I do not own KND tear
Next Time
By Numbuh 212
Cheese! Cheese was everywhere. Numbuh 4 had never seen so much cheese in his entire life.
He dived into a river of melted cheese and floated on his back, spouting cheese into the air like a fountain. When did he learn to swim so well? Eh, who cares? He started to sing, "cheese, glorious cheese!"
"Numbuh 4!"
Who was that? Whoever it was, they better stay away from his cheese.
"Numbuh 4?"
Wait. That sounded like-
"Wally?"
Numbuh 4 opened his eyes to see a familiar Japanese operative leaning over him.
"Numbuh 3? Is that you?" He sat up and rubbed his eyes. Numbuh 3 was wearing a purple nightgown and carrying a blanket. In the other hand she held a pillow, and under her arm was an orange Rainbow Monkey. He was not surprised to see that both the pillow and the blanket were also covered with the cruddy things.
"Numbuh 4?" Numbuh 3 sniffed. "I had a scary dream about Count Spankulot. Can I sleep in here with you?"
Wally, still half asleep, shook his head. "Go 'way," he muttered, before lying back down.
"Pleeease, Numbuh 4?"
"No, go a-way." As Numbuh 4 drifted back into unconsciousness he had a nagging feeling of guilt, but he couldn't figure out why. Ah, he would think about it in the morning. For now…cheese, glorious cheese!
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When Numbuh 4 woke up the next morning, he felt the strange sensation that he was forgetting something-but what?
Oh yeah. Numbuh 3. Whoops. He guessed he had to go and (gulp) apologize before she got really upset.
He looked around the room, trying to avoid the dreaded "I'm sorry," then stopped. Over in the corner of his wrestling ring was a small multicolored bundle. Wait a second! The bundle had…black hair?
Wally stepped closer, and saw that it was Numbuh 3. She was asleep in the corner, curled up under her blanket and hugging the Rainbow Monkey. Aw, crud. Maybe if he could get Kuki back to her room before she woke up, she would forget that it ever happened.
The blond boy went to the door and stuck his head out into the hall. After looking both ways to make sure no one was coming (it would be just his luck to run into Numbuh 2 and get teased mercilessly for his efforts), he went back and gently lifted his teammate, bridal style. Wow, she was light. It must be because she's so skinny.
He walked across the hall and slipped through the curtain covering Numbuh 3's door, the still-sleeping Kuki in his arms. Gosh, she was warm, and looked so peaceful when she was asleep. Ack, what was he thinking? He was only ten! He needed to get his mind off of this.
Numbuh 4 softly laid Numbuh 3 on her bed, checking to see that she was still asleep. Satisfied that his friend wouldn't wake up, Wally was turning to leave when he heard a groggy, "Numbuh 4?"
Crud. He turned back around. "Yeah, Numbuh 3?"
"What were you doing?"
Aw, crud. Numbuh 4 rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, you, um, fell asleep in my room, and I was trying not to wake you up."
"Oh yeah, I remember." Her eyes narrowed. "You weren't very nice."
"Um, yeah, about that. I'm, uh, sorry. He studied the floor next to his shoe. "It's just, um, why did you come to my room? Don't you usually go to Numbuh 5 for stuff like that?"
Numbuh 3 muttered something into her pillow.
"Huh?"
"IsaidIfeelsaferwhenyou'rearound," she said all at once.
Numbuh 4 still didn't get it (why was she talking so fast?) so he said again, "huh?"
"I-feel-safer-when-you're-around," Kuki repeated slowly. "I've seen you fight, and I just know that you can take care of me." She suddenly seemed very interested in her orange Rainbow Monkey.
"Well, um, if you ever tell anyone I said this I'll deny it, but you're not half bad yourself."
Numbuh 3 looked up shyly. "You really think so?"
"Yeah." Numbuh 4 rubbed the back of his neck again. Was it just him, or was it getting warmer in there? "You, uh, really kick adult butt sometimes."
"Aw, Numbuh 4, that's so sweet!" Kuki smiled that ginormous smile that he loved. Ah! He was doing it again! Well, as long as he had come this far.
"Err, Numbuh 3?"
"Yes, Numbuh 4?" She hugged her Rainbow Monkey tightly. Come to think of it, that…thing was almost the same color as his-never mind, got to focus.
"I, um, I gotta tell you something."
Numbuh 3 leaned forward eagerly. "Ooh, what?"
"Well, I, uh-"
Just then Numbuh 5 poked her head through Kuki's curtain. "Hey Numbuh 3, Numbuh 5 made waffles, and if you want to get some before Numbuh 2-" she stopped when she saw Numbuh 4. "Oh, Numbuh 5's sorry. She didn't realize you two were, uh, busy." She backed out, snickering.
"Yum, waffles! Oh, what were you going to say, Numbuh 4?"
At the last minute, Wally chickened out. "Oh, I just wanted to say that, uh, next time you have a bad dream, you can come to my room."
"Yay! Thank you, Wally!" She threw her arms around him and squeezed hard enough to knock the wind out of him.
"Well, don't let it get around, okay? My reputation would be ruined. And Kuki?"
"Yeah?"
"You're kind of squishing me," he groaned.
"Oh, sorry!" She let go, and Wally took a deep breath. "Let's go get some waffles!"
"Okay." As Numbuh 4 followed his best friend out the door, er, curtain, he mentally kicked himself. He was supposed to be the tough one! Well, next time he would do it for sure. Really.
He hoped.