Karaoke Is No One's Best Friend

"W-Well..." Even if they were fine with it, it was still...a thing... "It's still...something important, d-deep down...I guess...so maybe that's why-Aoi!?"

Rin automatically looked over the bed as Aoi fell off, catching sight of her just as she slithered under it.

He moved from the bed, moving to the floor to look under it at her. He...couldn't fit down there as easily, so he couldn't really chase after her. "A-Aoi...?"

"S-So deep down...we both care about it... a lot and put... a lot of importance on it...?" Aoi's voice was quiet under the bed, hiding under there out of Rin's reach. He was just looking, could he not fit? She blinked. Did she have... a secure hiding place?

"...I'm not coming out."

"I...I assume..." He answered, but at Aoi's refusal to come out, a surprised noise escaped him. She wasn't? What?...Why? H...He was flustered too!

He couldn't even reach her like this...

"T-Then...Am I going to need to tell Ruka the two of us are making a rain check on the karaoke tonight?" If she wasn't coming out then there was no need to go...right? He certainly wouldn't if she didn't...

"Th-Then why don't we know that!? Why can't we tell?!" Aoi's voice was shocked and surprised as she heard Rin's sound, wondering what surprised him now. She shook her head.

"M-Maybe! I-I am not leaving...this bed...ever..." She muttered that grumpily, with no plans to leave it. She was not coming out!

"I-I don't know!" He answered, though with her repeated refusal to come out he let out a small breath. "I-I'll give it a few minutes, and then I'll text her then saying we can't make it." It made no difference to him, Aoi knew he wasn't fond of going in the first place, so it wasn't a bluff.

Sitting up from his spot for a moment, he snatched a pillow from his bed before setting it on the floor, resting his head on it as he laid down. He would wait here then. There had to be some way to tempt her out...

"I'm not coming out!" Aoi shook her head more, wondering why she had never thought of this as a hiding spot before. Her...small...size...made it perfect. "I took Rin's marriage stuff accidentally..."

One good thing...

As Rin settled in for the long haul, Aoi narrowed her eyes. "...You won't win this stakeout. You know this."

"I-It's not like that's a bad thing...I was...never concerned with marriage, I-I've been fine with how we a-are...I wouldn't mind, but it's not something I think is...is necessary..." Rin replied, glancing away from Aoi for a moment as he was told he wouldn't be able to win this.

They would see...

"We'll just have to see then..."

"S-Still! Its...I should have known about it and now my feelings are all broken up and weird! I don't like it... Under the bed is fine for me. Forever." Aoi pouted slightly, covering her head with her hands as she laid there.

One eye did peek out at the confident tone of Rin's, her frown getting stronger. "...Hmph."

He wasn't going to win...

"Then you are upset by the idea?" Rin questioned, "If you're upset by it then we can just ignore it...it's only in the Rukon anyway, how often are we even going to go there?"

He'd lost his stutter then, which he was thankful for, but really...

If she was upset by the idea then they could just ignore it. It wasn't like they'd go to Rukon that often. "If it upsets you, then think of it this way; it's not official. It wouldn't be taken seriously anywhere except the Rukon, and even there...it isn't like anyone will care..."

He hated being so blunt but...

"You didn't take anything from me that I cared about keeping. We're in this for the long haul...right?"

Aoi really wasn't coming out from under the bed now, upset utterly by Rin's words. She moved under it in a shuffling sound as she moved further away, her body moving towards the headboard as she also slithered towards the other side. Reaching up and out, she quickly pulled the blanket off and then swiftly moved it under the bed.

She then made a wall out of that blanket, between Rin and her so he couldn't see how upset she was and hurt. She...didn't want to ignore it... she realized. It was important to her...

She wasn't even answering him this time...

"Aoi..." He couldn't even see her face anymore, she'd pulled the cover from the bed and had wrapped herself up in it. If she didn't care about the idea, he felt she'd at least given him some retort...she wasn't usually this quiet about things...

"Then it is important?" He questioned, "D...Do you want to be?"

He didn't know what she felt! She was being too silent on this! He'd asked her if it truly upset her, she hadn't responded, before...she was going on about how it didn't matter, but the fact that they were flustered over it meant it did matter...just...

Aoi just hid behind the blanket wall, she'd move it if he attempted to get past it. Aoi didn't even understand her own feelings on this, how was she supposed to answer him?!

He... was being quiet too. How was she supposed to sort out things she didn't know herself? Marriage wasn't something she had looked forward to or wanted, even with Rin. But thinking that she had some tie to him like that... and then him rejecting it...

"I don't know...but I was hurt to hear you say that..." Aoi spoke quietly, what she was feeling. She didn't know if it was important...and she didn't know if she wanted to be...but she knew his words had hurt. She didn't want to tie him to her, didn't want him to feel obligated towards her ever. So she wanted him to feel... like it wasn't something he was forced into... Whatever he wanted she was fine with...

