AN: Poor Haru. I think I'm torturing him too much. Well, at least this
one's less angsty than the previous chapters since Haru decided he needed a
wee little break although I doubt he sees this as much of an improvement.
*laughs evilly* But what's bad for him is fun for everyone else, right?
This chapter came out to be longer than I thought it would be which, I suppose, is typical for me. But I did have to cut it short since the rest of what I had planned for this chapter will be going into the next one. So just wait for it and enjoy what's here in the meantime, okay? (^_~)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
CHAPTER 4: Awkward Entrances
"Honda-san, wake up."
She blinked drowsily at the intrusion into her slumber, wondering groggily why Yuki's voice sounded so much like Hatsuharu's. Then her eyes flew open wide when they registered white hair and she jerked back with a startled gasp, nearly toppling over in her sudden hasty motion. When she steadied herself, she looked back to see a hint of humor peeking through that blank expression of his and she flushed with embarrassment.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said, mortified.
"You must have been tired," he commented. "But it's late so you really should be getting back."
"Yes, I should," she sighed as she rose, stiff muscles protesting the motion. But she glanced at him in concern. "But what about Hatsuharu- san?"
"I'll be fine."
"You'll go home, right?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, as if working out a crick, but didn't answer.
"Hatsuharu-san?"
"You should just head back. Really, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine."
"No." She shook her head. "Don't even think about staying here all night. It's not safe. Unless Hatsuharu-san promises to go home, I'm not leaving."
"Don't be silly." He looked in consternation at the determined expression he was met with. "You can't stay out here."
"Neither should Hatsuharu-san," she said firmly. "Go home."
He thought of that place, one of isolation and devoid of warmth, and frowned.
Noticing it, Tohru grew more concerned. "Hatsuharu-san? Is it really someplace to be avoided that badly?"
He blinked. He hadn't realized he'd done anything to indicate his feelings so blatantly.
"I see," she murmured. She tapped her chin thoughtfully as an idea came to her mind. "If Hatsuharu-san really doesn't want to go home, and since I can't just leave anyone out here alone, there's only one thing left to do."
He regarded her warily, wondering what it was she had in mind.
```````````````````````````````````````````
He couldn't believe he was doing this.
Despite his reputation as a delinquent in some circles, which was usually greatly exaggerated, he felt he was a rather boring and retiring figure and not given to madcap adventures - certainly, he'd never really attempted something like this. Feeling oddly nervous, he could only think that if he were caught, the rumors about him would gain a more solid foothold in fact. After all, to his recollection, being caught sneaking into a girl's bedroom at night had never done a speck of good for any man's reputation. And here he was, attempting that very thing which could spell doom for him if he were caught, that could lead to him being branded a stalker, a peeping tom, a pervert, or worse, though he couldn't really think of anything worse.
He had to be insane.
"Hatsuharu-san?"
He froze, for a moment thinking he was hearing voices and fearing that the men in white coats would be appearing at any second to haul him away in a straightjacket. But, no, it was only Tohru who was looking at him with such wariness that he wondered just what sort of expression it was that she could see on his face.
And to think, he used to believe that he had such an unreadable poker face.
"I'm sorry," she said, voice pitched low so as not to alert anyone else to their presence. "If I had known Hatsuharu-san would dislike the idea so much, I'd never have suggested it."
"I don't mind," he responded quickly, guilty that she obviously felt so remorseful when it was him who was causing problems with his qualms against going home. "Really, I'm fine with it."
"Well, then." Though she still appeared doubtful, she let it go. "You know where my room is, right?"
Hatsuharu nodded.
"Then please go on up. I have to put these away," she referred to the bento box and thermos clutched in her arms. "My door's not locked so feel free to just go in."
He nodded again, watching for a moment as, with a brief smile, she turned and headed in the direction of the kitchen.
Clutching the blanket, he unconsciously wrung it in his hands, an indication of his attack of nerves as he was faced with ascending the darkened staircase he needed to traverse in order to reach the upper levels of the house. It was a familiar path and one he usually undertook with ease and quickness. But that was when he was friend who entered these halls as a guest, usually intent on visiting Yuki, who intended for his presence to be noticed.
Now he was a friend trying to sneak in unnoticed.
