(********) = Scene/Location/Time Change
Chapter 2: Far away, but very close.
With a heavy sigh Max pushed the door to the roof open. He had decided that he needed some fresh air, and Mikado had said this was the place to get it, but when he opened the door he found he wasn't alone on the school roof. In front of him on the roof top with him there were two people, a red haired girl and she was leaning over top of… RITO?!
"That's odd," Max noted internally, "I would've sworn up and down Lala and Rito had some sort of thing based on how Lala acted on our way here. Could I have been wrong?"
It was then that the dark haired boy noticed that Rito was very much asleep and the girl seemed to be watching him sleep. He decided to walk over and see what this was about.
"Anything to get the depressing stuff off my mind…" Max mumbled to himself, but in that very moment the girl seemed to notice his presence like she had just woken up. It was in this moment that Max sensed from her an odd feeling that he couldn't place.
"Who are you?" the girl said as her blue eyes cast a venomous glare.
"Max," the green eyed new guy replied simply, "I don't know what you were doing, or anything about Rito for that matter either since I'm new here, but he has Lala so if you had any intentions I'm going to have to ask you to back off."
"Tch!" she grumbled disappointedly, "another anti-pervert."
"I wouldn't go that far, but I don't know anything about you and all I know is there are people that would miss him." The dark haired teen clarified defensively, "If I hadn't felt a weird vibe from you I wouldn't have said anything. After all you could just be a stalker and that wouldn't be any of my business."
"You're weird." The girl put bluntly and it felt like daggers had been run into Max's chest, "But if you must know I was entering his dreams."
"Isn't that sort of thing something you keep secret?" Max asked plainly while on the inside his thoughts went more along the lines of:
"Oh great, first cute girls with tails that are likely aliens, though I haven't asked so who knows, but now there's another odd one. Poor Rito, if this is his every day I really feel bad for the guy. Even my days weren't this odd."
"Master said it was safe to tell you." The girl said, "I'm Mea by the way."
"Nice to meet you Mea, and wait is that because she doesn't think anyone with believe me?!" The green eyed boy replied more than a little indignantly.
Giggles were his only response because suddenly a gust of wind swept across the rooftop and a blonde girl in school uniform appeared. Her hair turned into a blade and she struck at Mea who defended herself with her own hair blade. Rito remained asleep as if nothing was going.
"Could this day get any weirder?" Max wondered aloud.
The blonde girl suddenly seemed to notice the dark haired boy's presence and cast a glare as she spoke, "Who are you? Rito is my target."
The last bit about a target seemed to be directed at Mea so the boy adjusted his glasses and answered, "A new guy, I guess you could say I just dropped in."
"No need to worry Yami Onee-Chan," Mea replied with a smirk, "Master would be angry if I were to steal your target, and, other than having a high tolerance for the abnormal, that boy is harmless."
Max wasn't too sure how he felt about being called harmless, but he decided to let it go and watch the scene unfold. No more words were exchanged as the red head left the roof top. After Mea left Yami eyed Max in silence skeptically.
"I'm not sure I'd say harmless," Max sighed breaking the silence, "but I'm certainly no threat to you and I have no intention of harming Rito."
Seeming satisfied with that answer the blonde girl left the rooftop without another word. Leaving Max alone with, the still fast asleep, Rito. By some miracle the golden brown haired boy had slept through the small scuffle between the two girls.
Sometime later Rito stirred and woke to see the new boy that he had just met earlier that day sitting beside him watching the clouds. Rito sat up and yawned stretching his muscles and waking himself up.
"You sleep like the dead." Max stated casually as Rito stood up and got his blood circulating again.
"Did I miss something important?" the older boy asked.
"Not really," the green eyed newcomer replied, "though judging by the number of bells I've heard you probably missed a couple classes.
"Eh!" Rito exclaimed incredulously, "Why didn't you wake me?"
