Sleepover

There was now no way for Erina to return home thanks to this weather. All this snow would be suicide for her, even if it wasn't blocking the main exit. That meant there was only one thing for her to do.

"Thanks for lending me one of pajamas." Erina thanks Ayami once again for the act of kindness. She was given a lovely pink gown to be able to have some comfort while sleeping.

"It's no problem. Not like we'd let you without anything since you're stuck here now." It was no big deal for her. She didn't even need the holiday spirit to act nice towards someone that she'd consider a friend. "The outfit is okay with you, right?"

"It's fine." Erina smiled in response. "A little tight, but it's just for one night, so I'll be fine." Ayami eyed at her for another moment. She's wasn't sure if this was supposed to be a swipe at their difference in chest size. It probably wasn't anything too deep. "But where am I going to sleep?"

"In Arata's room of course." Arata's mother told them.

"Huh?" Arata was the last person in on that plan.

"You invited her, so she's technically your responsibility." His dad said, even though that wasn't his main intention. The grin on his face made that crystal clear.

"Are you guys even my parents?" He asked. This didn't sound like a good idea, but it's not like he was going to do anything bad. Of course he wouldn't they knew that. The whole thing sounded weird to him, but that wasn't really much of a defense. "Come on Ayami, you agree, don't you?"

"They're right." She was of no help for him in this time of need.

"It's okay Arata." Erina told him. "We're only doing it for tonight, so I'm not going to be too picky."

"All right then." He relented, outnumbered by his family. "I'll see you in my room then, I'll just ready for bed in the bathroom." That was what Arata did. However, he was intercepted by his older sister on his way back to his room.

"You know, this is kind of a special thing you're sharing here." She said to him, blocking his way back inside his own room.

"Yeah, something that you guys forced me to do." He retorted.

"Well, I'm just proud of how much you've opened up these past few months. It makes me a little sad I can't see it all, but I really am glad that it's happening." Ayami had a small tear run down her cheek. All of years of him being a recluse, only to have to see grow up while barely being there. It felt so bittersweet to her. "And I think that Erina's a wonderful girl."

"Look, mom and dad may not know about it. But we both know that she's in love with Yogi. Of course, nothing's going to happen between us." He walked up to push her aside to go into his room.

"But what if she didn't like him?" Those words from her mouth caused the boy to freeze in his tracks.

"…" Nothing was said between them for what felt like hours, though only seconds passed. "Well she does, so it doesn't matter now. Now, good night." With that, he left her out in the hallway. Ayami didn't move from her spot. She could only giggle in response to his reply.

Arata entered his own bedroom, where Erina was laying on his bed waiting. "You can just sleep in my bed, I'll just take the ground for tonight." He told her.

"Really? Sounds kind of unfair to me."

"You're a guest, and it's only for one night." Arata just wanted this to be done with as soon as possible. The faster he was to bed, the faster she'd go home. "Good night." The boy shut the lights, and hit the ground.

Erina laid down on his pillow to try to get to sleep herself. This was an odd feeling. For the first time in her life, she was sleeping in a home that wasn't her own. Instead, it belong to some boy that she called a friend.

...And the one she kissed during the fall festival.

Ah! Her eyes opened wide from the thought of it. Erina's mind flashed back onto that night when she was standing there as the fireworks lit the dark sky. There, the two boys stood before her as if this was an important choice for her to make.

A choice that she's regretted to this day, yet at the same time, wanted to make. The girl wanted to shut her eyes to try and fall asleep, but was afraid that doing so would cause those memories to bubble up. These feelings, what is she supposed to do with them? Erina didn't like this. She didn't like the idea that she'd ever move on from Yogi, her love. However, she also couldn't tell what it was she had with Arata.

The way she felt about the two boys. The way she felt about Yogi was different than with Arata. But why? That wasn't something she could answer for anyone or herself.

She rolled over and looked at the boy laying on the ground next to her. He seemed to be asleep, but it had only been a few minutes. There was something she needed to do.

"Arata, are you still awake?" Yet, she still needed to make sure not to give away what she was thinking. So Erina put on an act.

"Hmm?" He hadn't nodded off yet, but was a little disappointed that his sleep was going to be delayed. "Is there something wrong?"

"Yeah, and it's you not sleeping in this bed." He could've sworn that was what she said, but he was feeling pretty sleeping. So he was certain that wasn't it, until she repeated it again.

"I'm sorry, but don't you think that's a little weird?" It was to him at least. They're one boy and one girl. Sharing a bed sounds like something a couple does, not friends.

"Well, you shouldn't have to suffer for my sake. So either you get in the bed, or I'm coming down there to you." Arata sighed. With choices like that, there was only one reasonable option.

"Fine." He relented, hopping up onto the bed. While doing so, he made sure to keep fair distance between them. A bit hard considering he had a twin sized bed. You know, for a boy that was on the smaller side.

