"Ah... today is the day that I finally spend time with Aigis..." I hummed to myself happily. I was fully enjoying my time off now that school had ended, and I was spending a good deal of my vacation time catching up with my friends since I felt that I had been neglecting them. Today, however, I had reserved specifically for Aigis. Today we were going to go out, eat together, and do romantic stuff and all sorts of other things. It would have been perfect... except that I forgot to call her and instead decided to surprise her at her house.
"I probably should call..." I sighed as the chilly March breeze blew past me. "But that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?"
As I walked down the empty sidewalk past the houses bustling with people on this cold spring morning, I began to reminisce about the past week, during which both of my stepparents had met Aigis. The tiring ordeal began on the first Tuesday of spring break, when Eiichiro-san arrived home from his business trips two days early, only to find me sitting with Aigis' head against my shoulder as we watched a movie on the couch. Seeing as regular friends wouldn't have such intimate contact with each other, he was able to deduce that Aigis was definitely my girlfriend. After a few hours of frantic explanations and hastened introductions, as well as a brief interrogation by Yukari's dad, he found my girlfriend to be a "polite and delightful young lady", and fully accepted her as my girlfriend.
Yukari's mom, Takeba Yuuka, was also surprisingly accepting of Aigis.
Even though Eiichiro-san fully supported my relationship with Aigis, he absolutely refused to hide anything from his wife, no matter how far away she was due to business trips. Thus, I had been forced to call Yuuka-san to inform her of my new relationship. Upon her request, I called Aigis over to my house, who then engaged in a brief conversation with my stepmother. After five minutes had passed, I was handed back the phone by my now-flustered girlfriend.
"She sounds like a nice girl." She stated plainly in an unusually monotone voice.
Monotone. No enthusiasm... that's not a good sign.
"She's really sweet." I replied nervously.
"..."
"..."
"Is she cute?"
"Very."
"I see... and will she be able to make me some healthy grandchildren?"
"W-what!" I choked, caught completely off-guard by the question.
"Just kidding, Mina-chan! You're girlfriend seems nice, but I'll withhold my approval until I meet her in person. Have fun making me grandchildren!" she had laughed, before abruptly hanging up on me.
I sighed deeply, as another frosty chill snapped me out of my memories. I never liked that name... "Mina-chan"... it makes me sound like a girl, dammit.
But it's Yuuka-san's way of showing that she completely accepts me as her son, the same way I see her as my true mother, who loved and cared for me as if she had birthed me herself.
As I finally drew nearer to the house of my girlfriend I noticed, both to my surprise and horror that Aigis was standing outside of her front door, having a pleasant conversation with someone who I couldn't recognize. After I had taken cover behind a nearby bush, I observed silently for a few minutes until some activity occurred, and Aigis began to walk away from her abode with the figure in tow, which I now recognized as... Junpei.
...
As soon as this realization worked its way into my thought process, a million questions, demands and curses rang through my head, though the most prominent one was:
WHAT
THE
HELL!
Why is Aigis walking away with Junpei? Where are they going? Why is she going with HIM? WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE! WHY WHY WHY WHY WHYYYYY!
Rage, confusion, fear, and most importantly Anger coursed through my veins, physically heightening my internal temperature as I fumed angrily while watching Junpei walk down the sidewalk with Aigis in tow. Well, they weren't holding hands or anything like that, but... come on. Jealousy is a powerful thing, damn it.
I knew what I was going to do. I would tear through the bushes that I was hiding behind, tackle Junpei and knock him out then angrily demand an explanation for the two of them being together. Yes, that's what I'll do... I'll-
"But would she really do something like that to you?"
That single thought was the only thing that stopped me from tearing my best friend's throat out that very second. As I calmed myself and thought it over rationally, I realized that my fears were completely unjustified.
Firstly, I knew that Aigis loved me (or at least liked me very much), and had pretty much sworn not to do anything to hurt me. Also, she had willingly listened to my side of the story when I had spent an entire day with Fuuka without notifying her, not to mention that she had also forgiven me despite the grief that I had caused her...
So what reason was there to doubt her? Other than my insane paranoia that had almost caused me to act out irrationally, there was nothing...
"Okay then..." I sighed as I rubbed my temples to help me regain my composure. "But then why would she go off with him without calling me first?"
Well, the chances that she was actually going on a date with him were absolutely nothing, so that idea was out of the question...
Perhaps she was going shopping with him? ... But then why didn't she take me with her?
Okay, so assuming that they're just hanging out... there's no way that Aigis would do anything funny. Absolutely no way, no how. I trust her.
Junpei, on the other hand...
Him + pretty girl + unsupervised + Raging teenage hormones = ... He wouldn't dare...
...
I think I better follow them, just to be safe...
After following them onto the bus, through the train station and into Paulownia Mall, the only thing that had "happened" between Junpei and Aigis were a greeting and idle chatter. All other advances that Junpei had put forth had been immediately shot down by her, even if he was just joking.
"That's my girl. No sugar for him." I thought proudly.