It was definitely a different atmosphere altogether, filled with a sense of secrecy and urgency he was unaccustomed to as he made his way up the flight of stairs. He went to the task, moving as slowly as could so as not to cause the wooden boards to creak any more that necessary. Despite his misgivings about this adventure, he felt that, having come this far, it would be cowardly to turn back now. But, even so, he had no desire to do any more than was required so as not to give away his presence to the other occupants of the house.
He froze at a particularly loud creaking that seemed to resound unnaturally in the silence. Muscles tense, he waited for any tell tale sign that his misguided step would give him away as an intruder.
There was nothing.
He swallowed around a throat gone dry and wondered how he had gotten himself in this mess in the first place. But the answer was obvious.
Honda Tohru.
Angel or devil?
At the moment, with unusual anxiety causing his stomach to somersault in flips that he didn't think was particularly healthy, he was hard pressed to decide. On one hand, only an angel would make the suggestion to sequester a boy in her room for the night with such innocence as she had laid the idea out before him in her desire to find some way to resolve the situation in a manner that might satisfy the both of them. However, he also felt that there had to be some sort of devil at work that had somehow gotten him to agree with the plan against all his protests, which were very well founded on the knowledge that emotionally damaged teenaged boys with bad reputations shouldn't be sneaking into innocent girls' rooms. His common sense told him it was a sound piece of advice that he should listen to and abandon this course of action which had all the makings of potential disaster.
And yet, he found himself doing it anyway.
Mystery.
"Damn it!"
He froze at the curse, recognizing Kyou's voice as soft footsteps came closer. He tried to shrink back into the darkness of the stairwell as much as he could without moving, knowing a false step might send the wooden boards creaking and give away his presence. He heard Kyou's grumblings, no doubt something about Yuki, becoming louder, signaling that he was getting closer while Hatsuharu's heart thudded wildly in his chest as he prayed like he never had before that he wouldn't be noticed. As dread welled within him, wondering how he would explain this if he were caught, the footsteps approached closer.
What should he do? Stay frozen and hope he wasn't noticed?
Closer.
Or retreat in the opposite direction, fleeing back down the stairs he had crept up with such pain?
Closer.
Or would it be better to reveal himself and try to make up some excuse for why he was here this late at night?
Closer.
Stay, run, or reveal - which would it be?
Bang!
He jerked and then sagging in relief as his breath whooshed out in low rush when he recognized the sound of a slamming door. From the proximity of the sound, he guessed that Kyou had gone to use the bathroom in the upper level. But he couldn't relax just yet for he didn't think Kyou would be in there for long and Hatsuharu didn't trust his luck enough to imagine that he'd remain undetected if he kept to his position.
He gave up his position of hugging the stairwell wall as he moved faster than he could ever recall moving in his life, streaking up the remaining steps and down the hall as quickly and quietly as he could manage as his pulse threatened to race out of control. He stopped before a door and hesitated, last minute doubts riding him as he wondered anew if he should really be doing this.
But the sound of a door down the hall decided it for him.
He rushed into the room with lightning quick haste, swinging it closed hurriedly behind him, stopping it just before it slammed shut, pushing it until it sealed with a quiet click.
And not a moment too soon as footsteps padded past the door.
When they were gone, Hatsuharu let out a ragged sigh as he leaned heavily against the closed door, willing his racing heartbeat to calm and his tense muscles to relax. It was easier said than done and all he could say upon the matter was that he was glad the odd coloring of his hair would conceal any new white ones that might have resulted from this particular adventure.
As the intense fear of being caught and being branded with the label of 'pervert' for the rest of his days had passed, he allowed himself to step further into the darkened room, investigating his temporary premises for the night. He had to admit that there was a bit of curiosity about the room.
After all, this was the first time he'd ever been in it.
Well, that was a lie. He had been in the room long ago when it was still moldy and musty, before she had ever entered their lives. But the mold and must was gone, chased away by whatever domestic magic it was that Tohru possessed to turn it clean and fresh smelling, the faint scent of strawberries lingering in the air. It was interesting to take the chance to see what Tohru had done with the room in her brief residence here. He knew the others had all been in here at one point or another, but never him. Now that he was included in the ranks among the others, perhaps he should have felt more comfortable.
But he didn't.
There was a different connotation with the situation when he was here in secret without anyone else's knowledge but his own and the one to whom the room belonged. It was like some sort of setting for a lovers' rendezvous or clandestine tryst, which was the farthest thing from the truth but, nevertheless, left him feeling distinctly uncomfortable and more like a bumbling cow than he'd ever felt before.
