Magi Modern!AU…so I hope you'll like it. Fem!AlixMei

Disclaimer: I own nothing in anime just my crazy imaginative brain.

Title: Pens and Papers

Genre: Romance, Friendship, Family

Characters: Alibaba Saluja, Ren Koumei

Summary:

He's lazy and the kind who likes to bury himself inside his work station room with all the books he got and the smartass she'd never imagine she would meet that one day she shared her umbrella to him.

(***)

That first week after their first and second encounter became a sort of routine for Koumei and Alibaba – since the day after her first visit, Alibaba would always cook for Koumei or sometimes for the two of them if she has the spare time to visit the freckled writer but since she would come so early Koumei gave her the code to open the house and gave her an emergency duplicate key just in case it's needed. And it took Alibaba less than a day to fully familiarize herself inside Koumei's house and if not in their current situation Koumei would say that she knows the knit-'n-knacks of his house than of himself – it was kind of creepy and weird but it's to be expected.

Of course, in return of the favor Koumei never forgets to help Alibaba whenever she has homework's and activities to be done over the night – making the golden haired lass to think that she asked the right person to help her – Koumei is a freaking genius! Well…not a total genius but he is really a person who has brains in between his ears – especially if the subject concerns Political Science and Psychology.

Right now it's the end of the second week of their deal and thankfully its Alibaba's only non-working day – Sunday. She came to the penthouse building rather earlier than usual – after all it's only 6:00 o'clock in the morning but the thing is she has been busy for the past three days that she didn't have the time to visit her newly acquainted friend and she's been worried sick of what happened to that lazy freckled writer.

"I just hope I wouldn't see him again on the floor of his genkan…" She muttered out and sighed as she pushed the of the 4th floor button in the elevator. When she got to the said floor she immediately went inside Koumei's house and thankfully didn't see the writer on the floor like the first time she visited but when she got inside the living room her eyebrow twitched as she looked everywhere the house full of mess.

"Is he doing this on purpose?" She muttered annoyingly while kicking the dirty clothes out of the way and noticed the slumped form of a certain freckled writer on the couch – looking like he did an all-nighter for three days straight. "I'm just gone for three days and I was greeted by the same mess?"

She sighed in defeat and decided to wake Koumei but stopped midway when she sniffed him, "What the hell…!" She stopped the urge to gag and shook Koumei to wake up. "Koumei! For Pete's sake what have you been doing for three days? Go take a bath, you lazy slug!" She shook him harder when he just grunted and ignored her entirely.

"I don't wanna…" He sluggishly replied and snored away.

She slumped angrily but she suddenly smiled slyly, "Okay!" She started with a loud voice interrupting him from sleeping again, "But if you don't take a bath right now…I'm going to wash you myself!" She noticed him flinched after the last sentence she said. "I swear I'm going to bathe you myself – naked." She smiled triumphantly when he slowly raises his body from the couch.

"You wouldn't dare…" He glared tiredly at her.

"Try me." She dared.

Instead of answering Koumei just yawned and tiredly stretched his arms out making Alibaba to grumbled and mumbled about lazy writers. She then went over to Koumei and took the liberty to take his shirt off him, "Come on…you smelled like you didn't take a bath for three days straight." She said while difficultly taking the sweater and shirt off him.

"I can take this off myself…!" Koumei annoyingly said but he can't even lift a finger to stop her. "And I really didn't get a bath for three days…" He said with a yawn as he leaned on her stomach to get some really short nap while Alibaba on the other just looked at him with a disbelieving face.

"I can't believe you…" She looked around again and noticed the multiple boxes that obviously came from the convenience store – and it made her feel guilty for not visiting him these last three days. "You didn't even have a decent meal for three days…" But she only heard him snore as a reply making her to scowl, "Would you wake up already!" She shouted.

"Seriously, Koumei if you have some trouble in here while writing you can always call me – I'm willing to help you as much as I can." She reprimanded inside the bathroom slash washing room that is only divided by the white blurred glass wall and sliding door. Inside the bathroom, Koumei just scowled thinking that Alibaba's worse than his own mother when it comes to reprimanding him. "Where's your underwear?" She called out from the other side of the sliding door.

"You're washing my underwear too?" Koumei looked at the silhouette form of Alibaba from the other side of the door with an incredulous and blushing face.

