Just Do It

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Shiki's having relationship problems or at least that's what's everyone else is telling her. She has yet to do IT with him. And what about Neku's part in it? AU since they're in their early 20s.

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

"Did you do it yet?

"Do what?"

That's how Eri smoothly transitioned their ordinary routine conversation about fashion into something else. It came blunt and neither innocent nor malicious. Shiki felt that the question was bound to come up some time soon but not like this. Not without warning. Not at ten in the morning. And certainly not in an open area.

"You know, it." Eri made sure to put emphasis on that last word and to Shiki's embarrassment, she didn't even make an effort to whisper or at least hiss it.

"Eri! Don't just say it out loud!" Suddenly, all the color rushed to her face.

"Why not?"

"'Coz it's embarrassing. Seriously, we're in public."

"If I were you I would've done it years ago- literally." Not paying her any attention, Eri rambled on. She was dead set on scolding her on such important grounds. "It's been what? Like two years since you started dating? Make a move, girl!"

"It's not that easy. 'Sides, I won't do it unless he tells me he wants to do it." She justified.

"Shiki, can you even hear yourself?" Eri raised her hands in exasperation then crossed them right after. Her best friend was talking nonsense and she had an obligation to do something about that. "The only thing keeping him from doing it is you. You obviously don't want to do it. Practically everyone else is waiting for it to happen."

Shiki already foresaw the question popping up. She already imagined a thousand scenarios of where the conversation would go. She already planned ahead a hundred retorts to that very same cluster of sentences. And yet, still…

"That obvious, huh?" She admitted defeat.

Because Shiki saw that at the end of her thousand scenarios, Eri was still ultimately right. She could run away from the conversation, hide from the truth but never from Eri. And it just so happened that the truth sided with Eri this time around.

"Hey, I know this decision is the hardest on you. That's why I want you to know that if things go bad, I'll definitely kill that guy." She reassured her teasingly.

As endearing as the thought was, it was still embarrassing.

"Thanks a bunch, Eri."

"Don't keep Neku waiting."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~

"Ya did it yet?"

"I can understand Eri but you, Beat?"

There's definitely something wrong when a guy like Beat goes up to you to talk about your relationship problems. If he could catch on to them then pretty much the whole of Shibuya's already had gotten word of it. It was frustrating and then some. When Beat calls people to meet up for a one-on-one talk, it's usually never about topics like these.

"There ain't nothin' wrong wid me. And somethin' ain't right wid ya, Shiki."

"I appreciate that you're concerned, really, I do, but can we not talk about it?"

"I'll stop messin' wid ya if ya stop messin' 'round." Beat roared. "Be a man and jus' do it, yo!"

"But I'm a woman!" Shiki's words fell on deaf ears.

"Point is ya ain't know what ya got 'til ya lost it." Whether it was intentional or not, his face was angled so as not to be seen. And the fire in his voice was put out. "Don't make the same stupid mistake I did wid Rhyme."

"Believe me, Beat. I already know what you mean." She answered bitterly.

There's something wrong when Beat plays matchmaker but it's a whole new level of wrong when from there, the conversation steers into something like this. Shiki almost wished she was getting embarrassed by Beat instead.

"Sorry, man. I jus' lost my cool. I mean this kind o' thing ain't up my alley." He rubbed the back of his neck unconsciously.

"It's alright. I didn't say the nicest things either." She admitted sheepishly.

"Just know I'm rootin' for ya. So go hard." He pumped his fist into the air.

Shiki winced. Yeah, that's the Beat everyone knows.

"Not exactly my choice of words."

"Aight, Phones' sure to be happy to hear from ya."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~

"Have you considered doing it yet?"

"Yeah, there's not a time that I haven't."

Of course, it was only natural to get counselling sessions from Rhyme since she was the only one with reason in the group. And while Shiki did appreciate it, that didn't mean she was happy about it. She was more anxious than normal. Getting advice from someone younger than you on topics like these would have killed her of embarrassment had it been with someone else.

"That's good. It means that you consider it something important." Rhyme smiled.

"It is. It means so much to me… and Neku." Shiki's face flushed. Saying it out loud had an obvious effect on her.

"Then what's stopping you? Don't let fear stop you."

"To be honest, I'm pretty embarrassed to talk to you about this." She sighed. "No offense but you were always kept innocent and now…"

The air in the room went cold. Shiki just had to take the wrong turn in the conversation. Rhyme once said that humans were sinister beings. Rhyme was the most human of them. Connect the dots.

