Chapter Two: Kamui Gets Dressed
Alarm clock set, check. Clothes ready for tomorrow, check. Fuuma had said his good nights, which would keep Kotori and his father from venturing into his room for the remainder of the night. He felt Kamui's gaze on him as he walked around the room. The persocon was currently wearing one of Fuuma's old t-shirts, and the bottom hem fell to his knees, making it look more like a dress than a shirt. Somehow, he'd have to get Kamui some decent clothes, but not until he'd worked out the software problem that seemed to be part of the "free persocon" deal.
Fuuma turned to Kamui, who was comfortably seated cross-legged on the floor, and smiled. "Well, I think it's time for bed."
Kamui tilted his head in a gesture of curiosity that was rapidly becoming familiar. "Bed?"
Nodding, Fuuma turned down the covers. "Yeah, bed. Where you sleep. You do sleep, don't you?"
The persocon pulled his knees up underneath the tent like t-shirt, resting his arms on them and touching a finger to his lips, thinking. "Kamui not know."
Fuuma sat on the edge of the bed, studying Kamui for a moment. Since the activation, he'd managed to teach Kamui a basic working vocabulary, however the concept of articles and linking verbs still eluded him. Not that it was any great problem, it was actually rather cute; almost everything about the persocon was, in fact. Fuuma had never known a boy that looked as feminine as Kamui's design, but it was still not enough to be girlish. Did it make sense? Probably not, but it wasn't something Fuuma was going to waste time dwelling on. He wanted to teach Kamui a few more things before he made his discovery known to the rest of the family. He wondered if Kamui knew anything about cooking.
Whether he did or didn't, Fuuma decided that was a matter better left until tomorrow. Better to tackle the current problem: it was nearly two am and Kamui had no idea if he had to sleep. "Well, I'm sure you do." Fuuma began, half thinking aloud. "I mean, you've gotta recharge somehow, right? That's how humans do it, anyway."
Kamui blinked up at him. "Kamui sleep?"
Fuuma nodded. "Yeah, you just lay down, close your eyes and sleep. Pretty easy."
Kamui considered this a moment, then hesitantly lay down on the floor. After a moment, he closed his eyes. The crease in his forehead remained, however, indicating that he was still unsure of what exactly was supposed to happen. Fuuma sighed. "Kamui, you don't have to sleep on the floor. You can sleep in a bed."
Keeping his eyes closed, Kamui frowned. "Bed?"
"Never mind." Fuuma replied, giving up for the night. He'd deal with it all in the morning. "It's just that's what most people do." He slipped underneath the covers and turned off the light, burying deep under the blankets so that only the top of his head was visible. "Good night, Kamui."
"Good night?" The persocon's soft voice echoed.
"Yeah, you say it before you go to sleep." Fuuma replied, stifling a yawn. He was just beginning to drift off when he felt a slight shift beside him on the mattress. Kamui shifted a few times before finally going still.
"Good night."
The alarm clock's buzzer went off at seven a.m. on the dot, startling both of them out of a sound sleep. Fuuma groaned, rubbing his eyes, and swearing up and down that it couldn't possibly be as early as it seemed. He rolled out of bed and shut the noise off, noticing for the first time that Kamui was sitting straight up on the bed, eyes wide and glancing every which way like a frightened kitten.
Fuuma peered down into his face and patted his hair. "It's okay, Kamui. It's just the alarm clock. It won't hurt you, it just wakes you up in the morning."
Kamui's shaking stilled almost instantly at his touch. "Good night!" He chirped, giving him a wide smile.
Laughing, Fuuma shook his head. "Nice try, but when you wake up, you say 'good morning.' "
"Good morning."
"Right."
"Good morning!"
//He's going to give me cavities.// Fuuma mused as he gathered his shower supplies. He needed to get in and out of the bathroom before Kotori woke and began poking around. He turned to Kamui. "Stay here, okay? And don't say anything." He put a finger to his lips and made a shushing sound. "Quiet, okay?"
