Chapter 52
Rom and I continue to just stand in position and stare into each others eyes. In an awkward way mind you. I'm not actually sure how to proceed from here.
Come to think of it, I have no background whatsoever in child care. Rom and Ram usually got along with me just fine wit no problems. We've never been alone however.
Eventually it's Rom who breaks our silence. "Um… you can come in you know…"
It came to me then, I'm still standing in the doorway. Why I haven't come in yet is a mystery to me. I take off my shoes finally and take a few steps forward.
Stopping in front of the small girl I look down at her to stare into her eyes again. And once more I draw a blank as to where I'm going next with this thing.
"So… um… what do you want to do this weekend?" It's the only thing I can think of right now.
"I… um… want to spend time with you…" She sounds so weak when she speaks. Now more than ever. But I can't deny that it's a pretty honest request and an easy one at that.
"Could you… read me a story?" She asks shyly. I can't really say no to her right now for various reasons so I'll go along with it.
My feet start to move again, and with that another small set moves with them. This time I stop in front of one of the bookcases in the living room. I want to get some reading done while I'm here and I know for a fact that Rom will join in.
Rom tugs on my sleeve and I look down. In one of her hands is a book she picked out from the lower section of the shelf. From what I'm guessing I'll be reading that.
Taking the book out of her hands I read the cover. Huh, Angels and Demons. That's pretty advanced for one as young as Rom. However she made it to high school somehow at an early age so I'll indulge her for now.
"Fine… but only a couple chapters alright?" If I read a lot it could impact her for years to come. Then again I haven't read this book in a while so I wouldn't know how bad it is.
"Ok… I've read about half of it so far… There should be a bookmark…" Her reading half this book is scary as it sounds. But an angry Blanc is even scarier. If Rom doesn't turn out happy this weekend Blanc might blow a fuse.
I open the book and flip through the pages until I find the bookmark Rom told me about. Like she said, about halfway through I find a bright blue rectangle of cardboard that marks a page.
After it's taken out I place it to my side carefully. Rom scoots closer to me yet again for some reason. My guess is to see the book more clearly.
Her small finger points to a section on the page, where she left off reading is the best guess for now. Let's see exactly how far I can get before I say that's enough.
"I saw in his hand a long spear of gold, and at the iron's point there seemed to be a little fire. He appeared to me to be thrusting it at times into my heart, and to pierce my very entrails; when he drew it out, he seemed to draw them out also, and to leave me all on fire with a great love of God."
"Ok, and like that we're done." That's a euphemism for sex if I've ever seen one.
"Al-already? Aw…" Rom looks like she's on the verge of tears. Reading that book must've really meant something to her. However as a temporary care taker I can't let her read such things.
I put a hand on her head for reassurance. "Look… reading is a great gift and really fun. It can open up imaginary doorways you never thought possible. But for someone your age… that kind of thing isn't really appropriate."
"*Sniff* *Sniff* *Hic*"
"You know that doesn't work on me?"
She looks up at me, tears barely hang off of her eyes just ready to fall. Damn… why'd she have to pull out the cutest face in the book? The puppy dog eyes, the quivering lips… she's trying to guilt trip me.
"Rom… Blanc would hang my ass over the fire place if I continue to read…" Don't make this any harder on me then it already is. Either I make her sad and Blanc kills me or I make her happy like this and Blanc kills me.
Her eyes grow wider and she gets in closer to my face. One of the tears drops down and hits my arm. I can't take much more of this.
"Please… I promise not to tell Blanc… promise…"
"You win! I continue reading…"
"yay…"
As much as I really don't want to, I have a soft spot for crying girls. My bruises aren't going to get any better though as a result. Blanc is going to kill me for sure this time.
About an hour passed as I read Angels and Demons to Rom. She seems really interested in the concept of mysteries and solving them. It just astonishes me on how a kid her age can have the mind set of a late adolescent person.
I know I said I would only read a few more chapters but I seem to have gotten caught up in it myself. Looking to my side Rom seems to have fallen asleep some time ago.
"Why does she insist I read when she probably knows she'll fall asleep?" I ask to myself expecting no answer.
It's almost 5:30 at the moment. I don't know what kind of family Rom comes from but where I come from it's almost dinner time.
Carefully peeling the sleeping girl off of me, I get up to inspect the kitchen. As luck would have it, it's almost barren except for a bag of tangerines.
Blanc left me some money for this so a quick run to the store won't be that big of an issue. Leaving Rom though… might be bad for business.
She's asleep at the moment, I'm sure I can leave her here for fifteen minutes tops without anything too bad happening. Well, it's now or never.
With that I leave the house and Rom with it. If she's anything like her twin sister then she sleeps like a log. I'm still going to get in and get out so in the event Rom does wake up it won't be as bad.
The store isn't that far from Blanc's house. Like I said before, this should take me fifteen minutes tops. Walking there provides me with time to think about dinner.
"I wonder what kind of food Rom likes." Maybe I should've just brought her with me for this one in case I screw up.
