Just my luck... two days of hectic fanfiction typing and I somehow managed to break the spacebar key on my week old bluetooth keyboard... The hell?
In any case, I was still inspired, so I decided to use the PC and just type it out anyway. I hope you like...
"Hi... Ka-san... Tenri..." Keima said awkwardly, as he entered the dining room. Mari Katsuragi scowled at her son.
"You should be ashamed of yourself... keeping Tenri waiting like this," she snapped. Keima had to appreciate the truth behind those words. He didn't reply, just walking to the table, where he took a seat opposite his childhood friend.
Now, Keima had many qualms about how the real world worked... like how Elsie, the god-knows-how-old-she-is demon, somehow qualified as his little sister, then actually overwrote the world so they could become siblings... or like how his childhood friend was an acquaintance from when he was in elementary school, yet still managed to become his closest confidante when things were becoming rough with the Goddesses... or how, despite their friendship, this was the first time they had sat in the same room in four years...
No... Keima knew he had no right to complain about that last one... that was truly his own doing.
"How have you been, Keima-kun?" the timid girl asked in a small voice.
"I-I've been alright," Keima replied, while his mother put a bowl of rice in front of him, "let's eat..."
The table fell into silence.
"It was so surprising," Eri interjected, "when Nii-sama said he wanted to move back home, last week..."
That little comment actually surprised Keima. It had only been one week since he walked into his room, half-elated at having seen met Chihiro again, and half-exhausted from her rapidly changing mood. It was nice seeing her again, and part of him actually wished he could make up with the other girls too.
He'd said in his letter that he wanted to walk alongside them... maybe meeting Chihiro again was Fate's way of saying that he should get his butt moving and make up with everyone he hurt, instead of wallowing and avoiding people. That night, he called his mother, his mind made up.
So he moved back to where it all started... his purpose was to make up with everyone, right? Then why was saying even a word to Tenri so hard for him. It wasn't like he'd hurt her or broken any promises.
Except he did reject her through a ten year old letter…
Who was he kidding? Even by game standards, that was a dick move! If Diana was still there, he was going to get his ass whipped. In any case, he had to say something to break the silence.
"How about you, Tenri," he placed down his chopsticks to stop them from breaking in his clenched fists, "You look... nice..."
And even Keima would admit she did. She'd grown out of her double pigtails and bows. The front of her hair was pulled back and braided into a single plait, which lay on the inky river of the open back part. It suited her.
"I've been well... I'm studying to be a teacher now..." Tenri replied, before taking a morsel of food, "like Do-chan..."
She sent a look at Keima which was a lot more pointed than anything Tenri would have sent four years ago.
"That's great…" Keima croaked, before grabbing his glass. He had not been expecting her to bring up his pseudo-little sister this early. The water did little to sooth him.
He glanced at his mother, the one person who had absolutely nothing to do with the Heaven and Hell situation. Clearly, Tenri did have something more to say about it… Keima cleared his throat.
"So, have you heard from Diana recently?" he asked casually, adjusting his chopsticks so he could look a bit busy.
"Yeah, this morning…" was the reply. That did not bode well for Keima. He glanced at his mother again.
"Is that the phone?" Mari asked, despite the clearly quiet room, "I'll go get that…" and faster than Keima could say 'Yotsuba Sugimoto', his mother was out of sight.
Mari Katsuragi wasn't a dumb woman. She'd known from the time Keima had near begged to be transferred to a different school that something had happened with his friends… The tense atmosphere in her living room pretty much confirmed it.
All three young adults watched the closing door.
"There wasn't a call, was there?" Eri asked, her head tilting to the side.
"No. there wasn't," Keima replied blankly, his hand reaching into his pocket out of habit for his PF Zoi. He'd left it in his room.
"That's nice of your mother…" Tenri remarked, taking another bite. Keima took a deep breath. This first step would be the most important.
Maybe he should save Diana the trouble of shoving his head down and go into Dogeza already.
"Look… Tenri…" he pulled his shaking hands from his trouser pockets and clutched his seat, abou-"
"It's nice to see you again, Keima-kun…" Tenri interrupted. Keima's downturned eyes snapped up.
"It's… nice… seeing you too…" his eyes darted from her sweet smile to her eyes that looked like they meant it. Tenri didn't seem mad...
"Is Diana still with you?" he held his gaze, waiting for Tenri's blue eyes to sharpen and turn red.
"She is…" Tenri replied, "but I asked her not to come out right now…"
Keima was touched. Even after all that time… even though she had no reason to do it… Tenri would still look out for him. At this time, the least he could do is apologize and explain himself better… and in person.
"Tenri," he said briskly, "I'm sorry…"
"It's alright, Kei-"
"It isn't alright, Tenri!" He interrupted, slamming his fist on the table, "What I did… was cowardly… and selfish… and thoughtless… and just plain wrong!"
Tenri watched him, a gentle smile on her face. Keima just couldn't understand how she could still smile at him, despite what he had done.
"Someone like you deserves better than that!"
"Someone like me?"
"You're kind, thoughtful, and caring… how is it alright that I…" Keima gnashed his teeth, his throat closing up. His eyes prickled.
How could he even begin to repay her after all that she had done for him.
Eri was flailing in her seat, watching her brother struggling with his words, trying not to look at Tenri. Tenri herself, watched Keima with a worried look. Her hand kept extending then pulling back, like she wasn't certain of whether to console him or not.
