The Voice of You and Me

11

        Night quickly came and so it was decided that you would stay with Saruhiko and Yata at their place until the problem with the Strain was resolved. You didn't mind the idea at first until you realized that meant you would be technically living with them for a few days. This made you feel awkward as the three of you walked passed the front door and into the small quarters of the apartment.

"Don't worry, (nickname), no Strain is gonna get through us! You can count on it!" Yata exclaimed turning to face you as he placed his skateboard against the side of his bed. You smiled then mouthed a thank you while nervously standing there. The boy caught sight of your unease before sitting down on the edge of his bed. Saruhiko sat on the floor near the small table they had in the center of the room.

"Hey, is something wrong?" Yata asked thinking the worst. You gulped then felt your cheeks heat up at how neither of the boys seemed to realize the problem.

"It's just that....Kusanagi said I would be staying here right? So...how would I sleep? Or more importantly.... how will I shower and change clothes?" you asked feeling your face grow a dark red. The two boys were quiet for a moment as they tried to figure out what you meant. Then it finally clicked. Yata's face burned a bright red as Saruhiko looked at his lap to hide his face while fixing his glasses.

"O-o-oh, uh, w-well.....Saruhiko, do you have an idea?" Yata started, but ended up seeking help from his dark haired friend. It was silent as Saruhiko only stared at the top of the table before answering.

"We can go buy you clothes later and you could change in the bathroom with the door locked. As for the sleeping problem......you can take my bed for a few nights." Saruhiko concluded while avoiding eye contact. You quickly shook your head at the last part.

"Oh no, I can't do that. I'd feel bad taking your bed knowing you're sleeping on the floor." you argued as the guilt of knowing he would be on the hard floor filled your mind. He shook his head.

"Let's not worry about that right now. I think we should start locking up the place so no intruder can easily come in. Then have something to eat." Saruhiko said turning to Yata. The smaller male quickly jumped up at his words then started to lock up the doors. It didn't take long to do that so you helped Yata with the cooking to get your mind off recent events. After the three of you ate, Saruhiko had put on some of the movies that you liked which led to the three of you sitting near the small screen as the movies kept playing until late in the hours. Yata fell asleep after the ending of the second one and you felt tired yourself halfway through the third one. Saruhiko sighed as he noticed your sleepy state then turned the movie off. You rubbed your eyes as he did so then squinted your eyes at the sudden darkness.

"What's wrong? That was the best part." you asked while trying to stifle a yawn. He rolled his eyes at your childish behavior then checked his PDA to see how late it was.

"It's late and I can tell you're tired. Come on, let's go to bed." he said while gesturing you to stand up. You frowned, but knew he was right and stood up anyway.

"Alright, but..........nevermind." you started to say, but you thought your request would be seen as childish so you didn't finish the sentence. Saruhiko quickly noticed something was bothering you and wanted to put your mind at ease.

"Don't change your mind halfway through a sentence. Tell me what's wrong." he said as if to show that you could trust him. You felt touched at his words then thought again about if you should ask.

"Well, I was wondering if.......you would sleep next to me? I know it's childish for me to ask but - " you asked then started to explain your reasonings, but you were quickly cut off.

"Sure." Saruhiko said, but his voice came out quieter than he wanted it to. You froze at his quick answer then smiled at his answer. The two of you then climbed the ladder to the top bunk without disturbing Yata who snored softly with his arms sprawled above his head. It was an uncomfortable silence as the two of you laid back to back in the darkness of the late hours. You turned around then stared at his back as his chest softly rose and fell from his breathing. Lightly, you poked his side which caused him to look over his shoulder before fully turning around to face you.

"What's wrong?" Saruhiko asked just before you saw a light hit his blue eyes which gave them a pretty glow. You shook your head to clarify that nothing was wrong then wrapped your arms around the area above his waist and pulled him closer to you. He tensed up at the action as your forehead lightly touched his chest.

"I just want you to stay safe. Even if it means I have to go away." you said even though you knew that Saruhiko couldn't see it. He only wrapped his arms around your small frame then rested his chin on top of your head. Sleep overtook both of you before the tragic days came starting from the next morning.