ChApTeR tWo:Sleeping Beauty
The sound of gravel crunching as a car pulled away was heard from outside, while voices could be heard from the kitchen, a young boy and an older woman.
"She's up in her room, reading to Ami. You can go on up if you'd like." Amu Hinarmori's mother informed Tadase. He smiled at the exuberant woman.
"Thank you, ma'am."
'Such a kind boy..Good for Amu, definitely.' Amu's mother couldn't help but note once more before responding.
"You're welcome, Tadase." She called as he walked toward the stairs. He stopped to look at one of the pictures on the stairs. Amu and Ami at a park, Ami on Amu's shoulders smiling. Amu in mid laugh as her sister reached for the butterfly above her. Tadase smiled, a memory similar flashing into his mind where Ikuto was in Amu's place holding him up as they walked through the park. He shook his head and continued toward Amu's room.
Upon walking into her room, the first thing he saw was Amu laying on her back and Ami curled up near her side-Ami's head on her sister's shoulder with Amu's arm holding her up while the other held an open book lay in her hand. The same worn copy from the day before. Tadase smiled and stared at the image they created as he leaned on the door frame. He allowed his thoughts to wonder:
'Why is it I picture Amu as the mother always and Ami as our own?' He wondered before raising his hand to knock lightly on the door. Ami and Amu looked up at the same time.
"Why is it you always show up in the beginning or middle of a story, Tadase-kun?" Amu teased, Ami smiled as she felt her sister's heart accelerate. Tadase laughed, then shrugged.
"The stories you read remind me of the stories Ikuto used to read Utau and me when we were younger." Tadase said, slipping into the room. "Mainly he read them when it was stormy out."
'He didn't read them to us every night. Ami is lucky that Amu will. Amu would make a good mother one day.' Tadase fought back the blush when he realized the direction his thoughts had turned once again.
"Why?" Ami asked. "Were you afraid of thunderstorms?"
"Yes, actually, we were. Ikuto wasn't. He would read them just to calm Utau and me down." Tadase answered Ami.
"Ikuto-onii-chan!" A younger Tadase wailed as he launched into the bed with Utau and Ikuto.
"It's okay, Tadase." Ikuto reassured him. His hand doing the same to Tadase's hair as it was to Utau's, petting. Ikuto reached for the book that rested on his nightstand.
"So in a way, Ikuto-kun is alot like Amu?" Ami asked, her eyes innocent.
"I suppose she is." He smiled at Ami, catching the honorific title at the end of his name.
"I'm still here you know." Amu grumbled. Ami laughed while Tadase rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.
"Sorry, Amu-chan." Amu grinned at Tadase. Amu, then, patted beside her looking directly at him. He smiled and walked toward the bed.
Amu turned her full attention toward her younger sister and asked Ami, "Now, Ami, where were we?"
"King's son." Ami spoke excitedly, her toffee eyes sparkling. Tadase smiled warmly at the toddler. Tadase sat on the end of the bed with them, he was balancing awkwardly.
"Tadase, get up here with us." Amu spoke. "I'm sure my mother won't mind and my father isn't home." Amu smiled at him, Tadase slid up next to Amu on the bed and lay beside her over her yellow comforters. She looked at him before returning her eyes to the page. Tadase couldn't help but allow his thoughts to return to the same path they had before. "On the day that the hundred years ended, the son of the king then reigning was a-hunting and spied the tower beyond the forest. He asked what it was. An old peasant told him the legend of the sleeping princess and of the king's son who was to waken her. From the way the Prince's heart began beating, he felt certain that the peasant spoke the truth. He knew that he was the king's son who was to waken the princess. He set out at once. The great trees and thorns opened of their own accord to let him pass. And at last the castle stood before him."
"It would be creepy to see trees and thorns move.." Ami whispered. Amu and Tadase laughed. Amu felt Tadase's arm brush her as she turned the page. Both they're hearts skipped a beat.
"Sorry." He mumbled, Amu blushed bright, unknowing that his face matched her own. Ami studied them for a brief moment before growing bored.
"Amu-chan!" Her sister whined. Ami seemed to have snapped the two out of the trance that they were in. Amu shook her head and cleared her throat before beginning once more:
"He entered the courtyard and saw men and animals in deep slumber. The Prince crossed the court and mounted the stairs. On he went to the very heart of the palace where, in a beautiful room of gold, he saw the loveliest sight in the world-a sleeping princess, so fair she seemed an angel." Amu fought off a scoff at that part, but judging by the way Ami's eyes sparkled she was enjoying ever moment of the story. Tadase stared at Amu for a moment. Amu cleared her throat and continued. "He fell on his knees beside her and kissed her lovely cheek. The Princess opened her eyes, smiled and said, 'Is it you, my Prince? I have waited long." They talked for hours and still had not said half that was in their hearts to say. Meanwhile, everything in the palace waked with the Princess, and everyone took up his task just where he had left it. At nightfall a lady in waiting curtsied to the Princess and announced the wedding feast." Amu felt herself sweatdrop, she looked over at Tadase for a moment to see the same reaction. She turned the page as Tadase spoke:
"A little fast don't you think?" Amu nodded as Ami looked at them with impatient eyes, annoyed with the interruptions.
