"Don't you ever get hot in that thing?" It was the end to an otherwise dull day. Not much happened at the orphanage Carl lived in. He was quiet by nature and didn't like to start stuff, though according to the other kids Carl needed to learn to act his own age sometimes. He did his homework, took care of himself and most would consider him a pretty good kid. Sure he got into fights at school but he was never the one to instigate. So maybe he hit a few bullies with a metal tray, but who's counting? Carl did what most would consider good each and every day. In Carl's mind the only thing he really wanted was to be kind and sleep comfortably in his own bed. So why did Miss Tao suddenly decide to steal his bed tonight?

There she was, sleeping without a single care in the world. Laying flat on her stomach was Miss Taokaka and she was still wearing that damn cat suit. "I don't care if the correct term is ki-gu-ru-mi or however you pronounce it, she needs to take whatever it's called off and go sleep in her own bed." Why did he get her as a roommate he'll never know but this was the last straw for dear Carl. He was clearly at his wits end. "You use my toothbrush, eat FIVE TIMES more then anyone else, wear the same cat suit everyday without end and never anything else. I don't care if you wash it everyday, wear something else for once in your life! You snore in your sleep like a dying sheep and you know nothing of personal space. You never take me or anyone else seriously no matter what we try and made our room a complete mess, which I'll have to clean up mind you. You're 16, one of the oldest of the orphans here, but you act like a child." Carl was on a complete tirade right now yet the girl continued to sleep soundly. Frustrated beyond belief, Carl started shaking his roommate. "Miss Tao wake up! Wake up! Tao, get up already-UGH!" And one solid strike to the stomach was all that greeted him.

"Tao's awake Shorty. Shut up already." Tao looked down from her position on the bed. She remained on Carl's bed without moving and looked down at her currently in pain roommate. Carl was face down on the floor holding his gut. "Gut punch. Works everytime, meow." She added the little "meow" at the last minute. She knows it bothers him and is just enjoying his misery. "You doing okay, Shorty?"

"Shut up." Carl got back to his feet and looked down at the vile menace. That's the problem with both himself and Tao. Neither one fought fair. "Get out of my bed."

"Nyope."

"Stop adding cat noises to everything. You're not a cat, your just a werido in a cat suit." She looked up at him. Then she took her left hand and moved it in front of her face. She then moved her wrist downward and smiled up at him, in an imitation of a "beckoning cat" statue. "What are you doing?"

"I'm beckoning you, meow."

"Why?"

"Because you were mean to Tao. This is Tao's way of saying she forgives you and that you can come back to your bed."

"You just hit me in the stomach. Why are YOU forgiving ME?"

"Shorty's a jerk. He's bossy, is rude to Boobie Lady, doesn't listen to anyone and he hit Tao on the head with a book last week." Tao laid on her back and started rolling back and forth on the bed, swaying her hips from side to side as she moved. Another imitation, this time of a cat rolling on it's back. To really sell it she stretched her arms and legs out and looked up at Carl with her best attempt at a cat grin. And it was a complete success.

"Okay, I'll admit that's cute. But I only tapped the top of your head to get your attention, it was barely a hit at all. You just sucker punched me when I thought you were asleep."

"I was. Meow." Carl smirked at this. She forgot the third person and the meow. Adorable. Why didn't Tao have a boyfirend yet? Was she gay? Bi? Tao was cute so she had to meet someone's criteria.

"But I'll admit you have a point. I can be...a little bit self-centered. And maybe I ignore my own faults every once in awhile..." Tao looked up at him incredulously. "Okay, maybe more then a little." Tao smiled and nodded her head in agreement. "But that doesn't mean you can just do whatever you like Miss Tao. It's unfair to both of us."

"Tao."

"Huh?"

"Just Tao. Tao likes it when you just call her Tao. Keep doing that." Carl stared at Tao for a moment. She isn't going to get the irony, is she?

"No."

"Why not?" Carl moved down so Tao could only see his face. Can't have her lose focus now. With both hands Carl removed the hood from Tao's head and the mask from her face. There they were in all their glory. Blond hair, brown skin and big red eyes with nothing left to hide them. She still had on her smile as she looked at Carl. 'Whoever gets to be with Tao is gonna be one lucky person. They'll get to see this beauty everytime they wake up.'

"Because you only ever call me Shorty. My name is not Shorty, Miss Tao."

"You're Shorty to me." She was practically beaming up at him. 'One REALLY lucky person.'

"But I'm Carl to everyone else. What if I forget my name and the only one to remind me is you. I'll think my name is Shorty and tell everyone to call me that. Then it won't be "yours" anymore." Carl smiled down at her. Sometimes you got to get on your opponent's level if you want to win. Not that Tao was his opponent, mind you. He'd never call Tao something like that.

"Hmmmm~" There it was. That pout she used when she was pretending to think. How many times had he seen it before he was able to figure out what it meant. Not alot probably. Still, seeing it made Carl happy. Just don't ask him why. "If everyone called Shorty Shorty then what would Tao call you?"

