Hi everyone! Super belated Happy Halloween! This chapter is a bit Halloween-y that's why. ^-^
AnimeBestie: Your anime list grew reeeeally quickly lol. Did you like Gakuen Alice? I don't really have any anime suggestions. Oh but did you like Skip Beat? :) Thanks for reviewing!
AquilonIII: It's okay if you forget to review. XD Thank you for the lovely review! I'm glad you liked it. Lol the pocky game...
The-Last-Fire-Twin:
AwakenedSecrets: Lol thank you for that. Mitsukuni as a boyfriend is a bit strange huh? By the way did you read the Ouran manga? And I'm not sure when the gang will be reappearing again, but I'm thinking of writing extra stories centered on the OCs, except it'll be on FictionPress. What do you think? And thanks for reviewing! You're the sweetest and the best! :D
candymoon2315: Honey rolling across the floor in barrel form. XD Haha great. Marshmallow gun! Yay! You have pretty random reviews... Thanks for reading and reviewing! :)
Lala: Lol everyone loves the pocky game! :D Yeah, TamaHaru all the way! Thank you for the review!
hotbibl: Lol, thank you! XD
PhoenixOtaku: Thank you lots and lots! ^-^ I hope you'll like this fluff chapter!
its bookslover: Wow your multiple personalities can dance? Cool. Thank you for reviewing! :)
Strawberry Neko: I know right? It's a stupid reason right? Well mainly it was a really cliche reason haha. It's my fault, don't blame Honey. Wow how did you dress up as a paintbrush? Did you get lots of candy? Was the weather good? Thank you for the review! :D
kyoya3guest: Haha nobody guessed the real reason why. ^-^ Honey just asked Aya to help him in his little scheme. They weren't actually going to date. Does that clear things up? Thank you for reviewing!
Hime1234: Phew, glad you thought it makes sense. :) I hope you'll like this chapter then! Thanks for reading and reviewing!
DearChibico: Lol how does a chapter taste like applesauce? That's a good thing right? Thanks for the interesting review! :D
KamehameGadoken: Hehe yeah that mom... Awesome name by the way. ^-^ Thanks for reviewing!
Anatolie: I think we're all glad the arc is over lol. Of course Usa-chan can drink tea! :) Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Enjoy!
3rd POV:
"How did it go?" Mori asked Honey.
He shrugged. "I-I don't know. Good, I guess? She did say she wants to get back together." He faked a smile. He was a bit worried, though. How much time did she want? And how much time could he give?
It turned out that he didn't have to wait long, because his doorbell rang late in the evening that same day. He was told it was Rika who asked that he just come to the door.
"Um," she said when she saw him. "I-I just came to tell you one thing."
"Do you want to come in?" he asked.
She shook her head. "No. It's okay." She forced a smile, and he could see right through it.
"I have cake though," he said. "Good cake. Chocolate mint cake." Her eyes lit up just slightly, and he knew he got her. He smiled. "From a special baker."
Her mouth opened and shut. Then she said, "It-It-"
He grabbed her wrist and began dragging her in. "Come on! I'm sure you'll like it."
"Ah. Um. Okay."
As they walked, he worried if he was being too pushy. What if she didn't even like the cake? And what if she noticed that he wasn't holding her hand but her wrist? What if she-
They arrived at the kitchen, where the half-eaten cake remained. A maid quickly brought over an extra plate and fork, and he cut her a slice.
"Try it." He managed to grin.
Rika glanced at him and nodded, then took a bite. It was delicious. Just the right amount of minty freshness to balance the sweetness of the chocolate. "Mmm. It's good." The cake made her feel a bit better, and the conversation she just had with Akane helped too. Maybe she could tell him. No. She had to tell him, or they'd never get over this hurdle.
"You like it?" he asked.
"Yeah!" She managed to smile. "I love mint. And it kind of reminds me of mint chocolate chip ice cream."
"Yeah. It does." He smiled. It almost looked genuine.
They ate silently, both brooding over their own thoughts and worries. She waited until she was done with her slice, savoring every bite and stalling. When she set her fork down, she began to gather up her courage. "Um, Mitsukuni."
He glanced up, realizing that she wanted to say something serious, and set his own fork down. "Yeah?"