She deadpanned, "Koumei…I've been washing your underwear for more than one week and you're just complaining now?" Alibaba can't help but let out a teasing chortle. "I know you're wearing that face again Koumei…quit it already! Come on, gave me your dirty clothes and yes your 'underwear' too." She emphasized the word 'underwear' while placing a new set of clothes on the basket near the sliding door. "And here are your clothes." She went back in the washing area and started sorting the laundry and immediately dumped it in the washing machine and started it on.

"Just place the dirty clothes on the other basket!" She shouted out. "I'll just fix a breakfast for you – would you like something in breakfast?" She asked while holding the doorknob of the room.

"Pancakes." Koumei answered while taking off his pants and underwear. "And make hot chocolate please." He heard her replied a 'yes' and the door in the washing area was shut close with a soft click. He sighed and was still composing himself from the embarrassment of her washing his underwear – seriously…did she have to say that?

By the time Koumei finished taking a bath he caught Alibaba making a sandwiched burger pancake with egg and cheese. "Looks good." He commented while rubbing the towel over his long mop of red hair as he went over the dining table and sat down admiring the breakfast in front of him.

"Thank you." Alibaba said with a sheepish smile. She placed a good number of burger pancakes on a plate and placed it over the table. "Dig in now." She urged. She walked back again to the kitchen counter and washed her hands then walked over behind him and started rubbing the towel on his hair for him.

Leaning his head on her body Koumei looked up to see her face with a tired and bored expression, "Did you have your breakfast?" He asked. For some reasons, both of them didn't mind the close contact for the past days and it became a habit to them especially for Koumei – other than his family no one could get close to him like this but unlike the way it 'should' be…their interactions with each other didn't turn out uncomfortable but rather it's just 'that' – it's not a bother or anything like that in particular…like it's normal.

"Would you like me to help you?" She asked while continuing her work on his almost dry hair. She received a nod making her to stopped drying his hair and placed the towel on the other chair beside him and went over the chair across him. They ate while chatting about the three days they haven't seen each other, "Another book huh?" Alibaba mumbled while eating her pancake sandwich. "You writers really do know how to bring the beauty of words…I'm envious…"

"Skills and knowledge is not enough in writing, you also must have the passion to write." Koumei commented while Alibaba hummed in reply.

"And before I forget…" Koumei looked at her with a mouthful of pancake sandwich. "We have to buy supplies of food…you're out of stocks." She raised her right eyebrow when Koumei just looked away from her and sighed. "I know you're busy but at least take a little break from your work at least by the time we get back your mind has rested enough then you can go back to your writing and I won't bother you then."

Koumei sighed, "Alright…" He mumbled out.

He'd rather like to have a decent meal than get his energy from the food of convenience store and her food is way more delicious than those. "It's still early after all…wait…what about the laundry?"

"I'll get to that later when we get back…at least I have something to do while you're working." She said then drank her cup of hot chocolate. "Let me tie your hair." She offered and sat up from her seat and didn't wait for his confirmation. She took a comb and gently tie his long hair in a high half ponytail living some hair loose. "There."

"I can tie my hair just fine." He scowled again feeling like a kid and she's treating him like one. "Come one let's just get over this already." He said as he took his wallet and keys from the drawers and both of them went in the parking basement.

"This is your car?" Alibaba looked awed when she saw the sports car Koumei owns. It looked really expensive…her brothers can't even bring themselves to buy such gorgeous thing! "This is the latest model last year right?" She turned to Koumei who took his keys and pushed a button to open the car.

"This is a gift from my cousin…" Koumei is not really a fan of expensive things but it did help him when he needs to go to somewhere and since it's a gift it's a waste to just park it here in the basement and not using it. "I don't know much about cars but my cousin owns a car trading company and he got this model last year."

Freaking rich! Alibaba gaped and sweat dropped, she can't believe how rich his family could get. "Well… we might as well go to the near supermarket then after that can we go to the wet market?" They got inside the comfy car and Koumei started the car.

"Wet market? Why?" He asked as he pressed the gas pedal and slowly moved the car out of the parking basement.

"'Why'?" She turned to him with a confused face, "It's where the fresh fishes and meat go first… unlike in the supermarket it's still better to buy the products there that are unlikely to be frozen." Koumei nodded, focusing his eyes in front of the road.