"Hatsuharu-san?"
At the voice and the sudden flood of light in the room, he whirled with a startled jerk to find himself staring into a face that reflected a surprise that he was sure had to be on level with his own at the moment as his heartbeat resumed its previous rapid tattoo that he'd thought was left behind. He'd never even heard her come in!
"I'm sorry!" she said anxiously, hand still frozen on the light switch. She'd never seen Hatsuharu so jumpy before. "Maybe I should have knocked first?"
"No," he replied more calmly. "It would seem strange if you were caught knocking on your own door." He tried to give her a reassuring look. "Don't worry. It's only a small case of nerves. I've never tried sneaking into this place before. Usually I just walk right in."
"Ah." Her expression was one of sympathetic understanding. Then, as an awkward silence fell between them, it changed to nervousness. "Um, it's getting late so we should get to sleep."
"Yeah." He glanced away from her. "We should."
"Um," her fingers clasped fretfully together, "does Hatsuharu-san need to use the restroom?" She blushed. "Before, um, sleeping?"
He grimaced. After the tea he had drunk earlier, that would probably be a good idea. However, the question was how to go about it. After his recent experience, he had a feeling that anything else would be pushing his luck. Then again, Kyou had only just left the bathroom facilities and retreated back to his own room so it was unlikely that he'd emerge again for the night. It was doubtful that Shigure would find his way up here since his room was in the lower level. That only left Yuki.
Risk or bladder?
He decided to risk it. With the chances of being discovered lowered, his bladder was demanding more attention.
It wasn't that bad. After a quick check up and down the hallway to make sure there was no one else coming, Hatsuharu had gotten to the bathroom and out without further incident. Once that business was taken care of, he'd found himself relaxing a bit more as the danger of the situation seemed to dissipate. However, it didn't mean the rest of the night would be without problem as the frown on Tohru's face appeared to indicate upon his return to the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, exactly. But," she hesitated, "what are you going to wear?"
His mind slipped into blankness once again. "Wear?"
"To sleep."
"Ah." He understood now. Although leather wasn't the most comfortable material to sleep in, it was doable for one night. "I'm fine like this."
But Tohru was shaking her head. "Oh, no. I'm sure it would be difficult to sleep in that." A troubled frown creased her brow. "I wonder if I can find something suitable to wear." She eyed him and her frown deepened.
"What?" Hatsuharu asked, a bit concerned.
"Well, I was thinking about trying to find something of mine for Hatsuharu- san to wear." She sighed dejectedly. "But I don't think any of my clothes will fit you."
Hatsuharu had a sudden horrible image of him in something frilly and pink and he shuddered at the cold chills that broke across his flesh. There were some things that just shouldn't be imagined and he'd just found another one to put on his list of things not to do. As daring as he could push himself to be at times, that was one challenge he had no desire to take up. He gave Tohru a bland smile and sent up a silent prayer thanking God for small favors.
"That's alright," he told her. "Really."
"No," she said, voice rife with determination. "I have to find something." A smile suddenly lit her face. "Oh, I know!"
He watched, bemused, as she quickly rushed out of the room with an odd air of excitement. He wondered what bright idea had decided to visit her and hoped that whatever it was, it had nothing to do with pink frills. It wasn't long before she came back, flushed with a type of victory as she closed the door behind her and revealed her prize.
"Here." Tohru held out her bundle. "It's one of Shigure-san's yukata. Don't worry; it's clean. I did laundry recently but haven't put the clothes back in everyone's room." She frowned a little anxiously. "I hope Hatsuharu-san doesn't dislike it too much; I wasn't sure since I don't think I've ever seen you wear one. And I wasn't sure what you liked to sleep in so I thought the yukata would be good since it's looser in case you didn't like too confining clothes. I would have gotten something of Yuki or Kyou's but since I think their builds are leaner I thought that their clothes might have been tighter on you. Although Kyou's probably closer to your size but if you really don't like this then I can go back and get something-"
"It's okay," he interrupted her nervous babbling. "Really."
"Good," she said, relieved. She gave him a shy smile. "Then I should give you some privacy to get changed. And me too," she said with a little laugh. She moved past him to pick up the pajamas she'd laid out on her bed while he'd been in the bathroom. Then she retraced her steps back to the door with I quiet, "I'll be back."