"Change is the only constant thing in this world. Now I know more than you think I know, Shiki." And while Rhyme's smile was kept sweet, the words that left her mouth had instilled terror in Shiki's heart. "Things that you would not want out. Like that one time at AMX where you and –"

"Too much information! I don't think I'll be needing a recap for that one." Her hands reached out to cover Rhyme's mouth only to have her dodge them.

She smiled wider. "It's nothing to be ashamed of. After all, it's only natural for couples –"

"Please, let me have whatever's left of my dignity." She raised her hands in defeat.

"Shiki, I know it's not my place but please be more mature about it." She said not so innocently.

Whether Rhyme was mature or childish or somewhere in between, she still gave good advice.

"I'll keep that in mind."

"Neku wants you two to be happy."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~

"Why haven't you done it yet?"

"Not today, Joshua."

Lately, Joshua has been all over her and not in a good way. Was there ever something good in associating with him in the first place? Out of everyone in the group, he's been rather pushy about Shiki's relationship. He kept checking up on her only to nag her and quite honestly, it's level of annoying has passed its usual tolerance. The sad part was that not even Joshua was enjoying it.

"Tomorrow then?" He suggested.

"Ugh, this isn't a joke. Cut it out." She snapped.

"I'm sorry, I think there was a misunderstanding. Because there's only one person serious in this conversation." He crossed his arms and held his icy gaze. "There's this wonderful invention called a mirror. Use it."

She shrugged him off. "Anything else you'd like to add?"

"Be a dear and do it already."

"I don't see how you're involved in my lovelife."

"Not your entire lovelife, that would be rude." He giggled. "I'm more in touch with the part of my dearest Neku."

When it was Joshua talking, it was always about Neku. Shiki couldn't take it anymore.

"If you like him that much then maybe you should've gone out with him instead! Then maybe he would've been happier and he would've –"

He held her shoulders to stop her from finishing that sentence.

"Let's not go there, dear Shiki."

All the pent up stress felt like leaving her and frankly, it made her body weak. Maybe it also got to her brain since she found her apologizing. "I got carried away. Sorry."

"Forgiven. Just remember that dearest Neku chose you." He winked and he was also back to his usual self.

Shiki actually smiled in a conversation with Joshua for the first time in a long while.

"Most stupid decision he ever made."

"You're no better than Neku for making him wait this long."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~

"So I'm finally ready to do it."

This was one of the things Shiki wished she would never do and yet here she was. She somehow mustered all her courage and stared at a rock that stood out.

"Took me a while, huh?" A guy stood beside her but never looking at her. He too was fixated with the rock.

"It's our anniversary today so I thought… I thought I'd finally talk to you about this."

She took a pail of water and washed the distracting rock. Tears were brimming in her eyes but she wouldn't cry. No, she didn't come here to cry. She knew that he would have none of that from her or at least that's what she thought. As the water flowed down, it went and passed by words that took all of Shiki's strength to look at. She's done this before and yet still even now, each time she does this she wishes that those horrible words would get washed away with the water.

Sakuraba, Neku

19xx-20xx

A good son and an even better friend

"Neku, this is my new boyfriend."

~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~~xoxo~xoxo~

Shinra-ex-SOLDIER

Omake: The AMX scandal

Shiki: Are we really going to do it?

Neku: Pretty much, yeah.

Shiki: Right here? Right now?

Neku: In AMX. In any second now if you just shut up and just do it with me.

Shiki: Can you at least give me more time? I'm not mentally prepared yet.

Neku: Oh, for the love of!

Shiki: Eek! Don't pull so hard!

Neku: Let's do this.

Shiki: But people are already staring at us…

Neku: …

Shiki: …

Neku: We challenge everyone here at AMX to a round of Tin Pin Slammer!

Shiki: I knew it was a bad-

Neku: If we lose, you'll get some sweet gift certificates but if we win, you'll go to this rad clothes shop that's new at ten-four.

I had this thing lying around for months now. Dear fanfic, I'm sorry for that.
I hope you read it to the very end. And just for the record, I was happy when I was writing this. I write the most horrible things (to characters) when I'm happy. But I really do hope that I pulled the effect right for readers.
Being dead on the internet gave me time to reflect on my heinous slothness. I shall try to revive whatever I've left in this fandom. Emphasis on try.