"You can come check out my room if you want," you offered as you walked into the building.
"Yeah sure, I just gotta change first." He responded. The two of you headed your separate ways for now, and during this time you quickly changed into more comfortable clothes and began to clean up your room. Let's be honest, it was not very clean.
Three knocks came from your door as you frantically shoved the last of your dirty laundry into a hamper that was then stowed away in your closet. "Come in!"
Megumi shyly walked into your dorm before he took it all in. Pictures were scattered all over the walls, and posters lined the ceiling. You had plushies in almost every corner of your room (now including Kole), and your curtains were colored. Your bedsheets were white, but you had fuzzy throw pillows and blankets to contrast them. You had fairy lights plugged in that lined the ceiling, so you never had your big light on.
"Wow, I'm not exactly sure what I expected your dorm to look like, but this definitely suits you," he said with a smile.
He sat on your bed and you joined him. "Thanks, I took a lot of pride in decorating my room here. Maybe I went a little overboard, but I wasn't really allowed to decorate my room back home."
"Why not?" He asked patiently.
"My parents are miserable which meant I had to be miserable too I guess.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he whispered. You grabbed his hand.
"It's alright. Just another perk of being here."
Megumi just gave you a sad stare, "Do you have other family?"
"Not really," you looked up and saw his upset gaze, "But, you can't miss what you never had, ya know."
Suddenly, you felt arms engulf you. You instinctively froze considering you weren't expecting it at all. After a moment, however, you tried your best not to melt in his arms. Instead, you returned the hug.
"Hey, are you alright? You're more upset than I am," you spoke lightheartedly. He nodded into your shoulder.
"You deserve so much more than what this world has to offer," His affirmation rang out in your head as it kept repeating in your mind. He traced circles on your back. "And I know what it's like to not have a family. I can imagine how it was for you and that makes me upset."
You pursed your lips as you kept him within your tight embrace. It almost seemed like he needed this hug. After staying in his arms for a little while longer, you felt his grip around you loosen. However, we wasn't exactly pulling away.
That's when it hit you.
He fell asleep.
You mentally panicked as you began to think of what to do.
I guess he could sleep in here, he is wearing sweatpants and a tshirt so it wouldn't be uncomfortable, you thought. Wait but then where would I sleep? I don't want to sleep beside him and make him uncomfortable.
You continued with your mental conflict as you gently laid him back into your bed before standing on the floor. He looked quite peaceful when he slept, and it was honestly a cute sight.
You walked over to dim the fairy lights until only a faint light emitted from them, and you sat at your desk; thinking about your current predicament.
Is it even allowed for him to sleep in my dorm? I wouldn't want him to get in trouble. But I don't want to wake him, and I sure as hell couldn't carry him back to his room. The thought of asking someone else what to do had also crossed your mind, but you didn't want any assumptions to go around about the two of you.
At this moment, you heard rustling in the sheets. You looked over to see Megumi stir.
"Y/n?" He sleepily called out. You stood up from the desk and sat on the edge of the bed.
"Hey, do you need a drink or anything?" You quietly asked. He sat up.
"No, um, I'm sorry for falling asleep like that. How long was I out for?"
"Only about 10 minutes, and I assure you, it's totally fine."
"Okay, I can go back to my room if you'd like," he began to swing his legs around the side.
"No- it's fine- you don't have to," you said abruptly. You could feel a heat rise to your cheeks as you stared at Megumi who returned your gaze. "W-what I mean is, is that I don't mind. I can sleep on the floor."
"No, if anything I'll sleep on the floor, it's your bed," he argued.
"Yeah, it's my bed, my room so I make the rules. Meaning, I'll sleep on the floor."
"Now what kind of gentleman would I be if I let the pretty lady like you sleep on the floor."
You blushed as soon as he said it. He seemed to get bolder the more tired he got.
You sighed, "just let me sleep on the floor."
"You're not going to take no for an answer, are you?"
"Nope," you stated as you grabbed a pillow and a blanket and got comfortable on the carpeted floors. It actually wasn't too bad.
"Well, goodnight y/n. I had fun tonight. Hopefully we can do something again soon," he spoke from above you.
"I had fun too, and yeah, I would like that a lot," you smiled to yourself as you felt yourself drift into sleep.
—
You woke up surrounded by darkness. Everywhere you looked was dark. You couldn't even see your own hands that were sticking out in front of you. Hoping the darkness would fade, you walked around. There obviously wasn't much to see, but you kept walking. After a few more minutes of aimlessly wandering in the dark. A light flashed in your eyes and quickly faded away. After blinking the floaters away, you walked in the direction the light came from. You eventually came across an empty tank. Upon inspection it looked normal, but then you saw the hatch.
"Hello again, my lovely y/n." A voice echoed in the darkness.
You jumped, and met the eyes of Mahito who was lounging in a beach chair. "Hi."
"It's interesting really," Mahito started, but quickly stopped.
"What is?" You asked, making sure to keep your distance between him and the tank.
"How you're able to come here and see me. You really are valuable. Too bad they only see you as a medic. You could be so powerful."
"What are you saying?" You pushed. The atmosphere just got much darker.
"I really am sorry for the pain I inflicted onto you, but I suppose they were good tests. You did survive after all," he sighed. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that we could make a great team, y/n."
You scowled, "I told you not to call me that."
"My apologies," he sickly smiled before sipping something out a coconut that just appeared. After awhile, he continued. "So what'll it be. You'll join me?"
"No." You spat without hesitation. Mahito rolled his eyes and shook his head.
"Teenage girls are the most spiteful creatures to ever walk the Earth. Keep it up and you can be the most spiteful girl in the Afterlife."
You backed away. "You said I was needed alive."
"Well, I suppose we could use you, but we've recently made a discovery. A discovery that could change the way things are forever." Mahito smiled once again.
"What do you mean?"
"Here, I'll show you a sneak peek of what's to come," he laughed and all of a sudden the scene changed. Someone was now floating in that tank. You walked closer to get a better look before your heart sank.
"Megumi," you whimpered before banging your fists on the glass. "Get him out!"
Mahito just kept laughing. "Do you really think that you can stop this? It's inevitable y/n."
You started to cry hysterically against the tank. "Please let him go, take me instead."
There was a gleam in Mahito's eyes. "See you soon, my sweet."
—
You woke up for the second time, however this time you were covered in sweat and your heart was racing. Tears streamed down your face as you hyperventilated.
You choked out a few sobs, not even realizing that Megumi had been sleeping above you. He was going to die soon. And you couldn't do anything about it.
"Y/n? Y/n are you alright?" He asked, quickly peering off of the side of the bed to see you balled up on the floor, shaking.
You didn't even hear him, you were so focused on what Mahito had said that when he touched you, you flinched.
"Hey, what's wrong?" He asked, lots of concern in his voice. You couldn't respond so you just kept crying. "Was it a nightmare?"
You nodded frantically as he motioned for you to join him on the bed. You couldn't even look at him without picturing the tank.
"Can you tell me what happened?" He asked softly as he gently scratched you back, making sure to avoid the stitches. You began to calm down from his touch.
You shook your head no.
"Okay, I'm right here when you're ready," he responded gently.
You sobbed and shook your head into his chest. This raised his level of concern, but at the moment what was he to do?
Minutes had passed and you began to calm down. It was a nightmare after all, so who knows if wherever you were was real.
"Thank you Megumi," you whispered as you began to fall asleep. You heard Megumi reply with his sweet voice before you felt his hug tighten.
[word count: 1637]
I hated this chapter even when it first wrote it so I'm glad i got to scratch it