That shouldn't happen though, I'm fairly decent when it comes to cooking and can usually turn someone's taste buds around. I really need to stop worrying about this, I've got this whole thing under control.
And even if I wanted to bring Rom with me now, it's too late. I've arrived at the store. And I think I've already got an idea in mind that Rom will love.
"Ok, smoked sausage… over here. Red beans and rice are right here."
I'm planning to make a Cajun dish my father taught me how to make before he walked out on us. If my memory is as good as I think it is, then this will be amazing.
We'll still need to have breakfast in the morning. I'll be sure to pick up some things on the way out. There are just a few more things I need to get before I can check out.
"2% milk oh how you've treated me so." Out of all the milks, 2% is my favorite for some reason. That's a useless fact about me I know.
Any way, getting back on track, I find everything I need and go to checkout. Hopefully Rom isn't awake when I get back.
Standing outside Blanc's house I prepare to enter. Sliding a bag down my arm, I grip the door knob and turn it. When it opens I walk through like I normally would.
As soon as I'm inside I re-close the door and turn around. I wish I hadn't turned around though, the sight before me made my heart sink to an all time low.
Only a mere meter away from me stands the person I'm supposed to look after. I expected her to stay asleep, however it appears I was wrong on that matter.
"*Hic* *Sniff* *Sniff*"
Ah hell I made her cry again. Just looking at her makes me want to tear up myself. That's how bad I feel right now for leaving her alone. What was I thinking when I just left her here not thinking about the possibility of this?
I don't know what to do right now. Usually Rom and I are pretty cool and get along. By that logic I should know how to resolve this situation.
"*hic* Waah!" Rom finally lets her tears flow out. At the same time she sprints towards me and wraps her arms around me.
Rom's sprint hug had enough energy to make me drop a few bags in the process. Thankfully they weren't the bags with the milk, eggs, or bread.
I'm paralyzed at this display. I never in a million years would expect to receive a hug from someone I possibly hurt. If anything, I thought she'd try to hit me or call me some name.
"Please… don't leave without me again… I get scared when I'm all alone." She still cries as she requests that of me. If I had known this would happen then I would've woken her up.
"I'm sorry Rom… I won't do anything like that again…" I mean that with every bit of truth I have left in me.
I can't see it with my eyes, but somehow I know that her smile has returned. Her arms however aren't letting go of me.
They're wrapped around the lower portion of my back, and her head rests right at my solar plexus. Yes I'm that short don't let that fact go to your head.
Both of us don't move for a couple of minutes. Rom finishes crying, which in turn makes part of my shirt really damp. Once she's finished, she releases her grasp on me and picks up the bags I dropped.
I knew she was well mannered but I didn't expect her to do that for me. Blanc and her parents must've done a good job raising her. If I had a choice, I think I'd make her my little sister.
Nothing weird about that, I've just always wanted one for some reason instead of a brother. Someone to look up to me, rather me look up to them… that's what I've wanted.
"Ok Rom… I should really start making dinner now. I think you'll like it. Why don't you go and play while I start it?"
"Ok…" Rom reluctantly leaves me and goes to her room. In the meantime I head to the kitchen and get out a large pan.
If my memory serves me right then the first step is to cook the sausage first. Easy enough to follow so of course that's where I'll begin.
I un-wrap the sausages plastic and put it onto a cutting board I got out. The knife cuts it into segments with ease. Before I know it all of the sausages are cut into small cylinders.
Afterwards I turn on the burner to one of the higher heats and put the sausages in the pan. Soon the sausage will cook to my liking.
Five minutes pass before the sausage is just right. Afterwards I mix the red beans and rice together. I poor a little water on it to give the rice some nourishment. As expected it blends nicely.
The whole dish builds the nice slimy coating over it that I like. It has a certain texture to it that's pleasing to swallow.
A few more spices are added to it and it's stirred around once more. The meal looks pretty good if I do say so myself. All that's left now is to call Rom.
"Rom! It's done!"
Rom's door opens and closes quickly. She runs ecstatically to meet me in the kitchen and stands before me. I smile and grab a bowl for her.
The bowl gets filled up and I put a spoon in it for her. She reaches up to grab the bowl by standing on her toes. I'm glad to see that she's eager for it.
She goes and sits on the couch in the living room before I can even get a bowl for myself. Once I get mine I join her in the living room and take a seat on the loveseat.
Rom quickly hops seats to join me. From what I've gathered so far Rom likes to be around people. Even when I'm on a different couch she'll follow.
I don't mind it one bit though. As I said before, she's like a little sister to me. At least that's how I view her. In reality, I know she'll be nothing more than a friend of mine.
It sounds really weird of me to say that, but put yourself in my perspective. I've had an older brother acting as a father to me for years now. Sometimes I don't even think of him as a brother anymore.
I can't focus on that now, I need to get back to the matter at hand. Seeing if Rom likes my cooking or not.
"Ah mmph…" She takes a small bite of it with her spoon. Rom starts to chew and after a couple seconds I know what she thinks of it.
"It's… it's so good…" A small smile appears on her face. I'm so relieved to hear that from her.