When she was gone, he didn't waste his opportunity since he had no idea how long she'd be gone and wanted to spare them both the awkward embarrassment that would no doubt arise if she walked back in while he was in still in the middle of undressing. He made quick work of shedding his clothes, folding them into a neat pile as tribute to her own obvious penchant for orderliness, and shrugging into the yukata she'd handed him. It was definitely more comfortable than sleeping in his clothes would be.
While she was still absent, he took the time to lay the blanket he'd brought in with him on the floor, creating a makeshift pallet for himself. A futon would have been more comfortable but those were stored down the hall and it would raise too many questions if Tohru, and it would have to be her since he couldn't risk anymore wandering around the house on his own this night, was caught carrying one back to her room where everyone knew she had a perfectly good bed to sleep on. Besides, it wasn't that bad since it was better than being outdoors where the cool night air would either keep him awake or get him sick, or both.
"Oh," Tohru said in distress when she caught him preparing his sleeping area. "I can't let Hatsuharu-san take the floor. Not without a futon. I would have gotten one but," she looked at him regretfully, "I didn't want to risk having to explain it if I was caught bringing it to my room." She shook her head. "But, with just a blanket, it's wrong to let a guest take the more uncomfortable sleeping arrangement."
"Well, I don't think guests usually sneak in," he told her blandly. "So you're safe there."
"But I invited you," she reminded him. "So you are a guest."
"Listen, I'm putting you through enough trouble as it is."
"Oh, but it's no trouble. I wouldn't have issued an invitation if it was."
He highly doubted that. "Even so, I should take the floor. I don't mind."
"No, I can't let Hatsuharu-san do that. I'll take the floor."
"No."
"Why not?" A stubborn expression crossed her features. "It's my room and you're the guest. I should take the floor."
"I can't let you do that. Boys don't let girls sleep on floors when theirs a bed available. Or at least they shouldn't, anyway."
"But I won't let Hatsuharu-san sleep on the floor."
"And I won't let you either."
It was a stalemate as the two parties involved stared at each other with equal degrees of stubbornness, each sure of their own stand on the matter at hand and unwilling to back down to the other. However, all things come to an end eventually and this was no different as, suddenly, she subsided with a sweet smile as a new idea came to her.
"Then why don't we share the bed?" Tohru asked innocently.
This chapter came out to be longer than I thought it would be which, I suppose, is typical for me. But I did have to cut it short since the rest of what I had planned for this chapter will be going into the next one. So just wait for it and enjoy what's here in the meantime, okay? (^_~)
```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````` ````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````
CHAPTER 4: Awkward Entrances
"Honda-san, wake up."
She blinked drowsily at the intrusion into her slumber, wondering groggily why Yuki's voice sounded so much like Hatsuharu's. Then her eyes flew open wide when they registered white hair and she jerked back with a startled gasp, nearly toppling over in her sudden hasty motion. When she steadied herself, she looked back to see a hint of humor peeking through that blank expression of his and she flushed with embarrassment.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she said, mortified.
"You must have been tired," he commented. "But it's late so you really should be getting back."
"Yes, I should," she sighed as she rose, stiff muscles protesting the motion. But she glanced at him in concern. "But what about Hatsuharu- san?"
"I'll be fine."
"You'll go home, right?"
He rubbed the back of his neck, as if working out a crick, but didn't answer.
"Hatsuharu-san?"
"You should just head back. Really, you don't have to worry about me. I'll be fine."
"No." She shook her head. "Don't even think about staying here all night. It's not safe. Unless Hatsuharu-san promises to go home, I'm not leaving."
"Don't be silly." He looked in consternation at the determined expression he was met with. "You can't stay out here."
"Neither should Hatsuharu-san," she said firmly. "Go home."
He thought of that place, one of isolation and devoid of warmth, and frowned.
Noticing it, Tohru grew more concerned. "Hatsuharu-san? Is it really someplace to be avoided that badly?"
He blinked. He hadn't realized he'd done anything to indicate his feelings so blatantly.
"I see," she murmured. She tapped her chin thoughtfully as an idea came to her mind. "If Hatsuharu-san really doesn't want to go home, and since I can't just leave anyone out here alone, there's only one thing left to do."
He regarded her warily, wondering what it was she had in mind.
```````````````````````````````````````````
He couldn't believe he was doing this.
