Leeloo-Chan: Thanks again for some really nice reviews, they really made me want to keep writing this story and I'm glad to read that so many of you enjoy it. ^^ I hope you enjoy this chapter and as always I would love your reviews, so tell me if you like. :]
Roommates Chapter Five.
Finally the film was over but in no way shape or form did that mean that I was in the clear, I knew the minute I got into bed the tears would start. I glanced around at my sleeping friends, Kukai was snoring loudly half hanging from the sofa in the least graceful position I had ever seen a man in. But more surprisingly Rima and Nagi had fallen asleep with their heads rested against each other's, they looked so adorable together; I would have to grill Rima later and give her a sneaky push in the right direction.
Ikuto's breathing was soft and unchanging but I didn't dare risk looking up at him in case he teased me, so instead I stood quietly and made my way around my friends telling them to go to bed starting with Kukai first. Eventually I managed the difficult tasks of waking Kukai and convincing Rima to sleep in the spare room, I told her it was because she hogged the cover but in truth it was because I didn't want to keep her awake all night with my crying.
Ikuto was the only one left; I saw that his cobalt hair had fallen over his eyes and his breathing was still just as soft as before. Unconsciously I reached out and swept the bangs from his face and he mumbled contently, startling me and causing me to pull away. He looked so peaceful when he slept but I had to wake him. I put my hand on his shoulder and pressed lightly that's when his half sleep riddled voice filled the silence.
"I know I am handsome but do try not to watch me while I sleep, it's creepy." He laughed deeply as I glared down at him, "Okay your awake now hurry up and go to sleep." My tone came out a little more bitter than usual but only because I wanted him gone so I could have my little breakdown. I smiled down at him apologetically, "Sorry I'm just really tired." I said to try and ease some of my bitterness towards him he smiled back at me and said, "I won't keep you up any longer then. Sleep well little Miss clumsy." Laughing in response to his awful but true joke I blushed as he pulled me into a surprising half sleep dazed hug.
Then as quickly as he had been in front of me he was gone, shuffling his way in the direction of his room. In that moment the fear I had been waiting for truly hit me and I stifled a sob, running to my bedroom I dived under the covers just as the tears began to freely wrack my body. I pulled Ikuto's blanket onto the bed and wrapped it around me tightly, inhaling I smelt that same smell from before but even that wasn't enough to stop my imagination from going into overdrive.
A shadow slipped across my room and I repressed another scream, pressing the pillow hard against my face in an attempt to calm myself. Scrunching my eyes tight I could feel the un-escaped tears prickling at the corners, I gathered what little bravery I had left and glanced up from my pillow at my once familiar room, it was obvious that the film had terrified me and that my room had now become an extension of my fear. I watched silently as shadows crept across my walls and listened as parts of the house creaked in ways I had never noticed before and knew that tonight was not going to end quickly.
I glared at the darkness in my room with all my might but knew it wouldn't make a difference, for as long as I stayed in this room I would think the shadows where more than shadows depriving me of my much needed sleep. Sighing I wrapped Ikuto's blanket tightly around my body and shuffled as silently as possible into the living room, feeling the air blindly I caught my toe on the corner of the sofa and fell to the floor louder than I thought possible. I sat up clutching my now throbbing toe and muttering at the darkness when the last voice I wanted to hear right now sounded above me.
"Amu is that you?" Ikuto's voice addressed me thickly in the darkness and I felt the blush rise to my face as I tried in vain to de-tangle myself from his blanket.
I heard a click and saw the soft glow of light at the edges of my blanket, I began tugging again determined to release myself and bolt back to my room hopefully before he could see anything but it was too late, he was already knelt by my side lifting the offensive material from me, Gold eyes met Azure blue and no matter how hard I wanted to look away I couldn't.
I had never been so furious at myself, why was I only ever this clumsy and pathetic when Ikuto was around to witness it? Normally I wouldn't care what he thought of me but he was my friend, and I was beginning to believe that after all the time he had likened me to a child…he was not far wrong. I looked away from his eyes bashfully ashamed and muttered silent apologies.
The deep rumble of his laughter filled the silence as he ruffled my hair affectionately again. I watched enviously as he stood more gracefully than I could ever hope too, I took the hand he offered me shyly and in one swift pull I was on my feet limping slightly so as not to put weight on my now injured toe. Concern swept Ikuto's face as he took in my stance and he helped me to the sofa.
"What happened Amu? You should have told me sooner that you were hurt." He looked at me and I could read the guilt all over his face. "It's okay Ikuto I hurt my foot, it's nothing really! You know how clumsy I am." I giggled a little to try and ease the tension and he smiled a thin smile back in response.