"I'm glad to hear that Rom. Go back for seconds even thirds if you want."
Rom nods to me and resumes eating her dinner. Luckily she eats all of it unlike my brother. He just picks out the sausage and leaves the rest. Seeing her enjoy all of it warms my heart.
My bowl empties slowly, so does Rom's. I guess slow eating is a trait that we both share. Even so she's just a little faster than me. She gets up to get another bowl.
Now's a good time to give Nepgear a call like I promised. I take my phone out of my pocket and go to her contact. My phone dials her number and starts its connection.
"*Ring* *Ring* *Ring*, Hello."
"Good evening Nepgear."
"Good evening Jack, how are things going with you?"
"I can't complain, things have been pretty normal. Did you get your robot today?"
"Yes, it came in. I don't want to put it together without you though." That's really sweet of her to say.
"Well… I'll be back on Sunday. It won't be long I promise." On my end of the line, I'm blushing intensely. Nepgear probably knows me well enough by now to guess that I'm blushing.
It makes sense since I know she's blushing right now. It's like we've built enough of a connection to know what the other would look like in a situation.
Just her voice can tell me everything. That's enough to prove that I love her more than anything. Hell, I've known Maurice my whole life and I still can't tell when he's angry or happy.
"J-jack… who are you talking to?" Rom gets back from the kitchen and sits next to me again. She tugs at my arm to get an answer from me.
"Whoa Rom, could you please stop?"
I can hear Nepgear laughing on the other line. She must find this really funny. I would too if I weren't a victim of it.
"It looks like you have to attend to something. I'm sorry to cut this short, but Rom needs you more I guess. Goodbye and I love you."
"I love you too Nepgear."
I click the end call button and put my phone back in my pocket. To my side Rom has a weird expression on her face.
Now I remember, she thinks its "icky" to be in love with someone. One day she'll find someone and she'll feel the same way I do.
"Um… are you a pervert?"
I choke on my food for a second. My face becomes more red than it already was. That's a really personal question for a kid to ask. I can only guess where she learned that from.
"Rom… I'm guessing Neptune called me a pervert and said I defiled her kid sister. Am I correct?" My eyes feel so intense, there's a look of pure hatred in them.
Rom nods to me. I'm really going to kill Neptune the next time I see her. I thought we were cool after that whole beating incident. Looks like I'll just have to bonk her on the head a couple times.
Maybe she'll get amnesia and forget everything she knows about me. Just maybe… we could mold her into a civil human being.
"Don't listen to Neptune… never listen to Neptune."
Rom nods once more and continues to eat dinner. I don't know how this evening turned out to be bad on my part. All I said was "I love you" to my girlfriend.
Night time comes over us quickly. Blanc told me to have her in bed by nine. But since it's not a school night I let her stay up until ten tonight. She finally seems to show signs of sleepiness.
"Alright, time for bed."
"Ok… *Yawn*" She's more obedient than her twin sister I'll give her that. And she does look rather tired. Rom does know when it's time to rest unlike some people I know.
I walk Rom to her and Ram's bedroom. It looks like what you'd expect from a kids room. There's a heart shaped bed fit for two touching the back wall in the center.
To the right is a nightstand, not sure whose though. There's a bookcase in here as well with board games and books ranging from kids to full length.
"Um… I need to… change…"
I leave quickly so Rom can change into some pajamas. I'm trying to clear the perverted guy image Neptune gave me. This is a good place to start.
"You can come in now…"
When I re-enter her room, the lamp on the nightstand is lit. As well as she's wearing light blue pajamas that look fuzzy. Only one thing left to do, then I can start going to sleep myself.
She hops in bed and gets under the blanket. I tuck her in fully and turn off the lamp.
"Please… turn on the nightlight…" Of course, I forgot that she's the type who'd be afraid of the dark.
I flip the switch on the nightlight and it illuminates the room to be viewable at least. Whatever helps her sleep at night I guess.
"Ok Rom, I'll see you in the morning."
"Goodnight Jack…"
Her door closes and I return to the living room. It's the only place I can sleep really. I wouldn't feel comfortable sleeping in anyone else's bed. It'd just be weird.
Changing into my own night attire, I drop to the couch and sink into it like a stone. If tomorrow is this tiring then I'm in big trouble.
A/N: Hey everybody, I'm not dead yet. I'd like to formally apologize for this extremely late upload. As of late, I seem to not be having as much time on my hands as I'd like.
My school tests are all over now, that shouldn't hold me back anymore. Whenever I did have some time however I just blew of writing to rest for tests. And… as much as I hate to admit it, I got side tracked with some anime.
On a brighter note, I should be writing at full capacity now. I'd also like to take a poll. I'm thinking about writing another fanfiction. Should it be, A. another Neptunia one, B. Fate/Stay Night, or C. Stick to this one for now?
But in the meantime, I'll just write when I find more time. Summer break is almost here. So until then, see you in the next update.
P.S., if anyone plays Brave Frontier here, PM me your ID if you want. My main leader is Cyclopean Ultor with a medulla gem and thunder bow. Lord type.