I had been carefully monitoring their interactions while keeping a very precise distance from the pair, near enough that I could hear what they were saying but not so close as to risk being noticed. Not only that, I had to constantly make sure that I didn't look like I was following them, or I could be confronted by a police officer.
Damn, stalking someone is hard work.
...wait, I'm not stalking them. I'm just following them stealthily and carefully monitoring their actions just in case Junpei tries anything funny.
...Okay, fine. I am stalking them. Geez.
"This looks like a good store to look for one. Let's go!" my girlfriend's voice rang out, snapping me out of my trance. Fly eyes flew up just in time to see Aigis drag Junpei into Be Blue V, one of the more popular accessory stores in the mall.
"So she did drag him along for shopping..." I thought, leaning against the doorway and peering into the store as casually as possible. "But what is she buying that she would take Junpei along but not me?"
After about an hour watching my two friends dart in and out of store after store, it was obvious to me that Aigis was definitely shopping for something, though exactly what she was searching for escaped me. Nevertheless, it still bothered me that she had taken Junpei along with her instead of me.
However, as much as I wanted to continue to pursue them for as long as necessary, sneaking around the Mall while trying not to attract of the attention of Junpei, Aigis and the rest of the shoppers in Paulownia Mall was surprisingly exhausting. So it goes without saying that I was relieved when they headed to the food court for lunch.
"Thank god... I can finally rest my legs." I grumbled as I settled down in a table that was a safe distance from the one that my two friends were seated at. Even though I had my back turned to them, I was still able to steal a few glances at them at random intervals, and I could also eavesdrop on bits and pieces of their conversation.
...
No suspicious topics yet...
... I can't hear what they're saying...
...
... Wait a minute...
I leaned back just a tiny bit as a familiar sly grin that I never really liked crept onto my best friend's face.
"So how's it coming along with Minato-kun? Is he... satisfying you?"
The words that were uttered with such a sly and teasing voice echoed in my head as my eyes widened in shock...
Then in anger.
"I AM GOING TO KILL HIM." I thought as rage enveloped my psyche. "How DARE he-"
"Oh, how the mighty have fallen... Stalking your girlfriend while she's out with a friend, Minato? I never knew you could sink so low..." A very familiar and very disappointed voice mused from behind me as a firm hand took hold of my left shoulder.
I quickly turned my head to see a tall, slightly pale teen male with shoulder-length brown hair in his usual burgundy jacket, brown beanie and black pants staring down at me, a slight frown spread across his face that simply radiated chagrin.
"Oh. Uh... Shinji-senpai... fancy running into you here..." I stuttered, smiling up nervously at him.
"Cut the crap, Minato," he snapped as he quickly took a seat in front of me. "Now tell me what the hell you're doing or I blow your cover right now."
"But-"
"One." He deadpanned, his dark brown eyes drilling holes into mine.
Damn that look was scary.
"Oh come on-"
"Two. Three strikes and you're screwed." Shinjiro continued as his monotone gained a slight edge.
"Fine..." I sighed in defeat, "I'll tell you what's going on, so can we move somewhere else so we don't get caught?"
"Works for me. You're paying though." He grinned as he rose from his seat.
Crap...
We decided to head over to Chagall Café for safety's sake since it was a full twelve-minute trek away from the food court, and also because Shinji had decided to take pity on my near-empty wallet. After we had gotten settled in, I proceeded to recount the day's events to my brown-haired senpai, who quietly sipped on a single cup of coffee as I spoke.
"So that's why you did all this?" he asked, placing his now-empty cup on the table. "You're some kind of paranoid, you know that?"
"Huh?"
"Let me ask you something." He sighed, donning a serious expression that looked almost threatening. "How long have you and Iori-kun been friends?"
"What does that-" I began, but stopped stiff when I saw anger flaring in my senpai's eyes.
"Answer the question, Minato." He growled menacingly.
"Since the second grade."
"And do you think he's a good friend?"
"Well, he certainly has his faults, but all in all he's a pretty decent guy."
"So then... if Iori is such a decent fellow, coupled with the fact that he's one of your best friends, on what notion do you find any justification for believing that he would try to make a move on your girlfriend?" the tall Aragaki male finished, looking at me as if he were amused by my inability to respond.
"...Damn it." I groaned, unable to think of anything better to say.
Shinjiro chuckled in response to my brief outburst, but silently toyed with a packet of sugar as he waited for me to continue.
"...But how can I do anything else except go crazy when something like this happens?" I finally mumbled a few minutes later. "I... really like Aigis, you know? I couldn't help it."
"Minato, anyone who has a properly functioning mind can tell that the two of you are crazy for each other. Heck, I'd even go as far as to say that the two of you are in love." My friend grinned as he reached over and shook my shoulder. "Mitsuru and Aki see that. Junpei, Yukari and Fuuka can see that. Everyone in the goddamn school can see it." He chuckled.
"No way." I gawked, my eyes widening in surprise and horror.
