It's All About Haruko, Baby

Chapter 5
Chapter 5

Chapter Description: The romance between Eri and Naota rises, and Naota has a weekend of taking care of Haruko to look forward to.

It’s All About Haruko, Baby!

Day 4

Get up, go to school, go to the ship. Even though it was only the second day of him needing to do this (what with Eri handling the first and third days of the process), Naota already felt as though this were all part of the routine. Was he truly adjusting to it that easily? Or was it perhaps fear of what might happen if he were to forget? Of course, Eri would stick around and watch Haruko again, but still, ever since the ordeal the day earlier Naota had a bit of a phobia when it came to the idea of making Eri mad. Naota got out of bed with all this in mind, then realized something- it was Friday. That meant he had a whole weekend to look forward to of... spending time catering to a toddler’s wants and needs. Super.

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Eri lay in bed, having just changed Haruko before lying down while Haruko played. She just couldn’t get over Naota. Not the Fullmetal Alchemist thing- she’d already gotten over that and was just awaiting the chance to apologize for flying off the handle. After all, he didn’t know what he was doing, even if it should have been obvious. But what was really bothering the girl was the hug from two days earlier.

On one hand, sure, she was glad for it to happen. She had accepted her feelings for Naota and could tell he was struggling to do the same for her. But what the boy had said... She knew that although she had told him she enjoyed these things, and truthfully she did, Naota wouldn’t be willing to accept that.

But Eri was stubborn; she wasn’t going to accept an apology when there was no wrong, especially from a boy she could tell she didn’t just have a crush on but flat out loved. Love... that was a funny word. What was love exactly? Was love an emotion? A dream? An illusion? Hard to say. But what love was, as far as she knew, was everything she wanted to gain. Love meant happiness, and happiness meant everything she ever really desired.

While Eri contemplated all of this, her thoughts were interrupted when Haruko shouted out, ”I want juice!”

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Even though Naota had had an excellent sleep the night before, he still found it incredibly hard to concentrate. For instance, while in one class (he was so out of it he didn’t remember which), he was taking some notes. While staring at the board, he wrote, and when he looked down he saw that he hadn’t copied a word of the notes, instead repeatedly writing the name Nandaba Eri. He had to admit that it had a nice ring to i- no. He couldn’t think about such things. It wasn’t going to happen. He didn’t want it to happen. Eri deserved better than him, no doubt.

But somehow, Naota, despite wishing that Eri would move on and forget about him, knew deep down inside himself that he didn’t want Eri to love him because he loved her. He wanted to protect her from what he saw as flaws within himself. But he still didn’t want to face that fact.

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Dirty diapers, scattered toys, spilt cups, these were the things that dreams were made from as far as Eri was concerned. Despite having spent very little time with Haruko in having only been known the infant for four days, Eri already felt a special bond between the two. The idea of Haruko leaving in ten days filled Eri with an anxiety like no other; she didn’t want to ever say goodbye. But it had to happen, and Eri knew she’d one day have her own infant upon whom to spend all of this excess love.

Speaking of love, there was that word again. What could she do to get Naota to just give in? She figured it had something to do with fear that was keeping him away, but maybe it was a bit more complicated than that. Maybe he loved her so much that he didn’t want to risk hurting her. Who knew with this odd little thing called love?

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Naota sat in school during his last class of the day, eagerly awaiting the bell so he could hopefully get everything with Eri straightened out but at the same time dreading spending the weekend with her, knowing that, at the rate he was going, he would lose his mind spending the entire weekend around Eri.

He didn’t want to love her, and was trying his hardest to keep from feeling this way about her. Love wasn’t something he felt he could do at this point in time, do to how things had worked out with both Haruko and Mamimi.

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Somehow, Eri managed to fall asleep while contemplating the whole ordeal with Naota. Not as though it mattered, because Haruko soon managed to, by some sort of miracle (or perhaps by climbing up Eri’s arm that was hanging off the side), pull herself onto the bed, and fell asleep next to the girl. The door opened then, and in stepped Naota, who saw both asleep peacefully, Haruko rolled up into a little ball on Eri’s stomach. Despite the fact that he really didn’t want to acknowledge it, Naota knew this was one of the cutest and most beautiful things he had ever seen.

Naota, though he didn’t want to disturb such a once-in-a-lifetime image, did what he felt he had to do and picked Haruko up off of Eri, laying the still sound asleep alien on the floor. He then nudged Eri with his hand a bit, causing the girl to stir. She sat up and blinked her eyes a few times, then recognized Naota as he sat down at the edge of the bed.

“Naota?” she asked, staring at the boy while he looked down at his feet like he was ashamed or embarrassed. Judging by the appearance on his face, it looked to be both.

“Eri...” he started, but trailed off. “I’ve been thinking...”

These were the words she had wanted to hear come out of his mouth all along, but he didn’t get to finish what he was really saying before she pounced like a leopard, locking lips with the boy and causing his eyes to go wide with both shock and fear. He pushed her off, then wiped his mouth.

“Naota? What’s wrong?” she asked, starting to suspect she was wrong on her guess of what he was thinking.

“No...” he said simply, “I didn’t want this to happen.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I didn’t want you to love me! I don’t want to love you! I don’t love you.” These words seemed to pierce deeply, and Naota himself knew that last one certainly wasn’t true, but he sure wished it was.

“Naota...”

“I don’t want to see you get hurt. You’re too good for me, you know.”

“What do you mean?” Eri asked, obviously hurt but trying not to show it.

“I’ve taken advantage of you. I’ve snapped at you. And... I just don’t want you to have to go through any more of that. Especially from me.” He was starting to get choked up.

Eri couldn’t reply for a second, taking in everything that had just been said by the boy. She in the end came to but one conclusion...

“That’s the most thoughtful thing I’ve ever heard...”

Huh? Did he hear her right? “What do you-“

“That’s so romantic! Trying to keep me away, just because you love me that much!”

“B-but I don’t...” And she lept once again, tackling the boy down and getting in another kiss before he managed to force her off.

“I just don’t want to see you get hurt...” he answered, picking up the still sleeping infant off the floor and laying her back on the bed.

“Fine. I’ll be back tomorrow then,” she answered gleefully. Not quite the reaction Naota had expected to be sure. It wasn’t quite what she wanted to hear, but Eri stood up and nearly floated out of the ship, realizing that what she wanted more than anything else was inches within her grasp. As soon as Eri left, Naota signed and slumped back on the bed, still sitting but leaning his back off the wall. He then grabbed Haruko and layed her on his lap. He started to pet her almost as if she was an animal, trying to decide if he truly should do as he was doing, or if he should give in and give himself to Eri.[img align=left; footer=’Pic made by RedChocobo.’; border=0; showfooter=1;]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v492/RedChocobo/HarukoBaby.jpg[/img]