Well…I'm back! Welcome back to another chapter of TLR: After Darkness. Okay, let's talk schedules real quick. Sadly, I'm gonna have to start making this into a weekly. I really enjoy writing, but the time's just not there anymore. I'd like to update every day or every other day, but it's just not gonna happen. Maybe I'll manage to surprise y'all with a chapter in a weekday from time to time, but usually expect new chapters on Fridays, Saturdays, or Sundays. You know…the weekend. Well anyways, rant over, so hope y'all enjoy this chapter!
Disclaimer: I do not own the To LOVE-Ru franchise
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(2 hours later, Momo's POV)
Ugh…no matter how hard I try, I cannot sleep! I cannot bear the fact that I'm sleeping with a man other than Rito-san! I wonder if he's jealous right now…I hope he is. It would mean that he has feelings for me! B-But…I have to make him fall more in love with onee-sama first. Maybe this is a chance for her to climb into his bed! Ugh…why am I thinking? I need to sleep!
(1 hour later)
This is nonsense! Why can't I sleep? It's not like I even chose to be in this situation! Why do I feel so uneasy?
Jack: *SNORE* *SNORE* *SNORE*
And he's sleeping just fine! What is the problem with me? It's not like I feel unsafe with him around…I know he won't do anything to me. It should be fine! It's one night, and it was an accident!
Momo: *Touches Jack* Hey, Jack-san…
Jack: *SNORE* *SNORE*
Momo: Hey, Jack-san!
Jack: *SNORE* Ugh…w-what is it?
Momo: I can't sleep…
Jack: What do you want me to do, sing you a lullaby?
Momo: I-Isn't this strange to you?
Jack: Everything here is strange to me. You're gonna need to specify.
Momo: T-The two of us…sleeping together.
Jack: Come on, you're used to sleeping with Rito. It's the same, only with less…well, I don't know what the hell he does to you, and more sleeping.
Momo: Yeah…but I feel uncomfortable.
Jack: Again, what the hell do you want me to do? We're stuck together, so just pull through. It's one night…
Momo: But then there's school tomorrow…
Jack: Yeah, what with it?
Momo: Jack-san! What are people going to say about this?
Jack: Do you think I care about what people say, Momo? You don't know me too well.
Momo: Well, I do!
Jack: What, holding hands with a man makes you drop the whole "innocent girl" mask you put up?
Momo: W-Well…yeah.
Jack: Jesus Christ…well, you're gonna have to make do. It ain't exactly my fault, so don't look at me!
Momo: Yeah, I know…poor Rito-san…he just can't help it.
Jack: Imagine when he becomes King…he's hosting the ruler of another nation, trips and falls on his wife's breasts, and causes a war. That could very well happen…he's gotta work on that.
Momo: *giggles* Yeah…that's true! Well…he saved the world once. So he pulls through when he needs to.
Jack: And what was the reason he needed to save the world?
Momo: He accidentally proposed to onee-sama by holding her breasts and then father-
Jack: You just proved my point. All started by him getting his hands where they didn't need to be.
Momo: Well…but if it wasn't for that…I never would have met him.
Jack: Would your life really have been so bad if you didn't meet him?
Momo: I never had any friends before, Jack-san. You might think it's easy to be a Princess, but only ever knowing your family and father's men is not easy. When I met Rito-san…he was the first person outside of my family that ever really cared for me. He allowed me and Nana into his home, never asking for anything in exchange. Thanks to him, I met many of his friends too. He made onee-sama happy, which made me happy also. You could say he was the first friend I ever had…and also my first crush…*blushes*…b-but you know that.
Jack: Oh do I…probably more than anyone else other than your mother.
Momo: Y-Yeah…mom is very good with reading people….but anyways…there's something t-that's been on my mind…
Jack: What is it?
Momo: I-It's not that I didn't appreciate you inviting me to the dance…i-it's just…I have to work on my plan, and the dance is the perfect opportunity to get Rito-san closer to the girls. H-Having a date myself would be…distracting.