"Carl. You'd have to call me Carl, Miss Tao."

"Hmmmm~" 'Why are you being so difficult? Just agree with me already! I even used your own logic against you. What more do you want?!' "If Tao...has to call Shorty Carl then..." 'Then what? You just call me Carl. End of Story!' "Shorty...has to call Tao someting else too, meow!" She turned over on the bed and got on all fours, moving her face dangerously close to Carl's, with a large smile plastered on her face. 'Bad! BAD! CODE RED! ABORT! ABORT!'

"W-Why do I have to call you something else?" Carl was not looking directly at Tao. When Tao gets like this it was time to duck and cover! His eyes searched around the room, looking for anything else to focus on.

"It's the rules, meow." What rules?! When was there ever rules?!

"L-Look Miss Tao. I-I-I feel it's best if you just call me Carl and leave it at that-HEEE!" Tao grabbed Carl's face as he tried to nervously get his point across. She got as close as she could and looked him right in the eye. 'BAD!BAD!BAD!STOP!STOP!PULLBACK!PULLBACK!ABORT!ABORT!'

"It worked! Boobie Lady and Shorty both do this to get Tao to listen! But why is Shorty red?"

"I'M NEVER THIS CLOSE!" Carl and Tao were nose to nose now and Tao was now hugging Carl, and rather tightly at that. Carl was as red as a tomato and looked about ready to burst. Tao was completely oblivious to the effect she was having on her roommate.

"Come on Shorty! Give Tao a new name!" The girl was on the edge of the bed and sitting on her knees with Carl held tightly in her grasp. She started chanting "NEW NAME! NEW NAME!" and started swaying back and forth. Carl was getting dizzy and was having trouble keeping steady.

"O-OKAY TAO! CALM DOWN ALREADY!"

"MEW NYAME! MEW NYAME!" She pulled Carl up and started jumping in a circle. Carl looked ready to pass out, his face redder then ever and his eyes unfocused, which only increased as his glasses went flying off his face. 'Sister! Mother! I'm about to see you again!' Just before Carl could pass on into the great beyond a gentle angel came to his aid.

"WHAT'S GOING ON HERE?!" And that angel was pissed.

"AH! Boobie Lady!" Tao immediately let go of Carl the instant Litchi screamed. Carl dropped onto the bed opposite to his own, Tao's, on his rear . Litchi glared daggers at the girl in her custody. She was far too use to Tao's anctics but late at night was the last straw.

"Tao, it is late at night and everyone is trying to sleep. Would you and Carl PLEASE go to sleep!" It wasn't a question, it was clearly an order, which Tao answered posthaste. She got up from Carl's bed and laided Carl down on her own, covering him in sheets and all. She then ran back to Carl's bed and covered herself in his sheets. Litchi looked at Tao and Carl laying down on there respective beds and turned off the light. A moment later she returned and turned it back on. "Take off your suit, Tao! It's bed time!" From under the covers a zipper could be heard and then out of the covers came the rest of Tao's kigurumi, landing perfectly on Carl's desk. "Good. Goodnight you two." She turned off the light again and closed the door.

In the darkness nothing was said for a few minutes. Carl stared up at the ceiling in thought. Tao got to stay in his bed anyway and he was too afraid of an angry Litchi to move. Not one of his best of moments.

"Carl?" He turned over and looked at his roommate. She was completely covered from head to toe by his sheets with only her head and neck visable. "Sorry for being so loud."

"It's alright, Miss Kitty. I'm sorry for being a jerk." Carl looked at Tao and smiled. 'At least Tao was out of that cat suit now. She looks better without it, anyway.' "How's my bed treating ya. Smells clean right?"

"It smells like you." She smiled back at him, happy he wasn't angry. "And I like it alot!"

"Well I do take care of my bed soooo."

"No, not that. The name you gave me. I like it!" Carl looked away bashfully, his blush invisible in the darkness. 'She's calling me Carl now. So why do I suddenly miss Shorty?'

"Goodnight Miss Kitty." Carl relaxed in the bed that wasn't his and prepared to enter Slumberland, the place in his head where his family was alive, he was content and he could actually admit to himself that he might-slighty-faintly-remotely-vaguely love Tao.

"Goodnight Carl." Tao relaxed her head on Carl's pillow and was ready for a nice cat nap. But she had one last thing to tell Carl before they both fell asleep. "Oh, and don't try to push Tao out of your bed later. I'm naked under here right now. Just a heads up. Night, Shorty!"

For the rest on the night Carl was repeatedly tempted to confirm what Tao had said himself. Tao repeatedly wondered why he didn't.

Author's Note: So this is a thing. Not sure what to make of it but I'm happy with it. Maybe a little too short but I wrote what I wanted to get across. This was inspired my dlamp's Leitmotif, a fic that only had one chapter but all the potential in the world. Hope you enjoyed reading. Feel free to review.

Blazblue is property of Arc System Works. Leitmotif and it's AU belong to dlamp.