"Well, it's kind of hard to miss considering how much time you two spend together, holding hands, eating lunch, giggling and laughing and all that other stuff." my brown-haired senpai chuckled, grinning from ear to ear as my face reddened in embarrassment. "Even some of the teachers have been talking about you two in the administration office!" he laughed as I slammed my face into the table to hide my shame.
"Seriously?" I asked, even though my request was muffled by my face being pressed into the tabletop.
"I've heard everything from "They look adorable together!" to "How shameless...", although it's mostly the female teachers who gossip about your relationship."
"Oh god..."
"My point is that since so many people know how much you two love each other, no one, especially your best friend, would be heartless enough to try to interfere with a relationship like yours. You get what I'm saying?" Shinji asked, smiling triumphantly.
It was a total defeat. When I really sat down and thought about it, there was no way that Junpei would try to steal my girlfriend away from me, not in a million years. Not that Aigis would ever let him, but that's beside the point.
"Now, I'm no psychiatrist-"
"Though you're great at helping people with their problems."
"That I am." Shinji chuckled, "But it seems to me like you just got incredibly jealous, and so the fear that stemmed from that jealousy clouded your judgment enough to make you believe that Junpei would actually try to make a move on Aigis."
"That sounds about right..." I mused, "But you really sounded like a professional psychologist right now, you know? So what do you recommend me to do now, doctor?"
"Hmm..." he droned as he stroked an imaginary beard. "I would suggest that you go home right now and calm yourself a little more. Then the next time that you see Aigis-san, bring it up casually and let her give her reasons for hanging out with Iori-kun today."
"That sounds like good advice, Doctor Aragaki." I joked, inciting a wide grin from my senpai.
"Mmm, yes. Now take this prescription and call me in the morning." He smirked, handing me the check before he rose from his seat and left.
Crap.
It had taken me about forty minutes to return back home, but now... all I could do was wait. I hadn't taken into consideration that the next time I saw Aigis could be any time... it could be a day, maybe a week or-
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
I jumped, startled, as my phone went off in my pocket. I hurriedly took it out, fumbling to answer the call.
"Hello?"
"Minato-kun?"
What the...
"Aigis?"
"Are you busy?"
"N-not really... why?"
"Do you mind if I come over to your house for a while? I... have a surprise for you."
"S-sure... see you soon then." I stammered as I hung up the phone.
Oh crap... I'm not ready for this.
I flopped down on my bed miserably as I bemoaned my difficult situation. How was I going to ask her what she was doing with Junpei? Should I just blurt it out or try to sneak it into a conversation? How is she going to react? What happens if she gets mad at me?
And where the hell is Yukari's extremely helpful advice in my time of need!?
I ripped my cell phone out of my pocket and dialed like a madman, typing my extensive plea for help while I also explained the day's events. After typing into my cell phone for what seemed to be an hour (even though it was only 4 minutes), I finally completed my message and hit the "Send" button.
Yukari's reply came surprisingly quickly.
" A friend's house; doing important girl stuff; don't bother me."
...
...
WHAT THE HELL!
Oh dear god... I'M SCREWED!
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
My mental anguish was interrupted as my phone went off a second time, and I saw, to my relief, that Yukari had sent a second reply, which read:
"Done. Alright then, my advice to you is that you should probably bring up the question casually, and most importantly CALMLY. Let her explain what happened today, and react to what she says appropriately. And if she gets pissed, that's your own fault, but if you explain the situation truthfully, I think she'll be okay with what you did. I'll be home by eight, so please get dinner started unless something really bad happens."
I could hear a hallelujah chorus echoing inside my mind as I read the text message. Finally, a beacon of hope, a ray of light at the end of the tunnel, a-
BZZT. BZZT. BZZT.
"You really should be solving your own problems though." Yukari's third and final text message read.
Okay, that was low... true, but low.
After forty minutes of writhing in mental anguish, banging my head against the wall and quivering with the overwhelming fear that Aigis was going to hate me for what I had done today, I finally managed to think up a practicable plan for how to handle the situation once Aigis arrived at my house.
(A/N: Practicable = can do it; Practical: can and should do it)
So, judging that it had taken me about forty minutes to trek back from Paulownia Mall to my home, I figured that Aigis would be ringing the doorbell any minute.
So as the clock clicked onto 2:47 p.m., I began waiting for my girlfriend to arrive.
And so I waited.
... And waited.
... And waited some more.
...
...
... Okay, this is taking way too long, where the heck-
DING DONG.
Oh.
I bolted out of my room the second the doorbell sounded, nearly slamming into the couch as I rushed to the front door. I did manage to inadvertently hit my knee on the coffee table as I ran past it, although I forced myself to ignore the pain as I unlatched the door.
"Hello~" Aigis beamed, smiling brightly at me as she walked through the doorway.
Ah... how I love that smile... No! I need to focus! Stick to the plan!
"So how's your day been so far?"
"It's been quite pleasant, actually." she replied as she took a seat on the couch.
I decided to pause as I took my place beside her before I continued.
"Were you doing anything?" I asked quietly as that nervous fear came itching at my spine again.