Jack: Well…but you flew off real quick. You didn't need to run (or fly) away from me, just tell me what you told me now. Look…I may not look that way, but I have feelings too, and what you did was pretty hurtful. I just thought it would be an opportunity for you to unwind a bit. I've seen your struggle first-hand. I thought you could use a "day off", but maybe I was wrong. Don't worry, I won't bother you again.
Momo: B-But…
Jack: But nothing. Don't try to justify what you did. No one understands your situation better than I do. Ever since I came here, I've been involved in your problems half the time. But you being in a rough emotional situation doesn't give you the right to dismiss others when they're just trying to help you out. But as I said, I won't bother you again. You're free to pursue your plan.
Momo: Rito-san wouldn't say that…he's more comforting…
Jack: Well forgive me for not being Rito! Sometimes people need to have the truth smack 'em right in the face, whether it's comforting or not! If you want a pretty face that tells you pretty lies, go to someone else. Not me. One day you'll appreciate what I'm telling you. Now if you don't mind, I'd like to sleep. *turns around*
Momo: H-Hey…I didn't mean to do that!
Jack: …
Momo: I didn't know you'd get so angry about it! I'm sorry! We'll have to go together anyways, won't we? It's not like I have a choice anymore…
Jack: *turns around* You DO have a choice. Say the word and we don't go. I'm getting tired of this nonsense.
Momo: I-I didn't mean it that way! Why are you being this way? Did I do something to make you angry? If it was just me flying away…I'm sorry, as I already told you! What do you want me to do?
Jack: I don't know! Okay? ...I don't know.
Momo: Well, calm down. I agreed to go to the dance tomorrow…and if we get separated while it's still going, you're free to enjoy your date with Nana. I won't bother you, I promise. I'll just go work on my plan, like always.
Jack: It's…it's not that I don't want you to bother me! Ugh…fuck me and my bullshit! I need a drink! I don't wanna deal with this crap anymore!
Momo: If you keep drinking you're gonna kill yourself, Jack-san!
MIkan (from outside): Hey, is everything alright? I heard yelling.
Momo: Oh, Mikan-san, it's n-nothing, Jack-san had a bad dream, that's all!
Mikan: Hm…alright. You better not be doing anything strange…*walks off*
Momo: Hey, Jack-san, calm down. Are you alright?
Jack: No I'm not alright. But I don't care. I promised Nana a good time tomorrow…so I better put up my best face, and try to have a good time.
Momo: L-Look, if you don't feel well…I can tell onee-sama to talk to her. I'm sure she'll understand.
Jack: NO. She doesn't deserve that. She's done nothing wrong.
Momo: Okay. If you feel alright with that…Look, why don't you try get some sleep? I'll be fine.
Jack: Fine. *turns around*
Momo: Goodnight.
Jack: Yeah.
(1 hour later, Jack's POV)
Ugh…looks like it's time for me to not be able to sleep. Goddammit!
Jack: *turns around*
Momo: Zzzz… Zzzz…
Looks like she managed to sleep after all. She looks so peaceful asleep…you wouldn't guess the issues she has to go through daily by looking at her now. It just makes me feel so at ease…
Momo: *smiles* Hmmm…
Well she seems to be having a nice dream. I wonder what she's dreaming…*smiles* probably about her harem succeeding or something….
Momo: R-Rito-san…
I feel like I'm intruding on something right now…I mean…she loves him enough to dream about him in this fashion…and yet I'm here….
Momo: Rito-san!
Whoa, getting loud.
Momo: *waters up* N-no, Rito-san! No!
What the hell is going on right now?
Jack: Hey, Momo.
Momo: *cries* D-Don't leave me…
Jack: *strokes her hair* Hey, hey, wake up.
Momo: *sniff* R-Rito-san?
Jack: No, but I'll have to do. Don't worry, it was all just a dream.
Momo: *opens eyes* Jack-san…it's you. *sniff* I'm sorry…
Jack: I was awake anyways…go back to sleep. You just had a bad dream, it happens to the best of us.
Momo: But…it was a really bad dream. If felt…real.
