ChipmunkFanNo. 1 = Ow,... was that really confusing.
To those who sent me your suggestions, some parts of them were already on my plans, so... :D
According to Beatrice, Brittany's paw has healed quicker than she has expected, and for that, she was discharged from the vet just this afternoon. Alvin, Brittany, and their children have already returned to the house after being in the vet for two days. As soon as they got home, the children showed no interest to head into their room. They stayed with their Alvin and Brittany in their room, lying down on the bed that fit all of them as a family perfectly.
It's already night time, about ten of the clock, but no one showed interest in sleeping. Alvin and Brittany didn't know whether to celebrate because the babies are alive, or not because AJ has been kidnapped. It's been two days, and he still hasn't been found. And so's Serene. As said before, she's been kidnapped yesterday by the same bastard who took their son.
All everyone is able to do is wait, and hope they're both okay (AJ and Serene).
The light was still on inside their room. Brittany has been staring at the ceiling for a while now, under his left arm were the children and under her right was Alvin. Staring at one space for a few minutes is already hurting the back of her neck, and she had to switch sides. She craned her neck and switched her view towards Alvin and found something she could stare at for years. Alvin's charming face was also looking at her, staring at her with a blank expression on his face. However, she found this partly uncomfortable.
"You know, if you're going to stare at me, could you at least smile? You're creeping me out." She said.
She saw Alvin shaking his head, as if being interrupted from a thought. "What? Oh, sorry. I was just thinking about AJ." He sighed. "I hope we'll find him. I feel guilty of losing him, and I'm only feeling more guilty with each passing second. I feel so useless, not being able to do anything for our son."
Brittany slowly reached for his paw, her eyes glistening in sympathy for her mate. "It's alright, Alvin. We'll find him, please don't feel guilty. And you should be happy, you know." Alvin looked at her with a raised eyebrow in question. Brittany guided his paw to her stomach, letting the unborn children feel the love of their father. "The babies are alive. We should be happy about it." She smiled as she turned to the children. "Right, kids?"
"Of course!" Alienelle, who was closest to her, answered.
"We're really going to have new brothers and sisters, aren't we?" Bryon asked.
Brittany nodded. "Yep." She remembered how much were growing in her stomach. "All four of them."
"Really? So, I'm not going to be the youngest anymore?"
"Yep. But don't worry. You'll always be our baby boy, Bryon." She said.
"How's that? By age, I won't be the youngest anymore."
"You're still the youngest boy, Bryon." She said before saying another. "They're all girls."
. . . . . . .
Serene remembered what happened before she slept. At first, she was in his cousin's arms, and she never expected she'd be the one to embrace him. But once she wrapped her arms around him, some part of her told her that she didn't want to let go. And she didn't, she only embraced him tighter. She felt an unfamiliar warmth when she held him, a strange feeling, something that made her feel safe. Strangely, she found herself wanting more after that. But more of what? That's the question.
Before she slept, she and AJ had a small conversation Alienelle being a claustrophobic too, and he's the one who usually comforts her. That's how, he said, they developed a warm brother-sister relationship. The last view she had before loosing her consciousness was her being beside AJ. And that's how she slept, in a strange way, comfortably.
As she slept, she felt her dreams being bothered. Bothered by the same warmth she felt when AJ had his arms around her. She felt her head being elevated as if lying down on a pillow. But this 'pillow' felt hard and bony, but comfortable. She pressed a smile on her face and nuzzled at her 'pillow', but then something bothered her again. AJ's scent filled her nose as she buried it on the thing she was lying down.
Slowly fluttering her eyes open, she saw a red blur as the only message her eyes sent were that - blurs. She blinked her eyes a few times, then finally regained her vision, and was shocked at what she realized - she was sleeping on top of her cousin's chest!
Her eyes widened and she resisted the urge to gasp in shock. What happened? Why was she sleeping on his chest? She might have rolled a few times in her sleep and landed on top of him, but that's impossible. Her body's always limp when she sleeps, never moving. Usually when she sleeps, she wakes up at the exact same spot. But this? It's impossible for AJ to carry her on top of him. That's just not like him.
Then she remembered something her parents had told her years ago, something she didn't want to know in a time like this. She shuddered, cursing herself for remembering such.
When a female chipmunk is attracted to male, her body will feel an urge to grow closer to that certain chipmunk no matter how her mind disagrees with it. Her mother had told her, and she had told her a million times that it's not a superstition. She had said that her aunt Brittany experienced this when they were in an airplane, when she unintentionally rolled on top of uncle Alvin's chest. And plus, everybody knows that Uncle Alvin and Aunt Brittany hated each other like poison when they were kids.
But she can't possibly be attracted to AJ can she? She's her cousin, and aren't chipmunk not supposed to be attracted to a family member? But then again, her parents, aunts, and uncles ARE siblings. But were they siblings by blood? That, they haven't told her yet.
She sighed. Maybe to avoid brainstorming about this, and being grossed out about it is to avoid thinking about it.
She got off of AJ's (unusually warm and comfortable) chest and sat up, her legs laid straight in front of her. She stared at the space between her legs and planted her elbows on the floor behind her for support. She tried not to look at the interior of the cage, thinking to herself that the enclosing space is just her imagination.
"Serene?" She heard a moan, and unfortunately for her, AJ has woken up.
She looked at him, still lying down on the ground looking at her. She noted his hazel-brown eyes. "Sorry. I couldn't sleep."
