Yo! Ame here again, really sorry for long updies and shorting chapters! So much work on school nowadays! *sigh* Anyways! Enjoy

Disclaimer: You know that already, non?


Chapter 12
Slumber

Claire's Side

I was taking a stroll near the Rose Square to clear my mind when I heard Karen's voice at the beach. I planned to check what's going on but I saw Kai and Popuri hiding at the wall at the entrance of the beach, the two of them are eavesdropping. Piqued by my curiosity, I hid not so far from Popuri and Kai and eavesdropped too at the people talking at the beach.

"You are so fucking dense! Why can't you get it?! All those years! Everybody knows it except for y-" that was Karen's voice.

"-I know it."

Wait... Was that Rick's voice?

I poked out my head and saw Rick and Karen. Rick interrupted her by saying those words, she gritted her teeth and tears started to form at the corner of her eyes, Karen wiped it off with the back of her hand and glared at him again.

"If you know about it... Then why aren't you responding?! Do you know how hard to spat out those words even if i'm drunk?!" her tears started to flow to her cheeks "I'm just thankful to the goddess that I can gather enough courage to say those when i'm drunk... You don't know how much it kills me inside!"

Her legs started to shake and her voice began to crack. Her body started to sank down in the sand.

"Why Rick... Why?!"

"You can't push your feeling into a person Karen... You can't tell them to love you when they don't fell the same as you."

Karen immediately stood up and stomp her feet "Fuck shit!" she turned around swaying her hips and letting her hair blew by the ocean air. Kai and Popuri panicked when they saw Karen walking to their way, they ran to the church's direction and hid behind the tree there while me, I hid behind the Notice Board (which is really dumb if you ask me).

I sensed Karen pass by the Square and walks to the north path, where Kai and Popuri ran earlier. When Jeff's daughter finally exited the Rose Square, I exhale in relief, she didn't saw me even if I picked to hide behind the board which I am completely visible when she took the north path which she did, but Karen didn't saw me, she's just like a horse with blinders that just allow her to look straight at the road where she is going.

Good thing the lamp posts are not lightened tonight.

Carefully slipping my way back to my farm, I sensed that there is an another person by the beach entrance.

"C-claire?"

That voice belonged to Rick.

Crap... I totally forgot that she's with someone, and that someone is him...

I slowly turned around and smiled nervously. "Hi..."

"H-hi..." he smiled awkwardly at me.

Rick wipes his forehead and I looked at the ground. Heavy air started surround around him and me. I opened my mouth to say something but nothing comes out. Rick cleared his throat.

"Fancy meeting you here Claire... I thought you were with Kai?"

Uh-oh!

"Y-yeah... I-I was... He left moments ago so I decided to walk around before turning in for today."

He pushed his glasses back. "I see..." he laughed.

My legs are starting to shake and I'm sweating bullets now. I bit my lip and I didn't lift my head to look at him.

Rick sighed "This is stupid." I heard him muttered. "Claire..." he called my name with a deep voice.

As I heard his voice like that, it sent shivers at my spine and made my legs shakes more. I braced myself on what he's going to say or going to do.

He's scary...

"You heard everything weren't you?"

"Well..." I scratched my head "Not everything really..." I said still looking at the ground "I just heard the 'You are so fucking dense part' and the rest of it."

I tried to take a peek at Rick, he's looking down at me but his face is expressionless which made me shiver in fear. I feel sick, as I fear Rick, my stomach knots and there's a lump at my throat, my legs keep shaking and I can't move, I can't really move. Tears started to come out from my eyes and I cried silently.

Please, don't be angry with me Rick... I didn't mean to stick my nose to your business...

I want to say those words but I cannot do it, the lump on my throat stayed there and it didn't disappeared.

"Claire..."

This time, Rick called me using his natural voice but at this point, it's a little gentle. He touched my shoulder that made my body flinch. Rick sighed.

"I didn't mean to scare you Claire... Please, don't be scared."

Rick crouched down at my eye level and he gently hold my hand into his and he slowly intertwine his finger between mine. I looked at him with watery eyes, he smiled at me. I jumped into his arms and hugged and my tears fell to his shoulders. I felt him hug me back so tightly that I can't breathe.

I don't care, as long as I am in this guy's arms because that is all what matters.

I felt my consciousness slip away from me.

Rick's Side

The sound of Claire's crying slowly fading and before I knew it... She was sleeping at my arms. I smiled because now I know that she's not scared of me just like earlier.

"I'm glad that you're not afraid of me, Claire."

I whispered to her. I scooped her in my arms and carried her like a princess. She's like a child and looks much younger than her age. Her face… It makes me remind of a girl… the girl that I just remembered, she just looked like this blonde in my arms. But even so, I could enjoy her sleeping all day and all night. It's peaceful and serene, it's makes me slowly sleepy too…

I wish I can hug my bed now.

"You seem enjoying to look at her face."

I looked at the source of the voice, its Popuri. She smirking and she's with Kai. Both of them looked at me and at the girl at my arms. My sister patted my shoulders and she smiled ear to ear.

"I think, we should let her rest at our house." My sister said with a calm smile pasted in her face.

"That would be a great idea." I said, still looking at the blonde's sleeping face in my arms.

