[A/N]- Still hoping it's all in character! D:
Well, enjoy!
Risa woke up to a pair of big dark green eyes. She shrieked and held her hands out in front of her to defend herself, but the man just stepped back.
"Nao- Naoko-chan?!" Risa yelped.
"No, Otani says I look a lot like him, though." The man smiled. "I'm Otani's roommate, Yuicchi."
Risa looked around. "W-Where's Otani?"
"He's showering. He told me to say he'll be done in a minute if you woke up."
She laughed nervously and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry- you didn't have to wait for me."
"It's no problem, but I do have leave you now- I have a group study. I'm sorry to leave you alone, it was nice to meet you."
"Nice to meet you- work hard."
He smiled and left the room.
She stood and locked the door to change. After a moment alone, she got a sneaky smile on her face and tiptoed dramatically to Otani's desk. She went only as far as touching the knob when Otani came in.
"Hey!" he cried, running over to stop her.
"Let me see what's inside!" she yelled. "I want to know!"
He grabbed her by the waist and hoisted her away.
"It's none of your business!"
"It has my name in it!" she thrashed in his arms.
"You didn't see right! Go to an optometrist!"
"I have twenty twenty vision!"
"Atsushi-kun…?" came a tentative voice from the doorway.
Miki.
They froze. Otani's grip slackened on Risa's waist and they both immediately snapped their arms to their sides, blushing furiously.
"W- What's going…?"
"Nothing, nothing. Is there something you needed?"
She looked hurt by his bluntness. She looked down and her bangs covered her eyes.
"I…I'm feeling lonely since the break up…I was wondering if we could do something today."
Otani glanced at Risa. He was feeling sorry for Miki, but then again he hadn't really had any alone time since she'd arrived.
"I…I guess, for just a while, you could come with us."
She smiled and Risa looked at her boyfriend. She knew Otani didn't like the jealous type, but she knew Miki liked him and anger bubbled at the thought of him being nice to her.
The next few hours went by at an annoyingly slow pace. As they shopped and went roller-skating, Miki intercepted any communication between Koizumi and Otani. She asked Otani many times how she looked in the clothing she picked out and he'd just nod and say 'fine'. At the rink, she pretended to be very bad at skating and held on to Otani, leaving Risa on the sidelines, slipping and sliding, falling twice on her bum.
"Atsushi-kun, can we-?" she began sweetly after they got lunch.
"Actually, Miki. Koizumi and I are going to go spend some time alone."
They both looked at him, Risa flushing, in surprise as he slurped his pop. Risa glanced over at Miki who was glowering at her and she stuck her tongue out in her direction. She put two fingers in her mouth and pulled, giving her a scary look back.
Otani looked up and they both snapped their hands behind their backs.
"See you later, Miki," he said, passing by Risa and slipping a hand into hers.
They walked away and Risa turned around to see Miki sitting down, looking defeated and upset.
Uncharacteristically, she started feeling bad for her.
"Otani…" Risa started and looked back at her again. Her face was in her hands. "Wahh! She's crying!"
He sighed. "I'm sorry she took up so much of our time. I didn't want her to feel left out."
Risa glanced at him and he avoided her gaze. Her expression turned stony.
"Has she confessed?"
Otani looked away, flushing in embarrassment. "Ah…that…well, y-yes. I don't want to hurt her feelings, but she's being a bother."
"And how do you feel about her?"
He looked up at her and noticed she was looking down, looking vulnerable.
He sighed and cuffed her on the back of the head.
"Idiot."
"Ouch! That hurt-!"
He came to a stop at one of the benches and sat. She watched him as he looked up and patted the spot next to him. She followed suit.
"Miki is just a friend," he assured truthfully, looking over at her. "She has feelings for me, but they aren't mutual. I don't want you to be jealous about her when there's nothing to worry over. Just a friend," he said again for effect and Risa's eyes grew wide with happiness.
He smiled as she was instantly reassured and placed a hand on the back of her neck. Her grin faded to a look of innocent surprise as she noticed the serious expression on his face and leaned in to share a kiss.
"I love you, Otani," she said shyly and it was only the times after a kiss would Otani not mind her trying to be cute.
He smiled back at her and nodded. "Me too."
They stood and enjoyed the rest of the day, hand-in-hand.