"Didn't see a reason to," Max answered, "I figured you had a reason to sleep and I'm in no position to disrupt that."
"You're a pretty serious guy." He replied.
"Not really," Max laughed in reply, "It's just the perfect weather for a nap, so why make that go to waste."
The younger boy was right Rito noted that there was a soft gentle breeze giving an air of calm to the deserted roof top. It then dawned on the golden eyed boy that he hadn't asked why the other boy was on the roof top with him.
"What are you doing up here?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be with Mikado Sensei?"
"We already reached a conclusion on my situation." Max replied simply.
"Conclusion?" Rito stated quizzically.
"This isn't my Japan," Max informed the older boy, "my home town doesn't even exist in this world."
"Eh?!" Rito shouted, "Are you going to try and get back to where you're from?"
"Probably not," Max said, "The world here is interesting and beautiful. In one day I've met girls with tails, an alien doctor, a plant that looks like a baby, a couple of girls with hair for weapons, and a boy at the center of it all. I never felt like I could chase anything in my world. Here I can pursue a goal."
"What goal are you chasing?" the older boy wondered aloud.
"Don't laugh." Max warned.
"I won't." Rito assured the younger boy.
"To be the strongest in the universe." Max mumbled with a hint of embarrassment.
"Sounds like something out of a manga." Rito replied but he didn't laugh.
"You're one to talk." The younger boy joked in reply as he gently punched the older boy in the arm.
The two burst into laughter as they realized how casual they were being when they had just met earlier that day. How the two had found themselves talking about ridiculous subjects like they were every day occurrences inexplicably amused the two teenagers.
Rito thought of how most people he talked to couldn't understand how it felt to be so out of place, but with Max it was different because he was even more out of place than anyone else the boy could meet. The younger boy had just appeared in this new world and rather than try to blend in he set a goal for himself that seemed to set him apart even more.
For Max, Rito was like an older brother with a respectable vibe and he sensed a desire to help others in him that he never got from the guys back home. Rito seemed like the kind of guy that just attracted people to him and befriended as many as he could while maintaining his sincerity towards all of them.
"Ah," Rito began as he got an idea, "do you have a place to stay yet?"
"No place other than Mikado's," Max answered truthfully, "and I'd honestly rather not take up a spot with all the patients she has."
"Would you like to stay with me?" Rito offered.
"Hm," Max thought aloud, "I wouldn't want to be a bother, and if you had a reason to be sleeping up here I'm not too sure how much rest I'd get."
"Ah haha… about that." Rito began as he explained the situation with Momo to the boy, including the bit about the Harem Plan as well as informing him that the sisters were actually princesses.
"She only did it for your safety?" the younger boy questioned skeptically.
"That's what she said." Rito replied dumbly, "The worry over Golden Darkness is definitely real."
"I wonder if that mysterious blonde girl was this 'Golden Darkness'? She did seem rather strong and someone Max would need to beat to become the strongest." Max thought to himself as he spoke, "Well then I'd be happy to if you'd have me."
"Great, let's go tell the others!" Rito stated as the last bell rang. Excited to have another boy under the same roof Rito smiled broadly.
Momo was leaning against the door and had heard every word of the two boys' conversation. Rito must have really wanted a guy friend that could understand the type of situation he was in. She concluded this because the brown haired high schooler had just told the new boy about the princesses, and offered him a place to stay, even though they barely knew each other.
She had to admit that Max was fairly interesting to say the least. He had just come out of nowhere and was already declaring that his goal was to be the strongest and befriending Rito Yuuki. Yaoi wasn't exactly something she wanted in the harem at this point, but a best friend type would surely help Rito's confidence.
"How cliché" the pink haired beauty mumbled to herself, thinking of Max as she hurried down the stairs so as to not be discovered of having eavesdropped.
She rushed to her locker and waited for the boys to catch up. As they approached she shifted back and forth and spun her hair around her finger. When they were within earshot she called out.
"Rito!" she called.