"It's alright. It happens to me, usually." She watched as AJ sat up in a soft, fluid motion. "What's waking you up?"
"Why do you have a crush on me?" her mouth suddenly, without her mind's consent, blurted out.
What the heck? What just happened? Why did she just say that? She wanted to slap herself in the face multiple times, but it seems her mind is already doing it. Why in the world did she just say that? What got into her? Well, whatever the reason was, it's too late. It's already out, and AJ's already heard it. She looked at his eyes, they were filled with shock. She heard him gasp slightly. Then again, she wanted to slap herself, she wanted to rip her lips off, she wanted to hide under her shell and never talk to him again. But under these feelings, she went with it and maintained her expression.
"W-What?" AJ's face reddened, and it was visible even under his fur. "H-How... how'd you know?"
''I heard you when you were talking with Ally.''
As if letting his expressions pass, AJ slouched and sighed. "You probably hate me now, don't you?"
Does she? Or does she not? That's the question. But the answer is, all her she wants is to avoid him and think about this, and that's why he's been ignoring him. But seeing they're both locked up together, chances of ignoring him would be pretty heartless and weird. "No, I don't. I don't hate anyone." She assured him. "But why? I mean, we're cousins, and we're not supposed to be romantically attracted."
"Our parents are siblings, you know."
"Yes, but I don't think they're blood siblings."
"Well, I think they are."
"They haven't told us yet. But I know we're cousins. You know that too, Alvin."
"It's because you're the only one who reminds me of my mom."
Serene raised her eyebrow.
"You may not see my mom like you do, or like anyone else do. But I see her like an angel, and I'm lucky to have a mother like her. In fact, there's no other chipmunk just like her. She's one of a kind." He answered.
Serene got confused to the point when she craned her neck. "Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you're just like her." AJ told her, but she couldn't understand why. "She has blue eyes, just like you. You style your hair just like she does. When you talk, you sound almost just like her sometimes. She has a beautiful voice, and she used to sing to us every night before we slept, and I try to stay awake just to listen to her sing. She's beautiful, and only you and my sisters can compare to her."
Serene looked away from him, and let her insecurity sink into her. "And what makes you think I have a nice voice just like her? What makes you think I'm beautiful?" She looked at him again. "I'm not like Aunt Brittany, Alvin. Those similarities we have in your eyes are just your imaginations."
"My feelings for you says otherwise, Serene." Serene let his words sink in, his voice neither increasing in tone nor volume. He kept the same tone as he had before. And why does his words feel so right? Why does she feel like she wanted to believe him?
For the few times in her life, Serene remained speechless. Not knowing what to say. But as she reexamined herself, she found her heart beating at an unusually fast rate. Does AJ really think she's beautiful? Does she really have a nice voice? Can she really compare to her Aunt Brittany? Why does she feel like she wants to believe his words? Is it because he comforted her when she was afraid? Though, that might seem like the answer, something inside her told her there's something more to it.
She heard AJ sigh. "I'm probably the first person you hate now. I'm sorry, Serene."
Something in his tone felt so sad, something that let out her urge to show sympathy. But should she? Show sympathy to AJ? That one action might send them both into an intimacy not present in a family relationship. But should she?
She looked at his face again. Examining his features. Should she really break the barrier between relatives? Does she have feelings for him too? That was the real question.
It took a moment for her to realized that her paw was already on top of his. She looked at it, confused. How did it get there? How did her paw suddenly appear on top of his?
Then then, from out of nowhere, it struck her mind. If a female is attracted to a male even though she denies it, her body will draw itself closer to him, unbeknownst to her, and no matter how much she disagrees with it. That was the real meaning of what her mother had said to her.
But was she really attracted to him? Perhaps she really was and she just wasn't being honest with herself. Is is really true that she's attracted to him? The truth, she realized, lies in her instincts and inner feelings.
For once, she allowed her body to take control of her. Then her paw worked its way up to his wrist,... then to his shoulder. She felt her chest pumping in sync with her fast heartbeat as she felt the slightest - not even considered as one - urge to scoot closer to him.
AJ looked up at her, his expression unreadable.
Serene sighed and allowed her voice to speak. "Look, Alvin, I'm sorry if I made you feel like I hate you. But I don't. I don't hate anyone."
"You don't hate anyone in general."
"That's true, but I don't hate you." She said, but AJ didn't lighten his expression. She just looked at her. She's even doubting if he's aware that her paw is on his shoulder. "Look, Alvin, I just want to say thank you."
AJ looked at her, confused. "What for?"
"For thinking that I'm really beautiful. It's not everyday I get to hear that from someone other than my parents." She sighed. She's probably going to regret these next words. "And... and I think..." She paused, regaining her breath. "I think you're great too."
AJ finally held his gaze and looked at her in the eyes. "Really?"
Serene nodded. "Do you want me to be honest?" She asked and AJ nodded in response. She sighed. "I can't believe I'm saying this. But..." She looked into his glistening eyes. "I think,..." She stopped suddenly. "N-Never mind, it's going to sound weird."
"No, it's okay. I'm listening."
Serene detected a bit of hope in his voice. With what she's about to say, her heart pumped faster. "I don't even know it's true. But I just feel that... that I like you too."
Oh, my God, I'm so sorry about this chapter. I'm not so good with fluffs even when I try. I'm so sorry, please tell me it's not bad.
I'm just so tired, and school's starting tomorrow.
Oh, my God, I have got to work on my fluffs.
So, anyways, for those who sent your suggestions,... I wasn't planning on saving them yet. So... :D