"Um, okay, I was advised that I should tell you this," Rika said, adjusting her shirt. "And, uh, well." She swallowed and kept her gaze down. She just couldn't bring herself to meet Honey's bright, brown eyes. "Whenever I see you, I just see, like, this image of you and-and Hayakawa. And it's unpleasant and it ruins everything but the image won't go away. So-" She looked up at him. "So, I think, if I can somehow get rid of the image, then things will be fixed. But I don't know how to get rid of it, so."
Honey nodded slowly. Then he stood. "Can I try something to change that?"
She stood too, suddenly feeling anxious. "Okay."
"Come on." He exited the kitchen and as they turned through the halls, she had a hunch as to where they were going. And she was right when he led her to his bedroom. He shut the door behind her, then he picked a box up off his desk.
He held up a pocky stick with an uncertain smile. "Let's try playing the pocky game!"
"Uh, sure."
The two stood facing each other. As Honey stepped closer and closer towards Rika, she became aware of her pounding heartbeat. And that nervousness that made her want to run away. It was the giddy kind of nervousness that you feel when you're talking to your crush. She hadn't felt this sensation in a long time. The butterflies were dancing again.
"Chocolate?" he asked. She nodded and took a bite of the pocky. The bittersweet chocolate and the crunchy biscuit all melted in her mouth as the two edged closer and closer, nibbling.
Uwaa! She squeezed her eyes shut, already blushing even before their lips met.
Then the chocolate was gone and they were just kissing. She could still taste the remains of the pocky and that sweet taste of Honey. It didn't take long before that blazing fire ignited inside of her. His hands wrapped around her waist, kissing her with a fervor like never before. And she pulled at him, trying to bring him closer. She wanted to erase every trace of Hayakawa that might still be on him. And to make Honey hers and hers only.
Rika's POV:
Friday. It seemed Mitsukuni's plan had worked, because whenever I saw him, I just remembered yesterday. And then my face would turn red hot and I'd look away. He giggled, probably amused by my reaction. But gosh. It is a bit embarrassing you know?
We didn't talk much, just passing greetings. It felt like things were better though.
Mom had an official birthday party planned on Saturday. It was more a business party than anything. Since I was turning eighteen, there'd be a much larger turnout than last year. Families and businesses who wanted to work with me in the future had to show up if they wanted to make an impression. After all, once I graduated high school, I'd be playing an increasingly larger role in the family business.
Dad returned Friday night, along with the family hairstylist. She fixed my bangs, returning them to their fringe ways, and trimmed my hair. I spent Friday practicing the speech I'd be giving at the party. I didn't even write it and it hardly conveyed my real feelings, but nobody cared about that.
Mom had picked out the dress. The top was quite plain, a rosy red and sleeveless. The skirt part was puffy, frilly, and fell right above my knees. As I changed into the silky dress, I realized that Mitsukuni was going to be there too. We hadn't really had a serious conversation since Thursday.
Wait… Is he going to give me a birthday present? I sat down as my hair was brushed and sprayed with something. Well, even if he didn't prepare anything himself, I'll still get something from his family. But no, I want something from him personally. But will he have prepared anything? We weren't exactly together when my birthday passed. Actually, I never even told him my birthday. But he still knew about it. How did he know? Did Kyoya tell him?
"All done, Rika-chan! Do you want any accessories in your hair?" our hairstylist, Nakayama, asked. She was more a friend of the family than a servant. Apparently she'd been good friends with Aunt Setsuko in college, and she had a successful beauty parlor.
I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair had gone from straight to wavy, curling slightly inwards. Hm. I look pretty cute. I smiled and I looked better than I had just a few days ago.
"I have one." I stood up and went to my desk drawer, where I'd tucked Mitsukuni's rose in. I hadn't wanted to throw it away in the hopes that we'd get back together. It was a wise move.
"Don't use that, Rika," Mom said, entering my bedroom. "It's so cheap-looking."
"But I like it," I replied.
"It'd match her dress, Sayoko-san."
"Yeah." I nodded vigorously. "Besides, I didn't pick the cake, the dress, or the speech. So I can at least pick this kind of thing out right?" I waved the rose hairclip in her face.
She sighed. "Oh alright."
I smiled as Nakayama clipped the rose in. It didn't really have any practical use now that my bangs weren't getting in the way anymore. But whatever, it really did match the dress well.
