A/N: Sorry about the really long wait. Way too much going on right now.
"Maybe we just shouldn't tell them."
"They're our friends, Neku. How can we not tell them?"
"Easy. We just act normal around them and keep our mouths shut." Neku and Shiki were still at Neku's apartment only now they were trying to figure out how to tell the others about their relationship. Well, trying to decide if they should anyway.
"But we always hang out with them. We'd have to be in a secluded spot just to talk about dates. They'll find out eventually." Neku sighed. She had a point. His plan might work for a little while but sooner or later the others would find out and he knew that wouldn't go well.
"...You're right. We'll tell them. But maybe we should wait and make sure Beat doesn't have anymore moments of inspiration."
"Oh alright. Anyway, it's getting pretty late so I'm gonna head back home. Thanks for everything." She got up and started towards the door.
"No problem. Do you want me to walk you back home?"
"It's fine. Besides, I thought you didn't want anyone else to see us."
"Oh, um, right. So... we're gonna tell them tomorrow?"
"Yeah, why not. I'll see you then. Bye Neku."
"Bye." She walked out and he waved before closing the door and flopping on the couch with a sigh. "I just know that Joshua is going to ruin this for us."
"You're darn right I am." Neku jumped slightly and looked to his left to see Joshua sitting on the other end of the couch idly flipping his phone open and shut.
"...I thought you left." The other boy smiled before turning to answer him.
"Maybe I never left at all." If one cold roll their eyes out of their sockets Neku would've done just that. If Josh never left in the first place then that meant he had been watching them from the UG the entire time. Both were silent for a bit, the only sound was the beeping from Josh's phone as he pressed buttons. Neku briefly wondered if he was somehow programming tomorrow to absolutely suck for him and then wondered if he could actually do that. "You're awfully quiet, Neku dear."
"Joshua. How many times do I have to tell you to stop. Calling. Me dear?"
"As many times as you think it'll take to work. Dear." Neku inwardly sighed.
"What do you want now? Haven't you harassed me enough?" He was seriously resisting the urge to try and strangle the young Composer. Well, he assumed that Joshua was young. Then again, he was dead so he wouldn't age.
"You do realize that harassing you means making your life miserable, right? Now, unless you don't want to, you'll live for a pretty decent amount of time which means I've got plenty of opportunities to torture you."
"Hey Josh. Just how old are you?" Neku lazily looked over at him. He knew that he couldn't get the other to leave the way he wanted to (which may or may not have involved him being flung off the roof) so he tried a different approach.
"Hm? What's this now?"
"I was just wondering how old you were."
"Why? It's none of your business."
"Oh. I get it." He left it at that. His week with Joshua taught him that if he wanted to get answers, he'd have to give him a taste of his own medicine. Which basically meant either snapping back at him or being just as mysterious as he was.
"Get what, Neku?"
"Why should you care?" He said, shrugging. "It's not your business."
"It is my business." He sounded a little angry this time.
"I was just wondering because... well... how can I put this? Oh! I know. Most old people have nothing better to do other than complain and be an aggravation like you are." Neku glanced over at him only to receive the dirty look sent his way. "What? I say something wrong?" The look stayed for a few more seconds before Joshua returned to his usual arrogant smirk.
"You're only making things worse for yourself." He stood up. "You'll find that out tomorrow."
"Wait wha-"
"Until then..." He pressed one last button on his phone causing a steak knife to appear and stab itself into the couch just a hair away from Neku's neck. "...try not to get yourself killed." He disappeared and Neku groaned. Getting up he looked at the knife lodged in the soft upholstery.
"Dang it, Joshua. How the heck am I supposed to explain this to my mother?" She already thought he was emo enough, this would only push her to think he had a random homicidal impulse or something. And really, those seemed to be more Josh's thing. As for his father... he probably wouldn't notice.
As Shiki was heading home she got a text from Eri asking where she was and how she was doing. She just sighed. Of course, she should've known she couldn't trust her hope that Beat wouldn't go tell her about what happened. And naturally she'd start coming up with rumors and gossip right away and start questioning her on it. She debated on letting her in on it, but then changed her mind because she would find out tomorrow anyway.
I'm fine. Gonna head home.
Where were u with Neku? She froze. She would feel bad if she lied but it would be worse if she told the truth now. She was thinking through every response she could give as quickly as possible because if she didn't answer soon then Eri would know something was up.
I tried 2 talk 2 him but he wanted 2 b left alone. & no nothing happened.
Oh. Oh? What was that supposed to mean? Was it a good 'oh' or a bad 'oh'? Shiki was going to ask her why that was all she said when she sent a text saying she had to go. Now she was a little worried. Did the sudden end to their conversation mean that another about her and Neku was starting between her, Beat, Rhyme, Mr. H and maybe even Joshua? Okay so maybe thinking that Joshua and Mr. H would include themselves in gossip like that was getting a little carried away. Still, she imagined all of them in Eri's room sitting in a circle talking about how Neku would probably propose to her or something like that and giggling madly. It was a funny sight, or would've been if it was actually happening. Maybe she was just worrying too much. Her parents could've called her or something.