Kamui nodded. "Quiet."
Locking himself into the bathroom, Fuuma allowed himself a moment to relax. Kamui was a handful, there was no doubt about that. What had he gotten himself into? Turning on the water and stepping into the stall, Fuuma decided that the sooner he got a hold of some software for the persocon, the better.
When he returned to the bedroom, Kamui was nowhere to be seen. He cursed several times out loud, only to have the same words echoed back a moment later. Blinking, he ventured slowly around the room. "Kamui?"
"Kamui!"
The response came from the other side of the bed. Fuuma rubbed the back of his neck, sighing. "Kamui, you shouldn't hide like that." He admonished as he circled the bed. "You'll make me think you wandered off-oh my god!!"
The persocon lay sprawled out on his back on the floor, knees drawn up and legs spread, with one of Fuuma's magazines laying open by his shoulder. Kamui had managed to copy the girl's pose almost exactly, and with his t-shirt pulled up over his hips, it left nothing to the imagination.
As fast as he could, Fuuma turned around, eyes squeezed tightly shut and a painful sensation growing between his legs. Grinding his teeth, Fuuma reached behind him and fumbled around for the magazine. When he managed to find it, he twisted it up and turned back around. Kamui had moved to a kneeling position, looking up at him in confusion.
For a moment, Fuuma couldn't speak. Between his embarrassment and raging hormones, his voice caught in his throat. For his part, Kamui waited patiently, guileless, his innocent eyes staring into Fuuma's. "Ka… mui," Fuuma began, mouth dry and face burning. "Don't do that again, okay?" The words tumbled out in a rush. "This stuff is bad for you." More like it was bad for -him-, seeing that he owned a none-too-tiny pornography collection -and- the copycat from Hell.
Kamui processed this, then pointed at him. "You read?"
Fuuma coughed, uncomfortable. "Ah, well… it's bad for me too."
A knock on the door sent Fuuma flinging the magazine into the closet and attempting to calm his rapidly beating heart. "Yes?"
"Fuuma, breakfast is ready."
Fighting the urge to laugh like a maniac, Fuuma managed a strangled reply. "Right, Father. I'll be right down." He sank down onto the bed, holding his head in his hands. What a morning. And it wasn't even time for school yet.
"Fuuma?"
He lifted his head and looked over his shoulder at Kamui. "What?"
The persocon pointed to him. "Fuuma?"
Quickly catching on to what Kamui wanted to know, Fuuma nodded. "That's right. I'm Fuuma." Somehow in the confusion of the previous evening, that introduction had been left out. "I'm Fuuma, and I have to get dressed and down to breakfast before Kotori leaves without me." He stood quickly and slipped on the clothes he'd laid out the night before. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Kamui copying his actions, pulling on invisible pants and buttoning a uniform coat that didn't exist. The image made him laugh, Kamui was nothing if not a quick study.
Once dressed, Fuuma took Kamui by the hand and pulled him over to sit on the bed. "Now, Kamui, I have to go to scho-I have to go away for a while." It was probably not the best time to attempt to explain school. He reached over and took the alarm clock from the dresser, watching Kamui's eyes narrow at the sight of it. "I'm going to set this for four o'clock." He told Kamui, showing the persocon exactly what he was doing. "I'll be back when this makes noise, okay? I'll be back to turn if off."
Kamui looked up at him. "Fuuma stops the noise?"
Fuuma nodded, smoothing the persocon's hair back from his face. "That's right. I'll turn it off when I get back." He looked into Kamui's eyes, making sure he had his attention. "Until I get back, you stay -right here.- Do you understand?"
"Stay right here." Kamui echoed, nodding. "Kamui stay right here."
"Good. I'll see you later." Fuuma stood, heading out the door.
"Good morning, Fuuma!"
Fuuma turned around, looking at Kamui smiling at him from across the room. "I'll be back soon!" He said, waving a little before running downstairs.