"Before the doors open, Rika," Mom said quietly, as we stood awaiting the guests. "Minoru-kun will be staying by your side for the majority of this party. And you will be kind and courteous to him." She stared at me. "Keep in mind that you are representing the future of Hayashi Sweets and our family."
Oh great. My birthday party and I have to spend it all with some dude I don't even like. I sighed as the doors opened and families and important business partners began trickling in. I smiled and greeted everyone that came. People mingled and talked, enjoying the food and drinks.
Minoru was one of the earlier guests and he was very polite. His dad was a different story though, saying right off the bat that Minoru and I should marry once we graduated from high school. Who the hell wants to be married at age eighteen? This is the 21st century! We're not in the nineteen hundreds anymore.
"I understand Izanagi-san," Mom replied with a calm smile. "However, I believe we should wait until the children are ready."
I nodded, but Minoru barely even twitched.
"Well my Minoru is ready," Mr. Funaki said. "And your daughter should be too."
Mom opened her mouth to reply when the door opened and the Haninozuka family streamed in.
"Happy birthday, Rika-chan!" Haninozuka Yorihisa said with a warm smile. "It's good to see you again, Sayoko-san, Izanagi-san." The adults exchanged brief nods and half-bows.
"Hey Rika!" Mitsukuni grinned, looking rather excited. Takashi nodded.
I smiled. "Hi."
"Happy birthday Rika-nee!" Satoshi pushed past his cousin and older brother.
"Happy birthday," Chika said.
"Thanks." My smile brightened.
Minoru drifted over to us, leaving the discussion to the adults. "Rika-san, do you want to go to the zoo next week?"
"Eh?" I glanced at Mitsukuni whose smile had fallen. He grabbed my arm and pulled me over. "What?"
"Please don't," he whispered into my ear. And then gave me a small smile.
"Um." I turned back towards Minoru. "It's going to be December by next week, and it's going to be cold. So maybe not."
"Then how about the aquarium? It's inside," he replied, while shooting a glare at Mitsukuni.
I shook my head, smiling politely. "It's fine, Funaki-san. You don't have to push yourself."
"Push myself? I'm not- What are you talking about?" he asked. His eyes narrowed.
"Aren't you still upset at me from last week?" I said with an innocent expression.
"I'm not upset." He frowned. "I never was."
"Rika-senpai!" Someone slammed into me from the side, arms wrapping around me quickly. "Happy happy birthday!" Chiyo squeezed me tightly.
"Uh, th-thanks," I gasped out. She released me and I staggered, using Mitsukuni to balance myself. "You're a lot of energy today."
She beamed. "Yup!" Then she held up a box. "Check out my gift!"
"Chiyo, stop being a fool and give that box to the servants," a sharp voice cut through as Mr. Minami came into view. Her smile wavered but then she nodded and headed off.
"I'll be back, senpai!" She grinned.
"Okay."
"I apologize, Oshiro-san," Mr. Minami said with a surprisingly deep bow at Mom. "My daughter's behavior is quite unacceptable."
"Oh no." Mom shook her head all the while maintaining that impeccable smile of hers. "I find your daughter to be quite fun and amusing." She glanced over at me. "Besides, it was thanks to your daughter that my daughter was saved from a kidnapping."
"Ah, yes." Mr. Minami seemed to straighten and even a trace of a smile appeared.
"Oh, Sayoko-san," Mrs. Minami stepped over, and I thought she elbowed her husband out of the way. "It's good to see you."
Mom's smile brightened, which meant she was not as happy. "The pleasure's mine." Ugh. I don't even want to know what dark and twisted history they have between them.
"Rika-chan!" Tamaki pranced in with a bright beam. He did some sort of twirl. "Happy birthday!" Haruhi came beside him. I had Mom send an invitation to her too. She smiled, dressed as a girl today with a wig, in a cute light blue dress. Must have been the twins' doing. The rest of the Host Club arrived with their families, all dressed in their best outfits.
After some more mingling, my parents gave a speech. Then I gave my speech. It went well, I suppose. Then the cake was wheeled out and cut. It was a three-layered, vanilla cake, delicious and creamy but not too sweet.
"The cake's really good, Rika!" Mitsukuni came over to tell me that.