"Keima-kun…" Tenri said softly, easing her hand on the table.
"No…" Keima pushed his head up, "I need to do something for you… anything…"
Keima groaned… Tenri barely had any desires before… would she even let him do anything to make up for it?
"I do have something to ask…" Tenri murmured, surprising Keima.
"What is it?" Keima asked, fully prepared to answer, or do, whatever she asked.
Tenri blushed, her fingers twiddling.
"Did… you ask out that girl? The one in your letter…"
Keima's mind churned… What could Tenri be getting at? It was a simple question to answer, but answering it would hardly make up for anything…
Well, he had prepared himself to tell the truth.
"I didn't…" Tenri looked up shyly.
"Then… did you find someone else?"
Keima did not like where this was going, but he still told the truth.
"I haven't…"
"Then please go out with me…"
The slight fidgeting from Eri stopped, causing the room to fall into silence.
"Wh-what?" Keima stumbled. Even though his mental processes thought the conversation was moving in this direction, it still shocked him greatly.
Tenri's eyes were still as rounded and blue as ever, and were staring determinedly at Keima's smaller brown ones.
"If you want to make it up to me, at least give me a chance…" she replied, her voice and eyes still holding strong.
Keima half smiled. Despite the quiet appearance, Tenri wasn't as timid as she had been all those years back.
He nodded. Tenri's face turned red.
"I-it only ha-has to be o-o-once…" she stutter, her eyes darting all over the table, "a-a-and only when you want to…"
"It's alright, Tenri…" Keima laughed lightly, "I agreed, didn't I?"
"Yeah…" she breathed.
It took Tenri a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Keima was a tad more amused at that then he should be, but it actually felt a bit nostalgic… like when she'd passed out when Keima had kissed her during her conquest. It was a little bit endearing.
Keima looked up, where Tenri was trying to say something.
"Sorry, can you repeat that?" Keima asked, making sure to pay proper attention.
"When should we meet?" she asked breathlessly, "this weekend, maybe?"
"Sure… it's a date…"
And those few words from Keima's mouth sent her into another round of quiet hysterics. She quickly stood up.
"Uh… I should go then…" she muttered, grabbing her purse from the floor before hurrying to the door.
"Bye, Tenri-san…" Eri called behind her. As soon as the dining room door closed behind her, the Demon-turned-human turned to Keima, who was smiling giddily.
"Nii-sama…" Eri cried. Keima looked at her with that creepy smile… Well, it was creepy because it was on his face. Eri rushed over to Keima and shook his shoulders.
"Nii-sama, what is happening to youuuu!?"
It took Keima a few seconds to snap out of it. When Eri could see that her work was done, she sat in the chair next to him, facing him.
"Why are you so happy, Nii-sama?"
Yes… why did Keima feel so happy about that? Did he actually want to go on this date with Tenri? Well, she had asked… so…
"She still likes me…" he muttered.
But… this is the first time she had set up any flag on her own… Keima actually felt pretty damn proud of her…
"But do you like her, Nii-sama?" Eri asked. It was a good question…
While he felt a rush of admiration and affection to the girl whom he definitely could consider a friend… going on a date with her… was that alright?
What if he hurt her again?
He still couldn't forgive himself about that last stint… was he setting himself on the part of redemption, or was it just the road downhill…
Why was his heart beating like that? And why did his palms feel so sweaty? It was just one date… they could talk… he could apologize again… they could catch up about what had been happening… he could talk to Diana again…
Still, his last date consisted of him having to break the heart of some girl who didn't deserve it… Was this just going to be a repeat of that? It would be even worse, actually...
But… at that time, he had been on a schedule, trying to save the world. This time, the world was fine, Satyr was nowhere to be seen and he could be himself. Not to say that Chihiro didn't appreciate his game playing self, but Tenri was different.
"I think…" Keima said, rubbing his rough chin, "I may have gotten myself into something big…"
"Yes… if he screwed this up, there was no saving this friendship… if he did this right… well, he had no clue what he'd find there.
Keima stood up. It was time to strategize this date.
"Answer the question, Nii-sama!" Eri called, but her brother was long gone.
Alright... either next chapter will go really well or really badly... Now that I think about it, I wouldn't be surprised if you all hate me right now.
In any case, lemme get to the review answering:
xellos540: Yeah, this is pretty much AU. I'd actually thought up the original concept before the Heart of Jupiter Arc had finished. I only started writing it now, so basically, the HoJ arc happened, but when Keima came back, he decided to start the healing process early by making himself scarce.
The Tenri cliffhanger was evil, huh? I don't know, but this chapter may be more evil.
Thanks for the advice on the rereading and dialogue and that Saturday error. I tried a bit harder this time to make it flow better, so hopefully, you won't have problems with this chapter.
Guest: I knew it! You're writing style seemed the same in both messages. In any case, I am having so much fun with this story... I wonder when the exhaustion and frustration will hit.
Shawn Raven: So I ended up stalking your profile after I read this review... You're Indian, huh? So am I!
Though on the topic of awkwardness and smoothness, I think this entire story will have shades of that... Especially next chapter, because that's when the date is going to be.
Bae: Me likey this review...
In any case, things are going pretty well with Tenri... I wonder if that will continue into the next chapter, which is going to cover Saturday...
What's the chances I can finish it by Saturday?