1248/Clearing the Air

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Clearing the Air
Date of Scene: 22 March 2016
Location: Plot Room #1
Synopsis: Amu and Nagi clear some things up between them, in light of recent events.
Cast of Characters: Amu Hinamori, Nadeshiko Fujisaki


Amu Hinamori has posed:
School went by quickly, and afterwards, Amu asked Nagihiko if she could walk home with him to talk. Still dressed in the Seiyou Cheerleader Club Uniform, Amu walked happily along beside Nagihiko, though something certainly was wrong. The girl kept glancing down at the little box the Guardians gave her to keep her eggs in all day. Yoru, Ran, Su, and Miki are busy frolicking as they walk, although Su seems similarly preocupied with the box on Amu's hip.

Weird.

When they reach Nagihiko's home, Amu asks, "Do you have practice today?"
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He'd found some place to change during Amu's practice, not wanting to spend the afternoon with cool wind tickling along his thighs anymore. He'd given her warning, of course, and the reason why, even if it was accompanied by a slight blush and a hand scratching at the back of his neck.

Temari, for her part, is lounging on Nagihiko's shoulder, a cautious eye on Yoru. When it's clear the cat chara isn't up to any shenanigans, she pounces him. It's a quick pounce, of course, because then she's pouncing the others, each one in turn.

"Not for awhile. Mother has me on hiatus for awhile." He doesn't go into why, really, but it's probably easy to guess.

He looks down at Amu. He notices the box, of course, and Su's preoccupation with it. But he doesn't press.

Instead, he tilts his head and smiles. "Did you want to come up to the roof? There's a couple nice lounging spots. Yoru-kun may enjoy the perch, as well."
Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Nya!~" Noru squeaks at the sudden pounce, and tries to get away from Temari. Luckily for the little catboy, she lets him go quickly enough. Miki, Su, and Ran are all far more excited by Temari's pounces, and return the hugs exuberantly. They at least missed Temari.

"The roof?" Amu asks, glancing up at it amusedly. "What, so every passing perv can see if I remembered my spanks?" she asks, then rolls her eyes at Nagihiko. "Sure, why not."
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He blinks at her in surprise before he laughs. "Don't worry, Aunty's day won't be made if she finds that out."

Instead of just climbing the gate, he opens it to slip in. Then he finds a tree that he climbed to get to the roof before he learned more fun ways to reach his destination.

And he's very careful without hovering to make sure she doesn't fall.
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu drops her bookbag at the base of the tree, then follows Nagihiko up into the branches, across the limb --careful, careful balance--and up onto the roof. When they're finally there, she falls into his arms, one around his back and one grasping his hand. She's grinning from ear to ear, because she managed to do it without Ran's help.

Sure, she's a very athletic girl, but climbing and heights are not her stronges suit.
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He steadies her, his hand loose on her back, and the grin on his face matches her. "Good job, we'll make a spider monkey out of you yet."

He looks over the courtyard. "See? No possible peepers on this side of the roof. And if you want, I could always go get you a throw blanket. It's a bit chilly today."

For a moment, he just looks around, a serene calm on his face. This is his happy place. And when the cherry blossoms bloom, it's one of the most beautiful places on earth, he thinks.
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu sniffs amusedly, gives Nagihiko a hug, then follows him over to find a place to sit. "I didn't forget my spanks," she notes amusedly as she sits down. Still, she does adjust the short skirt to cover herself.

"So um," she starts quietly, thoughtful as she looks out over the street. "So ..." She clears her throat, then glances down att he little box again. "There are probably some things we should talk about," she notes, before looking back to Nagihiko.
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
Nagihiko snorts a bit as he rolled his eyes. "Well I didn't look. But the offers there if you get chilly."

While Amu sits, all lady-like and proper, Nagihiko lounges. He's propped on elbows, face tilted back to catch the sun through a dappled net of leaf shadows.

He turns to look at her when she starts to speak and hums in quiet thought. He sighs after a moment and shifts. He doesn't move from his elbowed perch, but he looks more present than he was two seconds ago. "Yeah, we probably should. I'm..." He drops his head back. "Really sorry for how I handled things. I just...I shouldn't have...but...I'm so sorry."
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu waves a hand. "Not mad at you," she says instantly. "Tadase was out of line. You were just defending me." Beat. "I know, because Temari wouldn't have woken up to defend you," she points out with a faint smile. "Not like that, anyways. She'd have insisted on you handling it with grace if it was you that was being offended."

Amu sighs and lies back on the roof as well, pillowing her head on her hands. "That's not what I meant, though. We got interrupted before we could talk, and ... a lot's happened in just the few days since then. Are you and Tadase-kun going to be okay?"
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He collapses the rest of the way onto the roof with a deep sigh of relief. Temari, hearing her name, floats over and snugs against Amu for a second before she hugs against Nagihiko's knee. "I'm glad. I mean, that's what it was."

