Happily Ever After? [Nagikae AU]

Chapter 19: Smooth

"Hehe... Smooth." Kaede giggled as she caressed her turquoise vase that she got at Kiyomizu-dera's.

I smiled at her. "Lemme touch it."

She set it down on our table as I caressed it too. It was smooth.

"Hehe, smooth." I said keeping my eyes on it.

"Smooothhhh."

"Smooooooootttthhhhh."

We made eye contact and quickly burst into laughter. We were quickly hushed by a nearby waitress.

She and I tried to laugh more quietly. And succeeded.

After we finished our food, we started our walk back as the sun started to set.

We didn't talk too much but that was probably because we were tired from our day.

It had gone by so fast. And for most of the day, I hadn't really thought about Miki.

I guess that happens.

"Mmm, so what do you think we should do tomorrow, Kaede?" I asked.

"That's tomorrow's problem. But for now, do you wanna stop by the convenience store over there and grab snacks? I could go for some chips, and crackers, maybe some candy too."

I looked over. Wouldn't hurt to do so.

---

I popped a potato chip into my mouth as Kaede devoured her ice cream sandwhich.

My eyes wandered to the clock in the room. 9 pm.

I fell backwards on the bed, occasionally eating a chip.

"Are you bored?" Kaede asked me.

"A little. Why?"

I heard Kaede over as she laid down next to me. "I'm bored too."

We stayed like that. Not awkward or anything. Just fine.

"Can I play with your hair?" She asks.

I quickly turn my head over to hers. "What?"

She reaches out her hand to touch my hair. "Can I play with your hair?"

I looked at her strange but end up agreeing to it. She sits behind me and takes out my hair bands.

"Such pretty hair." Kaede ran her fingers through it. "Pretty, pretty."

I smile. "You like it?"

Kaede nods. "Very much."

She goes on and gives me several braids in the course of 20 minutes.
It's relaxing when people play with your hair. Like you could fall asleep.

But I don't. Because then she'd stop.

"Why do you have such long hair?" She asks.

I take a minute to process that as I am dozing off. "Reasons."

"As in...?"

"Reasons. Just reasons. Okay?" I tense up.

"I'm not gonna leave you alone until you tell me~" she says and boops my nose with her index finger.

I turn my head to the side, trying to think of something to say or to just ignore her.

Lie.

"I-I grew it out so Miki could practice hairdos on me. Since our mom isn't around to teach her I have to fill in that department."

"Aw, really?" Kaede's voice goes higher then normal. "That's so nice of you. I bet you not many brothers would do that."

I smile at her as she changes the subject to something else. But I don't pay much attention.

How long will I have to keep lying to her?

"- So my friend never trusted me with scissors again! Funny story don't you think? Well, it was that funny in the end she doesn't consider me much of a friend anymore. Now that I think about it I think she blocked me on everyt-"

"Hey, Keade." I interuppted her.

She stopped and looked at me. "Yeah?"

I didn't say anything. I didn't have a real reason for interrupting her.

"I just..." I my eyes looked around the room, as if trying to find an excuse from looking at a lamp. "-Want to go to bed. Can you please  get off?"

She looked surprised for a minute before getting up frantically.

It only takes her a few minutes for her to get ready for bed. Now the lights were turned off and you could hear her breathing.

"Goodnight."

---

"Rise and Shine, Nagisa!" Kaede jumps on my bed.

I open my eyes slightly and look at her, confused. Was it time to get up already? "What?"

She ripped the sheets off my bed exposing me to the chilliness of the air conditioned room.

I sighed and sat up, scanning the room to look for the clock.

8:16...

"So... what are we gonna do for today?" I asked.

Kaede lofted the heavy sheets up and placed them a top my bed, where they should be. "I dunno, I was just bored so I decided to wake you up."

I paused and let that sync in, I was still half asleep after all. "Wait, I so didn't have to get up?

Kaede nodded. "Yeah."

"... well then, I shall sleep until 9 and then you can wake me up." I grab the sheets and pull them up. "Meanwhile you figure out the plan for today."

I flopped onto the bed and began to doze off into my own little world.

My little world was filled with everyday worries of the past. Like learning to pay bills, taking care of a kid, learning to cook, learning to balance work and home life.

But that was interuppted by someone rudely interrupting mysleep.

"Wake up, it's 9 and I think I know what what I wanna do."

I smiled and sat up. "And that is?"

"Around the city. You know? Explore a bit."

"... seems like fun."