We were both sat on the sofa now; he leant down and lifted my legs to rest over his making me blush furiously which I really hoped had escaped his notice, and then he covered my now horizontal frame with his blanket. After a long silence I couldn't take it anymore and decided that the best way forward more often than not is an apology.
"Ikuto I'm really sorry if I woke you up, I couldn't sleep and… tripped on the sofa leg." My apology was sincere but I mumbled the last part out of embarrassment, he laughed lightly in response. "It's okay I wasn't asleep I was catching up on some paperwork. Are you okay now?" So many thoughts whirled in my head; He didn't talk to anyone about his work or private life so why was he being so open now? And what kind of job has a person doing paperwork at three in the morning? I decided that smiling contently would be a more casual response than bombarding him with questions so that's exactly what I did.
He laughed and said, "I will take that as a yes then…Why can't you sleep Amu can I help?" I felt my body stiffen as the images of Ikuto mocking me cruelly over my childish fear entered my mind and shook my head. "Don't be silly Amu we are friends now you can tell me anything…I won't laugh I promise." His voice turned pleading towards the end and I caved he was my friend and you were supposed to be able to tell your friends anything...Right?
I began by telling him my basic inescapable fear of all horror movies and their effect on me which led to me explaining how I had gotten so pathetically scared that I had bolted into the living room and injured myself in the process. I found myself watching his face carefully for any signs of amusement and instead he shocked me more by placing his arm around my shoulders and squeezing lightly.
"You have nothing to be afraid of when you live under this roof, you should have told us all we are your friends and we don't mind giving up some things for you." He stuck his tongue out at me and squeezed me closer. "You look exhausted get some sleep I will stay here." He ruffled my hair again and let out a light laugh but it wasn't enough to ease my guilt, "Ikuto I can't let you do that, I'm all fine now…not even scared so get back to work! I don't want you losing your job." I tried to look as compelling as possible but it didn't seem to work, he simply laughed louder in response to my attempts and said, "Well now they would have a hard time…I'm not moving Amu and neither are you, now sleep I don't want to have to tell you again." His voice took on a playfully commanding tone as he drew soothing patterns on the blanket shielding my legs, I attempted a weak confession that I wasn't even tired but everything drifted away before I could even finish.
Ikuto's Pov.
I looked down at the now sleeping Amu as she snuffled and snored softly against the pillow; about an hour ago she had shuffled down on the sofa and shifted to her side curling her legs around my body effectively trapping me! not that I minded all that much. Amu was a friend and a more fragile friend than any I had ever had, so if this is what she needed to sleep then who was I to deprive her.
I listened carefully as she muttered more incoherent half sentences in her sleep hoping to understand anything at all, although I found her fascinating I wished I had brought my paper work in with me so I could at least get something practical done but it seemed like my wishes were about to be granted. I heard movement in the guest room and knew that Nagi would be attempting to sneak out and back into his room before anyone woke up and found out about his relationship with the she devil.
He had crept in early in the morning when it was dark and failed to notice neither me nor Amu, but the sun was rising and as much as I didn't want Nagi to think I was going soft I wanted Amu's happiness and my paperwork more. Surely enough Nagi's sleep riddled face came into view he stopped and stared, rubbed his eyes and then looked again. I shook my head in response and pressed a finger to my lips, "Keep it down Nagi, She needs to sleep and you need to grab my paperwork off my desk if you want me to keep the secret about you and your beloved demon." I allowed myself a sly smirk at Nagi's surprised face and watched as everything I had said sank in. "Fine but when I get back with the paperwork from your bat cave we are talking like mature adults Ikuto…"
Nagi tiptoed out of the room and I stifled the laugh that had built up after watching his calm composure crack, nothing amused me more than irritating Nagi, except maybe beating up Kukai. Nagi returned he placed my paperwork just out of reach and sat across from me silently on the coffee table, a strange glint in his eyes as he sized me up. "So Tsukiyomi, how long have you been in love with our Amu-Chan eh? And here was me thinking you were incapable of love…or otherwise inclined." Nagi's voice was low and the smirk he wore barely suited his normally effeminate face.
"I'm not in love with her Nagi, we are friends…she couldn't sleep…I'm helping her. Oh just shut up, stop insinuating things and hand over the paperwork." I growled at him hoping he would give up tormenting me and continue his walk of shame back to his bedroom. "Whatever you say Ikuto, but friend or not you have never behaved like this before…Here's your papers I'm off to bed and I'd appreciate it if you kept my secret to yourself." He winked slyly at me before disappearing into his room. I looked from his bedroom door to the slumbering Amu lounged across me and sighed half expecting Nagi to return for another round. I decided that the best thing for my confused head would be to submerge myself back into tedious paperwork, but no matter how hard I tried I couldn't shake what Nagi had said.