"Of course it's good," Minoru replied. He really was staying by my side, but at least he was pretty quiet. "It was baked by the best Hayashi bakers."
Mitsukuni's eyes widened slightly in innocent surprise. "Really? But I still think Rika's cakes are better. Have you ever had Rika's cakes before?" he asked lightly.
A flicker of annoyance dashed across Minoru's face. Then he frowned and glared at me. Oh come on, it's not my fault. I don't want to bake a cake for you.
"He hasn't," I replied for him when he remained silent. He glowered at me some more. "Stop that, Funaki."
"Well then perhaps you should bake something for me," he said.
"No thanks," I said. I caught Mitsukuni's gaze and he waved me over. "What?"
"Do you wanna come over tomorrow to watch a movie?" he asked quietly.
"Yeah, sure." I smiled. "What kind of movie?"
"Any kind. Whatever you want," he replied with a grin.
"Okay."
I started going through the massive pile of gifts Sunday morning. I hadn't set up any time for movie watching with Mitsukuni, so I figured sometime in the evening or afternoon would be fine.
"You got a ton of stuff, Rika," Kimiko said, walking through the living room with her coat on.
I looked up from unwrapping another gift from some boring politician. "Are you going somewhere?"
"Yeah, I have work." She smiled. "See you."
I sighed, leaning back into the couch. "Azumi! Can you help unwrap all these gifts?!" The said maid hurried over with a light frown.
"You want me to open your gifts?"
"There's too many of them," I replied. I began digging through the stack. There were only a few gifts I cared about. "And I hardly remember half the people who gave me these things. Do you know where the Haninozukas's gift is?"
Her frown deepened. "Rika-sama, you should hold all gifts with equal value."
"But I don't care about this…" I glanced at the name on the wrapper. "Fukui-san. What business could I ever do with him anyway? And I doubt remembering what he gave me on my eighteenth birthday will do anything."
Azumi sighed, moving closer to my side. "Fukui-san is a highly respected politician."
"A local politician," I mumbled. I went back to splitting the pile into people-I-know and people-I-don't-know. "Oh. The Minamis."
I tore the wrapping off and found a box with three pairs of diamond earrings. Wow. My ears had been pierced when I was young, and I only occasionally wore earrings for formal events. But these were so pretty, it made me want to put them on immediately. So that's what I did.
Dad skipped over with a grin. "How's it going, Rika?"
"Alright. Do you want to help me open these gifts?" I asked.
He looked at the mess of wrapping paper surrounding me. Azumi scrambled to pick up the paper and clean the place up. "Not right now. I'm leaving soon. What'd you get this year?"
I held the box up to him. "Earrings! And they're super cute too." I smiled. "Do you know where the Haninozukas's gift is?"
"Hm…" He peered at the pile. "I remember it was in a red bag."
"Okay!"
A few minutes later, I had several red bags in front of me. There was one from the Haninozuka family and another from Morinozuka. I opened the Morinozuka one first.
Dad chuckled at my enthusiasm. "You really like them, huh?"
"Yeah." I smiled as I pulled out a card. I usually didn't read the cards unless it was from someone I knew.
It was just some basic happy birthday wishes. Takashi's handwriting was nice and neat. Inside the bag was three brand new novels, two horror movies, some history supplementary text, and a bag of dark chocolate truffles.
Awesome.
I next tore into the Haninozuka gift. The card was neat and swirly and cute, with the whole family's signatures. There were three old classic novels I'd never read before, a baby chick stuffed animal, and an even smaller bag. I grinned. Yup, these are the best gifts ever!
"Another bag?" Dad watched as I dumped the contents of the second bag out. There was a black box, a note, and a box of strawberry pocky.
"What do you think it is Dad?" I asked, picking the black box up.
"A necklace? Maybe a bracelet?"
I pried the top off and found myself staring at a gorgeous red rose. I felt my breath catch, and I hastily snatched the note up.
"Happy birthday Rika. I'm sorry for all the trouble I've caused you. And I hope you didn't throw the rose hairclip away. But in case you did, here's a better one. Love, Mitsukuni."
Gosh, his handwriting is so cute. I couldn't help but squeal as I plucked the hairclip out. Then I slid it into my hair and grabbed a horror movie.
"I'll be back!"