--
Risa took a shower and dressed into her pajamas, smiling. Otani noticed her looking at a charm bracelet in one of the shop windows they passed by and had bought it for her. She looked at it on her wrist. The bracelet itself was simple; a silver chain looping in and out over itself. But the charms on it were what she loved the most, a little Umibozui, a red heart, an angry bunny face. She grinned widely into the mirror at her reflection.
Gathering her clothing, she went back to the room and put them on her bag. Otani was sitting on his bed and looked up when she entered.
"Why wear a bracelet to bed?" he asked, but smiled internally in spite of himself.
She pouted. "It's special to me. It doesn't matter if I wear it to bed as long as it's special."
"Idiot's logic is too stupid for me to understand."
"It's girl logic and you're too much of a stupid guy to understand it!"
"Regardless," he waved her comment away. "It won't be comfortable. You should take it off."
"It'll be fine this way," she said stubbornly and he rolled his eyes. Then she noticed he was on his bed. "Am I sleeping on the floor tonight?"
He looked offended. "What kind of man makes a girl sleep on the floor?" he pulled a disgusted face. "I was wondering if you wanted to watch a movie."
She sat next to him on the bed and they began to watch a new movie Risa hadn't heard of. After a while, they both declared they couldn't follow the plotline.
"The only part I liked was the part where he sent her a love note after her brother's funeral. That part was lovely," she commented.
"It was too complex," he huffed. "I wouldn't've picked out such a movie if I had seen it before."
"It wasn't so bad. Just complex. But sweet. Like a lovely complex."
"Lovely complex? What idiotic names are you coming up with?"
"I like it," she complained and yawned. "I'm tired."
He glanced at her. "I guess I should get in bed then."
Risa looked over at him and he was watching her with a flushed face.
"Wah, perverted old ma-!"
Suddenly, his lips silenced her. Her snarky comment was lost and her eyes widened.
He pulled away to measure her expression and turned red when she was looking at him astonished.
"W-What was that?" she asked in a shaky voice.
Otani slid off the bed, got onto his air mattress, and muttered something that sounded like 'goodnight kiss'.
She watched him roll over to side so she could not see him.
The things Nobu-chan had said two days ago began floating back into her mind. She cheeks turned pink, but realized he might be feeling the same way now as he did after Maity-sensei's wedding and felt guilty about hurting his feelings.
"Otani?" she called out.
"Mm," he acknowledged, his throat tight with embarrassment.
"Can…I kiss you properly?"
She saw even his neck turn scarlet. He made a noise of consent, but didn't move. She got off the bed and sat Japanese-style onto his air mattress.
He sat up and swiveled around. She noticed his bright red face, but full of determination. He leaned forward and they kissed. Their basic brushing of the lips became more than that in a matter of seconds and Risa's heart began thumping wildly with surprise and nerves.
'Why is this so much more different than I remembered?' She asked herself as he moved closer, her stomach tightening. Nobu-chan's voice entered her head again, but this time she ignored it.
Suddenly, the door opened and Yuicchi gasped.
They leapt apart.
"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to interrupt…I'll…come back later," he closed the door, embarrassed.
Both of their faces were flushed more than usual and they avoided eye contact.
"G- Goodnight…" Risa said in a squeaky voice.
"Sleep well," Otani agreed and pulled his covers over his face.
She got into bed and waited to speak until her heart slowed. The quiet was nearly unbearable.
"I love you, Otani."
For some reason it had always been easier to say this than show him physically, but for him, it was almost the opposite. Sure, he was a bit embarrassed when it came to physical stuff, but saying mushy things was harder for him than Risa.
"I...ehm..love you, too."
"W- Wah?!" she sat up. "You've never said that before!"
"What are you on about?" he asked, embarrassed, knowing fully well what she was talking about.
"You've never said I love you! You just acknowledge! The mutual emotionless agreement was been broken?!"
"You gotta death wish?" he grumbled, not angry. "You're too loud. Go to sleep."
She stayed upright until the shock wore off and she lay down, staring up at the underside of the top bunk. She was too wound up to even think of sleep.
The kiss they just shared, much more than their usual kisses, and now this? Nobu-chan was right, she concluded. Otani had the same thoughts in his mind as well.
Her heart spluttered and her eyes grew wide.
Were they going to board the Sin Express together this weekend?
[A/N] -- Ut-oh. Risa, what will you do next?! D:
Please review. (:
