Title: Mini Crisis

Pairing: AtekoxAoi
Theme: Stumble

A/n: This is for rachie6252 who wanted more Aoi and Ateko sweetness. Here's looking at you, kid.

Today she was dropping off Aoi-kun's homework again. Some of the girls at school kept asking her for passes to the set so they could gush over their "hot" idol. Ateko gave them a myriad amount of excuses but in reality, she was sworn to never let the rabid fan girls near the actor by his manager's request.

She wasn't sure when it started to become a routine for her to hang out at Aoi's gigs after school. Was it because of the numerous weeks of killing time when Amane left to save Hyoue? Or after helping out in the play of Beauty and the Beast? Sometimes the possible reasons would chase each other for hours in her head that she gave up trying to choose one after the first five pointless cycles.

A quick flick of her photo pass to the guard of the back entrance and Ateko was soon walking down the familiar halls of the studio's backstage. A few staff members who were regulars greeted her and she replied politely back. When she finally arrived at her friend's dressing room, she opened the door without knocking and headed straight for the large and well lit vanity.

"Hey Aoi-kun, here's your homework," she said without looking for the actor as she tossed the stack of papers onto the vanity's cluttered surface of makeup, brushes and photos.

"Ateko-chan? Could you help me out?" came a muffled voice from the large closet behind her, "I'm kinda stuck."

"In the closet?" she asked dryly, turning towards the direction of his voice.

"Yeah..."

Huffing in exasperation, the young school girl pushed the closet doors further apart and thrust one hand into the tightly packed layers of expensive outfits.

"Oof! Careful!" Aoi yelled out as he was jabbed in the solar plexus by his friend's searching hand, "I wanted you to help me, not harm me!"

Rolling her eyes, Ateko blindly grabbed a fist full of the man's shirt and pulled with all her might. The closet released its prize and the two teenagers went tumbling together to the floor.

"Ow! Now who's the one hurting who?" she growled angrily as she was nearly crushed to death by the his body and pressed against his chest to give herself some room to breath. His breath ruffled her bangs and she blinked her eyes open to realize their faces were now several inches apart.

Aoi was grateful for his quick thinking when he felt his sudden momentum forward was too fast for him to avoid colliding with Ateko. So he made sure when they fell he wouldn't crush her by landing on his all fours around her body. As she faced him with annoyance flashing in her gray eyes, he paused in moving to stand up. His eyes slid to her mouth as her words rang in his ears. Aoi stared for a second longer and then he hesitantly lowered his head down.

She gasped when she noticed him lean closer, the space between their noses depleting slowly. As her whole body froze up and her eyes grew as wide as they could go, he blinked and then was off her and heading for the door.

Hold the phone! Ateko rolled over and pushed herself off the floor.

"W-wait!"

The actor stopped by the door and glanced at her with a grin through his bangs. "Sorry about that Ate-chan. I was just practicing for this scene at the last minute."

He had one foot out the door and she was reaching for him, a bright blush painted on her cheeks as she stuttered to get words out.

"Mitsumine! You're on in five!" one of the helpers called from near the stage.

All she got was a playful wink and he was gone. For a few minutes she just stood there in embarrassed silence. Then she sighed again, shaking her head with a twitching smile.

"You're such a bad actor."

Fini.