Popuri ran to Kai and bid him a goodbye then my sister ran to me and said that we should go. I let her go home first, I stole a glance at Kai, he doesn't looked amuse. Claire moaned and mumbled something.

I smiled "Let's get you some rest." I whispered to Claire.

I walked home with Claire on my arms and ignored Kai's unexplainable expression he has in his face at the moment.

Once I got home, I lay down Claire on my bed, Popuri told me it'll be rude if I let a girl to sleep in the couch or in the floor which she meant is she doesn't want to sleep on our couch nor on the floor of her room.

Geez... I don't want to sleep on the couch...

"If you don't want to sleep on the couch, sleep on the floor of your room that way you can check on Claire if she woke up and you can rest without complaining how much you hate to sleep in the couch. See? It's just like killing two birds with one stone."

I really hate when my sister say something so smart, it doesn't really suit her.

I took out some blankets and got a pillow on the floor. Before I sleep, I looked at Claire who is now sleeping soundly at my bed.

I hate to say it but, Claire has bags under her eyes. I wonder if she's been sleeping well these days. Do her weird dreams making her sleep not much?

I'm worried about her. I can still remember the story she told me about those dreams that has been re-occurring to her since she was an eight- year old girl.

But even if she has bags under her eyes, she's still too cute to look at when she sleeps. Who knew that Claire is just like a kid when she snoozes? She hugs a pillow while sleeping and drools. I know that violet haired little girl named Yuu knew about this.

"Good night..." I whispered softly to her ears.

Claire's nose twitched and she pulled the blanket up to her head. I chuckled and lie down on the floor, pulled my own blanket up to my neck and closed my eyes.

"Rick..."

I thought that I can sleep tonight but I can't. Besides Claire's sleep talking, it seems like my mind doesn't want me sleep. I checked my watch, and it's already 2 in the morning. Even if I close my eyes, they'll open again and again and again and the wooden ceiling is the first thing that I'll see whenever I open my eyes.

"Rick..."

I heard Claire called my name while she's sleeping, I get up and checked her. I was taken aback when I saw her, tears are flowing from her eyes to her cheeks. She's biting her lips, gritting her teeth and her grip on the pillow she was holding was tightening.

She must be dreaming about how I looked at her earlier.

Yes, I am aware that I gave her a scary look earlier. I don't know why I made that kind of face, maybe I was mad of her because of she eavesdropped when me and Karen are having a serious conversation or maybe...

I was jealous that she was with Kai...

That is a possibility, I guess? Kai was there to comfort her, while me? I'm busy dealing with Karen and her feelings. Don't get me wrong, I know what will be the outcome once she tells me what she felt about me. Karen will be mad and will start tearing off her mask, the real Karen will appear.

"Rick..."

I am brought back to reality when Claire called my name, her voice was cracked and strained but still she called my name softly. Worried, I held her hand tightly. Her eyes slowly opened and looked at me with sleepy eyes.

"Rick... You won't leave me right?" she asked while a teardrop dropped from her round sapphire eyes.

"Huh?" I looked at her with wide eyes, not getting what she meant by that.

Her tears started to flow again "Please..." she sniffed

"Of course I won't... I won't leave you." I gave her a gentle smile and wiped the tears off her face with my thumb. "You just sleep alright? I'll be at your side the time you woke up from you slumber, Claire."

Claire nods "Okay… Thank... you… Rick…" she squeezed back my hand and slowly slept. I stroke her head and looked at her once more.

She's smiling this time.

It made me smile too. I'm assured now that she's not really afraid of me anymore. Just looking at her sleeping so peacefully in my bed made me sleepy too... I yawned and I started to sleep, with her hand holding mine.

Popuri's Side

"Those two are such an idiotic couple... They are perfect and meant for each other."

I've been watching Claire and my big brother for hours outside his room.

Good thing the door is half open. Thank to my idiotic brother, Rick.

My dear big brother can't sleep well, I think it's because Claire is sleeping with him and he's uncomfortable because she's a she and he's a he or maybe because he's sleeping at the floor not on the bed of choice.

Tonight was sure hectic, I'll say.

-Earlier-

I was watching a re-run of the first season of my favorite T.V show 'My Dear Princess' when I decided to snoop around my brother's love life because that's a mandatory job for me, as his little sister.

When I went out of the house I saw Karen ran away to the beach, crying, my big brother followed her then I saw Kai hiding from my brother's sight. Kai thought that Rick is not looking back anymore, well bad for him, Rick saw him.

After confirming that my brother is completely gone. I secretly spied on Kai and Claire as they talk and the blonde sob and cry.

-Present-

I sighed. I recalled my brother's words when Karen confessed at him.

He knew it all along...

Well, I know that he knew Karen's feelings from the start, she's way too obvious, I can't blame my stupid brother. He maybe knows that Karen maybe

I took a peek at Rick's room for the last time, he's asleep beside Claire. The blonde girl is sleeping in my brother's bed more comfortable than before and she's smiling now and she's holding Rick's hands in hers.

"Those two really are perfect and meant for each other."

I smiled and closed the door in Rick's room, giving the two them some alone time…


There done~! Phew! Next Chaptie anyone?

The Review Text Box is screaming at you... and so the Review button too.