Did I treat Amu differently? Yes but I had already had this discussion with myself and decided that it was because I treated her like my mother and sister, as sexist as it sounded over the years of looking after Utau and Souko I had seen how weak they were and I had learnt that my place was to look after them. Amu simply appealed to my second nature of looking after women, that didn't mean that I was in love with her it just made me a gentleman. I sighed brushing a bubble gum pink strand out of the slumbering girls face, love or not she was definitely something special.
My thoughts began to wander down dangerous paths far too early to take and so I watched as the sun rose higher in the sky, Kukai would be awake any time now and as much as I hated to have to wake her, waking her would be the lesser evil in comparison to how Kukai would react if he saw her like this. I reached down and whispered in her ear but she didn't wake, she rolled slightly gripping the blanket tighter and mumbled my name.
I was a wash of feelings and reactions at first; I wanted to know if she was dreaming of me and was more shocked when a small part of me actually hoped she was, but the main emotion winning out was what I assumed to be friendship. I was just happy that I could help my friend when she needed me. I leant down again to try and rouse the sleeping pinkette when I was interrupted by the excruciatingly loud buzzing of my phone.
The noise had obviously woken a now extremely bemused Amu and my face paled when I finally saw caller ID, pressing a finger to my lip I silenced Amu's confused questions and clicked the receiver.
"What can I do for you today Utau?" I smirked at the phone knowing it would irritate her, "Just a quick call to let you know I'm in town and will be staying with you for a while." Her stern voice was no surprise after all the years I've known her she had never changed. "Jeez Utau it's a bit short notice I know you love me but this is too far even for you." I looked at Amu and rolled my eyes but when I looked at her face she looked shocked, I nudged her playfully and when that didn't work I tickled her side. I knew she was trying her best to escape but I held her there pinned in my arms until she giggled. "Ikuto are you even there still? And who was that…that sounded like a girl. Oh my God do you have a girlfriend…I can tell it's not Kukai before you pass off that lame excuse." She wasn't going to stop wittering on until I answered her back, "Utau I'm here, that's not Kukai that's our new room mate and my friend Amu." Not content with my answer and as nosy as always Utau continued to bombard me with questions, I waved my finger condescendingly at Amu and she laughed again. "Listen Utau we will see you tonight, I'm sure Kukai will be over joyed when I tell him your visiting. See you soon sis!"
I laughed as Amu's face broke out into a huge grin, "I worked something out about you Ikuto, you have a sister and she's coming to stay tonight!" she said almost in triumph, I laughed harder in response finally allowing myself to stand up and stretch after so many hours of being trapped in the same place. "Well Amu it's not all that great that she is coming, she is rude and nosy and we will have to clean the whole flat or we will never hear the end of it." I laughed as her smile turned into an adorable frown and she leapt from the sofa, "I'll go get the kitchen done then." And with that she bounded away out of sight.
Stretching out one more time I shouted as loudly as possible, "Rise and shine roomies and temporary roomy." I heard a high pitched giggle sound from the kitchen and slowly but surely they all had managed to peak their heads out of their respective bedroom doors. Only Kukai was brave enough to break the silence, "What gives man, I was in the middle of a really good dream." I laughed and replied, "Cleaning duties Kukai living room, Nagi and demon girl bathroom, Amu and I will handle the kitchen and hallway…Any questions?" Kukai slammed the door in my face and a muttered like hell I am could be heard from the other side, Nagi and Rima just looked at me confused.
"Hey Amu want to see a magic trick?" I called and she appeared at my side bouncing in anticipation, "Watch how quickly I can make Kukai clean…" She laughed at me so to prove my point I knocked on the door and shouted, "Kukai, Utau is on her way over, she will be with us…" I didn't even get to finish my sentence he had barrelled out the door in nothing but his PJ pants and was already at work cleaning the abyss that had become the living room after mine and Amu's little sleepover.
"See, told you I could do magic." I said poking Amu in the ribs she nodded in agreement watching Kukai in awe. Nagi saw the futility of not cleaning up for Utau and grabbed Rima dragging her kicking and screaming towards the bathroom and I followed Amu silently into the kitchen. One thing was sure this weekend was not going to be a quiet one, not with Utau around.
Leeloo-Chan: So you all wanted Utau and she's going to be in my next chapter… Review if you want more and as always thanks so much for reading. ^^