Despite his reputation as a delinquent in some circles, which was usually greatly exaggerated, he felt he was a rather boring and retiring figure and not given to madcap adventures - certainly, he'd never really attempted something like this. Feeling oddly nervous, he could only think that if he were caught, the rumors about him would gain a more solid foothold in fact. After all, to his recollection, being caught sneaking into a girl's bedroom at night had never done a speck of good for any man's reputation. And here he was, attempting that very thing which could spell doom for him if he were caught, that could lead to him being branded a stalker, a peeping tom, a pervert, or worse, though he couldn't really think of anything worse.
He had to be insane.
"Hatsuharu-san?"
He froze, for a moment thinking he was hearing voices and fearing that the men in white coats would be appearing at any second to haul him away in a straightjacket. But, no, it was only Tohru who was looking at him with such wariness that he wondered just what sort of expression it was that she could see on his face.
And to think, he used to believe that he had such an unreadable poker face.
"I'm sorry," she said, voice pitched low so as not to alert anyone else to their presence. "If I had known Hatsuharu-san would dislike the idea so much, I'd never have suggested it."
"I don't mind," he responded quickly, guilty that she obviously felt so remorseful when it was him who was causing problems with his qualms against going home. "Really, I'm fine with it."
"Well, then." Though she still appeared doubtful, she let it go. "You know where my room is, right?"
Hatsuharu nodded.
"Then please go on up. I have to put these away," she referred to the bento box and thermos clutched in her arms. "My door's not locked so feel free to just go in."
He nodded again, watching for a moment as, with a brief smile, she turned and headed in the direction of the kitchen.
Clutching the blanket, he unconsciously wrung it in his hands, an indication of his attack of nerves as he was faced with ascending the darkened staircase he needed to traverse in order to reach the upper levels of the house. It was a familiar path and one he usually undertook with ease and quickness. But that was when he was friend who entered these halls as a guest, usually intent on visiting Yuki, who intended for his presence to be noticed.
Now he was a friend trying to sneak in unnoticed.
It was definitely a different atmosphere altogether, filled with a sense of secrecy and urgency he was unaccustomed to as he made his way up the flight of stairs. He went to the task, moving as slowly as could so as not to cause the wooden boards to creak any more that necessary. Despite his misgivings about this adventure, he felt that, having come this far, it would be cowardly to turn back now. But, even so, he had no desire to do any more than was required so as not to give away his presence to the other occupants of the house.
He froze at a particularly loud creaking that seemed to resound unnaturally in the silence. Muscles tense, he waited for any tell tale sign that his misguided step would give him away as an intruder.
There was nothing.
He swallowed around a throat gone dry and wondered how he had gotten himself in this mess in the first place. But the answer was obvious.
Honda Tohru.
Angel or devil?
At the moment, with unusual anxiety causing his stomach to somersault in flips that he didn't think was particularly healthy, he was hard pressed to decide. On one hand, only an angel would make the suggestion to sequester a boy in her room for the night with such innocence as she had laid the idea out before him in her desire to find some way to resolve the situation in a manner that might satisfy the both of them. However, he also felt that there had to be some sort of devil at work that had somehow gotten him to agree with the plan against all his protests, which were very well founded on the knowledge that emotionally damaged teenaged boys with bad reputations shouldn't be sneaking into innocent girls' rooms. His common sense told him it was a sound piece of advice that he should listen to and abandon this course of action which had all the makings of potential disaster.
And yet, he found himself doing it anyway.
Mystery.
"Damn it!"
He froze at the curse, recognizing Kyou's voice as soft footsteps came closer. He tried to shrink back into the darkness of the stairwell as much as he could without moving, knowing a false step might send the wooden boards creaking and give away his presence. He heard Kyou's grumblings, no doubt something about Yuki, becoming louder, signaling that he was getting closer while Hatsuharu's heart thudded wildly in his chest as he prayed like he never had before that he wouldn't be noticed. As dread welled within him, wondering how he would explain this if he were caught, the footsteps approached closer.
What should he do? Stay frozen and hope he wasn't noticed?
Closer.
Or retreat in the opposite direction, fleeing back down the stairs he had crept up with such pain?
Closer.
Or would it be better to reveal himself and try to make up some excuse for why he was here this late at night?
Closer.
Stay, run, or reveal - which would it be?
Bang!