That made it difficult for Arata to create any sort of distance. Instead, all he could do was lay facing away from the girl as she did to him. This feeling, it was very uncomfortable for him, and she wasn't about to make that any better.

"Arata, could I ask you something?" She whispered to him, turning around. That didn't aid in making him feel less tense, but it wasn't like he could ignore the girl. So there was little option for him, but to turn around and face her.

"What is it?" He asked in an unsteady voice. They were mere inches from the other in this bed. Sure, they're not both under the same covers, but looking at her in this dark room with only the light from the window. Arata was still able to see her face.

And what a beautiful face she had. Very few at school wouldn't consider her to be one of the prettiest girls. And even those people wouldn't call her ugly. The reflection of moonlight from the snow outside shone onto her blue eyes through the window. As cliché as it might sound, the boy really did get lost in her gaze.

The girl's light blonde hair laid about on the pillow. His pillow. Along with that scent of hers tickling his nose. All of these things combined made it hard for him stay focused with what she had to say.

"You… There's more than one girl that likes you, right?" She said as if she didn't already know the fact. When Erina brought this up, he was reminded of his newfound harem situation.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." He figured she was asking to get Yogi's perspective on his own deal. Well, a lot of things have changed since Arata entered the picture. However, another important aspect is that he was aware of this harem while that boy seemed to be ignorant.

"How are you going to handle it then?" She continued to prod information out of him. "I mean, you can't possibly like more than one girl, right?"

"That's my problem." He responded. "I don't know who I like, or even if I like any of them." That didn't sound right coming out of his mouth. So he figured that couldn't be the truth. Arata was unsure of why he couldn't make a decision. Perhaps it was the fear of hurting the other's feelings that he took most issue with. Though that was just leading to another major problem.

"I see…" She thought about her experience with Yogi. Did he like more than one girl? He rejected her, so she also wondered if love really was on his mind at this time. If she confessed now, instead of earlier, would the response be any different?

"But I do know that whoever the girl is. I want to feel about her like the way you feel about Yogi." Her ears piqued to that statement of his. "You love him so much, you're even scared that you might cheat on him." He chuckled at what he considered to be an absurd fact. Though the boy chalked it up to her more yandere like mannerisms.

But that really was something that they dealt with back on that fall festival. When she nearly ran out on the group because of her apparent feelings for someone else.

"But that ended up not mattering." However, when he thought about it. There was something else just as important. "Oh yeah, three girls kissed me that day." Erina broke a sweat when he realized that. "I already know about Matsu and Mesei, but I wonder who the third girl was?"

"Oh yeah, that is something you never figured out, is it?" She nervously replied.

"But don't you know?" He asked. "I know that you don't want to expose her secret, so don't worry about telling me." That was a sigh of relief for her, but it would only be a matter of time before he figured it out. Especially given his proclamation. "I don't know who she is, but I feel a little bad she won't come out and say it now that I know about the other two. I wish she'd come out of the shadows."

"So you would strongly consider her? Even thought you don't even know the type of person she is?"

"Well, unless some random girl just walked up to me and kissed me then. I'm pretty sure it's someone from the group. Hey, that would be great for you, right? Less competition." That sounded great on paper. But these days, she had a bigger problem to deal with.

"Yeah, that would be great…"

"Well, it's getting pretty late and I'm getting really tired now." He yawned. "Could we get to sleep now." He was about to turn around, but she stopped him.

"We're friends, right?" She said to him, as Arata looked confused towards her actions. "So, it's no big deal if we stay like this, right?"

"I… Guess not." She was right, it's not like anything was going to happen. "Good night then." Arata was really tired, so he quickly drifted off to sleep in front of her.

Erina silently stared at his sleeping face for a little bit. The boy never had an appearance that made him stand out, a good thing considering the person he used to be. However, normally a person couldn't see one of his eyes when he was awake. As his hair grew to cover a bit of his face. Sleeping on his side, the hair parted to allow her to get a rare sight.

She wondered, was his looks just something she only liked about him? Perhaps it was just natural attraction, and not what she had with Yogi.

Or was it the opposite?

No… That wasn't a thought she wanted to entertain.

"Good night, Arata." She slowly closed her own eyes and drifted off to bed.

The next morning, the sun rose revealing what a shine atop the white snow covering the roads. Its rays entered the room, illuminating the bed that Arata and Erina slept in.

"…" Hoping for the best, his mother quietly opened the door, so no to stir either of them sleeping. Ayami had done the same thing, peeking her head inside.

"Should we wake them up?" She asked, in joy at the sight they were witnessing.

"It's still a weekend, so no harm in letting them get some more sleep." His mother had the world's biggest smile as they quietly closed the door on their way out. "Oh, where's my camera? I should take a picture of this."

What was so nice that Arata's mother would want to save it for all of eternity?

As Arata and Erina slept, they held each other's hand.