The Cupid Complex

35. Keeping Her Company

"I think he likes you."

Charming's eyes took in the foggy surroundings as he was suddenly plucked off the ground. He was being carried towards a woman in red on a bench. Ame. Her face was practically melting with joy as he was handed over to her.

"Until we meet again, just pretend this bunny is me. It'll keep you company."

He tried to turn his head to see who the man was that was saying those words, but he couldn't. The man seemed like a ghost. He couldn't even recognized the garbled voice. He tried to open his mouth to speak; to demand that the man address himself, but he couldn't. As it was, the whole scene was melting away from his vision as the scene faded to black.

Waking up from the dream, Charming stared at the ceiling above him. He had been given a sleeping position on the couch, but he wasn't used to sleeping on something so cushy. He had been having a hard time falling to sleep after everything that had happened to him. The one time he had nodded off it had been to dream of that.

Trying to remember how to maneuver himself onto his feet, Charming stood up off the couch and wandered down the hall towards Ame's room. The door wasn't shut all the way and he could see as he stood there that she was lying on her back in her bed with the tablet above her. Obviously she couldn't sleep either. He reached out a hand to knock at the door frame, causing her eyes to turn his way.

"What are you doing?" asked Ame softly. "You're supposed to be sleeping on the couch."

"Yeah...well...it feels funny."

"Feels funny?"

"That's not the best word, is it?" He asked with a chuckle.

"Shhh. Lower your voice," she said, worried that he would wake Ruby up.

He watched as Ame temporarily set her tablet aside to get out of bed, walking over to where he stood in the doorway. Charming looked past Ame to see his old cage at the foot of her bed had a new occupant. It was the little black bunny from earlier that evening.

"Charming, you have to try to get some sleep," said Ame as she looked at him.

"Can I...can I just sleep on the floor in here?" He asked as he looked at her, "I'm used to being in here at night."

Ame debated it for a moment more before eventually relenting. She opened the door more so that he could step inside, walking over to her closet. She found a sleeping bag bundled in the bottom of it, grabbing it out and rolling it on the floor for Charming. She also grabbed a spare pillow from inside, placing it on the floor with it.

"There. You can sleep there," said Ame as she moved to shut her door back the way it was before crawling back into bed under her covers.

"Is there a reason you aren't sleeping?" Charming asked as he stood there, turning his head to watch Ame grab up her tablet again.

"Just a lot on my mind," she said without looking up from the tablet.

Charming moved to walk over to her. He soon stood by the side of her bed, looking at what was on her tablet screen.

"So you're going to watch Netflix instead of sleep?"

She smirked, looking over at him.

"Is that a bad thing?"

"No, but can I watch with you?"

"I thought you came in here to sleep," said Ame.

Charming chuckled which caused her to grin.

"I thought so too, but plans change," he said.

"Fine," said Ame as she scooted over on the bed so that Charming could move to sit down on the covers next to her.

Charming moved to sit down in the spot that had been provided to him, leaning his back against the headboard. Ame's bed wasn't the biggest, and it especially felt smaller now with Charming no longer being a bunny.  Ame shifted to sit up next to him; their shoulders touching.

"Can I pick a show?" He asked as he watched Ame use her finger to flick across the screen to scroll through the options.

"Alright."

She held the tablet out to Charming, and he took it in his hands. Not having ever navigated a touch screen before, the moment Charming jammed his fingertip against the screen he accidentally clicked on a program; the trailer blasting out.

"I wanted to scroll," he said with a frown.

Ame chuckled as she moved to lean over, clicking the back arrow so that he could go back to the menu of choices.

"Thank you," he said. "I'll get used to it after a while."

"I'm sure you will. You were always such a smart bunny," she said.

"Were? Am I not a smart bunny now?"

"You're not a bunny now," she pointed out. "And the smart human part is still to be determined."

"Mean," he said with a laugh as he failed yet again to scroll through the menu.

"Here," she said as she backed him out of the program he accidentally clicked on again.

She moved to put her hand over his, guiding his own hand to show him how to scroll properly. Charming watched the choices flash across the screen a few times before nodding his head at the screen.

"That one."

"Which one?"

He lifted the hand she was directing backwards on the screen until they had stopped at the right show.

"You want to watch Bridgerton?" asked Ame.

"Is that bad?"

"Well, no, but it's..."

"It's what? Didn't you say you wanted to watch that at some point?"

"Yes, but..."

"Then I want to watch it with you," he said. "Please."

"Fine," she said. "If that's your choice."

Clicking the show, she withdrew her hand from his so that she could take the tablet from him. She positioned the tablet so she could hold it between them as the first episode started to play. Ame tried to relax some, but was finding it hard to. Charming turned his head to the side and saw her struggle to get comfortable, slipping his arm behind her; his hand resting on her forearm.

"What are you doing?"

"Helping you get comfortable," he said. "My shoulder is an awesome pillow."

She smirked but didn't argue, moving to lay the side of her head against his shoulder. He soon moved to hold the tablet for her with his free hand so she could relax further.

"Charming..." said Ame softly after a few minutes had passed between them in silence; the show playing right along.

"Yeah?" He asked.

But Ame didn't finish what she was saying. Charming turned his head to the side to see that Ame had fallen asleep with her head on his shoulder. He smiled softly, pausing the program before putting the tablet down. He watched her sleep against him for a moment or two, relaxing in the fact that she looked so happy and at peace. Soon he was letting out a soft yawn himself as he too fell asleep; his head leaning against the top of hers.