He jerked and then sagging in relief as his breath whooshed out in low rush when he recognized the sound of a slamming door. From the proximity of the sound, he guessed that Kyou had gone to use the bathroom in the upper level. But he couldn't relax just yet for he didn't think Kyou would be in there for long and Hatsuharu didn't trust his luck enough to imagine that he'd remain undetected if he kept to his position.
He gave up his position of hugging the stairwell wall as he moved faster than he could ever recall moving in his life, streaking up the remaining steps and down the hall as quickly and quietly as he could manage as his pulse threatened to race out of control. He stopped before a door and hesitated, last minute doubts riding him as he wondered anew if he should really be doing this.
But the sound of a door down the hall decided it for him.
He rushed into the room with lightning quick haste, swinging it closed hurriedly behind him, stopping it just before it slammed shut, pushing it until it sealed with a quiet click.
And not a moment too soon as footsteps padded past the door.
When they were gone, Hatsuharu let out a ragged sigh as he leaned heavily against the closed door, willing his racing heartbeat to calm and his tense muscles to relax. It was easier said than done and all he could say upon the matter was that he was glad the odd coloring of his hair would conceal any new white ones that might have resulted from this particular adventure.
As the intense fear of being caught and being branded with the label of 'pervert' for the rest of his days had passed, he allowed himself to step further into the darkened room, investigating his temporary premises for the night. He had to admit that there was a bit of curiosity about the room.
After all, this was the first time he'd ever been in it.
Well, that was a lie. He had been in the room long ago when it was still moldy and musty, before she had ever entered their lives. But the mold and must was gone, chased away by whatever domestic magic it was that Tohru possessed to turn it clean and fresh smelling, the faint scent of strawberries lingering in the air. It was interesting to take the chance to see what Tohru had done with the room in her brief residence here. He knew the others had all been in here at one point or another, but never him. Now that he was included in the ranks among the others, perhaps he should have felt more comfortable.
But he didn't.
There was a different connotation with the situation when he was here in secret without anyone else's knowledge but his own and the one to whom the room belonged. It was like some sort of setting for a lovers' rendezvous or clandestine tryst, which was the farthest thing from the truth but, nevertheless, left him feeling distinctly uncomfortable and more like a bumbling cow than he'd ever felt before.
"Hatsuharu-san?"
At the voice and the sudden flood of light in the room, he whirled with a startled jerk to find himself staring into a face that reflected a surprise that he was sure had to be on level with his own at the moment as his heartbeat resumed its previous rapid tattoo that he'd thought was left behind. He'd never even heard her come in!
"I'm sorry!" she said anxiously, hand still frozen on the light switch. She'd never seen Hatsuharu so jumpy before. "Maybe I should have knocked first?"
"No," he replied more calmly. "It would seem strange if you were caught knocking on your own door." He tried to give her a reassuring look. "Don't worry. It's only a small case of nerves. I've never tried sneaking into this place before. Usually I just walk right in."
"Ah." Her expression was one of sympathetic understanding. Then, as an awkward silence fell between them, it changed to nervousness. "Um, it's getting late so we should get to sleep."
"Yeah." He glanced away from her. "We should."
"Um," her fingers clasped fretfully together, "does Hatsuharu-san need to use the restroom?" She blushed. "Before, um, sleeping?"
He grimaced. After the tea he had drunk earlier, that would probably be a good idea. However, the question was how to go about it. After his recent experience, he had a feeling that anything else would be pushing his luck. Then again, Kyou had only just left the bathroom facilities and retreated back to his own room so it was unlikely that he'd emerge again for the night. It was doubtful that Shigure would find his way up here since his room was in the lower level. That only left Yuki.
Risk or bladder?
He decided to risk it. With the chances of being discovered lowered, his bladder was demanding more attention.
It wasn't that bad. After a quick check up and down the hallway to make sure there was no one else coming, Hatsuharu had gotten to the bathroom and out without further incident. Once that business was taken care of, he'd found himself relaxing a bit more as the danger of the situation seemed to dissipate. However, it didn't mean the rest of the night would be without problem as the frown on Tohru's face appeared to indicate upon his return to the room.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"Nothing, exactly. But," she hesitated, "what are you going to wear?"
His mind slipped into blankness once again. "Wear?"
"To sleep."
"Ah." He understood now. Although leather wasn't the most comfortable material to sleep in, it was doable for one night. "I'm fine like this."