"Actually, I went shopping with Junpei-san today. He was helping me pick out a gift for you." Aigis responded with absolutely no hesitation or fear.
... Well that was anti-climactic. I was at least expecting her to pause a little bit before she answered.
... Hold on, what? She was doing what?
"You... went shopping for what now?" I asked, my former fear being quickly replaced with confusion.
"I bought you a gift, but I needed a second opinion from Junpei-san to make sure that you'd like it."
"Actually, it was a bit embarrassing for me... I should know what you like and don't like, and yet I still had to ask Junpei-san to help me pick out your present." She continued, chuckling sheepishly as she handed me a black rectangular box about an inch thick and as long as my forearm. I slowly opened the mysterious container to find... a very, very nice wristwatch that was quite shiny, looked like it was made from some very nice metal and had an intricate design on the rim of the clock. And it definitely looked like it cost more than a pretty penny.
"Junpei-san said you've been trying to get a new wristwatch but haven't had the time to, so... I hope you enjoy it..." she blushed.
I could only stare at the package that I held in my hand with stunned happiness. My brain was too shocked with relief to function properly, so it was time for me to start blurting out the first things that came to mind.
"So this is what you were looking for with Junpei? Wow, I followed you two all morning for nothing. My suspicions were totally off!" I chuckled.
...
...
Oh shit. I did NOT say that out loud.
Well, there goes plans A through E...
"You did... what?" Aigis asked, her barely audible voice quivering with what I assumed to be disbelief, sorrow, or possibly rage.
Crap, there goes my plan...
"I-I can explain-"
"Why...?"
As she looked at me with those tearful, deep azure orbs that I loved, now full of intense hurt and sorrow, I couldn't help regretting the actions that I had taken today. And I mean really regretting it. I... honestly felt lower than dirt. Lower than the Earth's crust. Lower than magma, lower than- well, you get the idea.
"Why does it... why is it that you still can't trust me? I... I trust you with all of my heart... a-and yet..."
"Aigis... I'm sorry, I-"
"I-if... after this long... if you're still unable to fully trust me... i-if I s-still haven't earned your trust, th-then maybe we should just..." she sobbed, her voice beginning to crack as the tears freely flowed from her tightly shut eyes.
"W-wait! What are you-"
"...m-maybe we... shouldn't be together anymore..."
...
...
... Did I hear that right?
The devastating feeling of utter loss that enveloped me as my jaw slackened and dropped was a certain indication that I had heard Aigis correctly. And to be honest, the fear that was now wrapped around my mind really scared the living shit out of me.
"Y-you don't mean... you're not serious... are you?"
An empty silence filled the house as my blonde-haired companion apparently refused to respond. As she hung her head silently the sound of the wall clock ticking away the time resounded through my otherwise empty house as I awaited her response.
Tick...
Tock...
Tick...
Tock...
Tick...
Okay, this is just plain torture. At this rate it's going to drive me cra-
"I... I think I am. Serious about... what I said, I mean."
Damn.
... Okay, NOW I feel absolutely hollow. No, scratch that...
I think my heart's been torn right out of my chest.
"... I should leave now." Aigis murmured, quietly rising from her seat beside me.
"... Wait." I said, quickly taking hold of her wrist before she could move away. "I-"
"... You do not want me to break up with you?" Aigis asked, her voice sounding surprisingly cold. "Then please explain to me the reasons you had for stalking me for most of the morning and for the first few hours of the afternoon."
Oh dear god... this is going to be hard.
As Aigis retook her place beside me, I desperately attempted to think of a way to describe why I had chased after she had left her home without making myself seem like an ass.
After five minutes passed my mind was still blank.
"... Have you organized your explanation yet?" Aigis asked with a blank stare on her face.
"... Uh... not really." I laughed embarrassedly as I prayed that she would wait a little longer.
Sadly, my prayers went unanswered.
"I'll be going then." she murmured as she rose from the couch for the second time, an air of finality about her as she did so.
"Goodbye."
That one word pierced my heart like no bullet, knife or any other weapon could have. And at that moment, I felt true and utter despair.
"No... This can't be happening" I thought to myself as I sank to the floor.
Today was supposed to be perfect... I was going to go out with Aigis, and-
Ah... I got too comfortable, didn't I? I took for granted the assumption that she would she would always be with me... that our feelings for each other would allow us to overcome any mistake that would, could be made...
My pride swelled too much... and I couldn't let our relationship end like this just because of my stupidity. At the very least, I was going to tell her the truth before she walked out on me.
"... I was jealous..." I mumbled, my words stopping Aigis a few feet before the front door.
"Pardon?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at me.
"I was jealous, okay!" I shouted desperately as I rose back onto my feet. "I'm so madly in love with you that when I saw you going somewhere with Junpei without telling me it drove me insane! It made me so crazy that I actually deluded myself into thinking that you were going to go on a date with him or something! But I'm sorry, alright? I never should have done it, and I'm really, really sorry..."
...