Temari nods her agreement. "Na-chan takes good care of himself for the most part. And he'll keep learning how to do it better."

Nagihiko sits up completely now, holding out a hand that Temari curls agains, snuggling her face against his fingers. "We'll be fine. I told him he was a dumbass and that it would take a lot more than that to get rid of me." He shrugs and scrapes a fingernail against the roof tile. "Kind of hard to quickly forget the first person who accepted you, you know?"
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu smiles and returns Temari's hug gently with a hand, then stares off into the sky again. But then Nagihiko reminds her very clearly about acceptance, and she grimaces. "Yeah," she says quietly. "Yeah, I know."

She takes a deep breath, then explains, "I ... really am sorry that I didn't." Amu steels herself for the story before continuing, "It wasn't that I couldn't accept you as a boy, you know. I don't care what gender you are, whether it's male, female, or otherwise. That isn't what upset me. I just ... I felt like you'd been lying to me. And you had, but ... you had such good reason to. So many people do judge things like that. So it hurt that you felt you couldn't trust me not to. And it hurt worse because I did trust you with things I would have reconsidered if I'd known you were a boy. And maybe that's stupid and judgemental of me after all. But ... I don't know. It was stupid of me no matter what. I'm sorry."
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He sighs and shifts toward her. "I wasn't meaning...that wasn't a barb at you, I promise."

He's cross legged and staring off, just a bit, as he tries to gather both wits and thoughts. "And it was never really me thinking you wouldn't accept. It's the lying part. Which I knew you'd be -- very understandably -- upset. And time went on and it just became harder and harder to..."

He sighs again, because he's not making sense. So he takes her hand and his eyes are intense on hers. "You weren't stupid for how you felt. And it's not stupid or judgemental to think how you would have handled things differently had you known. And I should have handled differently because I did know. It's just that with you, Nadeshiko didn't feel like a part."
Amu Hinamori has posed:
When Nagihiko takes her hand, Amu shifts posture until she's sitting up, one leg curled beneath her, the other up. It's terribly immodest, but spanks are good for something after all. It's the eyes, though, that really draw her in. Just as with Tadase, those eyes have always been a beacon for Amu, drawing her in lice Icarus to the Sun.

Captured in Nagihiko's gaze, Amu loses herself to his words, and a soft blush appears on her cheeks. So it takes Amu a few moments to realize that Nagihiko has finished speaking; a few more to remember how to form Japanese words in response.

Eventually, though, words do form, and she is able to say, "Nagi-chan," honest, it's not rude to call him -chan. "That's part of why I think it hurt so much. Because it felt like you didn't want to be her, anymore. And if you don't want to be Nadeshiko, then what does that say about her relationship with me?"

Amu wibbles only a little before forcing herself to break that gaze, to lean forward until she can put her head on his shoulder. "I know better, now. I understand, now," she says.

A deep breath, and then she asks, "Did Tadase-kun tell you what happened at the North Pole? With me, I mean."
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He notices the blush and considers stopping for a moment, only because he's not wanting her to think this is a confession of some sort. (Hell, he's already done that, in various forms.)

But still. This is important.

And his arms are warm and secure around her when she's against his shoulder, and he rests his chin on top of her head.

He doesn't find it rude at all for her to use -chan. "I didn't want to be her all the time. It was getting so hard to be a girl with the voice changes and...everything else. But you helped very much in making it bearable."

His grip tightens around Amu at the mention of the North Pole. "Not about you, no. Kukai did." He blinks. "Are you talking about Temari? Or something else?"
Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Temari," Amu confirms quietly. "I didn't know you'd left her with me. I didn't figure it out until Kukai got hert. And then ... I just ... I felt so angry. So hurt. I didn't care about being nice anymore, I just wanted to hurt them for hurting him. And then Temari came out and ..." she trails off, then squeezes Nagihiko gently. "We transformed. It was amazing. I felt amazing. And that little character is a huge part of who you are. So ... you're amazing, whether you're Nagihiko or Nadeshiko it doesn't matter. And I couldn't be the person I am today if I didn't know you."
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
Nagihiko blushes himself. "I thought she was who I wanted to be as Nadeshiko. But I've been realizing that she's part of who I want to be overall. You helped me realize that, you know." He grins. "How tired were you after? I slept for an entire day after Ran." He looks over at the small chara in question, eyes twinkling.
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Ran beams at Nagihiko and gives a big thumbs' up. She had fun with that transformation, of course.

"Exhausted enough," Amu says, "that Tadase-kun finished the mission, carried me home, and I didn't wake up for another eight hours after that."

