” Ingrid had warned, squeezing her shoulder before heading off to their room.
Mapi had waved her off, not thinking much of it. She would watch a few episodes, get tired, and go to bed like a responsible adult. But then the show was good. And then it got better. And then it was nearly five in the morning, and her eyes were burning, and she realized she had made a grave mistake.
The first hints of sunlight were creeping through the window, and Mapi panicked. With the kind of speed she usually reserved for the pitch, she scrambled off the couch, turned off the TV, and practically dove into bed beside Ingrid, shutting her eyes just as Ingrid began to stir. She pretended to stretch, let out a fake groan, and rubbed at her face as if she was just waking up.
“Buenos días, Princesa,” Mapi mumbled, blinking blearily.
Ingrid smiled, still sleepy, reaching over to cup Mapi’s cheek. “Good morning, kjære.”
She had bought it.
Thank god.
Mapi forced herself through breakfast, nodded along to whatever Ingrid was saying, and even managed to drag herself to training. She could do this. She had survived worse. It was fine.
Until it wasn’t.
Halfway through their lunch break, sitting in the sun with her head in Ingrid’s lap, Mapi felt her eyelids get heavier and heavier. She was trying, really trying, to focus on Ingrid’s voice, but the warmth, the exhaustion, the way Ingrid’s fingers were absently playing with her hair -it was all too much.
And before she knew it, she was completely knocked out. Ingrid barely noticed at first, still talking about their drills for the afternoon. But when she didn’t get a response, she glanced down -and found Mapi completely out. Not just dozing. Out. Ingrid blinked, looking at her in disbelief.
“Mapi?” she murmured, shaking her shoulder gently.
Nothing.
She tried again.
Still nothing.
Then it hit her.
The sluggishness in Mapi’s movements that morning. The way she had been quieter than usual. The little yawns she had tried to hide behind her hand during warm-ups.
“Oh, María,” Ingrid sighed, shaking her head.
She knew, without a doubt, that Mapi had stayed up all night.
That little liar.
Ingrid slid an arm under Mapi’s knees, then another behind her back, scooping her up with ease. Mapi barely stirred, only letting out a small sigh as she burrowed into Ingrid’s chest. A few teammates shot her amused looks, but Ingrid ignored them, walking straight toward Pere.
“She’s dead to the world,” Ingrid said, shifting Mapi slightly in her arms. “I think she pulled an all-nighter.”
Pere chuckled, glancing down at Mapi’s peaceful face. “Typical. Take her home. We can handle the rest of training without you both. We’ll see you tomorrow.”
Ingrid nodded her thanks and carried Mapi straight to the car. The entire drive home, Mapi didn’t wake up once. Even when Ingrid parked, even when she carried her inside, even when she gently placed her onto the bed, pulling the covers up around her.
Ingrid sat beside her, arms crossed, watching her sleep. She would let her rest for now. But later?
Oh, later, she was going to get an earful.
*
Mapi woke up feeling…amazing.
Which was a problem.
Because the last thing she remembered was sitting outside with Ingrid during their lunch break, and now she was in bed, in their apartment, wrapped up in blankets that she absolutely did not remember getting into.
She frowned, rubbing at her face, her body still heavy with sleep. Then she turned her head and there was Ingrid, sitting in the chair beside the bed, arms crossed, eyes narrowed in a way that made Mapi’s stomach twist.
“Buenos días, Princesa,” Mapi tried, flashing a slow grin, hoping to charm her way out of whatever trouble she was clearly in.
Ingrid did not smile back.
Oh, no.
Mapi winced, slowly pushing herself up on her elbows. “How mad are you?”
Ingrid let out a sharp, humorless laugh. “Mad? No, kjære, I’m not mad. I’m just wondering if my girlfriend has any concept of self-preservation or if she enjoys torturing herself for fun.”
Mapi groaned, flopping back against the pillows. “I take it you figured it out?”
Ingrid scoffed. “You fell asleep in my lap in the middle of training, Mapi. Not just a little nap-fully out, like I could have drawn on your face and you wouldn’t have noticed.”
Mapi cracked an eye open, hand instinctively touching her cheek. “Did you?”
Ingrid shot her a look. “No. But maybe I should have.”
Mapi huffed, running a hand down her face. “Okay, okay, I messed up.”
Ingrid tilted her head, unimpressed. “You promised me you wouldn’t stay up late.”
Mapi groaned. “I didn’t mean to stay up! The show was just really good, and I lost track of time, and then suddenly the sun was coming up, and-“
“And instead of being honest, you pretended to wake up when I did?” Ingrid cut in, voice rising slightly.
Mapi bit her lip. “I panicked.”
Ingrid let out a slow breath, rubbing at her temple like she was trying to keep her patience. “Do you have any idea how bad that was for you? How dangerous?”
Mapi sighed, finally sitting up properly. “I know. I wasn’t thinking.”
“No, you weren’t,” Ingrid agreed. “You could have hurt yourself in training.”
Mapi ducked her head, guilt creeping in. “Lo siento, Princesa.”
Ingrid shook her head. “No, you don’t get to just say sorry and move on. You have to take care of yourself. You have to sleep, eat properly, rest when you need to. I don’t care if it’s the best show in the world -you do not pull an all-nighter before training.”
Mapi huffed. “I said I was sorry.”
Ingrid narrowed her eyes. “Do you actually mean it, or are you just trying to get me to stop lecturing you?”
Mapi hesitated, and that was all Ingrid needed to see.
She crossed her arms tighter, nodding to herself. “Alright. Fine. No cuddles tonight.”
Mapi’s head snapped up. “Wait, what?”
“You heard me,” Ingrid said, standing up from the bed. “If you can stay up all night with your show, then you can sleep on your own.”
Mapi gasped, scandalized. “Princesa.”
Ingrid shrugged, heading toward the door. “Actions have consequences.”
Mapi scrambled out of bed. “No, no, no, let’s not be hasty-“
Ingrid turned to her, unimpressed. “Are you going to take care of yourself from now on?”
Mapi sighed dramatically. “Yes, Princesa, I will be so responsible.”
Ingrid narrowed her eyes.
Mapi forced her most innocent smile. “Te lo prometo.”
Ingrid studied her for a long moment, then finally sighed. “Fine. But if you ever do this again-“
“I won’t!” Mapi swore, throwing herself into Ingrid’s arms. “Lesson learned. No binge-watching before training.”
Ingrid sighed, arms instinctively wrapping around her. “Good.”
Mapi nuzzled into her neck, pressing a quick kiss to her jaw. “Now, about those cuddles…”
Ingrid rolled her eyes, but she smiled, pulling Mapi closer.