Okay, I wanted to tell her the truth, but I didn't mean to say that much. I really need to stop these mindless outbursts...
Still, everything that I said was absolutely true.
... Honestly, a week ago, I was still considering whether or not I was truly in love with her. Now I'm using that to try and save our relationship.
God... I must sound pathetic.
A dangerously empty silence filled the house as we stood there, neither of us making a single move. The true implications of what I had just done finally hit me in the face, and for a few minutes I couldn't look Aigis in the eye, although I could see from her body language that she was clearly shocked.
When I finally mustered up the courage to look my blonde-haired companion in the face, I saw a very, very strange look in her eyes.
Shock, fear, surprise and confusion were the most prominent feelings that I saw reflected in her perfect blue eyes.
...Say, that expression looks familiar.
Wait, didn't she also have that look when I told her about that dream...?
Oh dear god.
The second her gaze met mine her eyes widened, and the both of us made a mad dash for the door. I just barely managed to slip past her outstretched arm and blocked her access to the door with my body a split second before she reached the handle.
"NO! Let me go! Please!" she shouted, desperately beating on my chest with her fists.
I stood there and took the beating, waiting patiently for her to run out of energy. A few seconds later, she finally caved, stopping her assault as she sank to her knees, sobbing softly.
"Aigis... come on..." I pleaded, kneeling down to meet her gaze. "You did this before, so let's just talk about what's bothering-"
"I-I told you..." she sobbed as her head hung limp, her entire body shaking as she cried. "I told you that I wouldn't be able to be a good girlfriend for you..."
"What makes you say that?"
"I don't know how to respond to that!" she wailed. "I want to say "I love you" too, but I don't know if I really feel that way! I don't know what the feeling of love is! I only know what it is to like you!"
I really couldn't think of how I should respond to her outburst, so I just wrapped my arms around the sobbing girl and let her cry into my shoulder.
"I don't care about any of that." I murmured softly into her ear once her sobbing had resided.
"How can you not care!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the empty hall as she pushed me away enough for her to meet my gaze again. "How can I just sit here without knowing how to reciprocate your feelings? How can I live with myself knowing that you have to suffer without the knowledge of whether or not I feel the same way? Tell me how!" she screamed as desperation and confusion began to leak into her voice.
"Well... to be honest, it's a little saddening that you don't know if you love me or not-"
"See!"
"-but, I understand how your circumstances would make it difficult for you to figure out whether or not you feel the same way about me, and how difficult it is to not know something so important... And I want you to know that I'll be more than happy to wait for your response for as long as you need to think about it." I continued.
"But why?" she asked, her voice a faint whisper as she looked up at me with wide eyes. "How can you wait indefinitely for my answer? Even if it means that I my feelings may not be as strong as yours?"
"It's because I want you to find your feelings at your own pace and in your own time. If you don't find them on your own or if we rush it you may jump to the wrong conclusion, so you may not find what you actually feel."
"Ah..." she murmured as her gaze slowly softened. "I see..."
"And besides," I smiled, leaning my head in to press my forehead to hers, "you can't really know when you're in love until it's the right time... so let's just treasure what we have right now, and when the time comes you can tell me what your true feelings for me are."
Silence filled the hall once again as we stood in each others' embrace, and I savored the feel of her hands as they gentle pressed against my back, the smooth feel of her forehead against mine, the golden cascade of hair that tried but failed to hide the deep blush spread across her face...
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder... well, I think that this girl standing in my arms is absolutely perfect. And I won't allow anyone else to tell me otherwise.
"I think you're too kind to me..." she mumbled after a while.
"That's what I do. I'm your boyfriend." I chuckled as I gently placed a kiss on her forehead.
"...Minato-kun?"
"Yes, Aigis?"
"Promise that you will stay by me until I figure out how I really feel about you. Even if I have a fit of insanity and scream at you to leave me, please don't... because even if I don't know whether or not I truly love you, I..."
She paused briefly to look up at me, her eyes nearly glowing with warmth and affection, her soft and beautiful smile radiant and gentle, and her expression so full of adoration that it made my heart skip a beat.
"I do know that I'm happiest when I'm with you... I know that when you hold my hand, when you hug me, when smile at me, my heart and my entire body fills with this gentle warmth that I cannot even begin to describe... and when we kiss, I feel as if I could do anything and overcome any obstacle with no trouble at all..."
"A-and I... also want to be by your side for as long as possible, so I can continue to cherish these feelings for as long as I can, so... please..." she gripped my shirt tightly, as if she feared that I would slip away if she loosened her hold. "Please stay with me... for as long as you can tolerate me..."
"Of course." I smiled, pulling her into my embrace once again. "I'll always be here for you."
As she buried her head into my collarbone for the second time we made our way back over to the couch, where we sat together in relative silence.
I debated turning on the TV, but that idea was shot down when I realized that my girlfriend had fallen asleep on my shoulder, as per the usual.
Should I wake her up... or maybe not?
...
Screw it. I could use a nap too.
And with that, I leaned my head to the side, rested my head against my girlfriend's, and slowly drifted off to sleep...