"I'm sure it's no big deal. There's nothing to worry about anyway. We're gonna tell them tomorrow so I guess it doesn't really matter if they did find out now." She walked on trying to shake the feeling that something bad was about to happen. Little did she know that that something had just left Neku's apartment.
The next morning Shiki woke up fairly early and after going through her morning routines she called Neku. "Hello?" He sounded like he had just woken up, which he probably had.
"Neku, it's me. Are you just waking up? It's only ten."
"Yeah I know. I was just hoping to avoid this for a little longer." He yawned. "I'll get ready. In the meantime I guess you should round up everyone so we can get it over with. I'll call you when I'm done and you can tell me where to meet up with you guys."
"Okay." She hung up and sighed. She still had a feeling of dread from yesterday. Still, the others had to find out sometime and it would just be best to tell them now instead of later. Telling herself that everything would be fine she started with Rhyme, the most level-headed one. "Hey Rhyme," she greeted once the younger answered.
"Oh, hey Shiki. You're up too?"
"Yeah. No need to be so surprised. It's not that early."
"Yeah, but you know Beat. He'll sleep till New Year's if I don't wake him up." She giggled.
"Well, could you wake him up now? Neku and I have to tell you guys something and we wanted to do it as soon as possible."
"Okay. It's a good thing you called now. The early bird gets the worm, you know?"
"Yeah. I'm gonna call Eri while you try to wake Beat up. Where do you wanna meet up? I was thinking WildKat."
"That'll work. See you there." Rhyme hung up and Shiki dialed Eri's number next.
"Hey Eri-"
"Oh my gosh! I was just about to call you, Shiki. Guess what! Ten Four is having this HUGE sale on everything in the store!" Eri's excitement spread through the phone and Shiki temporarily forgot what she actually called for.
"Seriously?! Everything?" It was safe to say that she was mildly shocked. 104 had sales often but a sale on everything was the deal of a lifetime. She just couldn't pass this up.
"Yes! We have to go right now before everything's picked through!"
"O-okay, okay. How about everyone meets up there? Neku and I-"
"Neku and you? I already know where this is going, but okay. You guys can totally tell us while we're shopping." She giggled a bit.
"Um... sure. I'll meet you there." She hung up and left Shiki to tell the others. "Is it really that obvious?" she asked herself. Sighing and shaking her head she called Rhyme back and told her the news before finally calling Neku.
"Hey Shiki. I'm all set so where did you wanna meet?"
"Well... I originally made it WildKat, but Eri said Ten Four was having this awesome sale on everything in the store so..."
"We're meeting up there?"
"Uh, yeah. You don't mind, do you?"
"No. It's cool." On the inside he banged his face on the wall and sighed longer than humanly possible. "This is going to take all day. We'll never get this done," he thought to himself. He should be used to Shiki and her shopping by now, though.
"Okay then. I'll see you there. And I promise I won't be too long." She hung up and he headed out the door. He absentmindedly wondered how Joshua could possibly make this day a disaster. He was hoping that he would go back on his word but he probably wouldn't. He's only ever done that once and it wasn't exactly the best time of Neku's life.
Once he reached the Scramble Crossing he practically had to fight his way through all the crowds just reach 104. When he did reach a small opening he could barely make out the others' heads just a few feet away. Beat's skull beanie made a pretty good way point. "There you are! What took you so long?" Shiki walked over to him as soon as he appeared.
"Do you have any idea how thick these crowds are? It looks like most of Shibuya is here."
"I know, yo. So you'd better have darn good reason for makin' me come all the way out here for some shopping." If looks could kill, Neku would be dead a third time.
"You can tell us while we're in there. Right now Shiki, Rhyme and I have some serious buying to do."
"What? Wait!" Eri had already grabbed Rhyme's arm and started dragging her into the packed building while Shiki followed close behind. Beat and Neku exchanged a look of suffering before slowly making their way inside too. They stood out of the way of the other shoppers as Shiki and Eri went through every rack and shelf they could find trying on things and making Rhyme do the same.
"Yo Phones." Since the two girls obviously weren't going to be done anytime soon Beat decided to try and make conversation. After receiving a bored 'hm' he continued. "What'chu an' Shiki gotta say that's so importance?"
"Important. Well... I guess it wouldn't hurt to tell you now. Shiki and I... are dating." As soon as the words left his mouth he regretted it. Beat instantly started laughing.
"Oh man, don't tell me this has somethin' to do with whistling. H-hey, did ya give her lessons?"
"Shut up." Neku's face was red with embarrassment while Beat's was red with laughter. Eventually he calmed down and that was when the worst happened.
"Attention all shoppers," a voice said over the intercom. "I've got a special announcement to make." Neku swore under his breath. That voice could only belong to one person. And that person just couldn't give him a break.
"Yo man... is that-"
"Of course it is." Neku buried his head into his collar hoping to turn invisible.
"If you would kindly direct your attention to the emo kid in the corner trying to sink into his own clothing." Right after he said that everyone in the store looked at him. Beat took a few steps to the side so he wouldn't be caught up in anything. "There's something very special about this kid other than his mental state." Neku could hear the smirk in Joshua's voice.
"Oh no. If he does what I think he's doing I'll kill him."
A/N: Cliffhanger I know. Hopefully I'll be able to update it soon. Anyway I hope you're enjoying the story.