Jack: Wanna talk about it?
Momo: W-well…it started really well…
(Momo's dream)
Lala: Hey, Momo, you know what? Rito proposed to me! We're getting married!
Rito: Yes, Momo, I did!
Momo: Rito-san, that's great! You know what this means for the plan, right…
Rito: Y-Yes, about that…I decided it would be better not to go on with the plan.
Momo: B-But why, Rito-san? Everything's going according-
Rito: Momo, I've realized I only love Lala. Not even Sairenji compares to her.
Momo: Rito-san, come on…you can't just destroy my plan like that…
Rito: Oh, and we felt it would be better if you stayed on Earth. I figured it would be hard for you to see me with another woman, especially your sister. So, unfortunately, you will never see us again.
Momo: *tears up* W-WHY? NO! RITO-SAN!
Rito: I'm sorry, Momo, but we must leave now…*leaves with Lala*
Momo: *cries* D-don't leave me…
(Back to reality)
Momo: And that was when you woke me up…
Jack: Well…I don't know what to tell you other than…if you ever start feeling like this again…you'll always have me to hear you out. Got it?
Momo: Yes…I know. You're always there, Jack-san.
Jack: And Rito will never just leave you like that. He ain't that type of guy. But…you need to consider something.
Momo: What?
Jack: Well, you need to have a Plan B in case your harem plan doesn't work. Can you even imagine your future life without the harem plan succeeding?
Momo: B-But it will succeed!
Jack: I ain't gonna go full shrink on ya, but that dream right there…it shows insecurity. You're not as sure as you say. You need to think about what you might do in case you don't succeed.
Momo: B-But I don't wanna live without Rito-san…
Jack: Well, you have him now. You have him as a friend, as family, really. If there's one thing that leaving my universe and coming here taught me…is don't take things for granted. We're all always thinking about our plans for the future, what we're gonna do, where we're gonna be, who we're gonna be with…but we don't realize that there's plenty to be happy about in the present. A month ago…I never thought I might face the prospect of never seeing my family again. I always thought they were always gonna be there. I never thought everything and everyone I ever knew, loved, or cared about would be erased in the blink of an eye. I may be sounding a bit preachy…and I am being preachy. What I'm telling you is…look…Rito may not be your lover, but he's here. You don't know how long that's gonna last. And all the others that care about you: your parents, Nana, myself…you don't know when we could just…not be there anymore. Just don't take things for granted, and stop thinking about your plans for a second, and you might be happier. In fact, I could bet money, BIG money on that. That's why I invited you to the dance yesterday…I wanted you to enjoy your life just for a bit. No plans, nothing, just for a couple of hours…
Momo: I understand, Jack-san. But my plan is also about making all the others-
Jack: STOP. Think about yourself for a damn second! You're an individual person, and while it might sound selfish, your happiness should be a priority for you! And I know your real motives for your plan have little to do with these other people's happiness, but still, don't subordinate your needs to those of others! That's when they use you, and I don't think you want that.
Momo: R-Rito-san would never do that…
Jack: Yeah, I know, he probably wouldn't do it…consciously. The thing is…there's a point when you helping others becomes so common, it ceases to be noticed, and just becomes normal. That doesn't mean they're using you…but your needs essentially became subordinate to those of others, and that's not a hole that's easy to get out of.
Funny how I'm saying this when about 70% of all I've done since I came here is help her…Christ, what have I become?
Momo: B-But…you're always helping me. And you never asked for anything.
She noticed. Of course she would. That was hypocrisy at its finest.
Jack: …
Momo: *blushes* J-Jack-san…I know I asked you this already…b-but…
Oh crap, I know where this is going.
Momo: A-Are you…in love with me? *blushes furiously* P-Please be honest…
Honest? How about I was WATCHING HER SLEEP? Holy crap…I got myself into a bit of a mess here…
….
Well…cliffhanger! Yeah, yeah, hate me, I don't care! I feed off your hatred, mwahaha! Okay…I'll stop now. See ya later in the next chapter of TLR: After Darkness!