~a Few Hours Later~
The loud buzzing of my cell phone woke me from my extremely peaceful rest, and I groggily fumbled with my pocket to pull the damn thing out.
"I'm going to be sleeping over my friend's house tonight. Already came to pick up my clothes, you two look cute sleeping together but keep it down to a minimum. –Yukari"
What?
...That was unexpected...
I rubbed my eyes sleepily as my gaze wandered over the wall in front of me, taking in the various wall ornaments and pictures, and finally coming to a slow halt on the wall clock quietly ticking away.
6:23 p.m. ...
Wait, WHAT!
"Oh, damn!" I hissed, attempting to slap myself on the head only to be stopped by my girlfriend, amused to find her still slumbering peacefully against my arm.
Well that's all fine and dandy, but at this rate I won't be able to get Aigis home for her father's strict 6:45 curfew...
Greaaaaat... Big Daddy Kensuke gets to crush my face in... woo.
"Aigis, wake up." I whispered, gently shaking my girlfriend's shoulder only to have her tighten her grip on my arm.
Okay, that didn't work... time for a different approach.
I snaked my free arm over to her side, tickling her ribs until she awoke suddenly in a fit of laughter.
"Why did you wake me up like that?" she pouted, and hit my arm lightly. "I was enjoying-"
"Enjoying...?"
"... Never mind." she blushed, turning away quickly. "It was nothing."
"What? Were you going to say that you liked sleeping with me on the couch?" I joked. However, I was quite surprised when she turned away with an embarrassed nod.
"Wow... all right..."
"..."
Our brief moment of hesitant silence was interrupted by the loud buzzing of a cell phone. The noise caused the both of us to jump slightly, and the couch creaked in protest as we searched our pockets.
"My dad is calling." Aigis said worriedly.
Oh, bloody frickin' hell.
I could only wait in fearful anticipation as I watched my girlfriend quietly converse with her father.
Oh, this is not good.
This is not good at all.
This is not good this is not good this is not good this is not good this is-
"W-what?"
Her sudden outburst snapped me back to attention, and I began to quiver in horror at the possible causes for her cry.
"I can't ask him that!"
Oh crap.
"But isn't that a bit rude? And it also seems really intrusive..."
Double crap.
"Well, if you're certain that it will be okay, I'll ask..." she sighed.
RED ALERT! RED ALERT! IMMINENT DOOM APPROACHING! RTFA AND HIDE!
"Minato-kun? May I ask you something?" she asked as she slowly lowered the phone from her ear.
I think I failed to sense the nervousness in her voice due to the fact that I had pretty much lost my mind due to the insane fear bouncing around in my mind.
"Y-yes...?" I asked, very much afraid of the next words that going to come out of her mouth.
"Uh... my father says that he has to cover for one of his friends from the night shift..."
"Okay..."
"And he doesn't want me to be all alone at home for... safety reasons..."
"Uhuh..."
"And he was wondering if you would be kind enough to let me spend the night here..." she finished, her cheeks reddening slightly as she did.
Oh that wasn't that bad...
Wait...
Did Aigis just ask if she could sleep over? At my house? OVERNIGHT?
How exactly should I take this...?
"Uh... it will be okay if you can't..." Aigis murmured, noticing the shock in my expression. "I can just-"
"Sure, I'd love to have you over." I replied automatically.
"Is it really all right?" she questioned, eyeing me worriedly. "I wouldn't want to intrude on your evening..."
"Don't worry about it. It's fine by me." I smiled. Without thinking. AGAIN.
Wow. I really need to stop these mindless outbursts, they'll get me killed one of these days...
I just hope I won't get in trouble with Yukari for this...
After Aigis had confirmed the situation with her dad, she hurried back to her house to gather her toiletries, nightwear and the like. Following her departure, I frantically texted Yukari to make sure that she wouldn't maul me for having Aigis over for the evening.
"Don't try anything funny. Or else." she replied, and even though her message could not convey the emotions behind her words I could feel a noose tightening around my neck. Not that I was even thinking of doing anything strange, but I now had extra motivation not to.
Since it was getting late, I decided to start cooking dinner for the both of us. A warm smell of cooking food permeated through the house as I began preparing our meal. By the time Aigis returned with her belongings, I had two plates of chicken cutlet and rice ready to eat, coupled with a side of shredded seaweed. Nothing too fancy, but it should fit the bill.
Since neither of us seemed interested sitting at the dinner table, we decided to eat on the couch in front of the TV. An uncomfortable silence set in while we ate, the news announcer on the screen prattling on about things we really didn't care about.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"... Okay, I can't take this standstill anymore." I grumbled mentally as I began to get a little nervous from the lack of conversation. "I want to do something to lighten the mood... but what?"
"..."
"..."
As I continued contemplating my next course of action, I failed to notice that Aigis stealthily edging closer and closer to me. I only realized what was happening when she shifted her body to lean against mine and rested her head against my collarbone.
"What are you doing?"
"I am resting against you. Can't you tell?" she smiled, nuzzling against me.