A soft sigh escapes, then, and Amu leans away to study Nagihiko's face again. "Actually ... that's something else we should talk about," she notes quietly.
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He tries to think about what she means, wondering if it's Tadase they need to talk about, Temari, or something else entirely she hasn't yet voiced. "What do you mean?"

His head tilts in curiosity and bites his lip, a habit of Nadeshiko's he can't quite shake when not being her.
Amu Hinamori has posed:
"Tadase," Amu explains softly, confirming Nagihiko's thoughts. She casts about, trying to figure out what, exactly, to say.

"I love him," she settles on. "If he asked me today to marry him, I'd say yes, except ..." she trails off quietly, "I don't know where you and I stand--

"--I know!" Amu interrupts herself, before Nagihiko gets the chance, to explain, "You just want me to be happy, and you will be happy, then, too. But that's not good enough for me, Nagi-chan. Because I love you, too, and I want you to be happy. But at the same time," she explains, "I'm not going to stop loving Tadase. We um .. maybe went a little too far, the other night," she says softly. "But I don't regret what happened. It felt right."

Then she sighs and explains, "But then there's you. I love you, Nagihiko. But I don't know what that really means, where you're concerned. I don't know if I love you as your sister, or as something more. I don't know if I want ... to find out. I'm afraid to. And I don't want to stop things with Tadase just because I also love you.

"It's so complicated," Amu finally summarizes with a sigh.
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
He listens. His only reaction to her revelation is a hitch in breath, but that's about it. And when he mulls it over later, it's not going to be with feelings of being affronted or indignation, because that'd just be a stupid reaction to have.

Okay, he has a reaction. "If it felt right, there's nothing to regret." Sage words from a boy who got his first kiss at the dance with someone who didn't exactly return the sentiment. Whoops.

He sighs as she does, and his hand cups her cheek so he could make sure she's looking at him. Not that he would keep her there if she pulled away. "It's not complicated, Amu-chan. I don't even know exactly what I feel for either of you. And I don't want to risk either of your happiness for a what if. No matter what kind it is, I do know I will always love you. And it's not a static emotion, either. It shifts and swirls and each time it settles it's a good feeling. You won't hurt me by not exploring this. The only way you could is if you forced yourself to find out."
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu leans into the hand on her cheek, nuzzling it gently as she allows herself to become once more lost in Nagihiko's eyes. "But I'm afraid of what I might lose if I don't explore it," she tells him softly. "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me. Because of you, I don't feel like I have to hide who I am day in and day out. I have a beautiful, loving boyfriend. I'm helping people--saving people. All because you made believe in something no one else could make me believe in: me."

With a sigh, Amu reaches up to grab Nagihiko's hand with both of her own, then draws it down into her lap where she can squeeze it tightly. "I don't want to hurt him, but I'm afraid of what I'll lose if I don't at least figure out what you mean to me. I won't take this relationship for granted. Please don't ask me to."
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
"You won't lose me. Even if I do get lost for awhile, I'll find my way back."

His eyes are warm and his fingers are loose in her lap.

There's a moment where he thinks that he'd do just about whatever she asks of him, because this is Amu. Even if it leads to pain in the end on one side or the other, if she asked him, he would. "What do you want to do?" And like when she interrupted herself before he could, he does the same here. "It's okay if you don't know just yet. It's just...if you didn't have to worry, what is it you'd want to do?"
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Amu considers the question carefully for a long moment, not daring to answer right away. After a few moments, a mischievous smile dances through her eyes, and slowly spreads like wildfire to her cheeks and mouth.

Leaning forward, she presses her lips very gently to Nagihiko's cheek, then leans forward still further so she can whisper in his ear, "If I could have anything, I'd wish the Embryo for a Harem Anime ending."

Then she's falling away with laughter, madly giggling at her own joke. It's not as if she's serious about it. Is she?
Nadeshiko Fujisaki has posed:
For a brief moment, he envisions a not-so-distant future where Tadase finds a remote location to hide his body.

His cheek tingles and then--

He blinks in surprise and he's laughing even as his cheeks turn pink. "Well, that would certainly solve a lot of problems if everyone agreed to it."

He's not serious, either. Or is he?
Amu Hinamori has posed:
Nagihiko's contribution only leads to even more shrieks of laughter from the teen. She leans forward and hugs him tight, leans her forehead into his, then admits, "Ahhh, Tadata would sooner hang himself, I think." She laughs a little more, then falls away onto her back to stare up at the sky once again.

And here, on the roof of a strange boy's house, everything is right with the world again. Sure, there are still a lot of unanswered questions, but as Amu continues to gossip with her best friend, she knows it will all work out in the end.