"Where are you going?" Dad called after me as I wrenched the door open.
"Mitsukuni of course!" I replied, grinning.
I rocked on my heels after I rang the doorbell. It opened quickly enough and I dashed in. "Excuse my intrusion!" I kicked my shoes off, hastily setting them straight. "Where's-"
The butler pointed down the hall. "Kitchen."
"Thank you!" I ran down the halls to the kitchen, skidding to a halt in front of the informal dining table. I felt out of breath as I said, "Hi."
Mitsukuni's eyes were wide but he nodded. "Hi."
"Um." I fidgeted for a moment, unsure of what to do. Then I held the movie up. "Want to watch it?"
"Sure!" He got to his feet, leaving his desserts on the table. "Do you like horror movies?"
"Not really," I replied. I followed him down the hall and towards their mini movie theater. "I've only seen one at a sleepover. But, it's bright outside so it should be fine."
His grin seemed a bit nervous. "But Satoshi picked that movie out."
I glanced at the dark, grotesque cover. "Meaning?"
"It's probably really scary," he said with a grimace.
"He likes horror movies?" I asked. Mitsukuni nodded as we arrived. "Let's keep the lights on then."
Since it was a movie theater, there weren't any windows here. So we kept the door open and the lights on, as the movie began playing. I sat down next to Mitsukuni on the plush couch, pulling my knees to my chest.
I could almost feel the apprehension from Mitsukuni. "Oh right," I said quietly, as the main characters appeared on the screen. "You don't like horror movies do you?"
I glanced over and saw him shaking his head.
"Then should we watch something else?" I asked.
He shook his head again and made a brave face, smiling forcefully. "If you want to watch it, then we'll watch it."
"But I'm not a fan of horror either," I said.
"Then-Then why are we watching it?" he asked. It looked like he could sweatdrop.
I smirked. "Don't you know horror movies are the best for couples to watch? It's also the reason why couples go into haunted houses together."
"Ah…" He didn't seem to agree, but the bad guy had already appeared, decked in all his evil and creepy glory.
I felt myself tense up. Just why was I watching this? I sucked with horror movies and anything horror related. The only time I'd watched a horror movie was at a sleepover with the entire gang. And only Mina and Kenta enjoyed it. Ryota had to keep his tough guy act up, so he only squeaked every once in a while. It was cute. Akane ended up curled in a ball, and I later joined her. Mikiya was just as weak as the two of us. Tarou surprisingly endured it, while Rikuto jumped at everything.
I sighed. So far nothing too scary had happened. The bad guy got his weapon. The good guys found out that strange things were happening, like murders. There were a few jumps but nothing-
"Kyaaa!"
"Kyaaa!" Mitsukuni screamed.
"Kyaaa!" I screamed, grabbing Mitsukuni's arm even though I had no clue as to what had just happened.
When the moment had passed, I let out a sigh and then a giggle. "What the heck." We were about forty minutes in. I glanced at Mitsukuni, whose attention was completely captivated by the movie. What the heck. I'm holding his arm and he doesn't even notice.
I felt him jump, so I returned my attention to the movie. The bad guy was beginning to go all crazy. And when he started stalking the good guys, I scooted closer to Mitsukuni. Have I mentioned how creepy the bad guy looks? Cause he looks creepy. Disturbing. Nightmare-inducing.
I buried my face into my knees. Interestingly enough, Mitsukuni had his eyes glued to the movie the entire time. My heart was pounding, mixing in with the suspenseful music. Ugh. Why did I come up with this idea? Why did Satoshi give me this DVD? Why do horror movies even exist? Why do people enjoy this kind of stuff?
I sneaked a glance. The good guy was slowly turning around. Oh no. That is never a good idea. The bad guy's-
"Gahhh!"
"Gahhh!"
"Gahhh!" I freaked out, practically slamming myself into Mitsukuni. He grabbed me and we hugged each other tightly as the main character's brother or something began running like hell away from the bad guy.
"This is scary," I whispered.
"Yeah."
"Kyaa!"
Oh good idea, lead the bad guy to where you and the other people are hiding. All sorts of screaming started to occur and Mitsukuni and I only increased the volume.