"I see." I chuckled, putting my arm around my girlfriend's shoulder.
I really don't think I have anything to worry about...
Tonight just might turn out all right...
Despite the massive clutter in the house guest room, I managed to tidy up the room and cleared out all of the junk on the bed while Aigis made preparations to go to sleep. After I showed my girlfriend to her bedroom, I slipped into my favorite pair of black jogging pants and navy t-shirt, brushed my teeth, and went to my bedroom to go to sleep as well.
It was only a short while later that I heard a quiet knock at my door. I groggily sauntered over to my door, and was somewhat surprised to see Aigis outside of my bedroom, fidgeting nervously in a white nightgown with a cute but simple dotted pattern on it.
"Yes?" I asked sweetly, causing the blonde-haired girl's eyes to dart away briefly before meeting my gaze.
"I... uh... mmm..." she stammered, struggling to speak her mind before clamping her mouth shut and looking away embarrassedly.
"Too nervous to sleep by yourself?"
From the way that she flinched when I asked that question, I knew that I had hit the bull's-eye of the situation.
"Come on in." I sighed, widening the gap in the doorway to allow my girlfriend passage into my room. The dim whirring of my ceiling fan filled my room as I slid onto my bed, the bedsprings squeaking as I laid down.
"..."
"..."
"... Um... where do I sleep?" Aigis questioned nervously, still standing sheepishly in front of the doorway.
"Isn't it obvious?" I mumbled, moving so that one half of my bed was left free.
"I... don't think it is... maybe you're suggesting that you want me to-"
"I'm not letting you sleep on the floor" I mumbled impatiently, "so hop in already. We can sleep back to back if it makes you more comfortable." I finished, patting the empty space behind me.
"I... well... is it really okay?" she asked, a nervous tone edging into her voice.
"Sure."
My bedroom filled with an empty silence again, save the occasional shuffle of my girlfriend's feet as she inched her way towards my bed. Finally, after three minutes that seemed like an eternity, I finally felt the bed shift slightly behind me as Aigis took her place on the bed, and her back pressed against mine as she moved into a more comfortable position.
"..."
"..."
"... g'night Aigis."
"Sleep well, Minato-kun."
"No more 'just Minato'?" I joked.
"... It feels more proper for me to address you with "kun" attached to your name. Does that bother you?"
"Not at all," I laughed, "so long as I can hear you saying my name I don't care what you call me. Except Mina-chan. The rights to that nickname are reserved only for Yuuka-san. I will not tolerate anyone else calling me that."
"Is that so?" my girlfriend giggled.
"Yes. It is so." I huffed. And that was that.
A calm silence filled the room as I closed my eyes in an attempt to fall asleep. However, the unusual presence of the warm body pressed against my back was much too distracting, and after several minutes of listening to her soft breathing I still couldn't manage to lose consciousness.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"...Are you still awake?" I murmured, unsure if I would even get a response.
"Yes. I have not fallen asleep yet." came my companion's brief yet surprising reply. "My position isn't very comfortable, to tell you the truth." she laughed.
"Oh. Sorry." I began embarrassedly. "Let me move-"
"I have a suggestion."
"And that would be...?"
"Turn around." she replied simply.
The sound of my bed's slight squeaks of protest briefly filled the room as I shifted my weight as I complied with Aigis' instructions.
"Okay, now wha-"
And that's as far as I got before I was met with the surprisingly calm visage of my girlfriend, who was also lying on her side to face me, thus putting us in a position that could only be properly described as "sleeping in each others' arms".
"Much better." she yawned contentedly as she nuzzled her head against my chest.
My mind was essentially in complete shock, and not just because Aigis had wrapped her arms around my neck while mine had decided to place themselves around my girlfriend's waist. The only other thing that was properly processed was that the position that I was in right now could easily warrant my death by Yukari's hands if she caught us.
"Um... Aigis?"
"Yes?" she asked, her breath sending a blissful shiver down my spine as it made contact with my collarbone.
Must... fight... evil thoughts...
"Isn't this position a little... much?" I stammered in my uncertainty as how to properly word my question.
"You do not like it?"
"N-no, I do, but-"
"This is... cuddling, correct?"
"...What?" I replied flatly. How the hell does she know what cuddling is? What kind of manga has she been reading!
"This is the proper thing to do when a couple sleeps in the same bed, right?" she asked, her eyes glowing slightly as they caught the dim moonlight that shone through my window.
"But only serious couples do these things..." I protested.
"... You said you love me, right?"
"I did say that, but-"
"Then isn't it safe to say that you are 'serious about me'?"
"I- I suppose so, but-"
"You're concerned because I do not feel as strongly yet?" she questioned, a slight tone of triumphant understanding edging its way into her voice.
"Yes..." I replied, feeling somewhat vulnerable since she could read me so easily.
"Honestly, this position is very embarrassing for me as well. But..."
