i'll get by with a little bit of hope and all

[etudes]

[ WHO ]: Battler and Kotomi
[[ WHERE ]: 410, Battler's room
[[ WHEN ]: From evening on and then into the night!
[[ OPEN/CLOSED? ]: Closed
[[ RATING ]: Probably.. PG.. Maybe PG-13 if Battler gets inappropriate we're watching you, Battler..
[[ WARNINGS ]: Aside from Battler nothing.
[[ NOTES ]: Sleepover! Fun times in a not so fun place.

[ Well, it's a good thing that Kotomi is so oblivious. It also makes her oblivious to about 90% of what's going on in the apartments at any given time, including the many ghosts. Thanks to some warnings from other people she does steer clear from the ghosts and monsters, and sometimes she gets a little help too, but.. she just really is a hopeless case. She has noticed though that something is weird about the apartment she shares with Kai, especially at night, but that's probably why the slumber party Battler promised her is taking place here in Battler's room rather than in Kotomi's own room.

Not that she minds. Despite her obliviousness, even Kotomi herself can't escape the faint sense of dread hanging in this place, and it does scare her from time to time. And with some people (looking at you, Kai) being just as scary as the ghosts, she doesn't have anyone to confide in. Again. But Battler's different - he.. promised to be her knight, right? He promised to help her out, that he'd protect her.. so she feels safe whenever she's near him. She's sure she'll sleep so well as long as it's near him.. since surely he can fight off anything that appears.

So Kotomi is just sitting as neatly as possible on her knees on the floor in Battler's room, looking at him with her usual blank, but slightly curious expression. ]

So.. Battler-kun.. what do we do now?

Comments

[etudes]

[ At least the wording completely goes over her head, that's how Kotomi is. She just imagines sleeping with someone as sleeping next to someone.. so she smiles when he really does agree that easily. ]

Even close to me..? That way Battler-kun could protect me better..

[chestboard]

I...if you want me to get close to you then... no problem, I will.

[what is this?! battler's mind was racing, his heart beating, all because a pretty girl was asking him to sleep next to him and hold her close!

AAAAAAUUGGGHHHH!!!

there's a brief moment where a flash of worry goes across his face, but it's no more! it's gone! and he's perfectly normal again.]

[etudes]

Of course I want it. If I didn't want it, then I wouldn't ask Battler-kun. But.. if it's Battler-kun who's going to be close to me, then.. that's fine. Battler-kun's the one who gives me this happy and warm feeling, after all..

[ In fact, as she's saying it she's already moving to lie down. Apparently Kotomi's the kind of girl who gets right to action, since she's staring at him as if she's waiting. ]

[chestboard]

[...ah...!?

MOVING SO QUICKLY?!

but um...! he can't just chicken out now, he needs to show her that she's a man, he lives up to his words yeah! so... he just blinks, his face as red as his hair, but then he nods slowly, moving to... lay down beside her.

...

..he's still a little ways away from her though, a little wary and not wanting to get so overly close to her. unless she requests it.]

L...like this Kotomi-chan?

[etudes]

[ Don't worry Battler, she's not saying anything.. yet, at least. She's just lying there, idly watching him lie a little bit away from her with her usual blank stare. ]

Um.. if that's what Battler-kun wants, then it's fine.. [ Not that she realises it's making him awkward, but even so, Kotomi's someone who thinks a lot about other people's feelings in general. ] As long as Battler-kun is happy like this, then I am too..

[chestboard]

Y-...yeah...

[he scooches in a little closer.]

I'm really happy.

[etudes]

[ For a moment she just stares at him. But when she definitely notices him moving closer, she's already moving to do the same, actually - moving closer to him until they're practically lying right next to each other, touching and against each other, even. Kotomi doesn't seem to mind though, she's still smiling. ]

Me too.. [ Despite the blankness, it sounds pretty genuine. ] It's been a really, really long time since I've ever felt like this..

[chestboard]

[with her right against him like that, he slowly reaches out to her, an arm moving around her, he does it hesitantly but... he eventually just rests it there, able to pull her closer so she really is up against him. he can feel her, even her chest against his own and it makes him blush even more.]

I don't think I've... ever felt like this, really, with anyone else.... [it's true, only with her.]

[etudes]

[ .. Only with her? It surprises her for a moment. Sure, she's never really felt like this before, never this warm, but then again, she's literally known nobody in her life but her parents and Tomoya, and even that was mostly when she was really little.. it's much different from this feeling she hasn't had since her parents died and not even as much as now before that.

It's nice and warm, so.. she doesn't want to lose it.. ]

Battler-kun.. it's.. okay for me to stay like this, right..? [ For him to keep holding her.. ]

[chestboard]

It's fine.

[his voice was but a whisper now, and he might have already been closing his eyes, enjoying this a little too much, and it almost felt right to him.]

...It's completely fine.

[etudes]

Then.. I don't want to leave for now..

[ Her own voice is getting softer by now too, either way. It's happening slowly but surely, like she's falling asleep at the same rate as him. It's only natural to fall asleep with this warmth near, right..? ]

.. I'll.. stay here.. with Battler-kun...