"Turn it off! Turn it off!" I shrieked, as the two of us crawled towards the machine. I hit the stop button and collapsed on the fluffy carpet. "Oh no. I am so not doing that again. That was way too, waaay too scary."
Mitsukuni joined me, laying on his back. "Agreed."
I giggled. "That was a stupid idea."
"Yeah." He started to laugh and I joined in.
"Want to watch something else then?" I asked.
"Sure!" He sat up. He stared at my head as I rolled onto my stomach to press the eject button.
"What?"
"The rose looks good on you." He smiled.
I sat up next to him. "Thanks."
He leaned over slowly then he kissed me. I kissed him back just when footsteps pounded closer, and a voice loudly declared, "What are you guys watching?"
We broke apart, blushing madly and quickly diverting our attention to the newcomer. Satoshi stood at the doorway with a surprised look. Then he began walking backwards. "None of this ever happened. Please continue-"
"Satoshi, it's okay!" I said. "We-We were just going to watch a different movie."
His eyebrows rose up in disbelief. "Ah, no. I was just- I'll be leaving now." He closed the door quietly.
Uh. Um. Er. Uhhh…
"Let-Let's watch something Rika," Mitsukuni said, ears red.
"Yeah."
I went home after the second movie to resume opening gifts. I managed to persuade Azumi and some other servants to help. But then, as darkness descended, so did thoughts of the horror movie.
Don't think about it. Don't think about it. Don't think-
Thunk.
My gaze whipped over and I tensed, ready to scream and fight and run. But it was just a badly placed book that had fallen from the shelf. Calm down. It just fell. There aren't any ghosts here. Or serial killers out to get me. I'm more valuable alive than dead anyway.
Shit that didn't help!
I hurried into my bathroom to take a shower. If I just didn't think about it, if I just kept my hyperactive imagination in check, I would be just fine.
But it really wasn't that easy. After I turned the lights off and crawled into bed, I lay there, listening to the sounds of the night. Soft footsteps of servants. The wind rustling tree branches and leaves. Then the silence that told me everyone was asleep. I could just vaguely see the shapes of furniture in my room. It felt like the shadows were mixing together to form the face of that murderer in the horror movie.
Ah! I squeezed my eyes shut, huddling further under the blankets. But then I could see images from the movie, that horrified expression as the murderer crept closer and closer. The blood dripping off the knife, the blood on the kitchen floor, the blood on the murderer's face as he smiled...
I sat up with a jolt and quickly turned on the lamp. Then I turned on the bathroom lights and the desk lamp, until my room was fairly illuminated and the shadows gone.
I let out a sigh before crawling back into bed. It shouldn't be hard to sleep when there aren't any shadows to get me. I closed my eyes and settled down, trying to calm the speedy pounding of my heart.
Except, it wasn't easy to sleep with all the lights. I tried various other things. Keeping only one light on, but that only made the shadows more sharp. Sleeping with the lights on but under the blanket. That only made things stuffy and warm.
Eventually I gave up and just began reading, trying to distract my mind. Damn why did we have to watch a horror movie on Sunday? I'll be so sleep-deprived tomorrow! It was well past midnight when I thought I heard a tap-tap against my windowpane.
Mu-Must be my imagination.
Tap-tap. It was louder this time and I knew my ears weren't playing tricks on me. Oh shit! A ghost has come-
Calm down. It's not a ghost. Ghosts don't exist. And even if they did, they can't knock on my window. It-It's the serial killer! Ahhhh! I buried myself under the blankets. No, wait, calm down. Think about this logically. There's a branch near the window. It could just be the branch scrapping the window. That's all. It's a windy night after all.
Tap-tap.
Oh no. Oh damn. There's no way a branch could make a sound like that. I'm going to die. I'm going to di-
Ring! Ring!
I jumped as my cellphone began to ring. Oh God, now the serial killer's going to tell me to come outside or he or she will murder my entire family and then-
Ring! Ring!
The ringtone was loud in the eerie silence of the night and I was afraid that someone would wake up from it. That would be troublesome. I sighed, hopped out of bed, and picked the phone up.
From Mitsukuni?
It must be a ghost! No, a serial killer would still make more sense.
"He-Hello?" I said quietly.
"Rika! Open your window!"
"Noo! There's a serial killer-"
"It's freezing out here Rika! Hurry and open the window!"