She paused briefly as she tenderly reached up to brush a few strands of hair away from my eyes, and then quietly met my gaze. After a few moments of silence, she smiled contently before she slowly pulled her hand back, the tips of her fingers lightly brushing against my cheek as she did so.
"... You are... very, very precious to me..." she continued nervously. "So... even if I do not love you yet... even if my social ineptitudes will bar us from having a normal relationship... even if methods of expressing my affection for you such as what we are doing right now make me embarrassed beyond words..."
"I would still like to be able to hold you like a normal girlfriend would..."
"I would like to make our relationship as normal as possible so that you will not have to concern yourself about my inabilities and shortcomings..."
"I want to do whatever I can to make you as happy as possible..."
"So... please... grant me just this one request... please let me sleep with you like this." she finished softly, pressing herself against me even more tightly.
...Well, damn. How could I say no after such a heartfelt speech? I'd have to be some kind of heartless to refuse her.
"Sure..." I sighed. "But please realize that Yukari will kill me if she finds us like this tomorrow morning."
"I will not allow her to harm you."
"Pardon?"
"I will explain tonight's events to Yukari-san in the morning, and if she continues to pursue physical punishment then I will protect you." she declared, gripping my shirt tightly.
"I'll be counting on you." I laughed, causing my girlfriend to bury her head into my chest even more.
As my fatigue finally began to set in, I couldn't help but notice how tightly Aigis clung to me, as if she believed that I would slip away if she loosened her hold; the warmth of her body as she snuggled against me and the light scent of perfume that filled my senses as her rhythmic breathing slowly soothed my mind. And it still amazed me just how far she was willing to go to do what she thought would make me happy.
She claims that I'm too kind to her, but... it's times like these that I feel like I'm still not doing enough for her...
~The Next Day~
I awoke to the sounds of the world around me. Raindrops pummeling my window, birds chirping as they took shelter on the nearby tree, the low humming of the AC, the sound of Aigis mumbling cutely in her sleep as her head rested against my shoulder-
"Ahem."
Ahem?
I groggily rubbed my eyes as I struggled to sit up, scanning my room for the source of the odd sound through squinting eyes.
Nothing out of the ordinary... nothing... nothing... nothing... pink cardigan... nothing... noth-
Pink...?
Oh shit.
My eyes flew open in horror and disbelief as I prayed to God, Kami-sama and whoever the heck else is up there that I was imagining things. However, I am neither delusional nor mentally disturbed enough for that to actually happen, and so my gaze met the eyes of one very pissed off Yukari Takeba with a grin on her face that clearly said "You are DEAD."
"Good morning" she hummed in a tone so full of false sweetness that it was actually very frightening, "Did you sleep well?"
"Y-yes... B-but I-"
"Can you get out of the bed, please?" she asked, though I knew that I didn't really have much of a choice but to do as she said.
The bedsprings squeaked softly as I slowly maneuvered my way off of my bed, taking extra care not to wake Aigis up with my movements. After I got onto my feet Yukari forcefully guided me out of my bedroom, where I knew she was pretty much going to execute me.
"Yukari, I swear I didn't-" I began to defend my case, but stopped immediately when my brown-haired stepsister shot me a gaze that seethed quiet rage.
"What did I tell you not to do last night?" she asked, her voice sending deathly chills through my body as she spoke.
"... You said not to do anything funny or weird." I sighed. "But-"
"And what does you and Aigis sleeping in the same bed constitute as?"
"...Something weird."
This will not end well for me.
"And what does that warrant?"
"... Divine punishment?"
"Yep." Yukari smiled, and began to prepare the fatal punch.
Time seemed to slow itself as Yukari's fist made its way to my jaw, giving me a few brief moments for some final thoughts before I was sent to the eternal abyss.
Figuratively, of course.
"I should have seen this coming..."
"Oh well, at least I got to sleep together with Aigis last night... no! Away, evil thoughts! BEGONE!"
"So much for her protecting me then. Though I doubt she could actually stop Yukari from hitting me..."
"... This is going to hurt, isn't it?"
"... Hey wait a minute... Yukari still hasn't given me back the 1500 yen she borrowed from me last-"
WHAM.
Crrk.
I think my nose broke.
Takeba Yukari. WINS. Fatality.
... No, wait, I'm still conscious.
I groaned as I painfully attempted to stabilize myself, but a sharp jab shot through my elbow that collapsed my arm in my attempt.
"Huh... looks like you took that one pretty well." Yukari beamed, cracking her knuckles as she loomed over me. "Ready for round two?"
Oh come on.
"Wait!" a familiar voice wailed as a blonde-headed blur threw itself on top of me.
"Great timing." I grinned as I gazed into the frantic face of my girlfriend.
"I'm so sorry! ...Oh, you're hurt!" she cried, beginning to fuss over me desperatly. "Hold on, I-"
"Good morning, Aigis." Yukari said with sweet-poison-dipped cheer. "I'm not quite done punishing-"
"Ah, about that..."
"I'm saved..." I breathed a deep sigh of relief as Aigis began to explain the night's events to the still-fuming brunette towering over me.
Yay, I'm not dead!