Those Days
by Seiri

A/N: It's interesting to write this... I'm enjoying it very much. It's going to be much lighter(most of the time) then my other FLCL fics.

Gainax owns FLCL... and by the end of this story, I'm very jealous of Naota. Fluff ahead.
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Crashing down from the early September amber sky, like a shooting star, she had returned. Riding her yellow 1960's Vespa, dropping down to Earth like the Japanese pop-culture goddess that she was, she had landed.

Three and a half years had passed since Haruhara Haruko had last seen the Solar System, and she had not physically aged a day.

The first thing she had done upon entering the Nadaba residence and bakery was yell out to Canti to get her some juice. Canti's initial reaction was walking into the kitchen... and then he realized who exactly shouted the command and an exclamation point shot onto his screen. He pointed at her in disbelief and jumped around a bit, clearly excited to see her back. Yeah yeah, I missed you too Canti. Now where's my juice?!

Annoyed footfalls erupted from up the stairs. Socks appeared from the top of the stairs and the footfalls became louder, then a pair of faded jeans... and rather angrily swinging arms along with a large baseball jersey styled t-shirt. Finally the face of Nadaba Naota was clearly visible along with the rest of his body at the bottom of the stairs.

Would someone turn down the damn ra- he was cut short as his gaze found it's way on a pair of familiar golden eyes. Just as he remembered her. Then he realized that he had failed to shut his mouth after he was cut off, and slowly shut it.

Canti continued to point as his screen faced Naota, as if he was trying to tell him who had returned, although the boy could clearly see for himself.


And there he stood at the bottom of the stairs, 1,277.5 days older. Also, taller -she guessed he could come up to at least her eyes now. His hair had grown out an inch or two, not making it any more rulely. His most distinctive feature, however, had to have been his eyes. They were as blue as she had ever seen them, and they were now staring at her as if maybe this was all a figment of his imagination. They looked... vibrant. Her mouth cracked into a grin.

Ta-kun! I'm baaack! she called out, glomping him and proceeded to fall down. With a from the boy, Haruko's voice could be heard.

Canti -where's my juice?!


That had been about a week ago. Things had returned to as they were three and a half years ago. The top bunk of Naota's room was no longer vacant again, and dinner was never boring. He wasn't complaining. Much.

Something was bothering him though. How could it not?

Why was she back? Was she planning on staying? For how long? Where had she gone? Did she miss him?

Did she remember what he had said to her before she left?

Naota didn't like to dwell on these things though. It would drive him mad. Although at certain times when he had a moment to himself, like that one morning, those thoughts invaded his head and refused to leave.

He looked over from the top bunk to the clock nearby as he lay on his back in bed. It was getting late, almost 11, so he had better get up and do something... then he realized as he stood up from his bed and stretched from the corner of his eye that the object of his recent thoughts was still sleeping. He sighed.

He had better wake her up. Usually, he would have just left her to sleep -some housekeeper she was. But he was slightly intrigued by the results if he woke her up one day. Masochist, he joked lamely to himself.

Naota stepped onto the side of his bed and looked over the side of the top bunk.

The world slowly fell away.


Loose fabric shifted against potentially forever young silk skin as the form tangled in the sheets rolled over on their side. Heat rose into the noticeably younger facial skin as the second being in the room stood and stared upon the first form in bed.

The original intent was to awaken, but somewhere along the way it ran off to go do something more interesting. Like stare. And blush. But before the original intent had a chance to return and wham into someone's head like a bass -two light amber headlights turned on. Naota was the deer.

A forever of silence passed while his breath stopped. He had been caught. His brain seemed to cease to form any actual thoughts as he could not tear his gaze away from those two captivating suns burning their way through him, into him, leaving their mark on him forever.

Slowly, the headlights flickered, and a breath resounded in the otherwise completely soundless room. Naota expected an explosion, an eruption of some kind, some form of war cry signaling furi kuri... his head to blow up... anything except for what actually happened in the next few moments.

Her gaze never leaving his, she slowly lifted a free arm up, hand signally him forward... as if expecting an embrace.

He felt as if the sun burnt his cheeks too much as he leaned back in surprise. He opened his mouth but no sound came forth... no sound dare break such silence, even if he willed it. Instead, he gulped as the most reply he could manage was a shy nod and movement made to the ladder.

She hadn't moved when he sat up there on the ladder, arm still extended, waiting, eyes now closed, as if sleep was driving again. Ever hesitant, he swung his legs over onto mattress... and the world slowly turned on it's side as he found the right side of his back meet the mattress. He breathed and feared the vibrations his heartbeats made would break the delicately woven moment.

Haruko's eyes slowly opened again to meet the brilliant blue eyes that now gazed upon her. A shadow of what could be taken as a smile passed her features as the extended arm was brought down, palm meeting and running down exposed skin of the younger being, genteelly pulling him to her, warmth of body heat exchanged. The arm stopped on lower vertebrae.

At this, her eyes seemed to slide shut for a final time for sleep as her breathing became more relaxed and slowed. Naota's fragile heartbeat quieted. He gave out a heavy breath as he picked up courage and slowly, carefully, draped an arm on her waist... and slowly let himself fall into the supposed embrace that was called for.

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Thanks for reading! Chapter 2 is on it's way! *bows*