But Tohru was shaking her head. "Oh, no. I'm sure it would be difficult to sleep in that." A troubled frown creased her brow. "I wonder if I can find something suitable to wear." She eyed him and her frown deepened.
"What?" Hatsuharu asked, a bit concerned.
"Well, I was thinking about trying to find something of mine for Hatsuharu- san to wear." She sighed dejectedly. "But I don't think any of my clothes will fit you."
Hatsuharu had a sudden horrible image of him in something frilly and pink and he shuddered at the cold chills that broke across his flesh. There were some things that just shouldn't be imagined and he'd just found another one to put on his list of things not to do. As daring as he could push himself to be at times, that was one challenge he had no desire to take up. He gave Tohru a bland smile and sent up a silent prayer thanking God for small favors.
"That's alright," he told her. "Really."
"No," she said, voice rife with determination. "I have to find something." A smile suddenly lit her face. "Oh, I know!"
He watched, bemused, as she quickly rushed out of the room with an odd air of excitement. He wondered what bright idea had decided to visit her and hoped that whatever it was, it had nothing to do with pink frills. It wasn't long before she came back, flushed with a type of victory as she closed the door behind her and revealed her prize.
"Here." Tohru held out her bundle. "It's one of Shigure-san's yukata. Don't worry; it's clean. I did laundry recently but haven't put the clothes back in everyone's room." She frowned a little anxiously. "I hope Hatsuharu-san doesn't dislike it too much; I wasn't sure since I don't think I've ever seen you wear one. And I wasn't sure what you liked to sleep in so I thought the yukata would be good since it's looser in case you didn't like too confining clothes. I would have gotten something of Yuki or Kyou's but since I think their builds are leaner I thought that their clothes might have been tighter on you. Although Kyou's probably closer to your size but if you really don't like this then I can go back and get something-"
"It's okay," he interrupted her nervous babbling. "Really."
"Good," she said, relieved. She gave him a shy smile. "Then I should give you some privacy to get changed. And me too," she said with a little laugh. She moved past him to pick up the pajamas she'd laid out on her bed while he'd been in the bathroom. Then she retraced her steps back to the door with I quiet, "I'll be back."
When she was gone, he didn't waste his opportunity since he had no idea how long she'd be gone and wanted to spare them both the awkward embarrassment that would no doubt arise if she walked back in while he was in still in the middle of undressing. He made quick work of shedding his clothes, folding them into a neat pile as tribute to her own obvious penchant for orderliness, and shrugging into the yukata she'd handed him. It was definitely more comfortable than sleeping in his clothes would be.
While she was still absent, he took the time to lay the blanket he'd brought in with him on the floor, creating a makeshift pallet for himself. A futon would have been more comfortable but those were stored down the hall and it would raise too many questions if Tohru, and it would have to be her since he couldn't risk anymore wandering around the house on his own this night, was caught carrying one back to her room where everyone knew she had a perfectly good bed to sleep on. Besides, it wasn't that bad since it was better than being outdoors where the cool night air would either keep him awake or get him sick, or both.
"Oh," Tohru said in distress when she caught him preparing his sleeping area. "I can't let Hatsuharu-san take the floor. Not without a futon. I would have gotten one but," she looked at him regretfully, "I didn't want to risk having to explain it if I was caught bringing it to my room." She shook her head. "But, with just a blanket, it's wrong to let a guest take the more uncomfortable sleeping arrangement."
"Well, I don't think guests usually sneak in," he told her blandly. "So you're safe there."
"But I invited you," she reminded him. "So you are a guest."
"Listen, I'm putting you through enough trouble as it is."
"Oh, but it's no trouble. I wouldn't have issued an invitation if it was."
He highly doubted that. "Even so, I should take the floor. I don't mind."
"No, I can't let Hatsuharu-san do that. I'll take the floor."
"No."
"Why not?" A stubborn expression crossed her features. "It's my room and you're the guest. I should take the floor."
"I can't let you do that. Boys don't let girls sleep on floors when theirs a bed available. Or at least they shouldn't, anyway."
"But I won't let Hatsuharu-san sleep on the floor."
"And I won't let you either."
It was a stalemate as the two parties involved stared at each other with equal degrees of stubbornness, each sure of their own stand on the matter at hand and unwilling to back down to the other. However, all things come to an end eventually and this was no different as, suddenly, she subsided with a sweet smile as a new idea came to her.
"Then why don't we share the bed?" Tohru asked innocently.