"..." Rin was quiet...he didn't know how to respond if she didn't know either...but he'd upset her...he knew that much.

Then...

"If you do...then I wouldn't mind... If you want it...then I would as well... W-We love....one another, right? So it...it...it would...show our commitment...? I want...to be with you...we can...make it official...."

Aoi jolted, her head hitting the bed with a yelp before she moved the blanket wall out of the way a bit to peek at Rin. "W-What!? What are you saying! Th-Thats..."

Ridiculous and weird and odd and no! No! Wide blue eyes shined and she shook her head. "A human and a shinigami can't...can't get...engaged! I-Impossible! N-No matter how much love and want to stay together..."

Had he...just...did he...was that...what kind of stupid human was he!? She was never leaving the bed! Never! Under the bed was safe! Her heart would burst under here and she would just...live out her days and...

Aoi's brain was not working. What was she supposed to respond with!? How could she respond to this!?

Then what were they supposed to do!? This just seemed like an endless cycle of wanting and not wanting! She felt it was important, she'd been upset at his words about it not mattering, and now he was saying this and...and...

"I-I'm saying exactly what I'm implying..." Rin had his stutter back somewhat; who could blame him in this scenario though!? "The race thing never let it stop us from the relationship in general. Documentation isn't that hard to get..."

She'd pulled the human and shinigami card, but really...if that was so damn important they wouldn't even be in a relationship right now! "I'm already yours..."

"...That you want to...marry me? Make...me your wife?" Aoi just laid there, her eyes staring at Rin in disbelief. Is that what he wanted? Did Rin want that of her? He seemed happy with whatever... And if she was feeling hurt by him making light of it...

He was already hers... she was already his... Did it...really matter? Was it... bad if they just did it officially instead of staying the same way? He... was right though. When had the cared about what they were? Other than... he didn't know that she worried over it a lot...

She blinked and looked away, unable to hold his eyes for more than a moment. "It...wouldn't be so bad... To be that..."

"Th...Then w-we're...engaged...then..."

That feeling was probably going to hit them hard in a matter of time...few minutes...hours...days...probably sooner than days...

These...spur of the moment things on...important subjects seemed to be...a real thing when he thought about it...the confession...now this...

"...D-Don't just say it like that!" Aoi grumbled, pulling the blanket up to her eyes. They were...they were...

Aoi's breathing was heavy as she panicked a bit, she had no idea what to do. She was under a bed! It was the safest spot... "...I-I can't...get out now... I have to stay...under this bed forever..."

Forever would be soon enough to get out. Yeah, then she could...

How else was he supposed to say it!?

She still wasn't coming out from under the bed either...He had never before cursed the fact that he couldn't fit under there...

There had to be some way...

How though?

"A-Aoi..." She couldn't just stay under there forever... "C-Considering...what we just...discussed...it would be...be nice if you were closer to me..."

"N-Nuh uh! I'm not...not getting out... Its... safe under here." Aoi muttered, pulling the blanket wall back into position. There was no way she was getting out from under this bed. No way in hell, no way ever she was ever ever getting out.

Nope.

"You're...just going to let me lie here...alone then..." He tried to sound at least mildly upset by that, but he didn't want to overplay it...

She had to get out at some point, and he wasn't leaving until she did!

"...I-I'm alone under here." Aoi murmured, a slight weakness in her fight at his tone. Rin was slightly upset but... she wasn't leaving!

He couldn't make her, she felt secure here under the bed.

Engaaaged!?! What did that meaaaan!? Wasn't there supposed to be some formal stuff and gift exchanging and... Aoi felt her eyes swirling as she tried to absorb it all.

"So...it wouldn't feel better if you were using me to hide...? I could hold you then...too..." He replied, noting the weakness in her retort. "We can both be...under the blanket..."

He waited for a response, waiting to see if she budged from her spot.

"We...We can...keep this to ourselves for awhile...if you want." Considering how...new this was, and how big...it would probably do them good to get used to the idea first...

"But then I'd be close to you... and you are..." Aoi's voice was soft as she scooted just a bit closer, her hand going out just a bit without thinking. It was now easily in reach of Rin...

"You...isn't it suppose to have... more formality than this? L-Like...gifts or something or...asking formally... Not like...under a bed... and you just staring and..." She closed her eyes, wincing lightly. What was she supposed to do? "...Not even...R-Ruka?"

He wouldn't tell his twin? He...really kept a lot from her and she felt bad for causing him to...

Rin took the chance Aoi had given him, reaching out to take her hand as she scooted a bit closer.

"It...only has to be formal if you want it to be..." He answered, "I-I just figured...it would be good for us to get used to the idea before...anyone else knows...even Ruka...she'd probably...definitely react, in a good way but...it would be better if we were more used to it before that..."

Though what she'd said before bringing up Ruka...

His face couldn't help but turn red when he thought about it. "D-Do you...w-want me to ask...formally...?"