"But the serial ki-"
"What serial killer?" he asked.
…
"Wait, are you outside right now?"
"Yeah!"
"By my window?"
"Yeah! So could you hurry and-" I yanked the curtains away from the window and there Mitsukuni was, crouched on the branch nearby. I slammed the window open, grabbed him by the collar of his jacket, and flung him into the room. A cold gust of wind came in with him and I shivered.
I closed the window quickly, wincing from the biting wind. "Are you an idiot?!" I yelled. He flinched. "It's super cold outside! Are you trying to get frost bite?!"
He smiled nervously. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep."
He was shivering and his face was flushed. He wasn't even wearing a winter coat. It was just a thin jacket. There were no hats, no gloves, nothing. I pulled my blanket off the bed and wrapped it around him. Then I hugged him, hoping it'd be enough to warm him up.
"You are stupid. Stupid," I muttered. I could almost feel the cold radiating off of him, so I hugged him even tighter. It'd be bad if he got sick.
"I didn't think it'd be this cold," he replied.
"It's practically December," I said. I pulled away. "Feeling warmer?"
He nodded.
"I couldn't sleep either," I said, sitting down on the bed. "We shouldn't have watched that movie huh?"
He smiled. "I don't mind."
"So… Should we just try and stay awake for the rest of the night?" I asked.
"Sure!" he beamed.
I pulled the curtains closed again, and then sat back down. Mitsukuni took his jacket off and draped it across the back of my desk chair. Then he just stood there, wrapped up by the big blanket.
"How did you know I wasn't asleep?" I asked.
"I saw some light from your window," he replied. He sat down next to me and threw the blanket over me too.
"But why'd you come here? Couldn't you go to Takashi or something?" I said.
"But it'd wake him up. And he probably wouldn't sleep as well."
I smiled. Mitsukuni was so considerate. I tentatively leaned against him. "What should we do then? I don't have anything interesting in my room except for books."
"That's okay," he said.
Then I heard footsteps. These weren't quiet footsteps, which meant they weren't any servants or Squad members. I stiffened, switched the desk lamp off, and dove onto the bed. I turned the lamp beside the bed off too.
Mitsukuni joined me, throwing the blanket on top, and the two of us huddled together.
"You don't think it's a serial killer right?" I whispered as the footsteps got louder, and closer.
"No. I-I don't think so," he replied.
"It's probably my mom right? Or maybe my dad. But either way, if anyone finds out you're here." I searched the darkness for his eyes and couldn't really find them.
"It'll be okay," he said.
The footsteps paused right at my bedroom door and I froze, hoping that who ever it was would move on.
The footsteps kept going on and I let out a sigh of relief. "That was close," I said. The bathroom light was still on, turning the shadows sharper and darker and jumpier. "Let's turn the closet light on too."
I climbed out and re-illuminated the room. Then I went back under the warm covers. Mitsukuni's eyes were closed and I stared at his peaceful face. Was he asleep? How did he fall asleep so quickly? That's so unfair. I want to sleep too. Dang he has some long eyelashes.
I ran a hand through his soft hair. So soft. Wow, his hair is so fluffy. His eyes fluttered open and he stared at me.
I quickly withdrew my hand, blushing and burying my face into a pillow. "Di-Did I wake you up?"
He rolled closer. "No."
"I want to sleep too," I said.
"Then sleep."
I snuck a peek and saw him smiling warmly. "Okay," I said, flipping onto my side. He just stared at me. "What? I can't sleep if you're watching me."
His smile widened and he turned away. "Okay."
I closed my eyes. I doubted I could sleep, but maybe I could just rest a bit. It was warm, and it wasn't too bright. And that fear, that creeping sensation that there was something out there, melted away by the warmth beside me.
I probably won't be able to fall asleep… At least... not… right… a… way.
So I did some estimating, and there's probably 8 chapters left until the end. Most likely less than that. So... be prepared! :D
I get so embarrassed when I'm writing the kissing scenes. And when I'm reading them, I want to blush and curl up in a ball of embarrassment. _ So what do you all think about it? Good? Bad? What do you like and dislike? Suggestions? Should they get more physical? Or should I decrease the amount of this kind of stuff? All thoughts greatly appreciated!
Thank you for reading! Hope you all had a lovely Halloween!