"Your car is pretty comfy huh…" Alibaba secured her seatbelt and looked outside the window of the car – seeing the buildings swished pass like a blur. "Good thing I listed the supplies you need." She took out a long paper full of listed items.

"You pretty planned this earlier, I assumed?" Koumei briefly snapped his gaze unto the list paper then back to the front.

"Is the list too long? I could lessen the items if it gets too much of your budget…" She looked up to him but he just shook his head.

"No need to do that." He kept his eyes focused in front of the road and turned the stirring wheel to the left and parked his car in front of a big supermarket. "At least everything listed in there is needed, right?" He took the keys from the keyhole and both of them got out of the car.

"Yep." She chirped, "I also added some things you might need just in case I'm not able to visit you just like last time." They went inside the supermarket, took a cartwheel and started going on the list. "Cereal?" Koumei looked at the box Alibaba got in the cart then to the other food supplies.

"At least you have something healthy to eat in the morning. It's heavy with carbohydrates and it will give you energy most of the day." She placed a box of cereal drink too in the cart. "…and it's easy to consume too." They continued to get the supplies Koumei needs while constantly ignoring the stares of the other customer around them. The both of them can't understand as to why they're staring and just kept their pace; making short remarks here and there but as if one fellow customer can't help but voice out her thought.

"What a pretty couple…!" She said with a smile but she didn't say it in front of them but rather blurted it out unconsciously while carting away from them. Both of them froze from their doing and looked at each other with knowing smiles on their faces. Well, they do looked like a couple with them so close like that but they both know that they can't be in that deep relationship…they still considered each other as close acquaintance rather than as friends.

"People these days…" Alibaba shook her head in amusement and went back inspecting a jam bottle on its expiration date. "When they see a girl and boy together they would assumed them as a couple."

"Just like I said before right…Humans tend to judge others without really knowing anything." Koumei commented as he placed a canned good on the cart. "Let's go." Alibaba nodded. When they finished they went to the cashier area. As they swipe the products and count the full price the lady cashier on the other hand kept blushing whenever she's looking at Koumei like he's some hunk she had read from a female magazine. Alibaba just inwardly smiled wryly – it's not like she can't see his good points as a man but she is a girl who is immune from those men who have handsome faces (a.k.a workplace). The cashier's blush deepen when Koumei gave the payment on her palm while the said 'hunk' just kept his bored expression on his face and just grunted a dull 'thank you' to the cashier and took the heavy plastic bags from the assisting boy.

"Pretty popular are we?" Alibaba teased when they dumped the grocery bags inside the back compartment of the car. "Am I now?" Koumei replied slyly that made her to laugh out loud. They went inside the car and drove away from the supermarket to the wet market near the fish port.

"Do we really have to buy all this?" Koumei heaved a tired sigh when they finally got home in his penthouse. Since he's the one carrying all the hefty grocery bags Koumei immediately flopped himself on the couch groaning tiredly. "That was heavy you know…!" He grumbled.

"You're complaining now when I kept saying to you that I could manage the heavy bags if you didn't just prided with your gentlemanliness, you big baby." Alibaba rolled her eyes and just waved off his complains and continued arranging the grocery supplies in their right compartment. "Come on, you said that you still have work right?" A groan was heard. "I'll make you a tea after this then I'll continue washing your laundry." She halted of what she's doing and knelt down in front of the couch poking the back of Koumei's head.

Koumei rolled over and instead of answering her; he took a hold of Alibaba's waist and hoisted her up to his body – both of them lying on the couch with Alibaba on the top of him. "Instead of getting a rest I've become exhausted because of your shopping spree." He grumbled while hugging Alibaba.

"It's not my fault you don't exercise regularly to stretch those bones and fats you call muscle…!" She teased playfully, not really minding their position. "You're just being lazy." Instead of struggling, Alibaba even made herself comfortable on the top of her acquaintance while playing some strands of his hair.

"You want me to do some exercise now?" Koumei looked like he wanted to run from something with him scowling like a brat.

"And what will you do with these fats then?" She smirked like a Cheshire while pinching his side making him to yelp in surprise. "Quit emphasizing it further and whose fault it is that I'm getting fat?" He glared at her but Alibaba just snorted teasingly continuing her assault on his hair.

"I'm not the one eating so much – you're doing it to yourself."

"Rude." He glared dully.

She laughed out loud.

(***)

Aww...!