"Ah, Momo." He said separating himself from the conversation with Max just long enough to notice her, "What's up."
"You missed meeting Nana's new friend Mea." The pink haired girl informed Rito and noticed as Max tensed briefly at the name.
"Ah what a shame," Rito responded casually, "Maybe next time."
"I don't think we got to really say hello this morning," Momo continued, now addressing Max, "I'm Princess Momo Velia Deviluke."
"Max R… Max Lockton," the dark haired boy replied a little hesitantly, "is your head ok?"
"What?" Momo sounded shocked like she had just been snapped out of trance. The boy had omitted some part of his name, but she had barely noticed finding herself distracted by the face that had slammed into her head a few hours before.
"Your head," he repeated gesturing at his forehead, "I gave it a bit of a knock when I got startled this morning. Are you ok?"
"Um," the girl replied awkwardly, "Yeah I'm fine."
At that moment Rito's phone buzzed and as the boy answered shouting could immediately from the other side. The boy's posture and expression dropped until he hung up.
"Mikan said that I have to pick up more ingredients if you're staying with us." Rito explained pitifully.
"Sorry for the inconvenience." Max apologized rubbing the back of his head.
"It's no problem she'll hold it against me not you," the older boy informed, "sorry Momo could you show Max the way home for me."
"Certainly," Momo replied outwardly but internally she was disappointed to not be walking home with Rito.
Rito then sped off shouting something about catching up with them later. The two were left walking alone awkwardly. Neither knew what to say as the tension grew until it nearly became tangible.
"Um" they both started but neither finished.
"You really like Rito don't you." Max stated looking away.
"Where's that coming from?" Momo responded astounded at the forwardness of the statement.
"You seemed disappointed when he wasn't walking with us." The dark haired boy explained still facing away.
"You could tell?" the princess asked as her pink hair hid her eyes as she looked at the ground.
"I had a hunch." He answered sounding disappointed to be correct, but Momo couldn't quite figure why.
Momo continued to walk in silence as she wondered to herself how this guy, who had only just met her and Rito, could tell that she had feelings for her sister's fiancé. At first glance there wasn't much to him, but now that she looked at him she couldn't help but wonder what those eyes saw. She was about to say something to him when she realized the house was right up ahead.
"The house is right up ahead." Momo told the dark haired boy echoing her thoughts.
"Cool." Max replied seeming oddly ready for a change from the subject he started.
"So you aren't staying with Mikado?" she asked pretending she hadn't heard the boy's conversation with Rito.
"No," Max answered looking towards her, "I don't want to be a bother to her. With all the business she gets I think I'd only get in the way."
"That makes sense," Momo replied thoughtfully, "well just to warn you it can get a little hectic around the house."
"So I've been told." Max replied laughing.
"What's so funny?" the pink haired girl questioned.
"I just thought how weird it is that we just met and I'm moving in with you all." Max explained and continued laughing, "It's completely different from the kind of life I had at home and I'm looking forward to getting to know you."
Momo's face flushed red as she stuttered at what the new boy had just said, "O-oh."
"Ah sorry," Max said still laughing, "I mean all of you. Though getting to know you specifically will be fun too."
Momo couldn't help but smile as she thought how cute the boy appeared when he laughed. When he smiled genuinely she noticed a dimple appear in his left cheek. Her thoughts were interrupted by an explosion from inside the house whose gate they now stood at chatting.
"Wonderful first impression, everyone." The youngest princess mumbled sarcastically as she sweat-dropped.
(…)
Hey there again, so I laid a lot down in this second chapter so that I can get to the more fun and humorous parts in the following chapters. Next time look forward to how the Yui scenario would have gone if Max were around. I have some good ideas bouncing around and just to clarify, just because Momo may develop feelings for another doesn't necessarily mean she won't keep pursuing the Harem Plan for Rito. Hope you're all enjoying. Feedback is greatly appreciated.