Technology hates me. That's all I have to say on the matter.
Anyways, very different writing style for this chapter (my goal is to not only make each chapter an AU but also to have its own writing style. The best way to describe this would be to say short and fluffy. Like a bunny. The cover image is of forget-me-nots. I thought it fitting.
To all of you who reviewed, I can't describe the smile it put on my face and am even considering going back and revising just for you guys (what's the point of receiving useful criticism if you ignore it?) . Hopefully this chapter will flow better just because it's in my more natural style and I promise to be more careful with my ever-changing tenses. (You have no idea how long this issue has plagued me. My mind just doesn't work in a linear fashion.)
Enjoy a bunny and some popcorn.
Chapter II: Popcorn and Promises
"I dunno man, Better Off Dead is pretty amazing."
"Sure it is. I just don't want to watch it two weeks in a row." Hinata fumbled with the DVD cases in his hands, trying to read each one without putting them down. One still ends up clattering to the floor. "You know, if we get really desperate-as in, rip our eyes out of our skulls desperate- we could ask your sister for a suggestion. Her taste sucks but at least bad movies are better than no movies."
Leaning down and picking up the case Hinata had dropped and flipping it over, Otonashi groaned, "No way in hell are we asking Yui to pick out a movie for us. We've got like a fifty-fifty chance between slasher or chick flick, and I'm not in the mood for either." He shoved the fallen DVD into Hinata's hands. "Here, let's go with good old Transformers. You can never go wrong with explosions and giant robots. Also, you're paying."
"...Fine."
Two beat-up bikes were haphazardly thrown into the grass in front of the Otonashi household as their respective owners raced inside, each with a separate bag on their arm. Shouting a quick, "I'm home!" over his shoulder, Otonashi headed upstairs, leaving Hinata hunched over and panting in the door way.
"At least tell me you remembered the fee for spending the night here." Hinata rolled his eyes at quick-tempered girl resting on the couch, her head dangling off the edge of the chair and her feet sticking up in the air. At least she had the forethought to wear shorts today, he thought, embarrassed by the memory.
Walking up to her, he dropped the bag filled with candy onto her stomach and grinned at the 'oof' that followed. "Here ya are Miss Troll, try not to get cavity. Or worse... fat!" Ducking, the bag of sweets hurled right over his head and he took off for the stairs laughing, climbing them two at a time. The string of expletives Yui was shouting at him all the while only made him laugh harder, and he burst into his best friends bedroom clutching his sides.
Otonashi closed the door behind him and waited for Hinata to catch his breath before starting the movie. The room grew darker as the sunlight faded outside, the laptop screen becoming the only source of light.
2:05 A.M. Flipping his phone shut, Hinata carefully crawled his way out of the sleeping bag and out of the room, before descending the stairs. He cautiously took each step, making sure to take the path down he had memorized years ago to prevent the stairs from creaking. He swore the walls in the household were thinner than paper and both of Otonashi's parents as well as himself had crashed hours ago-the last thing he wanted was to wake them up.
When he finally made it downstairs, he was greeted by the sight of Yui lounging on the couch, her head lulling to the side as she fought to stay awake. Ending credits rolled on the flat screen TV, the soft music accompanying them drifting across the room. Nudging her head, he plopped down on the couch and reached for the remote. His thumb lazily pressed the button to change the output to TV instead of the CD player.
He instantly regretted that decision.
On the screen was a brightly colored, poorly animated show on Disney Jr. and the remote to change channels was nowhere to be scene. He didn't have the energy to go look for it. "You have got to be shitting me, Yui. Who watches this at sixteen?"
"You do apparently," she snickered, her face half-hidden in the pillow she'd wedged between them so she could still lay down. He groaned, but relaxed into the sofa anyways, content with blaming her later for any brain damage this show caused and too tired to bicker. "The usual bet I'm guessing?"
"Yup." He'd be damned if he let himself fall asleep before her. One, because he didn't trust her to carry him back upstairs quietly or carefully without waking the rest of the household. And two, because there was no way she would get the satisfaction of seeing him making breakfast for them in the morning. She would probably find something even more demeaning to call him than housewife -his usual go to- if he lost.
ADHD don't fail him now.
A little after the clock above the TV struck four, Hinata was aware of added pressure against his arm and smiled in victory. Lightly tapping her cheek with his index finger to confirm the win, he fist-bumped the air. He would be exhausted the next morning, but it was totally worth it he assured himself. Just like it was every week.
With a yawn, he stood up, gently supporting Yui's head from beneath the pillow to keep her from waking up. As quickly as possible, he wrapped his arms under her knees and shoulders and lifted her bridle style before slowly hobbling to the stairs. With far less caution than he originally used, Hinata climbed the stairs, occasionally shifting Yui in his arms so he wouldn't drop her.
By the time he laid her into her bed, his arms were sore and his legs felt like they were about to give out beneath him, but she still didn't wake. It always felt odd to see her asleep- fragile, helpless, dependent. Every romance book he'd ever read always said girls were the most beautiful when they slept; he had to disagree. Yui looked positively... un -Yui and it didn't suit her.
Of course, her being in a moment of weakness didn't stop him from drawing on her face in the multitude of colored sharpies on her desk. Or from setting her alarm for 6:00 A.M. that morning.
Glancing back at her from the door, he couldn't help but think she looked just a little bit more like herself-absolutely ridiculous and perfect for it.
Both he and Otonashi would be awoken by a shriek at a few minutes past six, and after watching Hinata burst out laughing, Otonashi decided he didn't want to know and hid under the covers.
When Hinata went downstairs for the breakfast that was for him and him alone, he couldn't help but chuckle at the faint but still visible red mustache and purple circles on her face. He also didn't pass up the opportunity to tease her about being 'such a housewife'.
He would never admit to her that he always saw her bubblegum pink eyes light up when he called her a housewife, even if her frown deepened to hide it. And he would never admit that he intentionally sleep deprived himself for the sole purpose of seeing them do so.
I'll update when I update.
I'm dying from the bunnies. Somebody save me.