"Then the king's son led his bride to the royal chapel, where they were married. The next morning the bridegroom and bride left the palace and passed through the dark forest into the bright sunshine of the world beyond. And when the Princess turned to look at the castle where she had slept so many years, behold, castle and forest had vanished. So the Princess rode with her Prince to his father's court, and there they lived a life as happy as her dream." Amu shut the book with a pop. Ami yawned, Amu smiled down at her younger sister. "Go to bed, tyke." Ami huffed.
"I'm not a tyke."
"Doesn't matter, go to bed. You never know, you may have a prince waiting for you in your dreams." Amu smiled as Ami's eyes lit up. Ami jumped from her older sister's bed and ran toward her own room. Amu laughed and shook her head.
"Amu-chan!" Her mother called as she walked in with tea. "I figure you two might be thirsty. Where's Ami?"
"Already in bed, Mama." Amu said, smiling as she took the tray from her mother and sat it on her nightstand.
"Thank you, Amu." Her mother kissed her forehead once more. "Have fun you two." She turned to walk out of the door. Once she left, Amu returned to the bed and laid beside Tadase.
"You know, I've realized something." Tadase spoke, Amu turned her body to face him. Amu lay propped up on one elbow and a hand holding her head up. He smiled at her. "Prince is mentioned alot in these stories."
"Does that bother you?" Amu asked, tilting her head to the side.
"No, but it would Keski." Amu laughed.
"We'd never finish a story." Tadase grinned at Amu's laughter, both remembering the many outbursts Keski had made Tadase go through in a character change each time the word prince was mentioned.
"Oh, we would eventually." Tadase said. Amu smiled.
"Eventually." Amu looked thoughtful for a moment, "Keski would probably love 'The King and I'."
"Why is that?"
"Well it doesn't have the word 'Prince' in it." Amu said, stating the obvious. Tadase raised his eyebrow and rested his head on his hand.
"What is it about?"
"You'd have to watch the movie." Tadase raised the eyebrow again. "It's a Chinese tale. It was made into a movie and sold here. So far, I haven't found the book."
"You've looked for it?" Tadase asked, partly confused and amused.
"Yeah," Amu blushed, "The King and I' used to be my favorite when I was Ami's age well that and Cinderella."
"That line you used to get Ami to get back to her room-"
"My mother used to tell me that when I was her age, it worked every time."
"Did a prince ever show up in your dreams?"
"He has a couple of times. Oddly enough, he was never as perfect as the story book ones. He was always closer to an Ariel's Eric than Cinderella's Prince Charming or Sleeping Beauty's rushy Prince." Tadase laughed.
"Yeah, that was a little fast."
"A little?" Amu looked at him, incredulously. "They'd just met that morning!" Tadase grinned at her. They fell into silence for a moment and just studied each other. Amu was still in her pink pjs, her shirt held a cat on the right hand bottom corner with the words "spoil me" at the bottom and for bottoms pants with the words "sugar daddy" written all over with little bitty red hearts everywhere. He smiled at her attire. "What?"
"You're pjs." She looked down at what she was wearing and blushed.
"Shut up." She huffed. He laughed.
"They aren't bad." Tadase defended. "You look adorable." Amu blushed brighter.
"Thanks." She mumbled. Tadase smiled at her, she grinned back.
Suddenly, someone knocked on her door causing Tadase and Amu to jump.
"You're mother's here, Tadase." Amu's mom spoke. Tadase smiled and slide off the bed. He looked at Amu.
"Bye, Amu. See ya later." Amu jumped off the bed. Tadase looked at her, alarmed.
"Mother always did tell me that it was rude not to walk your friends to the door." Amu explained looking at her mother. Her mom smiled at her. When Amu passed her, she whispered:
"Liar." Amu blushed. "But it is good manners." Her mother added, Amu laughed.
"So, see you tomorrow?" Amu asked. Tadase nodded, he hugged her. "Oh," She said, her arms still around him, "Bring Keski tomorrow, we'll watch that movie." Amu and Tadase parted from the hug. He nodded.
"Sure thing, don't start without me though."
"Wouldn't dream of it."
"Right." Tadase said, sarcastically. Amu stuck her tongue out at him. Tadase laughed and turned toward the car. Once the door was closed, Tadase's mother began the interrogation. Tadase watched Amu turn and walk back inside her home-ignoring his mother's questioning. His eyes focused on her as she waved goodbye from her balcony, he couldn't help but hope that he was the Prince that Amu dreamed of..